Under The Tent Top (COMPLETED)

Seven

BY the time we made it back, the tent had been erected, the ticket booths ready to go, and the performers began last minute rehearsals.

An elephant - most likely Gem the larger one - grunted as Artin fed her his left overs.

He waved my way. Unfortunately, the affects of mendacium still loitered in my body. His face fell.

Soon Rene and Marius had ushered me into a set of steps by one of the trailers.

"Are you okay?" Rene asked.

I nodded. My mouth too dry to speak.

Artin must have ran to find Mirna, because within seconds of sitting down - they had found me.

"My girl," The large lady cried. She fell to her knees. "What did they do? What did you do?"

She rose to Marius. He lifted his hands up in surrender.

"I'm sorry ma'am. That is Marius, I'm Rene. We came with Samil. New recruits. Nightingale here got caught in some waste syrup." Rene explained.

Mirna grumbled. "Mendacium?"

I nodded apologetically.

"It's okay," Mirna whispered. "Now come on, let's get you cleaned up. Rene? Come with me. Marius. Follow Artin there, he'll show you around."

Artin smiled in silence.

"Well, he'll walk around with you. He don't talk much. Nothing personal."

As the men left, I was ushered into the performers trailer. Mirna washed me up. As always.

"I'm sorry," I hoarsely spoke. "You're, you're always -"

She shook her head. "You need to be careful out there."

I silently nodded.

~*~

By the time I was done, Mirna began to follow Rene back to where the other girls were. I watched them walk off, mustering up the courage to see the ring leader all the while.

I knocked at the metal doors.

They creaked open.

Samil stood stiffly at the entrance. He stepped to the side, letting me in. The moment the doors closed, a sharp slap hit my face. My body fell to the ground.

"What were you thinking?!" Samil yelled.

I tucked my face away. "I didn't know what it was. He handed it to me. I didn't know -"

"I didn't know. I didn't know." He mocked.

Tears caught in the corners of my eyes.

"Don't cry." He muttered.

By the time I looked up at the white powdered face man, tears fell. He huffed in saddens.

"Oh song bird. I didn't mean to hurt you." He stated, his finger whipping my cheeks. "You just scared me. I didn't want him to hurt you. And he did. He took advantage of you."

I slumped where I sat.

"Stand up. It's ok. I forgive you. I just needed you to learn. Don't take anything from other men. You can't trust anyone but me. Understand?"

I nodded.

"Good. Okay. Go on, get ready now. The show will start soon."

Gingerly, I stood from the floor. My head remained low.

"Darling," Samil called out. "Wear the nude dress tonight."

I smiled and did as I was told.

~*~

"Hi," Rene entered the costume trailer. I turned my head at her.

"Hi."

"Are you okay?"

I nodded. "How do you like the circus?"

She smiled. "Not so bad. Mirna thinks I can be part of opening act."

"You'd be perfect."

She gently touched my shoulder. "What're you looking for?"

I sighed, reaching for the nude dress. "Nothing. I just, I just don't want to wear it."

Rene pulled the dress from my hands and held it up to her body. "Hmm, it doesn't look too bad?"

I bit my lip. "It's on of Samil's favorite. Nightingale, bare skinned in the sky." I announced with my arms out lining the air as if to present a billboard.

She sighed. "That bad, hey?"

"That bad."

She shuffled in her spot, unaware of what to say. "Well. Listen. I always think of the part of the job I like best. And I push away everything else."

I leaned my head to the side in question.

"For me," She continued. "I love dressing up. It's the only good part of being in that house."

I watched her face fall. I thought about the after parties. The audience that felt welcomed to touch when they weren't. The men that felt entitled to hold me when they weren't. And then I thought about Rene. The men that were welcomed to her by someone else. The men that were entitled to hold her because someone else allowed it.

"Don't worry," I whispered. "You don't have to be around that."

She smiled.

It was true. She didn't have to be around that. Because she could hide in the trailer. She could be with Mirna and some of the performers when they didn't want to be at the after parties. Because Samil wouldn't care. She just had to dance for the show. Because no one would care. Because Samil wouldn't notice.

I would always have to worry though.

I always worried.