Headmaster's Circus
Ruth Tirado
(Note: This is an excerpt from Ruth Tirado's novel, Headmaster's Circus)
Headmaster's Circus: Fall
The sun was just beginning to set when Elise was dozing off at her windowsill. Although she thought the
town was dreadfully dull, paved with gray and old broken statues, she often stared off, wistfully towards the sun.
She knew that the town was meant to be more of a city—bustling and bursting with life. Those who lived in the
town when it first started were meant to raise enough money to get the project started and the government would
match it. However, as businesses soon died down and the government no longer cared, the most that had been
done was the creation of apartment buildings, stores, a hospital and a few scattered schools. As much as she
complained about it, she enjoyed staring out at the field during sundown. It was the only time of the day when her
mind would be clear of all thoughts. And as her mind cleared, her body slowly released all tension and stress,
making her feel as though she would slowly rise up like a cloud to meet the sun at dawn.
It would be nice to feel the warmth again.
Even though the leaves were just beginning to fall, Elise never could hold onto her own body heat very
well.
So day after day with dropping degrees, she sat at her windowsill, pretending to float up and touch the sun.
Just before her fingers would scratch the surface, however, a fiendish furry tail wrapped itself around her leg and
pulled her down. Hurtling towards Earth, she'd jump in her seat, and look down.
"Horatio!" she gasped. She bent down to swoop up her pet ferret. "You're just all sorts of trouble." Which
was pretty much true. As long as Elise had Horatio, he had a knack for disappearing at the best of times and
reappearing at the worst of times. She petted him, softly, setting him on her lap. "Alright," she cooed. "I can see
you're hungry." She placed him on the windowsill and walked off to the kitchen. As usual, the floor creaked under
her weight, making her feel tiny and lost. A cold draft of air blew into the room as soon as she entered with a box
of colorful pellets in hand. Her eyes flew immediately to the windowsill and widened in surprise. It was open.
"Horatio?" She whispered. Dropping the box and slamming the window shut, she looked under her bed and
inside her wardrobe. She even checked inside her pillow and flipped her mattress but Horatio was nowhere in the
room. Passing by the window once more, Elise peered out into the darkness. A small furry figure snaked off
through a vacant field, heading right to the woods.
Elise scowled and almost considered being stubborn enough to refuse chasing after him as a mother would
refuse to chase after her son until he decided to come back. But with each passing second, Horatio continued
deeper and deeper into the field, and it suddenly dawned on Elise that Horatio was not human.
She thumped out of her apartment and sped down the stairs. She nearly bumped into one of the tenants
who only grunted at her pardon.
Racing through the fields, Elise kept her eyes on the furry little creature, altogether missing the mystical
glow of light in the middle of the woods. She paused only for breath. "Where have you gone off to?" she panted.
Only a rustle of leaves replied. Elise wrapped her sweater tighter around her and considered going home but the
thought of Horatio scampering even deeper into the woods drove her after him. The grove of trees seemed to be
getting thicker with each passing second. The sound of the howling wind and the inhabitants of the woods grew
louder but nothing was as loud as her own footsteps.
"What..." She stopped, abruptly. Listening even closer, she heard a quiet hum among the wind. A drum beat
in the distance accompanied by stringed instruments.
Confused, she only hurried forward, thinking it must be a trick of the wind.
"Horatio!" She cried out moments later. "Where are you?!"
Growing irritated, she ran faster and faster. Suddenly, she tripped on a root and fell face first.
"AAGGGHH!" She clenched her fists and stood still. That was when she finally noticed the glow. In a
clearing just ahead, Elise saw an illuminated circus tent. It glowed a mix of green and blue while humming a strange
tune. The tent was painted a starry design and although it looked worn out and old, there was an atmosphere of
new beginnings around it.
"I didn't know the circus came to town," Elise mumbled.
She walked towards it, hypnotized by the light until she opened the tarp. Immediately, she was pulled in by
an unseen force. It felt like she was toppling through the air until she fell flat against a wooden floor. All of a
sudden, an intense light shined on her. She curled up into a ball on instinct, covering her eyes.
"Ho, ho!" someone laughed. "Looks like we've got ourselves a volunteer!" A loud voice boomed with the
music. A crowd roaring soon followed. Although she expected a crowd to be in a circus, she didn't think one would
be so large to make such a loud sound.
Elise squinted in the full glare of the light. A tall figure blocked just enough of it for her to see who it was-
an older girl with a streak of purple among brown hair. She had a sharp, toothy grin and feral eyes but she kindly
helped Elise to her feet.
"Just go along with it," she whispered as she pushed her onto a square. "And maybe the Headmaster won't
be too peeved."
"Go along with what?" Elise asked right before receiving her answer. Immediately, the square underneath
her pushed up with such force that it sent her flying. Her mouth opened in a bloodcurdling scream but her voice
was lost among the roar. She looked down and stared, not at the wild girl who waved at her, but at how far the
ground seemed inside such a small circus tent. She screamed even louder when she realized she was slowing down
but right before she would start to fall, someone grabbed her arm. A boy, possibly around her age, smiled as he
swung on a trapeze.
"Get ready to flip!" he yelled, his voice somehow reaching her.
"What?! NO!" she cried out. Elise gripped his arm tightly but she could not hold her weight for long against
speed and gravity. She twirled in the air just before being grabbed by her feet.
"Get ready to fall!" The same voice shouted. She shouted obscenities back to him. Swinging limply in air,
she could feel herself reaching altitude. It almost reminded her of a swing set on playgrounds. She would pump
herself higher and higher and would brace herself for the jump.
Except this time, she would just drop.
Elise closed her eyes, hoping this would all just be a dream. The boy eventually let go and she had that well-
known 'falling in space' feeling she's always hated.
Then, her body jolted in bed.
Staring into the dark, Elise quietly steadied her breathing. Although it was quite dark, the familiarity of her
soft bed set her mind at ease. She brought her hand to her chest and felt how roughly her heart thumped against
her ribcage.
"Just a dream," she told herself, sitting up in bed.
"Ah, so you're awake now," a voice said, turning on the light. Elise rolled off the bed in fright.
"Now, now, no reason tuh be afraid ah me." The wild girl approached her. "Huh. De ja vu." She cocked her
head to the side and helped Elise up.
"What's going on?" Elise demanded. The wild girl laughed.
"What? You passed out! In mid-fall, too! Never in my life ah working at the ol' circus had I seen someone
pass out like that. Had tuh get Sylvester tuh carry you offstage."
"N-not that!" Elise's face burned. "I mean, all of this," she gesticulated. "What is this?!"
The wild girl clamped her hand over Elise's mouth. "Shh! The Headmaster will hear you!"
Elise stared at her blankly. She opened her mouth wide and let out another blood curdling scream. The
wild girl tackled her on spot and held a pillow over her face but Elise thrashed uncontrollably underneath her.
"Shh! If I give you information, will you shut up?" The wild girl hissed. Elise stopped moving. Slowly, the
wild girl removed the pillow and stared at Elise.
"Deal.”
The girl slowly got off Elise. "Nice tuh meet you. Name's Anna." She extended her hand to her, smiling. The
simple name didn't seem to fit her wild look but Elise took her hand anyway.
"Elise."
"Elise." She rolled her name around her tongue, curiously. "Very childlike."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Elise scowled.
Anna chuckled. "Nothing. But you do tend to throw tanturms like a human toddler."
"I'm 19!”
"Ssh!" Anna stopped herself before she could cover Elise's mouth. "Not very happy now, are we?"
Elise crossed her arms to stop herself from yelling again.
Anna sighed. "Well, Elise, mind if I ask you how you got here?"
Suddenly remembering Horatio, the color drained from Elise's face and she took off without another word.
"Hey!" Anna called, running after her. "Where are you going?"
"HORATIO!!" Elise belted, running into the hallway.
"Stop screaming!"
As the hallway opened up to a circular, spacious room, Elise wondered where she might be but she did not
hesitate in the slightest in searching for Horatio. She clambered through a small hallway, filled with cardboard
boxes of pots and pans. Reaching the door, she tripped on a piece of cardboard and fell into the room. Steam
enveloped her at first and then a sweet smell caught her nose, hypnotizing her for a moment. A large, round figure
stirred something that was stewing over a large stove. There were even more pots behind her, on a wooden shelf
and various kitchen items strewn over the walls and in cupboards. Now, Elise knew where she was. She was in the
kitchen.
"Nina, is that you?" The figure yelled. The sound of the voice told Elise that this was an older lady at the
stove.
Anna soon caught up, panting, and placed her hands on her hips. "Ok, now you're just being clumsy."
Elise jerked up. "Horatio!" Anna dove for her but Elise rolled to her side too quickly, dodging the attack. She
leapt up from her position and ran throughout the cramped kitchen, kicking pots here and there.
"Hey! What are you doing?" the lady yelled angrily.
"Sorry, Aunt Jem!" Anna yelled, preoccupied with capturing Elise. She swerved around the kitchen counter
and pounced at her, only to be met with a swinging door Elise put as a barrier. Thinking on her feet, Elise crawled
into the closet space and locked it from the inside. Anna pounded on the door but it wouldn't shake loose. "Elise!
You've gotta come out there!"
"Not until I find Horatio!"
"Can you find him from inside a closet?!"
Elise didn't answer. She heard a mumbling of irritated words from the older lady and Anna apologizing
profusely. The door creaked under someone's weight.
"Hey, Elise, I don't really know you much. For all I know, you might be a spy from Erasmus and Nightmare."
"Who?"
Elise pictured Anna waving her off. "Doesn't matter. But in a big place like this, I'm sure you know you can
easily get lost inside the circus. And so is whoever you're looking for."
"Horatio."
"Right. But I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on inside that frightened head ah yours."
"I'm not frightened!" Elise belted, sitting up straight. Anna didn't answer. Slowly, Elise resumed her sitting
position, trying to clear her mind and steady her breathing.
"You know, he's all I have," she mumbled, unsure if Anna could hear her. "Mum's been in the hospital for
quite some time and since Dad's gone, she knew how lonely it could get in the house. So she saved up money and
got me Horatio." She cocked her head to the side. "I don't know what else to say to that. Horatio's a pest as
always, but if he's the last thing I've got, I can't help but feel like I need him around more than anything." She didn't
hear anything but the sound of her own breathing at first.
"Hey, Elise..." Anna tapped on the door. "I know it's gotta be scary in there. It's dark and damp, and there's
always mosquitoes around."
Elise slapped something biting her arm.
"If you come out here, I'll help you look for Potato."
"Horatio!"
"Right—Horatio. Two's gotta be better than one, right?"
Elise waited patiently before unlocking the door and crawling out. "You promise?" Anna nodded. Once
again, she helped Elise to her feet, rolling her eyes when she wasn't looking. She apologized to the older lady who
didn't look her way and carefully stepped around the pots and pans she’d kicked before. It wasn't until then did she
realize how much trouble she'd probably causing them. Elise walked out of the cramped hallway, sullenly, before
Anna. Keeping her head down, Elise did not notice a very large figure before her or hear Anna gasping with a high
squeal. She didn't notice anything at all, until she bumped into him.
"Who do we have here?"
Elise nearly jumped out of her skin as she looked up. Right then, Elise thought about a lot of things. She
thought about waking up in bed with Horatio on her arm. She thought about seeing the sun set once more. And she
thought about how this grotesquely tall gentleman before her, seemed to bring a new definition altogether of 'tall.'
Elise had never felt more small than in her own house. Coming into the woods, she felt like a tiny church mouse.
Even the circus made her feel tiny beyond comparison. But this man before her- well, she only came up to his
knees! In fact, his legs looked no different from the trees in the woods. She may as well have been running around
them the entire time.
The man came down on one knee, frightening Elise even more. He wore a very nice suit- black with
sequins that seemed otherworldly. Wrapping his hand around Elise, she realized he was even wearing black gloves.
She could see he was not trying to squeeze her to death but the gesture still made her feel stiff. He was not
pleased.
What scared Elise the most was his head- not only was he wearing a top hat that casted a shadow over his
face but he was also wearing a mask! The type of mask for a masquerade at that! As the top hat casted a large
shadow over his mask and most of his face, Elise couldn't help but feel she was staring face to face with a
gargoyle. But what scared her the most was his piercing blue eyes. They looked right through her, searching her
entire being for an explanation.
"Anna?" He said, looking to the wild girl on the floor. Elise slowly turned her head, feeling no better when
even Anna looked frozen. "Is this one of your friends?"
Slowly, Anna began shaking her head. She stopped abruptly and began nodding her head rapidly. "Yes, this is
my friend. Her name is Lisa."
Elise bit her tongue. She turned to correct Anna but her look of trepidation told her that giving the wrong
name was not on accident. It was on purpose.
"I know I was supposed tuh get ah pass for her tuh come visit but, um, this is much different. She, uh, needs
a job!" Suddenly, Anna's voice sounded higher than ever before. If she were playing poker, Elise thought, her voice
would be a dead giveaway.
The man cocked his head to the side. "A job? We have no opening positions."
"Yes, well, I thought she could be an assistant to any ah our workers! You know how Autumn needs help
every now and then."
The man stayed silent, eyes bearing into Anna. Elise felt eternity stretching between them and felt bad for
her.
"Very well."
Anna squealed with delight- or was that relief?
However, the man stood back up without putting Elise down. "I'll give her a tour. But then she'll have to
prove herself." He walked off, not giving Elise the chance to look back. She was sick to her stomach. Not only did
she feel tremendously lost but she felt a loss for her pet ferret, Horatio. It felt like she would never get him back.
Reaching a far side of the room, the man slowly put Elise down in front of a hallway much smaller than he
was. "Wait there, Lisa." She had no intention of running away. She pressed her back against the wall and only
stared at the man. But then something strange began to happen.
He began to shrink.
He held his arms out next to him and just as sure as he was much taller than Elise, he was getting much
smaller right before her. His arms slowly moved towards his body and his torso got closer to the ground. His legs
shrunk not only in length, but in thickness. His head was no exception and neither were his clothes.
Once Elise saw that she could now stand up to his chest, he stopped shrinking.
"That's much better." The man smiled. It caught Elise off guard. "Now, Lisa, what would you like to see
first?"
She stumbled at first. "T—the circus, please."
Taking her hand in his, he chuckled. "Right. I thought that would be it. No one really likes to work back
stage. We've only got one cook, you know?"
"A—Aunt Jem?"
"Ah, so you've met her! Yes, she's a splendid lady. We couldn't do anything without her feeding us. It's nice
to know when people are looking out for you, isn't it?"
She thought of Horatio, who had no one looking after him now, and frowned. The man didn't seem to
notice. They walked through a lengthy, dark hallway. It was much more spacious than the hallway leading to the
kitchen. Walking quietly in the hallway, it seemed to take forever to get to a door. However, the closer they got,
the louder the roar came out from a crowd. They stopped just before a large, wooden door.
"Oh, I haven't properly introduced myself to you. I'm the Headmaster," he said simply. He turned the knob
and opened it for her to see. The stage she was on looked a bit smaller than she remembered but the height of the
tent was just as tall as he was before. She wondered if that was a coincidence but didn't really ask. On stage, a
gangly young man laughed strangely with his arms opened wide. A glow of energy poured out from his body in a
swirl of colors and captivated the audience.
"That's Sycamore, our illusionist."
"What are those... wispy things?" she asked, looking into the audience. Forms of transparent dark energy, in
the form of people, moved from side to side. Elise realized that the roar of a crowd came from them.
"Those, my dear," the Headmaster grinned, "are our audience." He continued to watch the performance and
grabbed a rope. It hoisted him up into the air. Elise grabbed onto him but swung her legs helplessly.
"Okay, but what are those things?"
The rope helped them onto a balcony and once Elise was certain of her safety, she let go of the Headmaster
first and he followed suit.
"Well, in a manner of speaking, those are Shadows."
She looked down from the only balcony in the circus and stared down. The dark transparent figures blended
together easily and yet still retained form. They had mouths to laugh with but no throats. Although they were
turned to the stage, none had eyes to see and yet, they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Elise turned aside to
see the Headmaster joining in on the laughter. "Shadows of people, my dear. You see, we only stage the
performances at night so when the people are asleep, their shadows can come see us. "
Elise furrowed her brow. "Shadows aren't actual things, though."
He tsked, shaking his head. "Lisa, and to think you actually want to work here. You should know better than
to try to make sense of things."
She opened her mouth to speak but the Headmaster interrupted her.
"Shadows aren't 'things'—that's true. But they're the representation of people's minds when they sleep.
When they sleep, their minds go with their shadows to this Circus. To experience what they call 'dreams.'"
Elise drew in a deep breath. "So you give people dreams." She tried to think of it simply but instead blew
out an irritated breath. The performance by Sycamore was brilliant- literally. The crowd was eating it up and
Sycamore was bowing graciously. He looked up into the balcony and even winked at her. She stuck out his tongue
at him.
Elise almost turned on her heel until she saw something strange going on behind the curtains. Two boys,
looking as old at her, peeked out occasionally. Elise felt an ominous premonition every time she looked at their
faces. The black-haired one seemed more reckless but the redhead looked all the more cunning.
"Headmaster...?" she whispered. She did not take her eyes off them. Once they stopped peeking through,
Elise felt a strange relief- however, that didn't last long. The redhead looked through again and she nearly froze on
sight. Hung around his neck, was a still ferret. Unable to think, Elise reached up and gripped the rope that led them
to the balcony. She tugged it twice, and it lifted her into the air. Leading her to the backside of the stage, Elise
walked up the steps, to where the boys were. Although it was much darker backstage than onstage, Elise was not
mistaken. Horatio hung limply on the boy's neck.
Elise stared, wide-eyed, and in disbelief. Eventually, the boys took notice of her.
"Whatcha doin' here, dollface?" The black haired one jeered.
She slowly opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came.
"I've never seen you here before." The redhead said. He then turned his back, shrugging his shoulders,
disturbing Horatio in a way that would've made her cry.
But instead, Elise walked up to them, calmly. She gripped the shirt of the black haired boy and threw him
back. She was on top of him with fists flying before the redhead even knew what to do with her. He grabbed her by
her underarms and lifted her off him. She kicked backwards, painfully hitting his knee. He cried out, and as soon as
she turned around, she brought her knee up to his stomach multiple times.
Suddenly, someone pulled her hair viciously and slammed her into the wall.
"What the hell's wrong with you?" the black haired one asked.
Unnerved, Elise head-butted him in the face. Even in the dark she could see a sticky red liquid running from
his nose.
"Hey!" A familiar voice growled. Elise immediately recognized the figure as Anna's, and she looked far
wilder in the dark.
"Sysiphus, let's go. That animal chick is here!" The redhead lifted the black haired boy- Sysiphus, Elise
guessed- by his arm and led him out.
"Horatio..." she whispered. Immediately, the ferret looked up, and pounced off the boy's shoulder. Elise
gasped as he ran to her and picked him up. She felt a deep sense of relief replace the throbbing pain from being
pushed against the wall.
"Jeez." Anna patted her back. "You handled those two on your own? With no gimmick? Maybe you should
start working here."
The sun was just beginning to set when Elise was dozing off at her windowsill. Although she thought the
town was dreadfully dull, paved with gray and old broken statues, she often stared off, wistfully towards the sun.
She knew that the town was meant to be more of a city—bustling and bursting with life. Those who lived in the
town when it first started were meant to raise enough money to get the project started and the government would
match it. However, as businesses soon died down and the government no longer cared, the most that had been
done was the creation of apartment buildings, stores, a hospital and a few scattered schools. As much as she
complained about it, she enjoyed staring out at the field during sundown. It was the only time of the day when her
mind would be clear of all thoughts. And as her mind cleared, her body slowly released all tension and stress,
making her feel as though she would slowly rise up like a cloud to meet the sun at dawn.
It would be nice to feel the warmth again.
Even though the leaves were just beginning to fall, Elise never could hold onto her own body heat very
well.
So day after day with dropping degrees, she sat at her windowsill, pretending to float up and touch the sun.
Just before her fingers would scratch the surface, however, a fiendish furry tail wrapped itself around her leg and
pulled her down. Hurtling towards Earth, she'd jump in her seat, and look down.
"Horatio!" she gasped. She bent down to swoop up her pet ferret. "You're just all sorts of trouble." Which
was pretty much true. As long as Elise had Horatio, he had a knack for disappearing at the best of times and
reappearing at the worst of times. She petted him, softly, setting him on her lap. "Alright," she cooed. "I can see
you're hungry." She placed him on the windowsill and walked off to the kitchen. As usual, the floor creaked under
her weight, making her feel tiny and lost. A cold draft of air blew into the room as soon as she entered with a box
of colorful pellets in hand. Her eyes flew immediately to the windowsill and widened in surprise. It was open.
"Horatio?" She whispered. Dropping the box and slamming the window shut, she looked under her bed and
inside her wardrobe. She even checked inside her pillow and flipped her mattress but Horatio was nowhere in the
room. Passing by the window once more, Elise peered out into the darkness. A small furry figure snaked off
through a vacant field, heading right to the woods.
Elise scowled and almost considered being stubborn enough to refuse chasing after him as a mother would
refuse to chase after her son until he decided to come back. But with each passing second, Horatio continued
deeper and deeper into the field, and it suddenly dawned on Elise that Horatio was not human.
She thumped out of her apartment and sped down the stairs. She nearly bumped into one of the tenants
who only grunted at her pardon.
Racing through the fields, Elise kept her eyes on the furry little creature, altogether missing the mystical
glow of light in the middle of the woods. She paused only for breath. "Where have you gone off to?" she panted.
Only a rustle of leaves replied. Elise wrapped her sweater tighter around her and considered going home but the
thought of Horatio scampering even deeper into the woods drove her after him. The grove of trees seemed to be
getting thicker with each passing second. The sound of the howling wind and the inhabitants of the woods grew
louder but nothing was as loud as her own footsteps.
"What..." She stopped, abruptly. Listening even closer, she heard a quiet hum among the wind. A drum beat
in the distance accompanied by stringed instruments.
Confused, she only hurried forward, thinking it must be a trick of the wind.
"Horatio!" She cried out moments later. "Where are you?!"
Growing irritated, she ran faster and faster. Suddenly, she tripped on a root and fell face first.
"AAGGGHH!" She clenched her fists and stood still. That was when she finally noticed the glow. In a
clearing just ahead, Elise saw an illuminated circus tent. It glowed a mix of green and blue while humming a strange
tune. The tent was painted a starry design and although it looked worn out and old, there was an atmosphere of
new beginnings around it.
"I didn't know the circus came to town," Elise mumbled.
She walked towards it, hypnotized by the light until she opened the tarp. Immediately, she was pulled in by
an unseen force. It felt like she was toppling through the air until she fell flat against a wooden floor. All of a
sudden, an intense light shined on her. She curled up into a ball on instinct, covering her eyes.
"Ho, ho!" someone laughed. "Looks like we've got ourselves a volunteer!" A loud voice boomed with the
music. A crowd roaring soon followed. Although she expected a crowd to be in a circus, she didn't think one would
be so large to make such a loud sound.
Elise squinted in the full glare of the light. A tall figure blocked just enough of it for her to see who it was-
an older girl with a streak of purple among brown hair. She had a sharp, toothy grin and feral eyes but she kindly
helped Elise to her feet.
"Just go along with it," she whispered as she pushed her onto a square. "And maybe the Headmaster won't
be too peeved."
"Go along with what?" Elise asked right before receiving her answer. Immediately, the square underneath
her pushed up with such force that it sent her flying. Her mouth opened in a bloodcurdling scream but her voice
was lost among the roar. She looked down and stared, not at the wild girl who waved at her, but at how far the
ground seemed inside such a small circus tent. She screamed even louder when she realized she was slowing down
but right before she would start to fall, someone grabbed her arm. A boy, possibly around her age, smiled as he
swung on a trapeze.
"Get ready to flip!" he yelled, his voice somehow reaching her.
"What?! NO!" she cried out. Elise gripped his arm tightly but she could not hold her weight for long against
speed and gravity. She twirled in the air just before being grabbed by her feet.
"Get ready to fall!" The same voice shouted. She shouted obscenities back to him. Swinging limply in air,
she could feel herself reaching altitude. It almost reminded her of a swing set on playgrounds. She would pump
herself higher and higher and would brace herself for the jump.
Except this time, she would just drop.
Elise closed her eyes, hoping this would all just be a dream. The boy eventually let go and she had that well-
known 'falling in space' feeling she's always hated.
Then, her body jolted in bed.
Staring into the dark, Elise quietly steadied her breathing. Although it was quite dark, the familiarity of her
soft bed set her mind at ease. She brought her hand to her chest and felt how roughly her heart thumped against
her ribcage.
"Just a dream," she told herself, sitting up in bed.
"Ah, so you're awake now," a voice said, turning on the light. Elise rolled off the bed in fright.
"Now, now, no reason tuh be afraid ah me." The wild girl approached her. "Huh. De ja vu." She cocked her
head to the side and helped Elise up.
"What's going on?" Elise demanded. The wild girl laughed.
"What? You passed out! In mid-fall, too! Never in my life ah working at the ol' circus had I seen someone
pass out like that. Had tuh get Sylvester tuh carry you offstage."
"N-not that!" Elise's face burned. "I mean, all of this," she gesticulated. "What is this?!"
The wild girl clamped her hand over Elise's mouth. "Shh! The Headmaster will hear you!"
Elise stared at her blankly. She opened her mouth wide and let out another blood curdling scream. The
wild girl tackled her on spot and held a pillow over her face but Elise thrashed uncontrollably underneath her.
"Shh! If I give you information, will you shut up?" The wild girl hissed. Elise stopped moving. Slowly, the
wild girl removed the pillow and stared at Elise.
"Deal.”
The girl slowly got off Elise. "Nice tuh meet you. Name's Anna." She extended her hand to her, smiling. The
simple name didn't seem to fit her wild look but Elise took her hand anyway.
"Elise."
"Elise." She rolled her name around her tongue, curiously. "Very childlike."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Elise scowled.
Anna chuckled. "Nothing. But you do tend to throw tanturms like a human toddler."
"I'm 19!”
"Ssh!" Anna stopped herself before she could cover Elise's mouth. "Not very happy now, are we?"
Elise crossed her arms to stop herself from yelling again.
Anna sighed. "Well, Elise, mind if I ask you how you got here?"
Suddenly remembering Horatio, the color drained from Elise's face and she took off without another word.
"Hey!" Anna called, running after her. "Where are you going?"
"HORATIO!!" Elise belted, running into the hallway.
"Stop screaming!"
As the hallway opened up to a circular, spacious room, Elise wondered where she might be but she did not
hesitate in the slightest in searching for Horatio. She clambered through a small hallway, filled with cardboard
boxes of pots and pans. Reaching the door, she tripped on a piece of cardboard and fell into the room. Steam
enveloped her at first and then a sweet smell caught her nose, hypnotizing her for a moment. A large, round figure
stirred something that was stewing over a large stove. There were even more pots behind her, on a wooden shelf
and various kitchen items strewn over the walls and in cupboards. Now, Elise knew where she was. She was in the
kitchen.
"Nina, is that you?" The figure yelled. The sound of the voice told Elise that this was an older lady at the
stove.
Anna soon caught up, panting, and placed her hands on her hips. "Ok, now you're just being clumsy."
Elise jerked up. "Horatio!" Anna dove for her but Elise rolled to her side too quickly, dodging the attack. She
leapt up from her position and ran throughout the cramped kitchen, kicking pots here and there.
"Hey! What are you doing?" the lady yelled angrily.
"Sorry, Aunt Jem!" Anna yelled, preoccupied with capturing Elise. She swerved around the kitchen counter
and pounced at her, only to be met with a swinging door Elise put as a barrier. Thinking on her feet, Elise crawled
into the closet space and locked it from the inside. Anna pounded on the door but it wouldn't shake loose. "Elise!
You've gotta come out there!"
"Not until I find Horatio!"
"Can you find him from inside a closet?!"
Elise didn't answer. She heard a mumbling of irritated words from the older lady and Anna apologizing
profusely. The door creaked under someone's weight.
"Hey, Elise, I don't really know you much. For all I know, you might be a spy from Erasmus and Nightmare."
"Who?"
Elise pictured Anna waving her off. "Doesn't matter. But in a big place like this, I'm sure you know you can
easily get lost inside the circus. And so is whoever you're looking for."
"Horatio."
"Right. But I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on inside that frightened head ah yours."
"I'm not frightened!" Elise belted, sitting up straight. Anna didn't answer. Slowly, Elise resumed her sitting
position, trying to clear her mind and steady her breathing.
"You know, he's all I have," she mumbled, unsure if Anna could hear her. "Mum's been in the hospital for
quite some time and since Dad's gone, she knew how lonely it could get in the house. So she saved up money and
got me Horatio." She cocked her head to the side. "I don't know what else to say to that. Horatio's a pest as
always, but if he's the last thing I've got, I can't help but feel like I need him around more than anything." She didn't
hear anything but the sound of her own breathing at first.
"Hey, Elise..." Anna tapped on the door. "I know it's gotta be scary in there. It's dark and damp, and there's
always mosquitoes around."
Elise slapped something biting her arm.
"If you come out here, I'll help you look for Potato."
"Horatio!"
"Right—Horatio. Two's gotta be better than one, right?"
Elise waited patiently before unlocking the door and crawling out. "You promise?" Anna nodded. Once
again, she helped Elise to her feet, rolling her eyes when she wasn't looking. She apologized to the older lady who
didn't look her way and carefully stepped around the pots and pans she’d kicked before. It wasn't until then did she
realize how much trouble she'd probably causing them. Elise walked out of the cramped hallway, sullenly, before
Anna. Keeping her head down, Elise did not notice a very large figure before her or hear Anna gasping with a high
squeal. She didn't notice anything at all, until she bumped into him.
"Who do we have here?"
Elise nearly jumped out of her skin as she looked up. Right then, Elise thought about a lot of things. She
thought about waking up in bed with Horatio on her arm. She thought about seeing the sun set once more. And she
thought about how this grotesquely tall gentleman before her, seemed to bring a new definition altogether of 'tall.'
Elise had never felt more small than in her own house. Coming into the woods, she felt like a tiny church mouse.
Even the circus made her feel tiny beyond comparison. But this man before her- well, she only came up to his
knees! In fact, his legs looked no different from the trees in the woods. She may as well have been running around
them the entire time.
The man came down on one knee, frightening Elise even more. He wore a very nice suit- black with
sequins that seemed otherworldly. Wrapping his hand around Elise, she realized he was even wearing black gloves.
She could see he was not trying to squeeze her to death but the gesture still made her feel stiff. He was not
pleased.
What scared Elise the most was his head- not only was he wearing a top hat that casted a shadow over his
face but he was also wearing a mask! The type of mask for a masquerade at that! As the top hat casted a large
shadow over his mask and most of his face, Elise couldn't help but feel she was staring face to face with a
gargoyle. But what scared her the most was his piercing blue eyes. They looked right through her, searching her
entire being for an explanation.
"Anna?" He said, looking to the wild girl on the floor. Elise slowly turned her head, feeling no better when
even Anna looked frozen. "Is this one of your friends?"
Slowly, Anna began shaking her head. She stopped abruptly and began nodding her head rapidly. "Yes, this is
my friend. Her name is Lisa."
Elise bit her tongue. She turned to correct Anna but her look of trepidation told her that giving the wrong
name was not on accident. It was on purpose.
"I know I was supposed tuh get ah pass for her tuh come visit but, um, this is much different. She, uh, needs
a job!" Suddenly, Anna's voice sounded higher than ever before. If she were playing poker, Elise thought, her voice
would be a dead giveaway.
The man cocked his head to the side. "A job? We have no opening positions."
"Yes, well, I thought she could be an assistant to any ah our workers! You know how Autumn needs help
every now and then."
The man stayed silent, eyes bearing into Anna. Elise felt eternity stretching between them and felt bad for
her.
"Very well."
Anna squealed with delight- or was that relief?
However, the man stood back up without putting Elise down. "I'll give her a tour. But then she'll have to
prove herself." He walked off, not giving Elise the chance to look back. She was sick to her stomach. Not only did
she feel tremendously lost but she felt a loss for her pet ferret, Horatio. It felt like she would never get him back.
Reaching a far side of the room, the man slowly put Elise down in front of a hallway much smaller than he
was. "Wait there, Lisa." She had no intention of running away. She pressed her back against the wall and only
stared at the man. But then something strange began to happen.
He began to shrink.
He held his arms out next to him and just as sure as he was much taller than Elise, he was getting much
smaller right before her. His arms slowly moved towards his body and his torso got closer to the ground. His legs
shrunk not only in length, but in thickness. His head was no exception and neither were his clothes.
Once Elise saw that she could now stand up to his chest, he stopped shrinking.
"That's much better." The man smiled. It caught Elise off guard. "Now, Lisa, what would you like to see
first?"
She stumbled at first. "T—the circus, please."
Taking her hand in his, he chuckled. "Right. I thought that would be it. No one really likes to work back
stage. We've only got one cook, you know?"
"A—Aunt Jem?"
"Ah, so you've met her! Yes, she's a splendid lady. We couldn't do anything without her feeding us. It's nice
to know when people are looking out for you, isn't it?"
She thought of Horatio, who had no one looking after him now, and frowned. The man didn't seem to
notice. They walked through a lengthy, dark hallway. It was much more spacious than the hallway leading to the
kitchen. Walking quietly in the hallway, it seemed to take forever to get to a door. However, the closer they got,
the louder the roar came out from a crowd. They stopped just before a large, wooden door.
"Oh, I haven't properly introduced myself to you. I'm the Headmaster," he said simply. He turned the knob
and opened it for her to see. The stage she was on looked a bit smaller than she remembered but the height of the
tent was just as tall as he was before. She wondered if that was a coincidence but didn't really ask. On stage, a
gangly young man laughed strangely with his arms opened wide. A glow of energy poured out from his body in a
swirl of colors and captivated the audience.
"That's Sycamore, our illusionist."
"What are those... wispy things?" she asked, looking into the audience. Forms of transparent dark energy, in
the form of people, moved from side to side. Elise realized that the roar of a crowd came from them.
"Those, my dear," the Headmaster grinned, "are our audience." He continued to watch the performance and
grabbed a rope. It hoisted him up into the air. Elise grabbed onto him but swung her legs helplessly.
"Okay, but what are those things?"
The rope helped them onto a balcony and once Elise was certain of her safety, she let go of the Headmaster
first and he followed suit.
"Well, in a manner of speaking, those are Shadows."
She looked down from the only balcony in the circus and stared down. The dark transparent figures blended
together easily and yet still retained form. They had mouths to laugh with but no throats. Although they were
turned to the stage, none had eyes to see and yet, they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Elise turned aside to
see the Headmaster joining in on the laughter. "Shadows of people, my dear. You see, we only stage the
performances at night so when the people are asleep, their shadows can come see us. "
Elise furrowed her brow. "Shadows aren't actual things, though."
He tsked, shaking his head. "Lisa, and to think you actually want to work here. You should know better than
to try to make sense of things."
She opened her mouth to speak but the Headmaster interrupted her.
"Shadows aren't 'things'—that's true. But they're the representation of people's minds when they sleep.
When they sleep, their minds go with their shadows to this Circus. To experience what they call 'dreams.'"
Elise drew in a deep breath. "So you give people dreams." She tried to think of it simply but instead blew
out an irritated breath. The performance by Sycamore was brilliant- literally. The crowd was eating it up and
Sycamore was bowing graciously. He looked up into the balcony and even winked at her. She stuck out his tongue
at him.
Elise almost turned on her heel until she saw something strange going on behind the curtains. Two boys,
looking as old at her, peeked out occasionally. Elise felt an ominous premonition every time she looked at their
faces. The black-haired one seemed more reckless but the redhead looked all the more cunning.
"Headmaster...?" she whispered. She did not take her eyes off them. Once they stopped peeking through,
Elise felt a strange relief- however, that didn't last long. The redhead looked through again and she nearly froze on
sight. Hung around his neck, was a still ferret. Unable to think, Elise reached up and gripped the rope that led them
to the balcony. She tugged it twice, and it lifted her into the air. Leading her to the backside of the stage, Elise
walked up the steps, to where the boys were. Although it was much darker backstage than onstage, Elise was not
mistaken. Horatio hung limply on the boy's neck.
Elise stared, wide-eyed, and in disbelief. Eventually, the boys took notice of her.
"Whatcha doin' here, dollface?" The black haired one jeered.
She slowly opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came.
"I've never seen you here before." The redhead said. He then turned his back, shrugging his shoulders,
disturbing Horatio in a way that would've made her cry.
But instead, Elise walked up to them, calmly. She gripped the shirt of the black haired boy and threw him
back. She was on top of him with fists flying before the redhead even knew what to do with her. He grabbed her by
her underarms and lifted her off him. She kicked backwards, painfully hitting his knee. He cried out, and as soon as
she turned around, she brought her knee up to his stomach multiple times.
Suddenly, someone pulled her hair viciously and slammed her into the wall.
"What the hell's wrong with you?" the black haired one asked.
Unnerved, Elise head-butted him in the face. Even in the dark she could see a sticky red liquid running from
his nose.
"Hey!" A familiar voice growled. Elise immediately recognized the figure as Anna's, and she looked far
wilder in the dark.
"Sysiphus, let's go. That animal chick is here!" The redhead lifted the black haired boy- Sysiphus, Elise
guessed- by his arm and led him out.
"Horatio..." she whispered. Immediately, the ferret looked up, and pounced off the boy's shoulder. Elise
gasped as he ran to her and picked him up. She felt a deep sense of relief replace the throbbing pain from being
pushed against the wall.
"Jeez." Anna patted her back. "You handled those two on your own? With no gimmick? Maybe you should
start working here."
