Beyond the Curtain

07 | rule 28

RULE 28: MISS NYMPHADORA RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REACT IN ANY WAY SHE SEES FIT IF YOU DO ANYTHING—EVEN IF TECHNICALLY DOES NOT BREAK THE RULES—TO UPSET HER.

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There was nothing greater the cast and crew of Miss Nymphadora's Three-Ring Circus liked more than gossip. Perhaps, only being able to artfully exit from Miss Nymphadora's ironclad contract could outweigh the spoils of juicy gossip.

My suspicions were confirmed as soon as I emerged from the forest.

Many eyes, mainly those of my fellow circus crew, lingered on me. Before I could saunter off to my trailer in hopes of escaping an interrogation for the night, Bones, with hasty steps, came barreling in my direction. His black nose pointed to the ground, successful in his hunt to track me down.

He sat in front of me, glaring with his frosty, black eyes, and barked. I gulped, and he barked again, almost as if to mock me this time like he knew I was about to be in for a punishment of a lifetime.

When Bones was satisfied that I would follow him, he guided me through the tents. I knew he was leading me to Miss Nymphadora's trailer. His brown and black tail wagged while he bounced with each step. I kept my eyes on the dirt pathways, not ready to face my fellow circus members. I needed all the strength I could get to handle Miss Nymphadora.

Miss Nymphadora's trailer was extravagant. It was a top-of-the-line motorhome with all of the perks built in. When on the road, the motorhome compacted into a smaller size to accommodate the roads and highways traveled, but once docked, the motorhome expanded to almost double its original size.

The circus' logo had been fastened to the side of the motorhome with a matching profile picture of Miss Nymphadora herself to go along with it. Miss Nymphadora's motorhome was unmistakable, and it had many stories to accompany its grand presence. Many different rumors floated about the happenings of the humble abode.

Some believed she kept a stockpile of men at her disposal in case she ever needed a quick release of tension. Others believed she had fashioned half the motorhome to produce a steady stream of drugs. This rumor spread because some members of the circus could not fathom how Miss Nymphadora could run a circus as profitable as hers. But they often paid no attention to all the gauged prices at every corner.

Miss Nymphadora was stern. She said her circus was no charity. Children's admittance—even for a baby—was not free. There were no special discounts based on your age. On the contrary, Miss Nymphadora had the tendency to increase the price of any attraction that would ensnare the mind of a child. Regardless of her questionable business tactics, the customers kept flowing.

She had no reason to keep her prices reasonable, not when her circus was so unique. Many different circuses around the world did enlist a supernatural being here or there, but Miss Nymphadora took it a step further; she exploited her crew in ways many other conductors would not dare to.

Simply because she had something they did not: her contracts.

Most circus owners who employed supernaturals were weary of the wrath a disgruntled employee might reign down on them. With the contracts bound between Miss Nymphadora and each of her crew members, she did not share such a fear.

She didn't have to.

While I knew Miss Nymphadora's outlandish practices should not have provided comfort, I had at least been eased by the fact I had been Miss Nymphadora's only werewolf staff member. She could punish me as she liked, but there was always an unspoken limit because I was not easily replaceable.