Spectacle |H.S|

Chapter 4

Songs:
Red right hand - Arctic monkeys
Candy man - Christina Aguilera

***

The tent is absolutely buzzing with energy, there are people of all ages sitting on the edge of their seats waiting eagerly, there is soft upbeat music playing through the area, but the middle of the tent- where I'm assuming the show takes place- is empty of anyone.

As my eyes are fixed to the centre of the room, I get tugged down into a chair so I'm sitting between both girls right at the front.

"We won't be able to stay for the whole thing, but you'll see enough to know who a few people are," Rosemary says in my ear over the music.

"That's alright, sounds fun."

I only give her a blunt answer because my eyes are already darting around the tent trying to study as many people as I can.

It's mostly full of people here to watch the show, but around the perimeter of the tent there are men, all standing about three meters apart, and I quickly understand what their job is when I see one of them bonk a person on the head for trying to stick their head under the bottom of the tent.

It makes me giggle a little.

"Oh, that," Charlotte laughs when she notices what I'm looking at, "That's nothing, people get in a lot more trouble trying to sneak into our show—"

"Don't fucking scare her Char," Rosemary scolds and I'm stuck looking between them both like I'm watching tennis.

"She'll see it eventually, it's fine," she says then looks back to me, "They just get a little busted up for doing it to the dancers...given how our show is a little less...child-appropriate."

I nod and go to say something but the music in here stops and gets everyone's attention.

Showtime, I guess.

As quick as that music stops, another track starts and some spotlights turn on to shine in the centre of the circle that's acting as a stage.

The room quickly erupts into claps when a man walks out into the stage, he's dressed in a suit and a top hat, it's not hard to guess who he is.

"That's Richmond," Charlotte whispers to me.

"Richmond the ringmaster," Rosemary adds and it makes them both giggle over it.

He takes a step up onto a little platform in the middle of the stage and holds up the cane he has in his hand, turning himself in a circle with a smile while looking around the tent.

While he's up there I get a better look at him, he doesn't look how I imagined him, he's young, maybe late thirties, I can see bits of his still youthful brown hair peeking out of his hat, he's actually quite handsome.

"He kind of keeps to himself unless he's needed for something important, he's lovely though, such a sweetheart," Rosemary says and I nod.

"Ladies, gentleman and children of all ages! Welcome to Spectacle, the most magical, dazzling, dangerous and enchanting circus off all Australia!" he shouts which makes everyone burst out into cheer.

I don't even have to hear him say anything else to know he can completely draw a crowd of people in, he just has that aura about him that makes you want to listen to him like he's talking only to you.

"Are we ready to see something spectacular?" he yells, pointing his cane at people in the audience "are you? What about you? And you?"

He's very good at this.