Prompt: You wake up in a darkened circus tent, wearing a bright blue and yellow clown costume and a fluffy red wig. There is a dwarf standing over you with a bucket of water. “You okay?” he asks.
Of one thing,at least, I was sure. I was uncomfortable. My eyes were closed, but I was sure I was lying flat on a hard surface. It felt like a hard, dirt floor. Why would I be on a dirt floor?
I finally coaxed my eyes into fluttering open. My head was pounding.
What happened?
Looking directly above me, I saw wires and pulleys and platforms, underneath a huge, blue and yellow striped tent. That’s right. The circus. My birthday. Trespassing.
I heard shuffling next to me and slowly turned my head to the left. There was a small man, reminiscent of the Lollipop Guild, approaching, wearing a flannel plaid shirt underneath overalls and holding a big, blue, plastic bucket.
“Hey,” he squeaked nasally. “You okay?”
I closed my eyes as the memories came rushing back.
I had wanted to do something extreme for my thirtieth birthday. Something epic. Something not likely to be forgotten before my fortieth birthday, at which point we would somehow top this stunt and keep everyone talking for yet another decade.
Just our luck, the circus had come into town this week. And I wanted to play on the trapeze.
Eight of us had walked into the big top to find a group clowns juggling pins, squirting seltzer at each other, and balancing on top of giant balls. We hadn’t expected anyone to be in there at that time of night. As we turned to leave, a voice stopped us.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
We slowly turned to see the ringmaster, dressed in a tux complete with top hat, staring at us.
I, apparently, was the bravest in our group.
“We didn’t realize practice was going on,” I said. “Sorry.”
“Practice?” he laughed. “Oh, nonsense, this is a party! Will you join us?” He seemed almost hopeful.
I hesitated for a moment. Then I said with a grin, “Well, it is my birthday.”
So we partied and drank and learned to juggle (almost), and all were merry. Until a loud, shrieking, blood-curdling, scream pierced the air. A deafening silence fell over the performers, as the ringmaster ran in from an adjacent tent, screaming, “THE LION IS LOOSE!”
Panic ensued. Everyone ran in every direction possible.
I froze.
A large, orange cat, with a large, wavy mane sauntered into the tent, stopped, and stared at me.
He growled.
I ran.
I knew I would never make it to safety, but I had to try. The opening of the tent grew closer and closer. I could taste escape. I turned to gauge the buffer zone between us. Not far enough. I turned forward again just in time to see a metal ladder mere feet in front of me. I couldn’t stop in time.
I slammed into the ladder and bounced off, landing on the floor, just as the lion leapt, missing me by inches.
Gasping for air, I forced myself to my feet. The lion turned to face me, his huge, wet tongue licking his lips, whetting appetite. We stared each other down for a moment. The he charged. Having no other option, I jumped onto the ladder and climbed. I climbed fast, hand over hand, foot over foot. I heard the lion lunge below me. Halfway up, I stopped and looked down. I knew there was no way he could reach me, but that didn’t stop him from trying. He leapt onto the ladder and fell off over and over. As his massive form repeatedly impacted on the ladder, however, the ladder began to sway. I looked up and that the screws attaching the ladder to the trapeze platform above were loosening with every hit. I’d soon be back on the ground, a fresh meal, free for the taking.
I had only one option. It looked like I would be getting my birthday wish to play on the trapeze after all.
There was another shudder as the giant cat below rammed the ladder once again. I scrambled the rest of the way up, and threw myself onto the platform. The structure continued to shake and weaken as I stood, staring at the menacing bar in front of me.
Nervously, I reached out and timidly detached it from its resting place. I wrapped my fingers tightly around the bar and closed my eyes.
With one last shudder, I felt the platform fall away from my feet and I held on to the trapeze for dear life as I felt myself drop, and then suddenly jerk to a stop, dangling high above the lion.
“Here kitty, kitty, kitty!” The ringmaster had re-entered the tent, waving a fat, raw steak in front of him, like a bullfighter waving his red flag. The lion caught the scent immediately, licked his chops twice, and ran to the treat. The ringmaster turned and ran back the way he’d come, the lion close on his heels.
“Swing!” a different voice called.
I looked up to see a woman swinging on the other trapeze.
“You have to swing to me!” she called out to me. “I’ll catch you!”
I looked down at the ground, which seemed even further below me than it had before. It was worth a shot, I finally decided. What other choice did I have? Hang out here until the fire department showed up?
I swung my body back and forth, slowly building up the momentum. The acrobat opposite me synched herself up so that we would meet in the middle. My swings became wider and soon we were coming within inches of each other.
“On this next one, let go,” she yelled. “I’ll catch your legs.”
I watched her switch position while the trapeze continued to swing, like a giant pendulum. She now dangled from her knees, head hanging down.
We swung out, slowed, and swung back toward each other.
“Ready?”
A little further…
“Now!”
I shut my eyes, said a quick prayer, and let go. I felt fingers wrap around my ankles as we swung back toward her platform. Then I heard a grunt, followed by a curse, and I felt my left ankle slip free. I was now swinging fifty feet in the air, hanging by only my right ankle!
But we were almost there. Only a few more feet…
“Shit!”
The exclamation came from my would-be savior, as I suddenly felt myself plummeting toward the ground below.
Ice cold water soaking me from head to toe snapped me back to the present. My eyes flew open and I sat up, glaring at the dwarf.
“What the hell was that for?” I shrieked, now shivering on top of aching.
“I thought you were passing out,” he squeaked.
I shook my head, slowly. “No. Just remembering.”
“You’re lucky you weren’t killed, you know,” he said.
I inspected myself for serious injury, noting the outfit I was wearing was not the outfit I’d come in with. But before I could ask why I was dressed like a clown, a more pressing matter occurred to me.
“The lion! He chased the ringmaster!”
The dwarf waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, they’re both fine. We darted the lion with a harmless sedative as soon as they got outside. He’s sound asleep in his cage, and the ringmaster is enjoying a nice fat steak.”
“Oh, good,” I breathed, relieved. I looked back down at the hideous blue and yellow clown suit. “Why am I dressed in a clown suit?”
The dwarf giggled. “You were out for while. Your friends thought if would be fun to have some photos to blackmail you with later.”
What awesome friends I have.
**
So, I want to apologize. I was doing well for a few weeks there, but life and work caught up with me. I had this one written, and another one is half written, in my notebook, but I just couldn't get around to actually typing them up! So this is another quickie, written one night at work. I don't think I like it too much, but, eh.
Leave some love!
Ren
