A Strange Collection

Chapter 4: Broken Treasures

The fog had already cleared, and upon hearing Iris declaring our arrival, I immediately took a look up on the place. It had a simple appearance with a few bright colored tents and some colorful pieces of cloth scattered on the ground. There were also some broken cages, some of their paint were already peeling off, and the atmosphere was less unsettling than in the other parts of the forest.

"Guys, who's that?" asked a brown masked bird.

"Little bird is Bubbles, and he needs some medical attention," Iris replied.

"We're circus performers not doctors!" a strange orange bird shouted out with an uncontrollable burst of laughter. His beak's expression doesn't seem to match his eyes' emotion; he appeared to be serious with what he said, but he simply couldn't stop grinning.

"Well...YEAH, but no one else is here to help him!" she told him.

Occulus took some steps towards a sturdy looking table with a deep brown color, sweeping off the dust and clearing it. He then puts me down to sit.

"I'll call The Ringmaster. Maybe he knows what to do," he timidly said as he walked towards a small dark blue tent with a pattern of masks in different expressions. I couldn't make out the words of what they were saying, because the conversation was like a series of mumbles. The two birds then stepped out, and assuming that the other one is the Ringmaster, I was quite surprised but with no expression. His clothes were too dark for a circus. He has a top hat with a moderate bluish-gray hue that sports a small dull blue bird doll. His facial expression didn't look particularly welcoming either.

"So, you got your foot tangled on a barbed wire in the middle of the forest last night?" he asked, coming closer to where I was sitting.

"Yes Sir," I replied.

"Well, should be careful next time," he told me while pulling out bandages, a small jar of cotton, and a bottle of a deep red-brownish liquid.

"What's that?" I asked him.

"A disinfectant," he said as he patted the soaked cotton on my wound.

It stung a bit, but at least I was getting some treatment. The only thing I have to worry about is whether or not it would worsen it, considering the fact that they were not medical workers. I scanned the the place a little more. I had the feeling that there was something wrong here.

"So...you are the ringmaster?"

"Unofficially..." he nodded.

"What do you mean?"

"I simply took the responsibility after the circus got destroyed."

"So that explains the heap of junk," I said.

"Ain't junk kid. They are the only surviving life of the place and I will find a way that we can finally go back on track," he told me "If only I knew how..."

"Huh?"

"I never talked to a crowd. Never had the confidence he had. I don't know where to ask for help, so I stayed here, hoping that we could come up with something or someone who can help will find us."

"Wait, you can't say you don't know where to ask for help. It won't come to you if you won't ask for it."

"Ah yes, but I had forgotten where I was from after...I couldn't remember. The only memories I have left where the ones from the circus."

"You don't need to remember anything! You just need to look for help!" I said in disbelief.

He growled a bit, and after mending my wounds, I stared at him in shock as he resentfully went for his tent.

"Did I say anything wrong?"

"Nah, he can be a wussy sometimes," Iris assured me.

"Ok..."

I raised my head up to the sky. This part was a circle cleared from trees, so I had no trouble seeing everything above. It was a relaxing sight. The stars shimmered in a fashion that reminded me of a lake that glittered in the moonlight. The air was cool, fresh and has blown a few leaves. It was fall after all.

Since it was getting dark, the brown bird brought out what was needed for a fire. She arranged them at the center on a dry spot. She laid the hay first, from rough strike, the match produced a graceful flame that slowly dances in the air which she carefully lit the straws. After the fire grew a little, she fed it with the twigs and then the branches. She then arranged the larger pieces of wood around it, completing the campfire.

Once I was done watching her, I slowly jumped off the table. My foot was still a little weak, but it didn't hurt anymore and was better than before. I hopped towards some of the broken stands. One of them had the pastel hues of pink, blue, yellow, and a blend of white at the beams that hold up its torn top with the rest of it being a bold color of deep red and cream. This reminded of something, but I forgot what it was. I explored a bit more. Shattered mirrors for various assets that can attract the eyes of children, in my opinion, costumes with peculiar designs, all of those stuff that I have seen at this time were actually things that can give sentimental values. Then I saw a cane of many colors, and that was when it hit me.

"MY CANDY! I gotta find my candy!" I sprinted for the forest.

"Hey! Don't run into the dark!" the Grinning Bird ordered as he chased after me.