The tickets were punched with a couple quick clicks as the velvet rope was raised.
Lakeside Food Fest this year was split into four elemental zones: Ice, Fire, Earth, and… lighting?
“Let’s get fired up!” Christy said with an almost Lucy type of attitude.
“I thought you didn’t like spicy food?” Colin asked.
“Never hurts to step out of my comfort zone!” Christy smiled.
The grills in the fire zone roared high and loud, meats grilling in the night’s open air as various hot sauce companies handed out sample sized bottles.
“Ooooh, these look yummy!” Christy chirped as she grabbed two skewers full of Chorizo.
Colin sheepishly placed his money on the counter as Christy bolted from hot sauce sample to hot sauce sample.
“Wow, these actually sound pretty good, which one do you wanna try for- what are you doing?” Colin asked as his girlfriend took the caps off all the samples and poured about a dozen different sauces all over everything.
“Just showing the girls I’m not boring!” Christy said in a sing song tone as she handed Colin a skewer absolutely dripping with sauce.
Christy snapped a picture right as Colin took a bite.
Ah yes, the ever lovely sensation of chugging molten lava ran down Colin’s throat as the pink glow spread across his skin again…. but this time it felt… warmer?
Christy turned right as Colin belched pink fire right in the face of a passing woman. The flames wrapped around her, forming the vague shape of a woman that grew taller, bust and hips expanding out, muscle filling in as one could best describe as a cross between Sam and a flame spirit from DND. The woman that emerged from the flames had the same build as the pink flames alluded, a rich tan spread across her skin as her jeans and shirt sleeves became significantly more worn.
Colin tried to shake off the magic induced weirdness “Oh, I’m sorry about that, I guess I wasn’t expecting-“
She belched back in his face without a single second of delay.
Christy turned around and immediately pulled him away.
“Call me.” The tanned woman whispered as she handed Colin a napkin.
“Now this is more like it!” Christy smiled as she sat down at the bench in the Ice Zone.
She set down two bowls of blue ice cream.
“What flavor is this?” Colin asked.
“It’s winter mint with some mint syrup shots.” Christy smiled as she dumped the blue goop all over everything in both cups, “This might cool you off after all that spice.”
Colin felt another blazing burp coming his way as he frantically stuffed the spoonful of blue sludge in his mouth. Air was at that moment he became acquainted with the flavor of hellfire.
A chill suddenly ran up his body, and he could see his own breath.
“Yo dude!” A chick in a beanie said as Colin’s cheeks puffed up “Could you-“
Colin could no longer hold his mouth shut as a thick cloud of pink mist came blowing out uncontrollably.
“Mmmm, nice and chilly, just like I like it!” Christy smiled, “Oh, I didn’t know they were doing ice sculptures!”
The chick in the beanie stood there, frozen solid as an icy pink statue.
“I have to get a picture!” Christy said as she whipped out her phone, a stunned Colin reaching out to tap it.
A flurry of pink powder flew exploded right in Christy’s face as she snapped the picture.
“Could you kindly guide me to the restroom, sir?” A silken soft voice asked.
It was that exact same brunette from mere seconds ago, yet the ice had melted her faded hoodie and sweats into a stunning bejeweled pink dress with a matching sun hat, her delicately applied lipstick shimmering her her lips curled into a polite smile.
“That way!” Colin groaned while clutching his sides, “I could really use one myself right about now.”
Christy sat with a sour pout as Colin explosively emptied his bowels in the men’s room.
“It stopped, it finally stopped… it burns…” Colin groaned.
“Onto the next area!” Christy smiled “Let’s try something a little more… sour….”
“Oh god….” Colin groaned to himself as his stomach churned.
Tesla coil props buzzed as several sour candies were set up for display.
“I think I’ll just take one.” Colin said as he grabbed a random bag of bone shaped gummies.
He poured the gummy skulls and bones down his gullet without a second thought. And then the feeling of licking a car battery ran across his tongue as his face scrunched up tighter than the bun Christy had her messy curly locks tied in.
Colin braced himself for some kind of magic reaction… and yet nothing came. It was just painfully sour.
“My stomach hurts…” he bellyached.
“But there’s one last zone!” Christy pleaded.
“Fine, but the moment I feel queasy, we’re gone.” He sighed in defeat.
The earth zone was just some local produce (thank god), displayed in some weird rocky stalls.
“Welp, nothing to see here, let’s go.” Colin grinned.
“Wait a minute, are those lollipops with bugs in them?” Christy asked.
“Anything but the bug…. candy…” Colin sighed as he was handed a neon yellow sucker with a cricket in the dead center.
It mostly tasted of lemon, until his tongue raked an exposed bug leg.
“Gross.” Colin winced as he tossed the candy aside.
“…. Sorry tonight wasn’t very fun…” Christy sadly sighed.
“That’s alright, at least those tickets didn’t get wasted.” Colin said with a strained belch.
“I’m gonna need some Tums….”
Unbeknownst to him, the big sucker he just tossed aside began to glow an eerie pink color…
***********************************************
“Hearing him hate the whole thing didn’t cheer me up, Chrissy.” Lucy sighed.
“Well, it’s the thought that counts!” Christy smiled.
Colin was at the gas station a mile down the road looking for some gas and cramp relief as he bumped into…