Dark Wood's Circus

• John Paul Macatol, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2013

“You ready?”
“Yeah,” I replied as Roland held the key with his index finger. Even though he was captured and trapped her for years, confined in the jail cell next to mine, he still had the heart to help me escape this ‘circus.’ I was trapped here for only a month, but it feels like I've been here for decades.
If only I didn't go into those woods, the ones where Lucy went missing.

It was the middle of winter, where it would constantly snow. Many people in my area disliked winter because of how harshly cold the weather was, but I put this coldness to my advantage. When it’s cold, I can exercise for longer periods of time outdoors.
I was supposed to be home at 5 pm but because of my forgetfulness, I had forgotten… again.
I took in the chilly air as the breeze rushed across my face. The snow fell on my black winter jacket, forming white fur around my collar as I cycled through the dead silent neighborhood. The sun was setting, but I was too busy taking in the nature around me, until I abruptly stopped right beside the gate that lead into what I called, ‘The Dark Forest.’ As I solemnly looked at the gate, I remembered a girl the same year as me that went missing in these woods. Her name was Lucy. It had been a month since she was reported missing. I always wondered what took her. She was a good friend of mine and back at the time, I desperately wanted to look for her but I knew that it was dangerous to do that. Her long flowing dark hair always dazzled me. She was a really good singer and would always show up in public events, singing her heart out.
I touched the frost covered metal gate with my gloved hands and pushed it open. I wanted to take a little peak in the forest and see If I would find anything interesting. I left my bike there and slowly walked in, feeling something that I didn't feel usually.
Fear.

It was 8 pm and the sky was pitch black, covered with little bright specks. My phone gave out enough light for me to see what was in front of me. After a few minutes, I found an old, broken down hut. Was she in there?
Is she alive or dead?
It was a question that haunted me, but I pressed on. Unlike the rest of the hut, the door was suspiciously intact. I placed my hands on it and pushed.
Revealed behind this hut was a giant circus. One which seemed impossible to be built in here. It was bigger than the hut itself, much bigger. I saw the audience throwing rubbish at what looked like a girl with goat legs. It was terrifying, but something told me to go further in. The half goat, despite having things thrown at her, was singing. He voice was beautiful, but was filled with such deep sorrow. Before I could take a seat, my vision blacked out and I lost consciousness.

I found myself in an old and worn down jail cell. I looked around, my eyes still adjusting to the darkness of the room and saw another boy, in the cell next to mine. His name was Roland.

It was all thanks to Roland that I could get out of this hell. He had acquired the key for my cell from a guard and got me out, but he still remained trapped there.
As I ran in the snow, I remembered the half goat's long, flowing hair.
She looked awfully familiar.