The boys wiggled in their seats as the clowns began to set up another act. The Ringleader took center stage. “I hope you’ve enjoyed the show thus far.”
The audience cheered and applauded causing the Ringleader to give a flamboyant bow to appease them.
“We have one last act.” The crowd began to boo but Paul was somewhat relieved that they’d be going home soon “Now, now,” he said. “We have one last act on this stage before we move to the next room.
Paul slumped in his seat and prayed that there was no more blood in the show’s lineup.
As the Ringleader spoke a long line of tigers took the stage, but there was no lion tamer, no human to lead them in their act. There was, however, one tiger that seemed to be running things. He lined the others up then paced around, searching the crowd for something. To Paul’s surprise, it was a someone.
“Ah, I see our next act has chosen a helper,” said the Ringleader as he pointed out the victim.
Helper, Paul reminded himself. She’s a helper.
The girl was cute, thought Paul. Early twenties and dressed in a blue fancy get-up, covered in lace and frills and flowers, she was definitely a sight to see.
“This show just keeps getting better and better,” said Doug.
Paul snickered. “I think she’s a little old for you.”
“Maybe she could be our babysitter.” Steve was giggling as her heels clacked against the wooden stage, led by the massive tiger.
Wade nodded numbly. “But only if she wears that dress.”
“Thank you for volunteering, my dear,” shouted the Ringleader. “And do not worry. The tigers will show you what to do. Now, when their act has finished and the music has ended, one of these doors,” he waved to the great doors looming in the background, “will open. I ask that you please make your way hastily through and on to the next room.”
That got Paul’s attention. He was going to get to see behind the doors. And knowing this circus, there could be anything behind them.
The tiger show wasn’t anything to write home about. They rolled over. Jumped over their volunteer who was being pulled and pushed across the stage like a ragdoll. Roared. Did tiger things. Whatever. To her credit she played along with a smile and a laugh. She even danced with one of the tigers. Their performance ended with the girl in blue sitting on top of the lead tiger with the rest standing behind in a sort of kick line formation. The girl was very pleased with herself.
“Okay,” Paul said, bounding up and out of his chair, “which door is it going to be?”
“That one,” said Steve pointing straight ahead.
Wade shook his head. “I’m going to go with the one to the right.”
“Dougie, which one do you think it will be?” asked Paul.
Doug looked at his brother and said, “I don’t care which door opens.”
“Geez,” said Wade. “Aren’t you having fun? I think the show’s been pretty cool so far. The guys juggling those chainsaws were awesome.”
“Yeah, they were cool, but I think I liked the trapeze fliers more. They were all over the place,” added Steve as he swung his hands through the air, “flipping and spinning. It’d be cool to be able to do that.”
“I like the show. I just don’t care which door opens. And I’m hungry.”
The guys all nodded at Doug.
“Food would be nice,” said Wade, rubbing his round belly.
Everyone was up and moving, waiting for one set of doors to open for them, and the girl who had performed with the tigers was still with them, petting them and cooing over them. Paul couldn’t blame her for milking it. It wasn’t every day that you got to pet a tiger. Then the doors to the right opened and people began to quickly file out.
“I was right!” Wade shouted as he ran down the steps toward the emptying crowd.
Paul and Steve ran after him with Doug trailing somewhere behind.
Paul spun around and shouted, “Hurry up, man! Let’s go find a seat before we miss out again.”
Doug didn’t pay Paul any mind and kept his slow pace. Beyond him, Paul could see that the girl in the frilly blue dress was still with the tigers. One of them was licking her hands and tugging on her dress and they had all huddled around her. Though she was still smiling she looked slightly terrified at being left behind with the cats which were blocking her from leaving them.
“Dude, are you coming or not?”
Paul turned to his friends and brother, who had now surpassed him, and yelled, “Just a minute!”
He didn’t know what he was going to do or how he was going to help but he didn’t feel comfortable leaving this girl behind. And what if the doors shut and she was stuck in here alone? Would someone from the circus come to help her? The rest of the crowd had gone ahead, including Paul’s friends, and when he turned back to help the girl, she and the tigers were gone. A high pitched scream came from somewhere near the stage the same moment that the doors behind him began to close.
“Hey!” he hollered. “Where are you? The doors are closing.” There was no reply. “Is this part of the show?” he tried to chuckle but it came out torn and jagged.
He knew this could be a performance, but his gut told him that this was something different.
Another scream. This one sounded farther away, and Paul knew it was real. He ran to the stage but couldn’t see a trace of where the girl or the tiger’s could have gone. “Help me!”
She sounded so impossibly distant. Like something from a dream. Paul’s palms began to sweat and his head spun. Why wasn’t someone here to help her?
“They must have dragged her into one of those hidden doors,” he said, his voice quaking. “How am I supposed to find her?”
The doors behind him shut with a resounding boom. Paul was trapped here with a group of tigers that might have just taken their volunteer off to be their dinner. He looked around the room helplessly, praying that someone that worked there would come and help him and wishing that his friends hadn’t left him behind. He heard her scream more and more and could only guess what was happening to her. Paul couldn’t just stand there and listen. He needed to find someone who could help her. He ran all across the stage looking for one of the small doors the actors had used during their performance. When he found one, he didn’t think and he didn’t hesitate. He slid right into the darkness, into the belly of the circus.
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