Demon's toys
Once upon a time south of the Mississippi River a demon came from under the ground. He traded his power in hell to a rich man in exchange for a chance to walk on the earth. The deal was made and the demon began to roam. He also made a new living for himself by feeding off of humanity in a very unique way. He made a circus, he had acrobats and clowns and animals and all of them were amazing with his magic. But also the menagerie under his control were harvested from humankind, he took people. Orphans, homeless, strays. He took them and made them his toys. No one cared because the shows he put on with them were astounding. No one cared because the value of the shows was always worth more than the lives of strangers. The demon's name is ringmaster Bendel and this is the story of how his circus comes to an end
Chapter one
You are never safe
It's night at the circus of sorrows and all the county towns have come. They pay good money but pay no mind as they see the show of misery. They see the animal men and see their magical mutations as exotic beauty. They see the acrobats above and not wonder how their ropes catch them back into the web like some cold blooded sea creature. They see the fire breather and never see his tears as they sizzle into mist from his own cursed flames. No, this circus of magic is just a show to them. The demon ring master knows this. When the star attraction Lisa the acrobat clown comes on he invents a better show. Not only does Lisa have to race through the spider like trapeze and have the tiger man Damien chase her but the knife thrower is ordered to aim for them both. The chase continues against their wills, Lisa laughs to hide her sweat and fear as the tiger man lounges for her high above the floor, the knife thrower cuts them both with the ringmaster yelling "it's easy to fake peril but you can't fake blood, run for your life clown and give the people a show, you are never safe."