The Cirque’s most valuable performer was its knife thrower Peilis Metikas, as he preferred he was called, (although no one really did call him that) was a young lad with a skill of a God.
Well, his knife throwing abilities, second to none, were also more than just skill; it was an ant.
Whenever people would watch, his gracefulness played something else than just throwing knives in his performance.
To some people, it was a dance between death, him and his volunteer on the wheel.
To some, a bitter sweet melody between his knives and the audience’s horror. It was magic.
And of course, the Knife Thrower had superb skill he rather guiltlessly took pride on.
He always “missed”. Never even a close call.
Reading, blind, underwater, in the air, reading, nothing was impossible for him.
Truly a sight to see, people all over the world kept visiting the Cirque again and again, just to see him perform.
His wheel performance earnings for a week could set up the whole circus for a month!
So, of course, he was the ring master’s favorite pup.
Although only half the funds went to the Cirque for he used the other half to support his family.
His mother, always kind and caring; his father, wise, his older sister who was now blessed with a child, his younger sister and his baby brother.
Despite the fame, the money, the Knife Thrower’s true joy was his family.
With them, he had found personal nirvana.
His older sister; by them; nearing childbirth concerned the Knife Thrower that time; he could not raise a child in the circus. So the Knife Thrower made a decision.
He would have to leave the circus, open up a small business and maybe restart his career. A quiet life with his family.
When he informed of his plans to his family, they were delighted, then to our Ring master. He was outraged.
Why wouldn’t he be? The highest paying income of his circus dared to defy him and just quit? Preposterous!
They fought until the Knife Thrower finally won, going through with his retirement whether the Ring master liked it or not.
Ohohoho! You think that’s the end; of course our crafty Ring master had a plan for the disobedient pawn.
In his last performance, the Ringmaster requested the Knife Thrower to be blindfolded while throwing exactly 10 knives each to 5 different victims on a spinning wheel.
To anyone, this was an impossible task, but to him it was as easy as breathing, although he wondered why the Ring master would give him such a novice task rather than one with great difficulty for his last performances.
But what was the point in even asking? After this anyway, they’d all say their last farewells to their Cirque.
1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… 8… 9… 10…
Little did our Knife Thrower know that his victims this time was his own family, all tied up and restricted to the wheel.
Oh, how crafty the Ring master truly is! He hadn’t told the Knife Thrower that the wheels of death would be spinning and assumed the Knife Thrower would kill them all by accident.
But our Peilis Metikas was the best in his craft.
He always “missed”. He never ever once hit a target.
No, this was not part of the Ring master’s plan.
Oh well, no problem, the Ring master just manually killed them all, throwing knives as well, as if the Knife Thrower was at fault. And when the blindfold was off, he believed it as well. The crimson that were falling from his loved ones was coming from the knives he loved as well, as if mocking him.
Shock at first, then his instincts took over. None of this would have happened if the Ring master… if he just hadn’t… A single thought came over him.
KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL UNTIL THERE’S NOTHING LEFT. KILL.
That couldn’t be a wise thing to do, Mr. Knife Thrower, unless you want your baby brother killed.
The Ring master kissed the infant’s forehead and drew a knife above its peaceful head.
Kill me, and your last remaining family dies. Simple.
The thought of even losing his last cause to live was not something the Peilis Metikas could bear.
He had fallen to the hands of the devil; upon the Ring master’s request, he had pierced his own eyes with his knives and cut off his arms, in exchange for the little boy’s life. The little boy would never know anything, and the Knife Thrower was forever to work in the circus. For inhabitants of hell should stay in hell, right? As the blind Knife Thrower could not cry from his hollow eyes, the bodies of his dead family around him cried their blood for him.
Author’s Notes:
Knife Thrower:
Knife Thrower’s Family:
Oh hey, have you figured it out?
Palcinello and the Knife Thrower’s little brother look awfully alike don’t they?
Peilis Metikas is “Knife Thrower” is Lithuanian.
Little Pulcinello is cute isn’t he?
I lied; he’s not actually Italian, his Lithuanian!
*His father makes his knives…
*At the side is a picture of Peilis Metikas. All characters were drawn by the author, Chantal Margaret U. Liporada
*A picture of Peilis Metikas' family. https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/479x325q90/200/v3jl.jpg
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