Under The Tent Top (COMPLETED)

Three

I remained awake after Samil had his fill. My eyes dry and opened, staring at the metal framed ceiling of the trailer. The water from the spouted bin dripped against the floor. Echos from the late party continued outside.

A snore escaped the man beside me. I shuffled out of the sheets and quietly slipped back into the sheer dress. I shivered in the cold, tucking my arms around my bare breasts as best I could.

It still rained outside. I muttered in disappointment as I made my way towards the performers' trailer. I knocked gently against the metal doors. It opened revealing a delicate full framed woman. Her pink lips glowed in a grin against her dark skin. "You're here!" She cheered wrapping me in her warm embrace. My body fell limp against her. Instantly she understood.

"Artin!" She called out.

A scrawny peppered hair man approached us. His quick scamper slowed to a stop as he spotted me collapsed against Mirna's arms.

I cried silently as the others in bed rustled awake.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Mirna whispered. Artin nodded in agreement, as he hurried towards my bunk to gather new clothes.

Once hidden behind the make shift divider of the trailer, I stood over the plastic basin sink. Mirna behind me shuffled preparing water and towels. "Sit." She stated. I did as told.

My bare body sat cold on the plastic chair, my eyes glued to Mirna's tethered skirt. She carefully twisted a towel over me, cool water flowed. I watched as the mud and sweat washed off, and seeped through the hammered holes on the ground.

"Dandra and I were talking today..." Mirna whispered.

I sat silent.

"We could find a way for you to leave..."

I looked up through my wet hair. "I can't" I croaked.

Mirna moved her skirt to the side, bending down at me. Her brown eyes looked deep into me. "You must."

~*~

Artin sat on my bed, his hands gently tending to the bruises on my wrist. He rarely spoke. A silent old man, for reasons I did not know.

"Were the animals good tonight?"  I whispered.

He smiled.

"And Invidia?"

The man chuckled softly.

"I figured. She's never good to her elephant."

Artin snapped a look up at me.

"Your elephant."  I corrected.

He nodded as he carefully placed my hands on my lap. I kissed his cheeks as thanks, and tried my hardest to sleep through the night.

Unfortunately, sleep never came. The sun seeped through the cracks of the metal trailer. A loud knock soon followed.

"Wake up." Samil yelled. "We're leaving."

As demanded the men and women in the trailer awoken, their groans of displeasure escaped their sleepy lips. I too followed.

The sun had barely peeked through the horizon as we all began to pack our tent away. The performers and workers became a well oiled machine. Samil would be proud.

Some took down ropes of our ash white tent, some began to stack chairs and tables away, while the others tended to the animals. I had just finished strapping loose furniture and equipment down in our trailer when Dandra approached me. Her hands red from pulling the cubs into their cages. "One day, I'll set them free." She whispered up at me.