Pricked

16

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"Come on Harriet, we gotta go!" Mitchell says while yanking my arm as we sneak under the ropes and make our way through the tents and peanut shells.

"Are the elephants here today?" I ask pointing at all the peanuts.

"Probably," Mitch says dully as he frantically looks around the carnival, obviously uninterested in the giant creatures.

"Come on." He says again and pulls me through the crowd. "I want to see the freaks and we have to get in before it's full and I need to see the fire dancers and-"

"The acrobats!" I say pulling him down this time towards a different lane. We pull the tent up slightly and see a crowd beginning to form. With a smirk Mitchell rolls under the tent flap and holds the tent up for me to roll under too.

"Come one, come all, to the greatest show you will ever see!" The ringmaster wore colors so vibrant and bold, his voice booming long after his final words were spoken.

"Here." Mitch says plopping down to the second row; right in the middle of the dirty, dusty, food covered and spilled drink bleachers.

"Are they all this gross?" I ask gently plopping down next to him.

"Yeah probably, come on Har," he says nudging me. "We are with the carnies now." Soon after we seated the rest of the tent was filled with men, women and children.

"Ladies and gents this is the moment you've been waiting for." A man in a large red coat with golden buttons and slick black pants came running towards the middle of the ring, the ringmaster seems amazing. "So tell me do you wanna go, want to be transported from this bland world into the land of the monsters and freaks?" He questions voice trancing us all. The crowd cheers and Mitch is in heaven smiling ear to ear.

"Then let's get started, shall we?" The ringmaster disappears and the tent goes dark. Everything is so quiet, right here and now. I hear the outside noises; the thump of feet, and rides throughout the circus, sounds of monstrous drums. The roar of lions and the squall of what sounds to be an elephant erupt majestically throughout the tent. The marvelous smell of popcorn and cotton candy fill the quiet tent. But even through all these noises and excitement in the dark of the tent I find the purse of a lady in front of me and pull out a few coins for us after the show.

Before I can grab more the tent explodes with light and the fire dancers start. Being this close to the ring I feel the warmth of the fire and beg for them to continue after they finish. I won't be warm again like this for a while so I bask in the heat of the tent and the body heat surrounding me.

Next are the strongest men alive, and then a bearded lady that has the most beautiful voice, then the acrobats. They fly so high and twist and turn like I've never seen before. Everyone eyes grow wide and most jaws drop as one of the acrobats release their grip from the swinging bars looking as though they are going to fall. One woman shrieks at the sight of the acrobats falling blinding to the ground. Were we about to witness the death of this man?

"Mitch," I whisper poking him in the side, he turns his head slightly but keeps his eyes focused on the falling acrobat. I don't know what I am going to say but I couldn't look away as well.

Then, just like magic another acrobat comes out of nowhere and swings down on a separate swing reaching just in time to catch her friend. They swing back up to the top and take a bow. The crowd goes crazy, some are crying tears of joy, and I can finally feel as though I can breathe again. But from the corner of the ring stands the ring master and he doesn't look to keen on their performance, dead or not they didn't perform as he wanted I thought as my focus switched back to the ring and its newest participant.