With all his spendings used to buy the ticket that got him into the Cirque, there was not enough for him to buy the one ticket he had come here for. The one ticket that got him into the big top. It was a bit extra money to get into the big show, but the young teen had another idea in mind. He could just sneak himself in. He was sure that no one would notice, not with everything gone on.
The air was starting to hold a small chill, finding it’s way through wearers coats. The teen himself was wearing nothing more than a pair of tattered trousers and a worn out coat. It hardly kept him warm, but it was better than wearing nothing. After examining all the performers on his own time, he followed the group walking towards the big top. Why were they all happy? He couldn’t quite understand, but he could only guess that they truly had no clue how the circus was run. From what Ivan had seen, he didn’t find it to be the entire story. That woman he had met first. Her face was smiling, but her eyes were mournful. Why was she stuck in that cage? Why would she want to stay in there?! There was no human being in this time that would enjoy something such at that. But that was just it, they were no longer human or they were never human to begin with. It was difficult to tell.
Ivan quickly turned, walking around the large tent and keeping himself away from the entrances. He made sure no one was around before pulling back a part of the tent and peering inside. Thankfully he was hidden behind the stands of people. The downfall was that it made it difficult for him to see the show. Still, Ivan desperately peered at the center of the ring.
To his disgust and amusement, the first act was that woman. Her name slipped his mind, but she was out of that cage! She did look quite happy to be touching the ground, even if that meant showing of the deformities she held. The young teen felt that she did not mind doing what she did as long as other people were happy with her.
The boy continued watching the show through the back, hidden beneath all the stands. Just as it neared its end, he felt a hand on the back of his coat. Quickly, Ivan pulled away from the last few moments and whirled around. He had expected a large man guarding the tents, but instead found a child clasped tightly to the hem of his coat. Ivan was not sure what to make of the child. His expression was blank, no emotion showing through at all. Around his right eye was a row of stitches and then another following down his left eye, disappearing underneath his chin. What was wrong with this boy and why was he holding onto his coat of all people?
“You shouldn’t be looking.” The boy’s tone matched his expression. It was empty and simply sounded like someone reciting lines they were forced to memorize. It was almost robotic.
“What are you talkin’ about?” Ivan retorted scoffing at the child and attempting to pry the hand off the hem of his coat. It was much more difficult than he expected. The kid had a good grip. “Get off my coat, will you?!” Ivan soon began to worry. He could hear the crowd cheering from inside the tent, which meant the show was over. If any of the performers found him back here, he was sure to get into some trouble.
“My, my, Amory. What’ve you found here?” This voice was deeper, almost playful as it spoke. Ivan turned once again, the boy never letting go of his coat. This was getting too out of hand. He now faced an insanely looking man. He stared at Ivan wide eyed and curious, much like a child would when finding a new toy to play with.
“Who are you?” Ivan’s question went unnoticed.
“He was sneaking. He watched the show inside from outside,” the boy, no older than nine, informed the odd looking man. Ivan could only guess they worked with the circus as well, but the strange man had a much different reaction than what he had expected. Instead of looking angry, he looked delighted. Maybe he didn’t work for the circus after all? It would be Ivan’s luck day if it were the case.
“Is that so?! Then you know what that means my dear boy!” The man’s voice was getting annoying.
“Yes Taren sir. It means there is more to our family. Right?” The boy looked for some sign of approval for his answer. The man, Taren it seemed, gave the boy a small pat on the head before gently peeling his hand off of the hem of the coat.
“Yes indeed my boy! Won’t Sebastian be so happy to hear this! But it must be a surprise. Yes a surprise. Won’t you think he’ll enjoy this surprise? Of course he will.” Taren continued to ramble his thoughts, a hand resting on his chin as the other grabbed firmly to Ivan’s upper arm.
“Excuse me?! What are you doing!” Once again Ivan’s questions were left unnoticed and Taren resumed dragging the teen across the circus ground.
“Screaming won’t help. It only makes it worse, so don’t try.” Ivan looked to the source of the comment. It was that boy again. He was strange, but Ivan somehow believed what he told him. He was unsure why he was believing a small child like that, but he seemed to have no choice at the moment. Not with him being dragged across the grounds.
“That’s right my dear boy!” Taren agreed from the other side of him. It was not a very long walk, they simply passed two more tents before reaching the very back of the circus, where it seemed only the performers were permitted to enter.
“Where are you taking me?” Ivan demanded, his struggling continue to grow the further they were away from the large crowd of guests. This time his question did not go unanswered.
“To my tent of course. You did come for the show did you not?” Taren’s words were puzzling and difficult to reveal their true meaning. Holding onto the man’s other hand was that child. When Ivan took a closer look at the small boy, he noticed how he looked sewn together. Suddenly stories he remembered reading as a kid felt like they were coming to live just with the two beside. Ivan tried to convince himself that he was dreaming, but the sharp pain in his shoulder from being pulled along and the loud hum of the man beside him were all too real.
“Why?” he demanded to know, trying to stop but the man was a lot stronger for some reason. He didn’t look it at all, but Ivan should have realized looks were deceiving. Specially in the circus.
“You were looking at the show from outside.” It was all Taren said before the group arrived at his tent. The man pulled back the flap of the tent. Inside was a large metal operating table. Circled around it were tools, all different types, shapes, and sizes. Ivan’s eyes scanned over the bloody sight. Red splattered the ground as well as the tools laying on the metal stands. Panic was quick to settle in and Ivan gave his arm a sharp tug, releasing his arm from Taren’s hold.
“You’re insane!” Ivan turned, trying to run but the man was quicker as well. He grabbed Ivan’s arm and turned to the boy.
“Amory. You know what to do my boy. Get my that over there.” It was such a vague order that Ivan was not sure what he meant by it. “Now, now. It will only hurt a moment. Even then it might not hurt at all! Why don’t you just relax over here now. We just have to make sure you’re working properly.” Taren needed both hands to pull Ivan over to the metal operating table. The young teen kicked and yelled, but no one was around to help him. The small child returned with a syringe in hand, holding it up for Taren to take.
“What is that?! What are you doing to me?!” The teen spoke at the top of his lungs, attempting to kick at the boy, but Taren turned him away, making a faint ‘tsk’ noise as he did so.
“Now, now,” Taren purred with a satisfied grin. He freed one of his arms for a moment and taking the syringe in his hand. Despite the teenager’s struggles, the needle found its way into his arm and the strangely colored liquid was injected into his arm.
Ivan first felt a burning sensation. His body felt as though it were on fire and he screamed, dropping to the ground in a head. The burning sensation quickly cooled and he was left with an ache. His mind dulled by the second and his eyes drifted in and out of focus. As he looked up, he saw the two staring down at him. He could see their lips move, but there was no sound. What were they saying? Ivan wanted to know but as he tried to open his own mouth, it seemed impossible. His vision slowly faded from him and he fell asleep.
By the time Ivan woke up. He did not feel like himself. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in that strange tent. Was it all a dream? No. Ivan felt different. There was something different about him. He lifted his hand, staring at it for a moment as he pushed himself to sit up. Silence was all that filled the lone tent he rested in. As the teen brought himself up to his feet, it was then he noticed what was wrong. He stared, horrified at himself.
The air was starting to hold a small chill, finding it’s way through wearers coats. The teen himself was wearing nothing more than a pair of tattered trousers and a worn out coat. It hardly kept him warm, but it was better than wearing nothing. After examining all the performers on his own time, he followed the group walking towards the big top. Why were they all happy? He couldn’t quite understand, but he could only guess that they truly had no clue how the circus was run. From what Ivan had seen, he didn’t find it to be the entire story. That woman he had met first. Her face was smiling, but her eyes were mournful. Why was she stuck in that cage? Why would she want to stay in there?! There was no human being in this time that would enjoy something such at that. But that was just it, they were no longer human or they were never human to begin with. It was difficult to tell.
Ivan quickly turned, walking around the large tent and keeping himself away from the entrances. He made sure no one was around before pulling back a part of the tent and peering inside. Thankfully he was hidden behind the stands of people. The downfall was that it made it difficult for him to see the show. Still, Ivan desperately peered at the center of the ring.
To his disgust and amusement, the first act was that woman. Her name slipped his mind, but she was out of that cage! She did look quite happy to be touching the ground, even if that meant showing of the deformities she held. The young teen felt that she did not mind doing what she did as long as other people were happy with her.
The boy continued watching the show through the back, hidden beneath all the stands. Just as it neared its end, he felt a hand on the back of his coat. Quickly, Ivan pulled away from the last few moments and whirled around. He had expected a large man guarding the tents, but instead found a child clasped tightly to the hem of his coat. Ivan was not sure what to make of the child. His expression was blank, no emotion showing through at all. Around his right eye was a row of stitches and then another following down his left eye, disappearing underneath his chin. What was wrong with this boy and why was he holding onto his coat of all people?
“You shouldn’t be looking.” The boy’s tone matched his expression. It was empty and simply sounded like someone reciting lines they were forced to memorize. It was almost robotic.
“What are you talkin’ about?” Ivan retorted scoffing at the child and attempting to pry the hand off the hem of his coat. It was much more difficult than he expected. The kid had a good grip. “Get off my coat, will you?!” Ivan soon began to worry. He could hear the crowd cheering from inside the tent, which meant the show was over. If any of the performers found him back here, he was sure to get into some trouble.
“My, my, Amory. What’ve you found here?” This voice was deeper, almost playful as it spoke. Ivan turned once again, the boy never letting go of his coat. This was getting too out of hand. He now faced an insanely looking man. He stared at Ivan wide eyed and curious, much like a child would when finding a new toy to play with.
“Who are you?” Ivan’s question went unnoticed.
“He was sneaking. He watched the show inside from outside,” the boy, no older than nine, informed the odd looking man. Ivan could only guess they worked with the circus as well, but the strange man had a much different reaction than what he had expected. Instead of looking angry, he looked delighted. Maybe he didn’t work for the circus after all? It would be Ivan’s luck day if it were the case.
“Is that so?! Then you know what that means my dear boy!” The man’s voice was getting annoying.
“Yes Taren sir. It means there is more to our family. Right?” The boy looked for some sign of approval for his answer. The man, Taren it seemed, gave the boy a small pat on the head before gently peeling his hand off of the hem of the coat.
“Yes indeed my boy! Won’t Sebastian be so happy to hear this! But it must be a surprise. Yes a surprise. Won’t you think he’ll enjoy this surprise? Of course he will.” Taren continued to ramble his thoughts, a hand resting on his chin as the other grabbed firmly to Ivan’s upper arm.
“Excuse me?! What are you doing!” Once again Ivan’s questions were left unnoticed and Taren resumed dragging the teen across the circus ground.
“Screaming won’t help. It only makes it worse, so don’t try.” Ivan looked to the source of the comment. It was that boy again. He was strange, but Ivan somehow believed what he told him. He was unsure why he was believing a small child like that, but he seemed to have no choice at the moment. Not with him being dragged across the grounds.
“That’s right my dear boy!” Taren agreed from the other side of him. It was not a very long walk, they simply passed two more tents before reaching the very back of the circus, where it seemed only the performers were permitted to enter.
“Where are you taking me?” Ivan demanded, his struggling continue to grow the further they were away from the large crowd of guests. This time his question did not go unanswered.
“To my tent of course. You did come for the show did you not?” Taren’s words were puzzling and difficult to reveal their true meaning. Holding onto the man’s other hand was that child. When Ivan took a closer look at the small boy, he noticed how he looked sewn together. Suddenly stories he remembered reading as a kid felt like they were coming to live just with the two beside. Ivan tried to convince himself that he was dreaming, but the sharp pain in his shoulder from being pulled along and the loud hum of the man beside him were all too real.
“Why?” he demanded to know, trying to stop but the man was a lot stronger for some reason. He didn’t look it at all, but Ivan should have realized looks were deceiving. Specially in the circus.
“You were looking at the show from outside.” It was all Taren said before the group arrived at his tent. The man pulled back the flap of the tent. Inside was a large metal operating table. Circled around it were tools, all different types, shapes, and sizes. Ivan’s eyes scanned over the bloody sight. Red splattered the ground as well as the tools laying on the metal stands. Panic was quick to settle in and Ivan gave his arm a sharp tug, releasing his arm from Taren’s hold.
“You’re insane!” Ivan turned, trying to run but the man was quicker as well. He grabbed Ivan’s arm and turned to the boy.
“Amory. You know what to do my boy. Get my that over there.” It was such a vague order that Ivan was not sure what he meant by it. “Now, now. It will only hurt a moment. Even then it might not hurt at all! Why don’t you just relax over here now. We just have to make sure you’re working properly.” Taren needed both hands to pull Ivan over to the metal operating table. The young teen kicked and yelled, but no one was around to help him. The small child returned with a syringe in hand, holding it up for Taren to take.
“What is that?! What are you doing to me?!” The teen spoke at the top of his lungs, attempting to kick at the boy, but Taren turned him away, making a faint ‘tsk’ noise as he did so.
“Now, now,” Taren purred with a satisfied grin. He freed one of his arms for a moment and taking the syringe in his hand. Despite the teenager’s struggles, the needle found its way into his arm and the strangely colored liquid was injected into his arm.
Ivan first felt a burning sensation. His body felt as though it were on fire and he screamed, dropping to the ground in a head. The burning sensation quickly cooled and he was left with an ache. His mind dulled by the second and his eyes drifted in and out of focus. As he looked up, he saw the two staring down at him. He could see their lips move, but there was no sound. What were they saying? Ivan wanted to know but as he tried to open his own mouth, it seemed impossible. His vision slowly faded from him and he fell asleep.
By the time Ivan woke up. He did not feel like himself. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in that strange tent. Was it all a dream? No. Ivan felt different. There was something different about him. He lifted his hand, staring at it for a moment as he pushed himself to sit up. Silence was all that filled the lone tent he rested in. As the teen brought himself up to his feet, it was then he noticed what was wrong. He stared, horrified at himself.
