Tangled in Carnival Bunting

My boots snagged on a droopy coil of tattered purple pennant rope! Down went my footing with a sudden whoosh, sending me skidding straight across a heap of sawdust. Instead of tumbling flat, I kicked my legs upward, letting the faded cloth triangles wrap around my ankles like an impromptu ribbon trap. Above me hung a rusted tin lantern, swinging in lazy arcs from a center peg. I grabbed the trailing edge of the banner with both hands, yanked hard until the cord went taut with a dry *twang*, and struck a frozen, upside-down jester pose while the dust settled in the dim glow.