Welcome to the Underground Circus

The Traveling Circus

 

It took a lot of coercing, and accepting a week’s worth of grounding for going where they weren’t supposed to go on Halloween, but Paul and Doug finally managed to get their father to drive out to the circus. Or what was left of it.

“There’s nothing here,” said their dad. He walked from the car and out to the cornfield. “It’s just corn.”

The boys couldn’t believe it. They ran from the safety of the car and out to the empty circle in the corn. The tent was gone and so were the lights and the hole looked as if it had been filled in and covered. They then ran to the house and banged on the door, hoping the old woman would be able to help them. But there was no answer. There were also no pigs. Everything was gone. It had all been packed up in one night.

“But this is where it all happened, dad. I swear. This is where we escaped,” Paul said, pointing to a spot in the pigpen. But there was no sign of an elevator or that one had even been there.

“Boys, get in the car. It’s time to go home.”

Paul and Doug exchanged looks.

“We didn’t make that up,” sniffed Paul.

Doug nodded. “I know. But there’s nothing we can do now. They’re gone.”

Doug turned for the car and Paul gave one last look at the rambling white house. He noticed something stuck in the door, fluttering in the wind. Paul ran to see what it was.

Maybe it’s a note, he thought. Maybe the fortune-teller had left them a message.

He pulled it out of the door jam and frowned. It was a flyer for a traveling circus called The Cabinet of Curiosities. The flyer said nothing about dates or cities but at least this was something, thought Paul. Now he knew that they were still out there, still feeding off of unsuspecting joy seekers, luring them in with the promise of fun and thrills. 

“Maybe one day we’ll meet again,” Paul whispered. He folded the flyer and tucked it safely in his pocket next to the tarot card. “And on that day, I’ll be ready.”