[ABANDONED] Another Series of Oneshots

Circus Performers

They dragged the girl, kicking and screaming, to the wooden chair. Sera the Naga held down one arm, while the golem Tiny held down the other, and between the two of them the girl couldn't get up. Sjoln strolled over with his paints. His many legs clicked on the wooden floor strewn with hay. He hummed quietly as he approached the girl in the chair and studied her face.

"Aye, can you hurry it up a little, Sjoln?" Sera hissed. Compared to Tiny, who only had to rest their stony hand on the girl's arm, she was struggling to hold the girl down.

"Let me go!" the girl screamed and struggled harder against their grips. Tears were starting to stream down her face. Sjoln fished some tissue paper from his coat.

"Shh, no more tears," he said softly as he wiped the trails off the girl's cheeks. "Now, would you be so kind as to stop struggling? Sera may have a fit if she breaks another claw."

As much as the she wanted to keep struggling, the girl's muscles relaxed. She stared at Sjoln's feet and hated him quietly. She didn't understand what about him made her unable to resist what he said. But it was a problem.

"There we go," Sjoln cooed and gently lifted the girl's head until it was at the perfect angle. The girl stared into his face.

"Now, hold still." Sjoln took his brush and started painting her face. He started just under her eyes and worked his way down. After each decoration, he would pause to decide on the next decoration. The girl desperately wanted to move, especially because the brush tickled her face, but her body wouldn't respond.

Finally, Sjoln decided it was enough.

"Now, we just need a name for you," he said, smiling at his masterpiece.

"But I already have a name!" the girl managed to blurt. "It's Ta--"

"Hush, you're old name simply won't do. We can't have any reminders of your old life hanging around like the stench of a corpse."

"If it helps," Tiny said quietly, so everyone had to strain to hear them, "I heard the human singing earlier, before we grabbed her. She sounded nice from what little I heard."

"Fascinating," Sjoln murmured, and the girl's heart sank. "Why don't you sing for us, little Songbird?"

The girl swallowed and stayed quiet, until Sjoln commanded she sing. She sang softly at first, but grew louder as she gained confidence. She couldn't stop.

"That's enough," Sjoln straightened his upper half, towering over the newly named Songbird. "Sera, Tiny, can you two bring her over to the costumes so we may decide on that? I am thinking of something related to the bird theme we have here."

Sera nodded and glanced at Tiny, who had already picked up Songbird's arm. Together, they dragged her, while she tried to pull away, toward the costumes in the next car. Afterwards, the show began.

....

Songbird stumbled into the train car, followed by Sjoln. She had a vacant look in her eyes and had to be gently pushed toward the wall, where chains and manacles were bolted. When they reached these chains, Songbird crashed against the wall and slid down until she was sitting. Sjoln quickly fastened the chains around her wrists and gave them a tug.

"See? That performance wasn't so bad," Sjoln said with a smile. His face darkened. "Although, I wouldn't try to escape during a performance again if I were you. We won't be quite as forgiving as this time, and you will be punished."

Songbird didn't say anything, and he made a mental note to repeat it at a later date. Sjoln took one last look at her and realized he forgot to get her out of the white feathery costume. He decided that would happen late as well and turned to leave.

"How many times?" Songbird finally managed to ask. Her eyes were starting to focus again and she stared at the ground.

"Hm?" Sjoln stopped and glanced at her.

"How many times do I have to do this?" Songbird continued and looked into his eyes.

"Well, hopefully you will be with us for the rest of your life," Sjoln replied. "Given your relatively short life span compared to everyone here. However, I have twelve shows planned before we get to Orenheim. So, if you plan to escape, you should probably try before we get there. Not that I think you'll get very far. Only one human has ever managed to leave us.

"Well, I should be going. I fear Sera may need help repairing the claw she broke in your attempt," he finished and walked to the door to the next car. He paused. "Good night, Songbird, tomorrow is going to be busy."

With that, he was gone. Songbird stared after him for a while, then gathered her knees and put her head on them. She waited for the tears to come, but they wouldn't. Why wouldn't they? The thought of being trapped in this nightmare circus for the rest of her life would definitely have been enough to make her cry. She didn't understand until she remembered Sjoln's words from earlier that evening: "No more tears".

Since her body refused to cry, Songbird started to make a plan to escape. She didn't care about the low chance of success. She just knew that somehow, she would be an exception.