~*~
The name, somehow, feels kind
But you have an inkling
The trio has another name for you in mind
~*~
That night, the Circus Everlasting starved. It had gone from craving one poor Other soul to missing two. With her voice of shadow and light, Rosalind Maybrush had carved a hole in the belly of their malicious marquee. One that her brother's ashes could not fill.
Still.
So she made twins. She took the boy Whisper had won and combined him with another- made one take the shape of a person's deepest sorrow and the other their deepest desire.
In both of them, Whisper saw fire.
She saw freckles and fangs and eyes too like a cat's.
Even though the world had gone black, every blink was an attack.
"Whisper?"
Tears shone like broken glass, like little diamonds pulled from the starry night sky. From now on, that would be her life. Silent Girl- no longer Tiger Tamer.
"Whisper?"
Steps like waves against the sand. Trickling tears over Harrison's flesh.
Fire spreading.
Caught her wrist.
No.
He tried to pull her in, tried to offer her his embrace. She didn't want it. Didn't want to be touched again. Ever again.
She smelled like cotton candy and salt water sorrows.
She wanted to peel her flesh from her bones.
She wanted to scream.
But she couldn't.
She couldn't even whisper.
WHISPER???
The Hall of Mirrors' velvet curtain parted and she escaped like blood from a gaping wound.
Sound, to her ears came untuned.
She didn't run. Didn't fly like a shattering star through the dust and disappear into nothingness like Ferran had, even though she wanted to. That would attract attention. She didn't want attention.
She wanted to scream.
She wanted her baby brother-
And to leave.
To go outside and die an old woman for someone to grieve.
"Whisper?!"
The new witch's voice only made her walk faster.
Cold soil stained her feet and crumbs embedded themselves in the skin between her toes. Popcorn, pretzels... and the funnel cake Ferran had loved even as a tiger.
Whisper?
Far enough now that the three were out of earshot. Not far enough to weaken Harrison's connection. Not far enough to get him out of her head.
Whisper?!!!
Faster. Farther. Farther away from the Hall of Horrors and the carnivorous carousel. She ran until she'd reached the end.
Until she could see the bars of her cage and the world beyond. She stuck her fingers out and reached.
Reached for a world she couldn't have.
YOU ARE READING
Circus of Silence
FantasyThe Witch's circus is in town, and you've got the best seat in the house! We only come around once in your pitiful, mortal lifespan. We've got feral beasts and feral children, knife-eaters and fire-feasters. We have fortunes guaranteed to come...
