The Barker, by Don Tassone

Everyone knew what he was. He was the carnival barker, the man who shouted and raved about what lay in store for those discerning enough to appreciate the wondrous world just inside. For only five dollars, he promised, each of them could witness things few had ever seen. In previous times, most had simply walked by him, dismissing him as a fraud or even a clown. But now many of them had grown tired of the smallness of their world, and they handed him their money and, smiling, he took it and said they were in for a “tremendous experience.”