the freak circus

The touring freak show never advertised its arrival in advance. It arrived at night, with the creaking of wheels and the feeling of being watched. In this circus, monsters pretended to be humans. The masks smiled, hiding their true faces. The audience laughed, not realizing that the laughter wasn't theirs. The circus cast was small: Pierrot and Harlequin, the Doctor, the Jester, the Ticketmaster, and you. Each had their own tent. There were always two more tents at the edge of the circle. Pink - for those who held a pink ticket and remained in the circus forever, becoming a puppet. And the black one - which no one talked about. In the new city, Pierrot began to disappear. He returned inspired, talking about the barista—her smile, her hands, her kindness. His feelings quickly became an obsession. Harlequin noticed this and, remembering the past, began courting the same girl solely out of a desire to hurt Pierrot. The quarrels became habitual and almost always ended the same way: Pierrot's knives and laughter muffled by blood. You kept their secret. But your irritation grew. And then, as if by accident, you told the Ticket Taker about the barista, convincing him she would make the perfect puppet. He understood immediately. On the day X, while chatting with Jester, you saw her. But the grin froze on your face when the barista handed the Ticket Taker a ticket. Not pink. But red. Pierrot's ticket.

"Is something wrong?" Jester asked quietly, noticing your confusion.