It was the night of the circus and the people filling in were excited. The families, couples, and even a few lonely people who had come alone entered the tent. The murmuring of the crowd continued till the lights slowly went out and a parade with all the performers arrived. In the parade were many animals, who had been approved to be there, and performers such as clowns, acrobats and more.
After the parade, the ringmaster, Harry, an older balding white man, was alone in the spotlight. He welcomed everyone to the show and introduced the first act. "Ladie's and gentlemen, give it up for Daphne the Hypnotist."
Daphne was a young woman with red hair and black eyes. She was wearing a purple suit that made her look like a professional. She then started to talk to the crowd.
"Welcome everyone to the first act of tonight's show. I promise to make you all go whoa. Normally, I would be performing this act on a stage, so I hope the fact that it is instead at a circus does not make you outrage.
Now, to begin I need a volunteer. Who out there will be a dear?" Daphne then looked through the crowd till she found the woman she was looking for. "You, the woman in the orange shirt, I promise you will not be hurt. May you please come on up? Don't worry, all you have to do is walk up." Daphne paused and looked at the crowd with a knowing look.
"Sorry, sometimes Rhyming gets difficult", Daphne paused for a moment then finished her line, "I will find a rhyming dictionary to consult."
The woman who Daphne had pointed out in the crowd stood up and with the spotlight on her went to the stage. Daphne looked the woman over and smiled. "What is your name miss?"
"My name is Velma." The woman, with her brown hair, glasses, and bright orange shirt told Daphne.
"Velma, that name sounds familiar, it makes me want to reminisce." Daphne then directed Velma to look at the crowd and then looked towards the crowd as well.
"I want you all to give a big round of applause to her." Daphne said, then waited for the cheers to die off. "I am glad you stopped otherwise I would have to demur." Daphne paused for laughs and made a motion of stretching with her arms to symbolize the stretch she had just done to rhyme.
Daphne then put up her hand to quiet the audience and pulled out a gold coin that was on a string. She then started to move it so it spun in front of Velma. "You will pay attention for a time, and soon your thoughts shall all be mine." The coin continued to twirl, and Velma found herself entranced with the coin. "Watch the pretty coin of gold, and you will do as you are told."
A smile came over Velma's face and her eyes closed. Daphne watched and smiled; she truly did love putting people under. She shook her head, to keep from being distracted and wondered what she should do with Velma.
"You are funny and laugh involuntarily, you are a clown and act silly." Velma then opened her eyes, and a big grin grew on her face. She started to laugh and walked around silly around Daphne.
"Hey, your name was Daphne, right, Daphne the hypnotist? Well, that is way too formal, instead, I will call you Daph." Velma started to laugh at what she had just said, and Daphne looked at the crowd with a knowing look. The crowd laughed, which Velma took as laughing at her and she made a silly face and then cartwheeled in front of the crowd.
The crowd cheered and Daphne walked up to Velma and whispered something in Velma's ear. Velma looked excited and walked to the back.
"Don't worry about Velma, she will be back soon. While we wait let us pick our next volunteer, how about you, the man with the yellow balloon?" In the crowd, a young skinny man with brown hair, wearing a green shirt and brown pants, had a balloon in his hand. He pointed to himself, then realizing that Daphne had called on him, came on down.
"So, sir, what is your name?" Daphne asked the second volunteer.
"My name is Shaggy." The man responded.
"Well Shaggy, are you ready for your brush with fame?" Daphne asked back. This time the crowd was more impressed with this rhyme and cheered a bit.
"Uh, yeah, just one thing, I am a bit of a coward." Shaggy explained, his voice cracking near the near of the sentence.
Daphne thought for a moment, then knew what to do with Shaggy.
Just like with Velma, Daphne pulled out her coin on its string and started to spin it. "You will pay attention for a time, and soon your thoughts shall all be mine." Also, just like Velma, Shaggy's eyes closed, and a smile grew on his face. "Watch the pretty coin of gold, and you will do as you are told."
You claim you are a coward; it is not true. You are a tightrope walker who enjoys a high view." Shaggy's eyes opened and he looked at Daphne, then at the tightrope that was set up above the pair of them.
"Is it time for my performance?" Shaggy asked Daphne, who shook her head no.
"The time for your performance will come, but the crowd will have to wait for the outcome." Daphne then whispered something in Shaggy's ear and Shaggy then went offstage like Velma had done earlier.
With Shaggy heading backstage, Daphne looked and saw Harry giving her a thumbs up to start the next part of her act. Daphne looked at the crowd and smiled. "I have good news if any of you are feeling down, I would like to introduce, Velma the Clown."
Having been introduced, Velma then ran back on stage, this time in full clown garb. She honked her nose, which was now red and rubber, and did another cartwheel. She walked up to the kids in the crowd and shook hands and laughed with them. While she was with the crowd a group of stagehands pulled out a tightrope that was about five feet tall. They placed it behind where Daphne was standing. Daphne turned around and saw it was ready but allowed Velma a few more minutes of goofing off.
Finally though, it was ready to continue the act. "Ladies and Gentlemen, you may remember Shaggy who claimed he was afraid. Now watch him cross this high wire unafraid." Daphne bopped herself on the head which the crowd laughed at over the lame but needed rhyme.
Shaggy came out in a full acrobat costume and stared at the small tight rope that had been set up for him.
"I asked the people in the back to allow me to use the real tight rope", Shaggy explained, his voice sounding more confident, while pointing up at the tight rope the circus had set up at least twenty-five feet above the ground. "The people in the back said I couldn't though, since I was not actually an employee of the circus. I was able to talk them into letting me show you my skills on this smaller one at least."
Shaggy then walked up to the tight rope and some drums started to drum. The crowd held their breath as Shaggy, calmly climbed up to the rope and cracked his neck. He then took one step onto the tight rope, then another. Shaggy took his time, but made good progress, and soon, the crowd was able to exhale because he made it across. Shaggy hopped down and soon stood next to Daphne and Velma.
Daphne then started to speak again. "I hope you all enjoyed this act. Please return to this circus when we all come back."
Daphne then led Velma and Shaggy into bowing while the audience cheered.
The trio soon walked backstage. Shaggy and Velma walked to a wall and leaned against it, their eyes closed, and they stopped moving. One other man, a blonde man with a white shirt and an ascot was there, as well as a Great Dane dog.
Daphne meanwhile walked towards the ring master who was counting money. He looked up at Daphne and smiled. "You and your friends are such a great opening act for this show. I am glad I found you all and was able to bring you into this circus." While Harry talked to Daphne, she had the same blank look on her face and a giant smile that Velma and Shaggy had when they had been hypnotized.