Carter and the Curious Maze Read Online Free PDF

old-fashioned clothes, not just the children on the carousel. The ladies ALL wore long dresses and fancy hats, and the men wore dark suits and hats, too.
    So many hats everywhere! Even the children wore soft caps and bonnets. Who wears so many hats?
    Carter took a few more steps. He steadied himself; he did not want to faint. Not here, wherever here was, and not now.
    What was going on?
    Food. That would help. If he was going to face something weird, at least he didn’t have to face it on an empty stomach. It felt like ages since he had eaten anything.
    He walked carefully past the strange midway and stepped up to a food tent. It said “Try our ICE CREAM ! Guaranteed Frozen!” Beside that a sign said, “Coney Island Sausages Here! Five cents!”
    Coney Island again. He had no idea what that was, but “sausage” he understood.
    â€œExcuse me, sir, one Coney Island Sausage, please.” The man ignored him, like he hadn’t heard.
    Carter repeated his request, louder this time. “EXCUSE ME! One sausage, please!” But the man ignored him again. Carter was just about to shout when a boy ran up to the food counter.
    â€œOne ice cream, please,” the boy said.
    â€œOf course, young man! You want to taste the best ice cream in town! That’ll be five cents.” The man turned to a wooden box at his feet. He removed the tight-fitting lid, and inside Carter saw a box of ice cream packed into straw-covered ice. The man scooped ice cream into a piece of waxed paper shaped like a cup and handed it to the boy.
    â€œDon’t you have an ice cream cone?” Carter asked. But the man paid no attention to him, just as though he was invisible.
    When the boy had gone, the man re-opened the box lid.
    â€œIt’s too hot today! This ice cream is getting soft. I need more ice,” he muttered to himself. “Maybe more straw will help.” The man pulled a bale of straw out from under the stall and packed a few handfuls around the block of ice.
    â€œWhy don’t you just put the ice cream in the …” The word “freezer” died on Carter’s lips.
    No. There wouldn’t be a refrigerator with a freezer, would there? He didn’t want to think about why.
    Why, Carter, why doesn’t he have a freezer for his ice cream?
    Carter shook his head. He didn’t want to answer himself.
    Just then a lady walked by, holding a man’s arm. She said, “Oh dear, George, the motor vehicles at the grandstand are so loud! They’re far too noisy, and very dirty. I certainly hope they never catch on here. I’ll take a horse and buggy every time, thank you!”
    Carter clapped his hands over his ears. NO! I did NOT just hear that lady say that!
    He opened and closed his eyes again, but nothing helped. He tried to focus on something further away. He suddenly noticed a banner that hung near the entrance to the midway: “Welcome to the Grand Fair, 1903.”

    Carter could feel a horrible shriek starting in his throat. His head swam…. There WERE no cars, only horses and buggies. There were NO airplanes overhead, just a hot-air balloon. There were NO huge midway rides, just small wooden ones. It was normal for people to wear old-fashioned clothes and eat food kept cold on ice.
    Because it was 1903!
    Carter gulped and slowly turned to the east, to the city where the huge buildings should be … but weren’t.
    There were no skyscrapers, no big bank buildings. There was no modern downtown. Instead there were just small brick buildings and lots of chimneys.
    Where did the city go?
    Carter was definitely awake, whatever was happening. Hallucinations? Visions brought on by terror? Time travel?
    But that’s not possible, is it?
    The lake was still there, and the big grey rock was still there too, he could see them over the food tents. So he was in the same place on the fairgrounds. He hadn’t gone any where .
    Just any when .
    How do I get