You Never Really Win at Carnivals

Meniscus 2019 Australia

You Never Really Win at Carnivals 

I was coming back from the carnival, happy with a goldfish in a plastic bag half filled with water, when the neighborhood bully, Ray, snuck up behind me and snatched it. “Hey!” I yelled. He threw it up and caught it. I grabbed a garbage can lid from an overstuffed garbage can on the curb. Ray smashed the plastic bag at my feet, water ran—the goldfish flopped. I fought back tears. Ray laughed. I swung the lid wildly, aiming at his arm—caught his throat. He tried to talk but his words were all twisted like a flopping goldfish.