Riddles at the Carnival

Jordan tugged the brim of her bucket hat lower, trying to disappear into the crowd. The county fair was basically social warfare—everyone from school was here, posting stories, living their best lives. Meanwhile, Jordan was still recovering from that time in freshman year when she'd choke-vomited after a nervous presentation. The memory still haunted her like a persistent ghost.

Her friends had already ditched her for the baseball toss booth, where Tyler from her English class was definitely showing off. Not her scene. She wandered toward the back of the fair, where the weird attractions lived.

That's when she saw it—the Sphinx booth. Not an actual sphinx, obviously, but this rickety wooden stall decorated with gold-painted wings and Egyptian hieroglyphics that looked like they'd been drawn by a kindergartener. A sign read: SOLVE THE RIDDLE, WIN THE PRIZE.

Jordan hesitated. Public humiliation wasn't exactly her brand. But something about the mysterious vibe pulled her in. She stepped up to the counter.

The carnie running the booth looked like he'd rather be literally anywhere else. "You got three tries, kid. First one's free."

Jordan nodded, heart pounding. The riddle appeared on a small screen: I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?

A map. Easy.

"A map," Jordan said, surprised by her own confidence.

The carnie raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Most people choke on that one. You got another one coming."

The second riddle was harder, something about a goldfish that couldn't swim but could fly. Jordan's mind raced—wait, a goldfish cracker? No, that was stupid. Then it hit her. A constellation. The goldfish constellation, whatever it was called.

"A constellation," she said, and the carnie actually smiled.

"Not bad, kid. Last one." He gestured to a plastic container filled with plastic goldfish. "Pick one, read the number, get your final riddle."

Jordan's fingers hovered over a sparkly gold one. Something about the shiny plastic reminded her of bravery—fake it till you make it, right? She grabbed it.

"Number seven," she read.

The carnie nodded slowly. "Okay, here's your final riddle: I can be stolen, but never sold. I can be given, but never bought. I can be lost, but never found. What am I?"

Jordan's mind went blank. Something about time? No. Attention? Maybe. Her heart started pounding again. Everyone was watching. Tyler from English class had wandered over with his friends, probably to witness her fail.

Then she remembered her hat. She'd been hiding under it all day, scared to be seen. Scared to speak up. Scared to exist.

"Confidence," Jordan said, her voice stronger than she expected. "The answer is confidence."

The carnie stared at her for a long moment. Then he reached under the counter and pulled out a small stuffed bear wearing a tiny baseball cap. "You nailed it, kid. Nobody's gotten that one all summer."

Jordan took the bear, its stupid little face somehow perfect. She pulled her hat off and shook out her hair, noticing Tyler actually smiling at her from across the way.

Maybe next time, she wouldn't need the hat at all.