“Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Burtons Circus” a man in a ring leader’s outfit stood in the centre of the ring. From where I was sitting I saw no megaphone.
I was curious but figured he was wearing one of those tiny microphone headset things.
He was very short, up to my shoulder with `curly blond hair and tanned complexion.
Walking around the ring he continued with an Italian accent “My name is Tich and I will be your host tonight”
Moving on to looking around at the audience I didn’t pay attention to the announcement of the act but the sound of applause compelled me to look at the arena.
In the centre there was a girl. Her black shoulder length locks framed a round face with the biggest eyes I’d ever seen.
She seemed almost too thin in her black and white outfit as she waved at the crowd with a warm smile.
I watched carefully, telling myself she was perhaps a trapeze artist.
She proved me wrong. Bending down she took a leg and curled it around her neck FOUR TIMES!
Now I was wondering what tricks she was using. I had managed to see past all the magician tricks previously but this girl was extremely clever.
Bending backwards she went right over effortlessly to face us again from under her body and beside her right leg. Incredible!
The audience went wild as this girl went into all sorts of knots for their enjoyment.
The ring leader came out and with a massive grin called out “Alexa ladies and gentlemen! Give her a another hand!”
Now I was interested.
The second act was announced as “Arnold the clown”
For a clown Arnold didn’t seem very happy. He had all sorts of things happen to him in his act.
For example, a dog ran off with his flower, he was pushed into a giant pie by the ringleader and he finally was hit accidently by a baseball, falling backwards into the pie again. It was funny but you had to feel sorry for his character.
Tich came back on and looked grave as he gave a warning.
“Ladies and gentlemen there has been a report of a creature lurking around the big top. Don’t be alarmed my friends we have security on hand and…What is THAT!”
Turning around in my seat I looked to where Tich was pointing. Sure enough there was a something slowly crawling down the wall of the tent right towards my parents.
Panic was just starting to set in when a spotlight lit up the something.
Obviously it was another part of the show.
The something came towards my seat very gradually, increasing suspense.
Frozen I could only stare at the performer. How was this managed!
Creeping cautiously right up close to me a boy with electric green eyes, a rounded body and eight spiderlike legs made the audience squirm.
I was agape and totally petrified.
This was real! A boy with a spider’s body!
Was he dangerous?
Stopping so we were nose to nose, literally, spider boy stared at me intently, studying me like I would normally be studying him.
My mind for the first time in years was totally blank due to surprise and fear.
His pupils were almost non-existent in his beady eyes; his overly shiny brown hair was slicked back against his head.
On close inspection his skin seemed to be like marble in colour and in texture and yet each movement proved that it wasn’t.
Adrenaline coursed through my veins. What was he doing? Did he eat people? Surely even this strange creature wasn’t a threat if he was wearing a specially designed T-Shirt dedicated to a rock band.
Almost eerily his mouth curled to reveal a toothy, fanged grin...
“Hi! How’s it goin?”
The cheerful, bubbly voice was totally not what I had been expecting.
Slightly high for a male it would have been almost comical without the tension that had been growing.
With the tension it sent the whole big top, except me, into roars of laughter.
The spider boy and I looked at each other.
His smile slowly faded and curiosity crept across his features.
“There’s something but I just can’t put my…You’re different too!” He said in a voice that only I could hear.
“Different?”
“Are you in a rush to get home after?”
“no”
“Come back after the show for autographs” The boy grinned and then looked up.
He raised his rear end a little and out shot a line of silk.
With a wink the spider boy went skyward to the top of the tent and disappeared...
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