Qirque De La Nuit

• Zoe Boyd, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2010

walking through a tented doorway
alone
smothered in
smells of popcorn plastic garbage
all in a rush

pushed from all sides through the
tented hallway
little children attached to unashamed stares

a large woman passes a scowl to me
for brushing her arm, accidently

laughing talking noise
pushing me on-

[BEAST-MAN FROM HELL!]

red toned light cast burnt faces
on them
sweltering heat like many hands
under many layered bodies

a man
wearing a suit and top
hat
eyes ahead. Grim faced man
he was
the circus was a happy place?
hmm
I was just an observer
anyway

[GERARD THE MAGICIAN]

excited giggles murmers as
the hallway gives out
into buried stacks of layered seats
rows and rows
up and up

top hat man
the grim one
THIS WAY PLEASE
UP THOSE STAIRS
THIS WAY THIS

up and up
next to a pierced girl
with black hair and
black fingernails

slides an unfriendly look on
shaking black painted hands

lights brighten
laughing talking noise
dies

WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
TO CIRQUE DE LA NUIT

enter;
BEAST FROM HELL!

PEER UPON HIS HIDEOUS FACE
AND CRY IN TERROR

a cage rolls out
of its own accord
shadows shiver
a shivering curtain

a beast is seen
hideous howls

YOU’VE COME TO STARE AT
THE BEAST
HAVE YOU?

childish whimpers
peirced girl covers trembling
lips
with trembling black fingers

COME, WHO IS
BRAVE ENOUGH TO ENTER
MY CAGE

silence
lots of
no me, not me
haha notmenotmenotmenotme

then she stands
*gasp*

black haired girl with trembling fingers

WELL, ROLL ON DOWN
THE STAIRS
LITTLE LADY

he says
she does
crowd sighs
in relief? maybe

black fingernailed fingers curl
around bars
foot on step
one after the other
one
after the
other

beast reaches out wraps
claws teeth fingers

jerks girl towards his hideous
claws fur fingers
gone
in the shivering trembling shadows

NO FEAR NO FEAR
SIMPLY TRICK OF LIGHT
you see
FOOLED YOU
[fooled you]

YOU’LL SEE HER AGAIN AFTER THE
SHOW
NO FEAR

uneasy cheering
haha, fooled

Enter;
GERARD THE MAGICIAN

cheers laugh claps
[Smack]

magician wheeling out
a big box
shiny sparkly lady with
shiny sparkly smiles

WHO IS BRAVE ENOUGH TO BE TRANSPORTED
FROM THE BOX TO
ANOTHER WORLD?

many hands
me!
me!Mememememememe

then my arm go up
followed by my
body
like a dream

YOU

Spotlight-fear
me?

You?
why you?
why-youyouyouyouyouyouyouyouyouyouyou

down the stairs
one after the other
one
after
the
-

you have a pasty face
Gerard
a big fat moustache and
a pasty face
Mr magician

[just get in the box]

smiling feathery-
get in the box

its cramped small musty
absolute darkness

AND NOW
{tap}
GONE!

the floor gives out
me with it
then
floor dust cough
hurt


a clown in
white pants
red nose
sad eyes, given to me
ciggarette smoke

wheres the exit?

THE? {sad eyes}

way out

please

clown dissapears
white into darkness
unseen but smoke and a
red nose

{sad eyes given to me like a gift}

SORRY

{or an apology}