Journey Back To Me: Learning to live with Borderline Personality Disorder

Self Harm

Chapter 9 Self-harm

--TRIGGER WARNING--

Just as the Hulk leaves the stage, Jack and Jill come running out toward the front of the stage, screaming, and laughing, chased by Miss Green, their overworked circus nanny. Ringmaster does not even have a chance to say anything before they scurry off the stage with Miss Green trailing behind yelling, "You kids better stop running!"

"You can't catch us!" Jack yells back.

"I swear those kids give Miss Green a run for her money," Ringmaster says as he finally makes it back to the center of the stage. "Jack and Jill must be excited because they can't wait for their turn to be on stage with the lovely impalement arts couple Buck and Wanda. Without further ado, let's give a warm welcome to the tiny tots, Buck, and Wanda."

Ringmaster starts clapping as he walks to the side of the stage. The crowd follows suit as Buck and Wanda come out to the middle of the stage, hand in hand.

Monica says, "Those kids freak me out."

Veronica replies with, "Agreed."

"I'm Buck, and this is my lovely wife Wanda," the big brute says in his deepest Russian accent. Wanda smiles and princess waves to the theatergoers.

"We're going to show you the real meaning of impalement arts," Wanda says in a sweeter, softer Russian accent.

"Jack and Jill are going to be our guinea pigs for tonight's show, and don't worry they won't get hurt... or will they?" Buck laughs at his own joke, as he walks to his table that is set up with his tools for the show.

The audience gasps at Buck's terrible joke, shocked that the children might actually get hurt. Jack and Jill come running back to the stage. Miss Green hides on stage left just in case there is any trouble with the twins; they are a handful. The six-year-olds wave to the audience as they make their way over to Wanda to prepare for their first trick. As Wanda helps the twins, Buck shows off his scary blades to the audience.

"See here ladies and gents, this is one of my special knives that can pierce through fifteen layers of fabric; it's that sharp." Buck presents the knife to the audience.

"Yikes!" Ringmaster comments, "Don't mess with Buck."

The crowd laughs.

"You are right Ringmaster. Don't mess with me." Buck throws the knife at the board without looking and the knife tip lodges in the center.

The audience claps, and some "wows" and "woahs" are heard.

"See my friends, I am super good at this," Buck says confidently in that Russian accent.

Jack and Jill walk up to the board. They have balloons with strings tied around their necks. Getting in the perfect stance, Buck throws the knife at the black balloons. As the knife hits the board, Buck says, "Oh, shoot I missed. Let me try that again."

Chuckles come from the audience as Buck shakes his body to release his nerves over the first throw at the siblings. He straightens his posture, lifts both arms perpendicular to his chest, following through with throwing two knives at both floating balloons. The tiny tots close their eyes just as the balloons burst making the audience gasp at the loud noise. The shocked children look up to see they do not have balloons over their heads anymore. Buck pulls out the knives to clean them before the next trick, looking smug.

Wanda pulls out a clown's nose from a secret compartment in her outfit showing the audience behind Bucks back as she puts it on her face. While Buck is looking down at his knife, she wedges herself between both children and turns her head to the left side, so the nose is against the board. Quickly Buck throws a tiny knife right above Jill's head piercing the rubber nose and pinning it to the board.