behind the painted grin

chapter 1

"Burn the circus." Those were the last words anyone heard before they fled into the forest, their fear driving them away from the strange, unsettling place that had appeared overnight.

The story begins on an ordinary, sunny day in Dunrath. The villagers went about their routines, children playing in the streets, merchants calling out their wares, and farmers tending to their fields. Life was predictable, steady. But then, just beyond the village borders, something unexpected arrived in a circus.

Not just any circus, but the Moon Circus. It was one of those rare traveling shows that moved quietly from town to town, enchanting and mystifying those who caught a glimpse. The circus was surrounded by a ring of wooden caravans, each painted with bright colors and strange symbols. Every caravan was unique, with its own character, and animals roamed freely among them, all calm and harmless.

Among these caravans was one that stood out a little wild, messy, and chaotic. This was Juno's caravan.

Juno was the clown of the Moon Circus, but not the kind of clown who told jokes or made people laugh with silly antics. No, Juno was something else entirely. He was inhumanly flexible, able to twist and bend his body into shapes no normal person could manage. His movements were eerie and mesmerizing, almost unnatural.

But Juno hadn't grown up in the circus. He was born in a quiet village, like any other boy. From the moment he was born, his body was different limber beyond belief. His parents adored him. His mother often called him her most precious treasure, a miracle unlike any other.

As Juno grew older, he learned just how flexible he really was. When he was six, his classmates marveled at his abilities. To them, it was fascinating to see a boy bend in ways they couldn't imagine. But when those children told their parents, the reaction was chilling.

The grown-ups were horrified.

They warned their children not to play with Juno, calling him a freak. Slowly, the other kids stopped inviting him. He was left alone more and more each day.

One afternoon, Juno came home to find cruel messages scrawled on the walls of his house. Rotten tomatoes and eggs had been thrown against the door and windows, splattering the walls with sticky mess. The villagers saw him as a monster, something unnatural. They harassed Juno and his family relentlessly.

The torment grew so severe that his parents reached their breaking point. They couldn't protect their son anymore. They agreed they had to get rid of him.

They debated how to do it, each option darker than the last.

Juno's father first suggested taking him into the forest and having a hunter follow behind with a gun. But Juno's mother refused to let her son be killed by cold steel. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her child that way.

So, they agreed on a different plan.

One quiet evening, his father took Juno deep into the forest. They shared a simple meal cooked over a small fire, the smoky aroma mingling with the scent of pine and earth. Juno felt safe for a moment, unaware of what was to come.

Slowly, the exhaustion of the day and the warmth of the fire made him drowsy. His father watched as Juno's eyes closed, and his breathing slowed. While Juno slept, his father rose, casting a long shadow in the firelight, and silently slipped away, leaving his son alone in the forest.No one ever saw Juno's father again.