The cirque of horrors

1

You know... If you come here to know more about what happens in the cirque... You must have either a death wish or too much curiosity.

My circus is... Quite a damnation, and no one knows why, the audience is completely unaware of the full nature of this living machine, my coworkers instead are very aware of what happens at night, but I'm the only one who knows when and why this abomination started. I regret it everyday but hey... The world after all is just a stage, and we need to bring the audience what they want to see.

I look at the mirror, and my reflection tips his hat
"A gentleman to another" he whispers in the other side, as I walk away and get my top hat to tip him back, but he disappeared, so I lick my lips and just walk out to the stage, with the crowd cheering, I kneel for them, and then start to perform a bit of magic tricks no one has ever seen, my little clowns juggled in the background as they were cheering.

And then when the show should have concluded my pocket watch rang, and as I saw the clock hand on the 19 I gifted one of the few smiles to the people who were there
"Thanks my audience, I'm sorry it has to end now, but let's look forward for the next encounter, adieu!" And after everyone left Maciste closed the pavilion, I checked for anyone outside their rooms but luckily my creations were already safe.

There's a hole in the enormous tent that can be opened to see the position of the sun, as I opened it with a glance I could see it disappear, and a glance later to close it I turned to see they were already here
"Maciste!" The strong man made his way to save me from the abominations in there
"Sir, you should be more careful"
"I know Maciste! I know, but I need to make sure everyone else is safe before myself".

He didn't glare at my look, too busy watching the horrors standing in our way, but he still had to say many other things, I could see it in his face, my creations hate me but are nothing without the undersigned, after arriving to the backstage we divided, and I got to my room, Echidna was waiting in her cage as always, looking at me with her golden shiny eyes.

"When will I be able to perform on stage?" Her voice broke the silence, as the eyes pierced trough my skin wanting me to feel guilty about restraining her in that cage, but my emotions died a long time ago, and they probably won't come back
"You will perform one day, I promised"
"You always promise! When will it be the time you will show me really the outside of this room?!" As her voice started to rumble in the room and her hands shaking the bars, but I just didn't care, and instead made a blanket appear on her, covering definitely her sight.

I got near my hay bed so spartan that it doesn't even have a pillow, I put my hat on the night table since it's my only belonging beside the powers and what remains of my body, I lie down on the bed hearing the horrific sounds coming from outside the room, fearing that the door that keeps me safe will break, or one day I might not close it, but by dint of anxiety I just feel my eyelids heavy and everything becomes dark.

Something interrupts my sleep, something makes me shiver down the spine,
I open the eyes to see one of my little jesters pulling my cloak, I relax, take a deep breath, and pull him up by the papillon
"How did you escape your room? Don't you want to sleep with your brothers?" My blood ran cold when I saw the door completely open to the outer part of the pavilion
"Are you crazy?! They're going to see us!".

But the jester pointed the direction of the others room, and I widened the eyes, running as fast as I could to the other room, just to see one of the demonic creatures fighting with Maciste, as he threw fists to the damned souls. Quickly I used my powers, to call them on me, they lost interest on my poor creations and followed me, like beasts, I ran to the outside and hided behind the door that opens from the inside to the outside, once they were all out I disappeared from their radar and closed both my door and the other dormitory one.

I was about to go to bed when I realized a small detail I left unseen, the jester that called me disappeared, I turned to go out again, with the last flame of hope in my heart that he didn't get caught, but once I saw red stains over the wood floor I knew that there was any way to save him, but I continued, to at least have his body, the body I carefully created giving blue and purple stripes on the medieval costume, giving black bells at the end of the fools hat, it was a shame to find it to shreds under my feet.

I looked down to see the piece of fabric, and then up to assist to the spectacle of torment, with two demons, one skinny and deformed, the other a little bit more muscular but without an arm, devouring his rests, covering their pitch black skin of red blood, I petrified, but then remembering the danger out there I left as soon as possible.

Once I was in my refuge Echidna talked making me frighten, not remembering her presence
"What happened to the jester huh?"
"I'll tell them tomorrow"
"And what will happen next? Will the others accept the loss?" I didn't know what to respond, and I was getting more and more overwhelmed by what happened before.

"So? Tell me, I'm curious, what's your..."
"Enough!" I screamed, making every sound die, with my head completely full of things that I want to forget, the girl probably knew what would have happened if she continued talking, knowing there wasn't anything else to do, I closed my eyes letting gravity make me fall on the hay blocks, hoping for this agony to end as soon as possible, I turned off my mind.