The Dragon Circus

Midnight Train

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"AHH!" Zoe screamed as she ran into oncoming traffic.
With a sigh of relief she plopped herself down on the other side of the ever busy highway and wiped the beats of sweat from her forehead.
'I can't believe I'm finally doing this. I can't stop now or I'll miss the train." She thought with a smug smile but nevertheless she heaved herself up and continued running towards the dark expanse of land before her. Finally, she was living out her dream. In about 20 minutes, she would be on a train headed out of her small safety bubble of a town and onto bigger and better things. She couldn't stay cooped up here her whole life with her dad and step- monster controlling and trying to make her a prim and proper little girl just like everyone else in town. No. Not anymore. Zoe decided a year ago that on this exact day, she would leave home, cross the highway and thrust herself onto the train that would give her her freedom. Zoe wasn't stupid enough to think she'd be able to make a life for herself without any money, so she watched this train pass by every couple of months (never once stopping in her rich snotty town)  and memorized the pattern plotting to one day hop aboard it and become a member of the circus family that lived beyond the thin metal walls of the train.
Well today was that day.
Zoe saw the bright beams of the trains front quickly nearing. She smiled to herself and counted to three before turning on her heel and sprinting in the opposite direction of the train. Within thirty seconds the train was right next to her and Zoe, muttering "it's now or never" look a lunging leap for the open door in the side of the train.
With bright white light clouding her vision and hot pain racing along her body, the cool metal of the train floor felt soothing. Closing her eyes and dropping her head to the floor she whispered, "mama I made it."

"WHATS THIS PIECE OF GARBAGE DOING HERE" bellowed a loud harsh voice.
Zoe looked up to find a muscular man in suspenders with a thick curly mustache looking down at her, red faced and fuming.
"I-" as Zoe began the man pulled back and let his foot fly forward into Zoe's side knocking her breath out and nearly shoving her off the train.
Suddenly the door to the cabin flew open and a man wearing a candy striped shirt and a straw hat came in. As he took in the scene, the man with the mustache was drawing his foot back to give Zoe one last kick that would send her flying out of the train and surely to her death.
"let her stay Al." The candy striped man said.
Confused Al looked at him, still fuming and began spitting words at the man but Zoe could no longer concentrate. As she lifted her hand to her mouth and glanced at it she saw a shiny substance, like black lacquer in the moonlight looking back.
'Blood' she thought as her vision clouded with back and Zoe slowly drifted off into oblivion.

**flashback**
"Honey I don't think this is such a good idea" Zoe's mother whispered to her husband with a hint of concern.
"Of course it is, Zoey needs to know that it is our species that rules this Earth. Men conquer all, even dragons."
Zoe's mother glanced at her daughter skeptically  in the backseat clutching her dragon stuffed animal tightly to her chest and looking excitedly out the window.
"Alright." She said as she turned in her seat to face the front and observed the large red and white tent before her and the crowds of people.
As they entered the tent, it was a mad house and every seat was filled. They checked in and were escorted to the balcony seating where only the richest of the rich could sit, which of course, they were.
The show began as they all did, with the ring leader boasting about the show and what they had  in store for the audience. Zoe bounced excitedly in her seat. The lights dimmed and out of the darkness came a flaming ball of fire.
"The dragons!!!!" Zoe squealed in excitement.
As their eyes adjusted to the darkness they could see the monstrous creature, with shiny scales being led out by a man in a suit with a chain held in one hand and gold coils in the other.
The show began with the crowd ooing and ahhing at the sights before them as they made the dragon spew fire through rings and stand on large podiums. But as the tasks became more difficult, the dragon seemed less cooperative. Next, the trainer asked the dragon to roll over. When the dragon defied him, the trainer snapped the gold coils straight and slashed the beast. It was a whip. When the dragon groaned in pain, blood oozing from it's wound the trainer repeated the command and when the dragon defied he once again, he whipped the dragon twice, the dragon lunged at the trainer and in one swift motion, tore the whip( along with the trainer's hand) from his body. As the trainer screamed in pain about 100 men flooded the arena all brandishing gold whips and the creature was beaten bloody and limp and before being dragged backstage.
Zoe was nestled to her mothers breast screaming  and crying at the horror that had just taken place but as the lights came back on and the ring leader came out drying his bloodied hands on a towel, the crowd went wild cheering and chanting, including Zoe's father.
"My people. We've shown you here today that every beast can be tamed and if they do not bow down to their masters, there are consequences" The ring leader shouted.
The crowd continued to cheer in a mob of excitement and vigor.

**end of flashback**

As Zoe began to come to, she heard what sounded like Al and the other man talking.
"-dragon trainer."
"We don't need another dragon trainer."
"Well considering Jim was just attacked and our trainers have been dropping like flies I'd say we do."
"Fine. She's as good as dead now anyway."

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Hey guys so let me know what you think and if I should continue or not, feedback is always appreciated!!!
Thanks for reading :-)

Xoxo
- Rachel