Siberia | S. Rogers

five

.05 | Mystery Man

The circus might have been over, but the night wasn't ending anytime soon. After the crowds departed the big top most everyone made their way towards the carnival that had been set up in the field. There was an assortment of games and prizes that the kids could win if they were lucky enough.

Merida knew from experience the games were tough. Her mother had always expressed frustration that the games were almost set up for failure, but that she supposed it was part of the way the circus could make their money.

Only the kids that thought outside of the box would be able to master the carnival games.

When Merida had finally stopped quaking from fear, she decided it was time to get changed so she could mingle around in the shadows for a little bit.

Merida had quickly changed into a simple black cotton dress that came to her knees. The dress was long sleeved but had enough breathing room so she wouldn't die from the heat. It had a small scoop on her chest but was proper enough that it wouldn't make her feel overexposed. She slipped into a  pair of black jeweled flats to match her dress before heading out of her dressing room.

Merida never really liked the exposure of her wrists, and she had found many ways to cover up the scars from prying eyes. If her outfit didn't have long sleeves on them, she was wearing some kind of wrist accessory so that she wouldn't have to look at them. They were a dreadful reminder of her past, and something that she was heavily ashamed of.

Not because she had tried.

But because it hadn't worked.

Killian had had quite the cackle about her attempt to rid herself of this life. It made her face burn red for a moment as an echo of his cruel laughter poured over her.

It was a wonder Killian even allowed her to roam the after-circus activities, but at the end of the day he was utmost confident she wouldn't run.

He knew her so well.

The mere thought of running sent an assortment of goosebumps down her arms. Her bottom lip trembled as his promise echoed in her mind. She felt a revulsion in her belly at the thought of Killian touching her in that way.

She was brought back to the present as she walked further into the carnival, the lights and the sounds of the games captured her attention. The people in the crowd made her pause as smiles lit up their entire features. It made her realize just how happy people became from attending their circus.

There were people eating cotton candy and bags of nuts without a care in the world. Girls and boys, and even elderly, were joining in on the whimsical feeling that encompassed the atmosphere.

Each person she passed was in such a state of magic that they didn't even recognize her as the mutant girl from the show's finale. Couples clung to each other's arms and families laughed merrily.