The Ringmaster

I sighed in annoyance as my little sister played with her tea party set by herself while I tried to watch T.V. She talked so loudly as if someone really was there.

God, I wish she could just move on from this imaginary friend phase, whenever we go out she just talks to herself instead of making real friends and everyone just looks at me as if I’m the freak.

I hated babysitting. Why did my parents have to have a date night? They’re like thirty, they’re too old for dates.

“Here Ms.P, you can have the last tea cake!” My sister exclaimed cheerfully, handing a plate of invisible food to nobody. I wanted to smack her and tell her that there is no Ms.P or anyone else she made up in that thick head of hers.

But no. Mom says to let her have her fun and that she is still a child. I rolled my eyes and returned my attention back to the television.

A moment passed before I noticed that my sister had become quiet. Very very quiet. I looked over to wear she was sitting, half expecting her to be asleep, to see that she was standing and staring out the back door as if in a trance.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked. She didn’t respond.

Suddenly, an excited smile appeared on her face then she darted to the back door and slammed it open and ran out.

“Hey!” I called out, jumping out of my spot on the couch and running after her. Behind our house was a small woods with nothing but trees and the occasional deer running through. She ran into it as fast as she could with me following. How the hell was she running so fast?

“Hey, where do you think you’re going? Mom and dad are gonna be so mad at you for going into the woods so late!” And I’m gonna be the one in trouble. She didn’t stop after my warning. If anything, she ran faster.

“Can’t you hear it?” She asked.

“Hear what?”

“The singing! It’s so pretty! Maybe it’s a fairy!”

My temper flared. She couldn’t be serious. A fucking fairy? Was she stupid? And what singing? The only thing that I could hear was the crunching of leaves under our feet. I was about to yell at her, but then I saw bright lights shining in the distance.

My curiosity took hold of me and I ran, not to keep up with my sister, but to see what the bright lights were. As we drew closer, music played from the source of all the lights.

It was carnival or some kind of traveling circus.

“Come one come all! To the magnificent Midnight Circus! Where you’re sure to have one hell of a time and NEVER want to leave!” A woman shouted with a playful tone as she waved her staff, giggling after her announcement.

My sister and I walked over closer to the woman. She had long black hair and white skin. She was dressed with a red and white striped hat and tail coat jacket, black tie, white shorts and I couldn’t help but blush at her garter belt stockings on her long legs. She must have had a lot of balance because her boots were at least five inches but had no heal for support. She must be the ticket taker or something.

She looked over at us, or more specifically my little sister and smiled. She walked over and kneeled before my sister and held her hand.

“Welcome to my circus, little one.” She said in a soft voice. My sister blushed and gave her a big smile. The woman then looked at me. The lights must have been affecting my eyes because her eyes looked red. I also noticed a strange black mark on her right cheek just below her eye which I’m guessing was make-up. This must be one of those freak shows. Her smile became a mischievous grin. She pointed the head of her staff at my face, which much to my disgust, was a decorative skull piece. Yeah, definitely a freak show.

“Welcome to the Midnight circus, child! I am The Ringmaster! Please let me show you around my labyrinth.” She exclaimed, waving her arm to the entrance.

My sister looked up at me with shiny excited eyes. I was torn, part of me wanted to leave and part of me wanted to stay.

“We don’t have any money.” I respond.

“Free of charge.” The Ringmaster says almost immediately.

Well, I wasn’t going to pass up a free carnival so I gave my sister a quick nod in approval, she squealed and went to hold the Ringmaster’s gloved hand.

There were dozens of tents, both large and small, striped and polka dotted, colored and black and white. There were stands for food and games. Children were running around everywhere, but I didn’t see any parents. Suddenly I felt this strange, dizzying feeling…but I really liked it. It felt as though I felt all the pleasure in heaven and all the pain in hell all at once. My vision was blurred and I was losing track of my sister and the Ringmaster. But I didn’t care. I didn’t care about anything. All I knew was that I never wanted to leave this place.

I saw some figures walk around me. I do my best to focus and see teenagers around my age. But their eyes were black with tear stains running down their cheeks. They gave me cruel smiles and laughed at me. Something was wrong. Very wrong. I didn’t want to move though, the feeling was just so overwhelming all I was able to do was drool. But with great strength given to me by some miracle. I was able to move. I wondered around aimlessly until I finally found my sister and The Ringmaster walking into a large bright red tent. I ran clumsily to the tent and burst through the opening only to freeze in terror.

The inside of the tent was on fire! People were burning and flailing around but they were laughing. They were LAUGHING. Whoever wasn’t burning was laughing too! There were also people being tortured, being nailed to a spinning table and being stabbed by knives. There were severed limbs hanging from the ceiling and some were still moving. The walls of the tent were covered in blood. I couldn’t hold back my disgust and vomited. What WAS this place? The laughing became louder, I looked up to see everyone in the tent, dead or alive, laughing at me. Laughing at my misery.

I vomited again and fell to the ground. Through the tears and the people I saw The Ringmaster. She was smiling. Her teeth sharp and monstrous and her eyes burning red. In her arms was my sister, limp and lifeless.

I tried to scream but only vomited again. There were blotches of red in the vomit and I knew I was throwing up blood now. The Ringmaster turned to leave the tent with my sister. NO! I weakly got up and tried to run after her, but I was pulled back down. I looked to see who pulled me to see a skeleton arm coming out of the ground. More skeleton arms came out and grabbed me. Tearing at my skin and digging into my flesh. I felt my body being pulled into the ground. Laughter roared through out the tent as I screamed and coughed on blood. As I was pulled deeper I felt my bones breaking, my skin being peeled and my hair being torn from my skull.

…and then darkness…

I don’t know how long I’ve been here. Could be days, months, or even years I don’t know. I let out a hoarse laugh as multiple knives cut through my body instead of the apple on top of my head.

I haven’t seen my sister since I first arrived. I miss her. I miss her imaginary friends. I miss my mom and dad and their date nights. I soon hear a soft lullaby being sung. I giggle at the song that lured my sister to this place. Through a small gap in the tent I reside in I see The Ringmaster holding a small boy’s hand and a tired older looking girl who I assume is the boy’s sister. I laugh menacingly. I now know why those teenagers laughed at me before. They knew what would become of me like how I knew what would become of the girl.

“Welcome to the Midnight Circus!” The Ringmaster cheered. “You’re sure to have one hell of a time and NEVER want to leave!”

And you never will.