What Happened Under The Big Tent (IT'S ALL PART OF THE SHOW SEQUEL)

Chapter V🦂The Girl Who Remembered

  I remember, everything. It all went by so fast, I still can't change the past...

I had remembered...

Since the beginning, during the first few months of my life, I was merely an infant, so I slept in the cradle adjacent to the bed in Marcus and Taylor's bedroom. After Taylor's vanishing, the bedroom remained the same, minus Taylor. When the old leaves, it makes a place for the new... unless there isn't anything to take that empty place. TAYLOR'S PLACE in her leave of absence.

  And as for Taylor...

Following the strange and fast disappearance of yet another mysterious family member, inspiration peaked on the horizon.
My father decided it was time he used those dimes to build a dream... his dream:
A show like no other, a Carnival like no one had ever seen before. -A decent profit out of a fragile situation.

After all of the labor, money, time, blood and sweat- hell, even tears...Marcus Cochran's Circus came about. I was at the mercy of not just one, but a third means of a place to sleep. -My father made sure of it.

The squeaky door pushed open and I figured it could only be my father.

"And good morning Madison."
Marcus said with a softness in his voice.

I raised my arms and stretched upwards to the red wallpapered roof- "Good morning, father."
I looked at him tiredly.

"Princess, are you... okay?"
He asked positioning himself on one knee in-front of me.

"I-I had a dream about the Carnival."

"It was a good dream I hope."
Spoke Marcus.

"Yes. It really was."
I said as the sun's rays peered in through the gaps in the red curtains on the windows.

I liked dreaming about our Show, waking up and seeing my Father and him sticking around. He always did, but this time, I could visit him on my terms and not just his. I could wake up here at home and not have to fall back asleep and wake up in a house that wasn't a home— a house I was never supposed to be in.

As I got older, it wasn't unusual for me to be found sleeping amidst the animals in the menagerie plot. When I learned to walk, it seemed as if my feet would naturally step towards the midway leading down the line of outward facing game stalls one way or another, where it opened up immensely. Early on, I never ceased to gravitate to the four-legged posy. From the two horses, the golden retriever, the parrots and Voodoo the cat, there was always some sort of fun or excitement.

The Carnival really had little to take and had much more to give. Being a plethora of fun, was barely scratching the surface. It is a show, and a show is something you must see and watch in order to experience it in all it's best amenities.

My father laughed, The King Of The Carnival released a pent-up, semi-'evil' chuckle.
He spoke:

"Now the real fun begins!"
He smiled faintly.
"Tonight, is going to be thrilling, Madison!"

"Father, you usually say so about every night."
I replied.
"But what is not to love?! We've got anything you could possibly imagine!"
I continued.

"Anything you could possibly want! Anything you could possibly feel!"
He added on.

My father seemed... well, thrilled that I was catching on fast and so well to the legacy.

"Right out here! Right!"
I said.
"And cue, Mister TopHat's laugh..."

My father did laugh. -My sentence brought joy to him. Then, he stretched a smile until it grew to be an ear-to-ear wide expression.

"But just remember..."
I spoke.

We stood next to each other and my father gently grasped my hand in his own.

"Where are your gloves, father?"
I questioned as he held his grin in place- almost as if he used his cane to freeze time.

He reached for the table in the inner chamber grabbing his black gloves off the table top. I sensed something strange. WAIT! He had froze time!
I KNEW IT! Why am I not surprised?

The toothless smile on my face was similar to Marcus' own grin. -Well, we know where I got my smile from. After he wiggled his gloves over his hands, I felt the same sensation once more. I couldn't move for only a second, before I released time had started again. Or so to say, Mister TopHat had unfroze time.

TopHat switched his cane from the right hand to his left to proceed. He maintained his posture and raised his head so the light would cover his face like an eerie sheet of cobwebs blankets an old, untouched and forgotten piece of wooden furniture.

If I am being frank, I couldn't help but laugh.
He spoke one word: "ITS..." Before waving me over to his side. We spoke together as he gently took my hand into his own to teach me how to hold up each one of my fingers as we said each word.

"Like this, Madison... It's—"
He started before we finished together.

"All
Part
Of
The
Show!"

I never thought he might show me all the ropes, some surly, but he never made me a part of the show. No, my father made me a part IN the show.

The light on his shinny pants casted the glittery fragments of black and gold light across all walls of the inner chamber creating almost that of a, well... a show. This was a spectacle of the the sorts.
The word 'show' was eluring enough.

"Looks like a, a uh..."
I didn't have the proper word.

"A... disco?"
My father filled in the blank.

"Come again... a what?"
I retorted.

"A disco... a disco ball with lights."
He tried clarifying.

"I'm sorry, please... enlighten me."

"There is so much more for you to learn, to see, to do... yes, a lot, my sweet child."
He told me.

I raised my eyebrows with a small smile identical to Marcus'.
Madison looked at me with curiosity and bewilderment.

"Yes?"
Madison spoke.

My father knelt down to the floor on his one knee so his eyes would be at level with mine. -Our green eyes.
"Madison, Madison..."

"Madison, what do you remember?"
There was a very long silence between my question to my father's question to I, his daughter and my answer, but it came.

And I think I speak for Marcus Cochran when I say, he was surprised to say the very very least.

"...Elizabeth... and, Taylor. I remember, Elizabeth and Taylor, father."

(1,105 words)