Every Circus Has a Secret

Chapter Three: deathly

The Sun's rays shown in the tent, making Leslie squint a little. Thinking she was home, hoping it was a crazy dream, she gazed around to find that she was in the same place as the night before. She stretches and leaves the silky red blanket, and fixes her slightly tangled hair. Despite still being tired, the girl walked out and mentally prepared for what today had in store for her.

As she walked slowly across the dampen dirt, she lets out a heavy sigh. Things didn't seem all that much like a fever dream as it did the night before, and her surroundings made her feel...safer. Old games and booths were overrun with vines and dirt, rotting posters covering the ground. It made her feel like she was trespassing somewhere she shouldn't be. As she continued walking, she heard laughter and people chattering. 'Perhaps this place isn't overruled by clowns..' she thought.

Making it over to the nearby pavillion, she's greeted by the masked man and the other clowns. Underneath the mask is a friendly smile, unlike the threatening one from the night before. "Hey, Leslie. Glad you could join us. Why don't we introduce ourselves?" She nods, and makes an effort to look at the others. The spider mutant still glared at her, to which the masked man glared back. "W-Why doesn't the sp-spider go first..?" She asks. Groaning, the woman stood up.

"Hey little shit. I'm Crimson. Try pulling any funny business and I'll have you six feet under. Got it?!" She spat. The young girl nods and shudders. Satisfied, Crimson sat down. A small, sour hatred molds into Leslie's heart for the mutant.

"What about the little girl...? Who are you?" Leslie asks. The young girl practically bounces up with such an incomprehensible energy that makes Leslie flinch. "I'm Daisy!!! Very nice to meet ya!!" She shook the girl's hand rapidly and finally sat down after being gestured to by the masked ringleader.

Turning towards the stitched woman, she nods at her. The woman gave her a sour glare and stood up. "I'm Patchwork. Can I go now?" She asks coldly. The masked man gave her a nod and lets her leave.

"I guess I should introduce myself, then. I'm Masq, the ringleader of this circus. Sure, it doesn't seem alive, but it will be." He gently shakes Leslie's hand. "I'll call the others out to meet you. Then we will see if you're a true fit for our circus." He gives her a smile under his mask, a true one.

Masq whistles, and two new beings come from the circus tents. Leslie gasps when she recognizes the man. It was the man from the night before! He, too, had a suit, but it looked more friendly. The inviting light blue and pink made her feel as if she could trust him. His eye whites were empty, revealing orchid irises and metallic looking white skin. The man's hair was more of a lighter shade of neon green, lifted upwards.

The ringleader gestures towards the man. "I'm Jaxxy...fairly nice to meet you, young one." She tilts her head. Did he sound...human? Or was it just the amount of raspiness in his voice that made it sound unlikely?

Noticing her uncomfort, he steps away and lets the last circus member introduce themself. Leslie instantly became intrigued, when a pair of conjoined twins stepped in front. One of the heads had one green eye and long, dust blue hair, as well as her side of the dress, being pink. The other head had two eyes, though one didn't have a socket. She had short dusty blue hair with a little red bow in it. Her side of the dress was a shade of light blue. While her twin looked angry, she looked scared.

"I'm Milly." Said the longer haired one. "I'm Lilly..." the shorter haired one whispered. "Woah...siamese twins..." Leslie quietly replied.

As Masq shooed them off, he took Leslie to the ticket booth. A cup of red was in place of where tickets would normally be. "What's this..?" Leslie asks. Masq smiles. "Am immune test. A test to see of you're the right fit for the circus. Drink it." Leslie felt hesitant, like she couldn't move. Fearfully, she lifts it, and prays to god that nothing happens to her.

She lifts it to her lips and drinks the blood red beverage.

Her heartbeat accelerated, quickly. Her breathing became unfathomable, as the world around her started getting fuzzy. "What....was in this....?" She asks. Masq smirked. "....poison. only the purest kind, my dear."

Her knees buckled beneath her, as she slipped unconscious. As she fell, the deathly glass of poison she held shattered upon impact of the dampened dirt.