"Round up, round up." roared the man with the mustache, dressed in a ruby-red coat.
The large circus tent was busily surrounded with a crowd of people, waiting to get their tickets and hurry to the best seats. Children were giggling in glee and parents were chatting with each other in the fun and loud atmosphere. As the tent eventually filled up with the audience, a sweet smell swirled the air, a smell of caramel popcorn and candy floss.
Men dressed in red ties and waist coasts shouted across the tent, as they held large crates of funky and fun products from spinning plates, glow sticks, raffle tickets and funny face masks. Another man walked through the crazy bunch of costumed characters, holding in one hand a bag of popcorn and the other holding a cup of coffee. He managed to reach his seat without spilling anything and he sat down in relief, "Wow, didn't thought this place would be this busy, if I knew I would have never bought them tickets." he mumbled.
The woman next to him turned around smiling, "Oh hush you, this place is wonderful. Thank you for bringing me here Jerome."
As Jerome was about to reply, the bright and colourful lights dimmed down so the tent was dark and quiet. The man with the mustache boomed into the microphone, "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to Maurice's Marvelous Circus, the Freakshow. I, your ringmaster will guide you to the depth of today's Halloween themed event full of sound and sweat for your entertainment. I hope you enjoy the show. Let the curtains rise!"
Eerie music rang out of the speakers which was slightly nerve-racking for the younger audience, but they still gripped their seats in full anticipation. Sharp noises of footsteps echoed throughout the the tent and a shadow of a girl scurried across the stage. The shadow grew larger and larger, until a full grown figure of flesh showed before them. A young women stood tall and proud, dressed in a tight black corset and a white tatty tutu. Her hand dazzled with a shiny and silky ribbon and she danced around elegantly and surprisingly dangerously as she climbed up the knotted rope without any support. She spun around numerous times with her legs holding onto the rope. The act was supported with the audience's 'oohs' and 'ahhs'.
During the second act of the acrobat duo, the music's tempo paced up. The beat was quicker and the duo performed all sorts of tricks. The Russian acrobat stood still, arms on his hip and his partner, a short young woman with bright orange hair, stood on his strong shoulders and in a flick of a blink she jumped up and landed on his shoulders with her arms, perfecting a smooth handstand. Sounds of clapping filled the tent and the duo bowed respectfully.
"Did you just see that, they must have practiced so much!" whispered Mara, dipping her fingers to grab some popcorn.
Jerome sipped his coffee and shrugged, "It wasn't that bad I guess." to which Mara snorted at.
"You're always a hard one to please." Mara muttered. As the ringmaster stepped out to the stage again, Mara quickly grasped Jerome's hand "Okay, be quiet now." and with that she looked forward with eyes in total fascination.
He rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around Mara, "You're just a kid, aren't you?." Jerome teased, smiling slightly at his girlfriend's amusement.
Tall and slender looking clowns appeared with white faces painted with dark maroon lips, with sharp teeth and black paint around their glowing eyes. They crept around the stage and then slowly staggered out to the audience. Strangely, Mara felt a finger going down her back and with the scary looking clowns spooking the audience, Mara jumped forward and gasped out loud. She felt a breath of laughter on her cheek and her chest fell down, "Told you, you're just a kid." he smirked.
"Am not." Mara snapped and faced her back towards him, until a jumble of shrieks echoed from a bunch of kids. Mara alongside with the children, who were laughing and screaming with the clowns, let out a shout too. Luckily, no one heard her over the music and the children, apart from Jerome who was still laughing. "Jerome, stop laughing." Mara moaned, hands over her face in embarrassment.
Jerome shook his head and dipped his hand in the popcorn, "It's okay to be scared, not everyone is like me."
Mara turned to him and asked "And what is exactly is you then?"
Jerome took another sip of his drink, "Oh you know, strong, fearless and you know the rest." he replied with a smirk on his face.
She ignored him and his cocky answer and decided to concentrate her mind on the performance again.
The clowns had picked four people from the audience to be part of their sketch and it was light humour. As their act finished, there was an intermission and everyone got up and rushed to the toilets outside.
Only a few had decided to stay inside the tent, Mara and Jerome being one of them.
"I liked the acrobats the best so far." Mara began, "You know when they both did those flips together, that was my favourite bit."
Jerome nodded, while checking his phone for emails, "It was okay."
Mara let out a sigh, "Why do you have to sound so bored, can you please lighten a little bit? And besides, you loved the fire act, so don't lie that you're not enjoying this."
When Jerome continued looking at his phone, Mara crossed her arms around his neck and leaned her head towards him, "It's not fun when you're not being yourself. What's wrong?"
"Oh nothing's wrong, I'm just simply waiting when you're going to get scared so I can hold you." He stated as if there was nothing strange about what he had just said.
Mara let out a small laugh and settled down in her seat again, but held Jerome's hand in her lap, "I'm not going to be frightened out of my depth from a silly circus show, although I don't mind being held in your arms."
Jerome grinned and leaned in for a kiss, but Mara interrupted him "Ooh, look. It's starting again." she sang lightly.
"Oh joy." he grumbled back in his seat, not letting go on Mara's hand.
The ringmaster stepped onto the stage, "Now we're back to the show with our new and different performance by the twin sisters from Russia, Olga and Olya!"
The thin twins performed to a slow rhythm of violins. Both girls were dressed in a black leotards with tears and patches. Their hair was done is two small buns on the side of their head which was decorated with red ribbons. They performed all type of stunts which were nail biting to watch, in fear if they slipped off the high tightrope.
Time went by fast from the enjoyable show and it was the last performance. Even Jerome's interest was high for grand finale.
A sharp and harsh noise of the Ringmaster's whip against the ground caught everyone's attention even more, "Now what we are about to reveal are our Freaks! They are the most strangest, the most peculiar looking and our most prized possessions."
They acted out the last performance as a scene from a film. Steel bars locked the Freaks away from the audience as if they presented as the out casts and when the jailor unlocked the gate, one by one each Freak introduced themselves to the crowd.
Out stood a large man dressed in clothes too small for him and he lazily licked his lollipop, with his two tongues. Weird, but easy to digest. Next, stepped out a tall man with a black cloak and a top hat and in his hands was a large cage. Locked inside his silver bird cage was a curled up woman. Everyone in the audience who saw the woman gasped in shock and in bewilderment. Then, a large hoop suddenly swooped out of nowhere, which was attached to the rope and it swung back and forth with a lady dressed in blue laid on it, who looked half dead from her pale complexion.
Luckily, for the small children they didn't see everything clearly from the continuous flickering on the white bright light in the dark tent.
Mara gulped at the sight of the uncomfortable sight of the impossible, her mind bubbled on ideas how the magician had possibly fitted his assistant into that bird cage.
"This looks so messed up and strangely appealing." Jerome pointed out.
She squinted her eyes as out stepped a man covered in sticky white paint who had a smile on his face, but then turned into the living portrait of The Scream. "I wouldn't say 'appealing' exactly. Maybe unbelievable?' she whispered underneath the shrieking of the man.
Jerome smiled, "I think I've understood now why they've called this a Freakshow."
Mara laughed, "Ah, now you're enjoying this show. Hm, I guess this fits to your taste?"
"I wouldn't say 'taste' exactly." he mimicked, as he applauded for the performance with everyone else in the audience.
As the night grew darker and the Ringmaster and it's performers took their bows, with the audience cheering, people finally got up from the exciting and jaw breaking show.
Mara and Jerome walked besides each other toward their car, "That was different." Jerome commented.
"A good different though." Mara pointed out, slipping her fingers with Jerome's.
He nodded, tracing his thumb on the back of her hand, "I agree, I think I thank that weird mustache man who held that riding crop wherever he went."
She rolled his eyes, "Are you serious? It was just a whip, I mean he is the Ringmaster. A great and such a mysterious Ringmaster because I don't think he even introduced us to his own name."
The ending sucked and there was no real plot to this, but oh well. I wanted to write this because I love going to the circus and I'm loving American Horror Story too. So, I hope you enjoyed this.
Thanks.