Part 1: Chapters 7, 8, and 9 Summary

Jim catches up to Will on the walk home, and they both laugh, their tension eased. The wind is coming up, and a piece of paper catches against Jim's leg. They grab it, and it turns out to be a poster advertising Cooger & Dark's show, coming October 24. Jim is excited and completely enthused by all the exhibits named on the poster, including the Lava Drinker, Mr. Electrico, and the Demon Guillotine. Will is less enthusiastic and somehow troubled by the poster, and tells Jim to shut up. Secretly, Will decides that he wants to go, too. They both hear calliope music in the distance, and comment on how carnivals don't start at night; they normally arrive at sunrise. They also comment on how odd it is for a carnival to show up this late after Labor Day.

Will's teeth...