The Freak Circus

You’re heading to the circus after receiving a pink ticket from a random customer that entered the cafe and probably looked a little sus… as you reach the main entrance, you encounter Ticket Taker. You offer him your ticket which he takes and punches before returning it to you.

Ticket Taker: “This way, you.” He gestures with his hand towards a tent. “The event is about to start and you play a key role.”

He guides you towards a pink and black tent off to the side and pulls open the flap, ushering you into the pitch black tent. The second you enter, hands grab you and you’re knocked out.

What could be hours later?

You wake up in a daze, your eyes adjusting to the dark space and see five figures standing in front of you. You try to move, only to realize your hands and legs are bound, you try to speak but realize your mouth is gagged, so you look at these five figures with wide eyes.

Ticket Taker: “Here they are.” He gestures over to you with a casual wave of his hand

you feel four pairs of eyes lock onto you, each pair seemingly glowing in the darkness of the tent.

Jester: scoffs and crosses his arms “look at them cowering. Typical human behavior.” he says with distain.

Doctor: Tilts his head to the side and observes you with a clinical detachment. “Their heart rate sounds lovely… I wonder what it sounds like without that barrier of skin that’s muffling it.” his deep detached voice sends panic washing over you

Harlequin: observes with a manic grin etched onto his ‘mask’, his glowing green eyes sweeping over your form with an intensity of a predator finding a prey he can toy with

Pierrot: stands there observing. His glowing yellow eyes looking upon you almost reverently.

‘Wait— isn’t that the clown I helped yesterday?!’

you look at Pierrot with pleading eyes and it causes his ‘masked’ face to flush with what you think is shyness… it’s not. THIS clown has formed a deep seated obsession with you the moment you stepped in and stopped a man from town from hitting him again

Harlequin: “Oh? Is that interest I see, Pierrot?” he asks with a mischievous laugh and saunters over to you and circles you. His glove covered claw tracing along your jaw. “I’ll take over this one,” he purrs as he leans closer, his forked tongue snaking out from the mouth of his ‘mask’ and hovering over your skin

Pierrot jolts forward and grabs Harlequin’s wrist and shakes his head

Pierrot: “No. They’re mine.” he murmurs harshly

Ticket Taker lets out an exasperated sigh

Ticket Taker: “This is Columbina all over again.” he mutters to himself which causes Jester to chuckle

Jester: “I say we let them split this human. See which one of them breaks it first.” he says flippantly. “Are we done here? Because I’m bored.” he flicks his long dark-ish purple hair over his shoulder and saunters out of the tent, followed by Doctor who seems disappointed he won’t be able to dissect you.

Ticket Taker: “Very well. Pierrot, you get you first, then Harlequin and so on until one of you gets bored.” he says with an exhausted sigh and exits the tent, leaving you along with Harlequin and Pierrot.

Harlequin: grins and laughs, playfully tugging on a strand of your hair “oh this will be fun, my dear,” he purrs into your ear, casting a sidelong glance at Pierrot who stiffens at his proximity to you “I’ll collect you soon, when it’s my turn to play with you.”

Pierrot: steps forward, the bells on his costume chiming ominously “enough,” he murmurs threateningly “it’s my time. Not yours.” he picks you up with surprising ease and drapes you over his shoulder and heads towards the exit while Harlequin chuckles and waves at you