Freakshow

by Jaden Wilkes

  “I don’t know,” I said, “I wish I did.”

  “We’ll figure it out someday,” Cairo said and slipped his arm around my shoulder. I snuggled in against him and we left the tent, just two normal people in love walking to go figure out what happened to another missing girl.

  As if there was anything normal in any of that. But hey, I could dream, right?

  *****

  Days passed as if in a dream. Cairo and I saw each other every waking moment. We slept entangled in each other’s arms, and we worked alongside each other trying to solve the deepening mystery of the dead girls.

  I was supposed to work one night of After Dark, but Orion decided against it. He told me it was a particularly bloody crowd, one with loads of old money and even older demands.

  He didn’t want to break me in by breaking me.

  I wasn’t worried, I had time off and I spent that night curled up with Cairo counting the stars tattooed along his rib cage and reciting poetry to one another.

  At one point he traced an empty space along his side and said, “This spot is for you, you know.”

  “I don’t know what you mean, in fact,” I said and smiled at his mystery.

  “You will find out,” he told me, rolled me onto my back and kissed every one of my scars, piercings and tattoos.

  And there were many.

  Those were some of the best moments I’d ever had in my life. Beyond the orgasms and crazy insane sex that Cairo and I had, we had this intense connection that existed from the marrow of my bones to the deepest, darkest parts of my soul.

  As the week came to an end, Orion found me in the cafeteria one morning and informed me I would be performing in After Dark that evening. They’d had a cancellation, so the audience would be very small and very exclusive, but not as bloody as the previous performance.

  He assured me it would be the perfect place for me to start.

  “Cairo will be there, won’t he?” I asked, trying to keep the tremble from my words. I didn’t want him to know how anxious I felt, performing for the first time in this fashion.

  “He will do his best to make it,” Orion said, “He’s had to go to the city this morning, we have guests arriving on the train and he had to pick them up.”

  “Oh,” I said, “he didn’t tell me this.”

  “He doesn’t need to inform you of his whereabouts every waking moment,” Orion said with a cruel sneer on his face.

  He might have seen my own face fall and took pity on me. He added, “Besides, he did not know about it until just a moment ago. Alexi was to go pick them up but he’s ill at the moment and unable to. I told Cairo that I would inform you of his plans.”

  “Does he know of yours?” I asked. “Does he know I’m to perform tonight?”

  “I’m quite certain he will figure it out,” Orion said with an oily smile. He clasped his hands together, gave me a mocking bow and said, “I will see you at eleven.”

  I watched him leave my table, I shivered, as though he’d just been the one to walk over my grave.

  I didn’t feel good about being part of Orion’s machinations yet again, but I didn’t know how to back away.

  I wondered if he’d been dabbling in some sort of magic in order to regain control over Cairo, because at the moment, the old feeling was back.

  I was no longer in charge and Orion was mighty pleased with himself because of it.

  Chapter Twenty Six

  I texted Cairo throughout the day and received a few brief texts back. He sounded harried, Orion had sent him to the wrong train station and he’d been forced to drive through mid day traffic to find the new performers and bring them back.

  I decided to sit with Rose for a while, to help keep her mind off Cara and Erica. It was bizarre, my life was going better than it ever had, the parts with Cairo that was.

  The other parts were the strange bits, like they belonged to somebody else. When Cairo was gone from my side, the rest of my life came into sharp focus and I felt as though I hadn’t been part of the process to get me there.

  How had I even come to work for Cirque in the first place? How had I agreed to everything so far with Orion?

  It felt as though another being was guiding my actions. The only time I felt completely at home was when I had Cai next to me. Or when I was in his arms.

  Then the world felt right.

  I got ready for my big After Dark debut with shaking fingers. I laced up a bright red silk corset over top of my black bra and panties. I tightened it, tied it off and slipped on knee high black leather boots. The heels were thick, but inches taller than I was used to.

  Over this I pulled a long rain coat on and tightened the belt for some privacy as I teetered across the Cirque’s grounds.

  I really had hoped Cairo would be back by now, but it seemed he was going to miss my performance after all.

  I made my way into the tent through the back entrance, hoping to avoid seeing the audience before I went on. For some strange reason it felt sickening to me, to know who would be watching me and getting off on my pain.

  I squeezed my eyes tight and listened to the hushed tones of the crowd outside, heard the cries of the performers on stage, and the distinct cracking sounds of a whip on flesh.

  I opened them and stared at the ground, checked my phone for a text and found nothing. I slipped out of my jacket and stood in the cool air, shivering in the red corset.

  I heard Orion’s voice and knew I would be up next. A quick check of my phone again revealed nothing and I set it down on a small bench.

  At the base of the bench I noticed a dark brown stain on the canvas tent. I bent lower to see what it could be when Orion’s sharp voice cut through the quiet of the tent.

  “We’re ready,” he hissed, “get out here now. You missed your cue.”

  “Oh, sorry,” I whispered back, wiggled out of my corset and teetered on my high heels, struggling to keep up with him.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced in his deep, sultry showman’s voice, “tonight we have a special guest performer all the way from the icy depths of Canada’s north. Miss York, she craves pain and won’t say no to any humiliation we bestow upon her.”

  I stepped forward and caught his eye. I mouthed a question, “We?” at him, but he didn’t respond. I had been under the impression that this would be his show alone.

  I bowed deeply and climbed onto the table as we’d rehearsed. The surface was smooth with wear and pitted from the punctures and spikes of torture over the years.

  I laid on my stomach, my arms at my sides and my legs straight out behind me. Orion jerked my hands behind my back and slipped a rope around my wrists, fixing it tight with a knot.

  We hadn’t agreed to this.

  He then grabbed a handful of my hair and tugged my head back. I gasped and shot him an angry look, but he wasn’t fazed.

  He slid a thick black cloth around my eyes and tied it tight at the back of my head, effectively blinding me.

  I hadn’t agreed to this either.

  He began to walk the crowd through the procedure we had practiced, so this I was prepared for.

  As he slid the fifth or sixth hook through my flesh, he said, “I will have my assistant begin to lace the ropes through at this point.”

  “Which way do I begin?” a male voice asked him. I detected an accent and a deep timbre that gave it away immediately.

  Alexi was working in After Dark.

  “Start on this end,” Orion said, and I felt his fingers brush over my scapula, where wings would sprout had I been an angel instead of a freak.

  I tensed up as Alexi jabbed the first needle through my flesh. Orion grabbed a handful of my hair, leaned over and told me, “Start your screaming now, or I’ll fucking make you. Don’t forget, you’re on stage.”

  I wanted to tell him to fuck off, or protest that he hadn’t told me about any of this, but knew it would ruin the act.

  And what was the point of me being here other than to play along and
make them all believe? I needed the crowd to believe that I was being tortured, and I needed Orion to believe that I was ignorant.

  And I needed to find out what the fuck was happening to girls in the Cirque.

  I screamed and howled, writhed and strained against Orion’s fingers digging into me, holding me down.

  The crowd was quiet, I could hear whispers and hushed conversations, but they were apparently a polite fetish group. There was no reaction to my pain at all.

  I could feel blood begin to well and pool in the crease along my spine.

  I sensed we were near completion, so I let my cries fade to numb sobs as Orion clipped the ropes to my hooks.

  I felt myself elevated as he let go of my hands. I gasped, afraid I was falling forward. My arms dropped and the blood slid down them in rivulets, it hit my hands and fingers and began dripping off the end.

  The crowd’s reaction was instantaneous, they collectively made a noise of interest and I could sense them all sitting forward in their seats.

  As Orion lifted me, he pushed my leg and began to spin me slowly. The blood was carried to the ends of my fingers faster the higher I went.

  I realized then what this was to Orion. It was art. I was his living art exposition, his opus as he cut me and spread my blood for the fans.

  I moaned and cried out as I spun faster, my head losing all sense of which way was up or down.

  I heard him say, “Most excellent performance,” as I passed him at one point.

  My rotation began to slow and my arms sagged, the blood easing off and the droplets getting sluggish as I finally came to a stop.

  Orion grabbed my legs roughly and announced to the crowd, “I do hope you enjoyed this artistic performance, please watch closely as we bring the next blood letter. This one is going to be even more dramatic, I promise you.”

  I groaned in faux agony as Alexi and Orion set me down on the table and removed the hooks and clips, one by one.

  It was a strange sensation, being back on earth, feeling the full force of gravity. There was something freeing about being suspended, if only for a few moments.

  Orion tore off my blindfold and lifted me up off the table as if I were too injured to walk on my own two feet.

  I tried to get a glimpse of the audience over his shoulder, but the stage lights were blazing and the crowd was hidden in darkness.

  “That was horrific,” Cairo’s voice penetrated the shadows at the back of the stage, “What the fuck were you thinking?” He drew me close and wrapped a thick robe around me.

  “I was thinking we need to whet the appetites of our wealthiest clientele,” Orion sneered. He dropped me onto my feet and waved his hand dismissively at Cairo. “I don’t have time to argue about this, After Dark is a hit and the only thing keeping us afloat these days. Case closed.”

  He whirled around and stalked back out onto the stage. Alexi was dragging a girl behind him, she appeared to be drugged or unconscious.

  “Is she okay?” I asked, pointing at the table where the girl was being strapped down.

  “She is,” Cairo said, “that’s Kendra, she’s been working with my father on and off for some time now. She’s quite all right.”

  I watched for a moment longer and saw her open her eyes and give the smallest nod towards Orion as he bent over her.

  It seemed she was a skilled actor and fully participating in the show.

  Then what had happened to the missing girls? Had Orion taken things too far? Or was there something more sinister going on?

  I decided to get some rest and go over the facts when my head was clear.

  If that was ever possible around Cairo.

  *****

  “Now don’t be angry,” Cairo said as we approached my trailer.

  “Uh oh,” I replied, suspicion creeping into my voice.

  “It’s not bad,” he said, “it’s just a strange situation.”

  “Okay, shoot,” I replied.

  He held the door open for me and followed me to my bedroom.

  “Mila is here,” he said in a slow, even tone and sat on my bed to watch me dress.

  I froze in mid bra removal. My arms were splayed out like chicken wings and my body tensed like a bow about to release.

  “What?” I asked in an evenly matched tone. I didn’t want to react badly until I heard him out. I supposed this was part of growing up.

  Although let’s face it, I wanted to fucking flip my shit and start screaming at him for bringing his fucking fiancée to the Cirque.

  “She’s here because she might be able to help us,” he said, “her family lineage is ancient, and she’s a practicing witch. She’s very in tune with magic and the lore of our people.”

  “So you brought your fiancée, the werewolf witch, to help me out?” I asked. I slid the bra off over my head, turned and threw it in the corner. I didn’t bother covering myself as I continued my little rant. “You mean she’s just totally fine with the marriage not going through, and she’s not going to gobble me down the moment she meets me? Come on, she’s got to be a little pissed.”

  He was staring at my breasts with a hungry look. I glared and crossed my arms in front of them, making him look up to my face. As if breaking a spell, he shook his head and grinned. “Sorry,” he said, “you’re very distracting. And no, she’s not pissed. She’d not into men, she has a girlfriend apparently. I mean, it was obvious from her Facebook page the moment I checked her out. She was going to go through with the marriage to honour the ancient customs, but she’s thrilled to not be tied to some hairy dude for the rest of her life.”

  “Humph,” I said, not satisfied with this new information. I wanted Cairo to be more apologetic for bringing her into my domain.

  “Come here,” he said, reaching for me. I reluctantly walked to him and let him pull me onto his lap. I was pouting now, really putting on a show, but we both enjoyed it. “Listen, there’s nothing I would do to harm our relationship or you. I would fucking die for you, Liv. I would kill for you. I would do anything for you. Mila isn’t dangerous and she is powerful and knowledgeable. We need her.”

  “Fine,” I said petulantly, but both of us knew I was over my snit. His hardening cock pressing into my thigh was slowly pushing all negative feelings out of me, leaving only lust and love for Cai in its place.

  “We’ll meet her tomorrow,” he said and pulled me down, kissed my naked flesh and sent a shiver coursing through my body. His arms tightened around me, his beard tickled me, and he whispered, “Besides, we have other things to do tonight, let’s not talk about her.”

  I was silent as he took my breast in his mouth and moved his hands between my legs, pushing my panties aside and slipping a finger into my wet heat.

  I couldn’t hold out for long though, between his mouth and his fingers, I was sobbing his name in no time flat.

  We spent the rest of the night like that, loving and fucking, talking and eventually sleeping.

  By morning I was prepared to meet the woman I’d always vowed to hate.

  The woman who was going to help me.

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  “I’m so happy to meet you,” Mila announced in the cutest accent. It was difficult to place, something like German and French mixed together with a dash of Russian.

  “Me too,” I said, and genuinely meant it. From the moment I saw her, I had a good feeling about Mila. Her energy was bright and warm, I felt kindness and openness flowing from her.

  She looked like a little bird, her movements were quick and her features sharp and pretty. Her hair was dyed bright orange and cut pixie style, short around her face.

  I wanted her to like me, I wanted her to help me.

  “Can I get you ladies anything?” Cairo asked, not sitting next to me. We were in the cafeteria tent getting breakfast and breaking the ice with Mila.

  “Two poached eggs on toast and a coffee so thick and black you can stand a spoon in it,” I smiled at him.

  “I’ll have exactly the same,”
Mila said, glancing at me, “but bring me cream for mine. I don’t know if I can stomach straight circus brew this early in the morning.”

  Cairo walked off and we were left alone. I was worried at first thinking we’d sit in awkward silence, making nonsensical small talk until Cairo returned, but I was wrong.

  Mila was a little firecracker and dove right in to begin our conversation.

  “I can feel it” she said, “it’s incredible, like nothing I’ve ever encountered.”

  “Sorry, feel what?” I asked.

  “Your power, it’s coursing through you like a pulse, like the flow of blood through your veins.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes, don’t look so shocked, I’m sure you’ve sensed it before.”

  “I’ve sensed the earth’s power, I can reach that when I need to.”

  “That’s your power, Olivia. You are tied to the earth. Cairo and my kind, we’re at the mercy of the moon, our magic is directly tied to it and we are unable to control our shifting when it comes to moon time. But you, I can see what Cai meant in his emails...you give me control over myself. It’s incredible. Seriously, I can’t stop gushing about it.”

  “So do you know what the hell that means?” I asked slowly. I wasn’t as enthusiastic as she was since I had no idea what kind of creature I really was.

  “It means you need to learn more about your magic and your ancestors,” she said. “Are your parents alive?”

  “Sadly, no.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, “any aunts or siblings?”

  “I do have an older sister, my mother was an only child and my father was an orphan.”

  “Did you know your mother’s mother?”

  “I did, my Grandma.”

  “Did she ever teach you anything?” she asked, leaning close.

  “Couldn’t this come from my father’s people?”

  “No, power is always transmitted mother to child. It’s almost one hundred percent when it’s mother to daughter, and about fifty-fifty mother to son.”

  “I don’t remember her actually teaching me anything about what I am, but she was the one who taught me to touch the earth to heal myself.”