Entropy Carousel
Author: Bob Freeman
You’re riding on a carousel.
The horsey rises and falls as the carousel spins.
Look! A brass ring!
Grab it.
Good for you!
You’ve succeeded at the “grab the brass ring” level.
There’s another carousel spinning counterclockwise, half-a meter above yours.
Saying goodbye to your trusty steed, you step from your carousel to the next one, moving up a level.
Look hard, maybe there’s another ring for you?
Oh well, no brass ring, but you’re moving up the path. Good for you!
Look around, another carousel is spinning near your new ride.
And another, and another.
Most clockwise, a few otherwise and one or two stopped dead in their tracks.
Step on one and head on up.
Be careful.
Each carousel is running at different speeds, from slow to blinding fast.
And now different sizes; tiny, medium and huge.
Pick one.
Too fast, and you’re thrown off, without a horse or a brass ring, a downward spiral.
Pick the right one, and spin up the path, carousel to carousel.
Looking down, you see a dark circle on the floor, moving independently, quietly changing size as it skitters around.
Watch your step. Dropping in will send you down to the carousels below.
Look up, and you might be able to jump to the next one.
A circle at your feet grows and shrinks as the carousel spins.
Dance around, get off before it’s too big!
Time passes. Each carousel begins to morph with walls growing and shrinking.
Every wall, floor and roof has an opening that can grow or shrink randomly.
The edges of the openings are razor sharp.
One misstep and you’re chopped meat, heading down the entropy slide.
Stay on your horse, hold on to the brass ring or start the dance and see where it goes.
Your choice, place your bets.
Entropy and chaos, like the House, always win.

The Past
365tomorrows launched August 1st, 2005 with the lofty goal of providing a new story every day for a year. We’ve been on the wire ever since. Our stories are a mix of those lovingly hand crafted by a talented pool of staff writers, and select stories received by submission.
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