The Radiant Rainbow slide broke through the canvasy roof of a filthy-grey tent, ripping it into shreds.
Then, the Seven Colored Beast hastily retreated into the cloudy woods which were soon tinged in navy blue.
Una and Duo touched down in a mess of human and Felix-sylvestris-catus body parts.
They splintered a wooden table, disintegrating a doublet of demitasses.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?" a shrill superannuated shriek was heard.
A woman past her prime sat on a disjointed chair.
She resembled a gargoyle in a frou-frou dressing gown.
A plaque reading:
"CLAIRVOYANT CIRCUS CONDUCTOR"
rested on a table surface.
Hundreds of eyeballs opened at the same time.
Amber, blue, brown, grey, green, hazel, red, and violet irises blinked at Una and Duo from the countless cupboards that surrounded them.
"We... We are awfully sorry. We didn't mean to... The Radiant Rainbow granted me a wish and we..." Una began to justify their presence.
"You didn't mean to? Do you know who I am? I am the ring mistress of the Tantalizing Tent. How dare you barge in like that?"
"Una. Look." Duo paw-pointed at the object on the table. "This rounded red spheroid..."
"Duo, that's a candy apple!" Una exclaimed.
Duo wrapped around her shoulders like an expensive, two-colored scarf.
He hissed into Una's ear. "There is a red petal inside it."
"The Radiant Rainbow didn't lie, then!" Una gasped.
"It landed us right on top of the red petal container," said Duo.
"Your cat speaks!" Greedy glint glittered in gargoyle's globules.
Duo adjusted his Every Color Bow-Tie. "The name is Duo. Logophile and wordsmith, in my spare time."
"I am the Clairvoyant Circus Conductor. Very grandiloquent, you are, yes, yes. You should do well." She rubbed her palms.
"Do well for what?" Una asked.
The old gargoyle brought forth a moldy musty parchment and an inkwell. "You are interested in my Soothsayish Spheroid?"
"More likely, at what's inside it," Duo clarified.
"You can have what's inside it. Sign the Compelling Contract first. It takes two to tango," she cackled.
"What do I need to sign?" Una said.
"Don't sign anything before reading it, Una. Or after," Duo said in a hushed voice. "Binding promises to others that you might not fulfill will only get you in trouble."
"I will read it for you, dearie, don't you worry about a thing," the gargoyle offered. "It says that you agree to perform in The Tantalizing Tent tonight. A girl with her talking cat. Imagine the sensationalism!"
"One-performance deal only?" Duo asked.
"Yes, yes, of course. The entire town will be here if we pass the word around quickly. I will not ask for more appearances of yours." The ring mistress promised.
"I need to get home before midnight," Una said.
"And you shall. It's a short act, nothing more." The woman cackled.
YOU ARE READING
GG | ✔️
Science Fiction| 𝟳𝘅 𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗗 · [Open Novella Contest 2019 Longlist] Una Morales's week is not going so well. To begin with, her twin sister, Paz Morales, has disappeared. To top it all off, Una is bedridden, sick with the flu and oh so dreadfully bored...
