Water Gun Gallery!

“You there!” the barker yells, pointing his cane directly at you. “Fancy yourself a good shot? Why not take a go at the shooting gallery! Just fill this here balloon up with water, whoever fills it up the fastest wins a prize!” The barker points to a clown head with a balloon resting at the top, its mouth wide open. You look at your opponents, they're all kids with a twinkle in their eye. Some of them are literally kids as well. With a smirk, you stand and grab the empty gun, your fingers gently pressing against the trigger, ready to fire.

“On your marks, get set... and GO!” With a loud ding, you pull hard on the trigger filling the balloon up, you're actually a really good shot it would seem! The balloon bursts with a satisfying bang as water splashes everywhere. The barker hands you a soft toy as your prize over the sounds of children crying. You laugh as you victoriously hold the toy above your head, was it worth it though?

As you go to leave, the parents crowd round you, many of them closing in on you, making you feel claustrophobic.

“You think you're pretty cool, huh?” one of them grumbles, prodding you with an accusatory finger.

“You think you're hot shit because you beat some kids at a carnival game?”

“You made them cry!”

“You're a terrible person!”

They also get closer and closer until one of them, a goat, headbutts you and sends you flying across the shooting gallery, smacking into one of the clown heads and knocking it over. You manage to get up onto your knees, your head resting on a wooden stand.

“On your marks, get set... and GO!” That ding pierces your eardrums as you suddenly feel a rapid rush of water shooting into your mouth as all of the children aim their gun at your mouth, filling your head with water. It inflates larger and larger as water leaks out of your ears and your eyes begin to resemble an aquarium with fish swimming around, or maybe your brain. With a cheer, the barker awards everyone a prize as your head flops onto the floor and water starts pouring from your mouth like a faucet. Your head sinks and droops as liquid drips onto the floor, it resembling more of a deflated balloon now! With some of your dignity intact, you decide to leave, carrying your shrivelled, floppy head in both your hands.

The Great Deflate!