Freakshow

Chapter Twenty Seven

I texted Cairo throughout the day and received a few brief texts back. He sounded harried, Orion had sent him to the wrong train station and he'd been forced to drive through mid day traffic to find the new performers and bring them back.

I decided to sit with Rose for a while, to help keep her mind off Cara and Erica. It was bizarre, my life was going better than it ever had, the parts with Cairo that was.

The other parts were the strange bits, like they belonged to somebody else. When Cairo was gone from my side, the rest of my life came into sharp focus and I felt as though I hadn't been part of the process to get me there.

How had I even come to work for Cirque in the first place? How had I agreed to everything so far with Orion?

It felt as though another being was guiding my actions. The only time I felt completely at home was when I had Cai next to me. Or when I was in his arms.

Then the world felt right.

I got ready for my big After Dark debut with shaking fingers. I laced up a bright red silk corset over top of my black bra and panties. I tightened it, tied it off and slipped on knee high black leather boots. The heels were thick, but inches taller than I was used to.

Over this I pulled a long rain coat on and tightened the belt for some privacy as I teetered across the Cirque's grounds.

I really had hoped Cairo would be back by now, but it seemed he was going to miss my performance after all.

I made my way into the tent through the back entrance, hoping to avoid seeing the audience before I went on. For some strange reason it felt sickening to me, to know who would be watching me and getting off on my pain.

I squeezed my eyes tight and listened to the hushed tones of the crowd outside, heard the cries of the performers on stage, and the distinct cracking sounds of a whip on flesh.

I opened them and stared at the ground, checked my phone for a text and found nothing. I slipped out of my jacket and stood in the cool air, shivering in the red corset.

I heard Orion's voice and knew I would be up next. A quick check of my phone again revealed nothing and I set it down on a small bench.

At the base of the bench I noticed a dark brown stain on the canvas tent. I bent lower to see what it could be when Orion's sharp voice cut through the quiet of the tent.

"We're ready," he hissed, "get out here now. You missed your cue."

"Oh, sorry," I whispered back, wiggled out of my corset and teetered on my high heels, struggling to keep up with him.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced in his deep, sultry showman's voice, "tonight we have a special guest performer all the way from the icy depths of Canada's north. Miss York, she craves pain and won't say no to any humiliation we bestow upon her."

I stepped forward and caught his eye. I mouthed a question, "We?" at him, but he didn't respond. I had been under the impression that this would be his show alone.

I bowed deeply and climbed onto the table as we'd rehearsed. The surface was smooth with wear and pitted from the punctures and spikes of torture over the years.

I laid on my stomach, my arms at my sides and my legs straight out behind me. Orion jerked my hands behind my back and slipped a rope around my wrists, fixing it tight with a knot.

We hadn't agreed to this.

He then grabbed a handful of my hair and tugged my head back. I gasped and shot him an angry look, but he wasn't fazed.