Ghosts of Circus Past

Chapter 3

In August of 1942, a fire swept through the menagerie tent of the Ringling Brothers circus. While 5,000 spectators looked on, police gunned down at least 26 animals running rampant, including elephants and giraffes. Circus workers killed one dying elephant themselves with eight rounds in its head. Eight camels died while ten were rescued, though with most of their fur burned off. One ostrich escaped the tent with feathers aflame and was rescued by its trainers. Gargantua, the circus's famous gorilla, also survived. Over 100 animals perished.

As her scream faded, Lana slowly realized that no one else was screaming, or even frightened. They weren't seeing what she was seeing. They were staring at her. Her mouth remained open, but she didn't bother screaming again. 

She looked around and then back at the man, whose gashed face smiled at her with a bemused expression. It was rude, she knew it was rude, but she couldn't stop staring. Blood dripped from his mouth, from his lower lip that was split in two, making his smile that much more insane. Then he blinked, and her gorge rose, because while one eyes was fine, the other eyeball dangled against his cheek from a length of gore, and his eyelid had blinked automatically and emptily against that eye-stem.

"What have we here?" the man sneered.

"This is the new girl," Charly said quickly, moving in and grabbing Lana's arm.

"Must be the first of May," the man said. "What's your act?"

"She does trick riding. I'm taking her to Bettina."

Charly began to drag her off. Even so, Lana couldn't stop staring. The man watched after her with that bloodied split smile. "I look forward to seeing you perform," he called after them.

"That's Rooney," Charly hissed in her ear. "You steer clear of him."

"Is he okay?"

"He's mean as a snake, and just as oily too," Charly said. "That what you mean?"

"No, I mean his face."

"Look, girlie." Charly sounded like she was going to tell Lana what for, but then Lana realized they had stopped before one of the train cars. Big fancy letters proclaimed the car for Abaddon's Circus of the Damned.

"So it's like a horror show?" Lana asked. It didn't make much sense.

"You think any other kind of show's gonna take a mug like this?" Charly asked, gesturing to her own face. "My options are limited. You could call it a freak show."

"Oh." Lana had never seen horror make up that realistic, not even in the pictures. Lana wasn't sure how she felt about this kind of circus. She didn't much enjoy horror movies, and Freddy had always dragged her to the drive-in whenever one was playing. He liked when she buried her face in his shoulder. Somehow they always scared her even when she knew it was all pretend.

Finally they arrived at an area fenced off with metal gates. Lana was surprised to see that the horses were just as made up as the people. Most of them were covered in burns that left most of their skin looking bald. Others had long gashes in their flanks, like they'd been attacked by the lions and tigers.

In their midst, a redhead wearing a white leotard covered in silver sequins drifted through the small herd, her hands passing along their many scars.

"Bettina!" Charly called.

The girl looked up. She had a look of permanent disdain on her porcelain face.

"I got a new girl for you. Meet Lana."

Lana gamely stuck out her hand, though she was unsurprised when Bettina looked at it with a curled lip. Lana noticed some remaining blood flecks and grime on her palm and rubbed them on her jeans.