Naturally Freaky
Willa Reinier
I had just finished with the last knife when Abram came in.
"You can take them," I said. "They're finished."
He shook his head. "Hang on to them for now. Willa's on in fifteen minutes."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Mother would be very upset if you didn't show."
I stared at him blankly. He shrugged and left.
Sighing, I leaned back in my chair. One of the things I disliked most about being part of a family of circus freaks was that I never got a moment to myself. One minute I'm running errands for my little brother, the next I'm expected to devote to supporting my sister. There was no downtime.
Without dispute, I sulked out of my room all the way to the theater.
The stage was dark as I waited for Willa to come on and do her big trapeze act. I looked around idly at the audience members, who were starting to grow bored. A mime stood on the left end on the walkway, trying to entertain them as best she could. On the other end of the audience was...
I shuddered and turned away, but it was too late. The clown locked its creepy stare on me, and before I knew it, it was hovering right over me, practically breathing down my neck. I closed my eyes and started to count to ten, like I had done as a boy to make the monsters go away.
"Hi!" the thing said. "I'm Twinkle! Would you like a balloon animal?"
"Sure," I heard a little girl answer.
Apprehensively, I opened one eye and watched as Twinkle the Clown cheerfully twisted a squeaking balloon to the girl's delight. The clown tortured the girl for what seemed like hours before ruffling her hair and prancing away. The little girl fawned over her purple giraffe-shaped balloon while her mother looked at me as though I were insane. Whatever, lady, I thought. You're the one that's insane, for letting that freaky thing come near your daughter.
Just then, a circle of light appeared in center of the stage, and the circus ringmaster, my father, stepped into it. Everyone began to applaud, and he waited patiently for them to stop. "Welcome to the Reinier Traveling Circus," Dad started, grinning grandiosely. I rolled my eyes, getting pretty tired of all the acting. "I am Mister Reinier, your ringmaster. As you may know, we have a marvelous many attractions to behold, but tonight, the spotlight belongs to the magnificently talented Wilhelmina Hope Reinier, my beautiful daughter."
As Dad walked off, Willa came out from behind the curtains and the audience went wild. I did not. My little thirteen-year-old sister Willa was dressed in a skimpy two-piece, consisting of probably fifteen or twenty sequins that barely concealed her still-developing body. Her copper-colored hair fell over her bare shoulders in voluminous curls, and she had on almost as much makeup as the clown. I heard a guy whistle from behind me and turned to give him the finger. Then it occurred to me that if either of my parents had seen that, I would be scolded for it later, so I clapped for my half-naked sister until my hands stung.
"You can take them," I said. "They're finished."
He shook his head. "Hang on to them for now. Willa's on in fifteen minutes."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Mother would be very upset if you didn't show."
I stared at him blankly. He shrugged and left.
Sighing, I leaned back in my chair. One of the things I disliked most about being part of a family of circus freaks was that I never got a moment to myself. One minute I'm running errands for my little brother, the next I'm expected to devote to supporting my sister. There was no downtime.
Without dispute, I sulked out of my room all the way to the theater.
The stage was dark as I waited for Willa to come on and do her big trapeze act. I looked around idly at the audience members, who were starting to grow bored. A mime stood on the left end on the walkway, trying to entertain them as best she could. On the other end of the audience was...
I shuddered and turned away, but it was too late. The clown locked its creepy stare on me, and before I knew it, it was hovering right over me, practically breathing down my neck. I closed my eyes and started to count to ten, like I had done as a boy to make the monsters go away.
"Hi!" the thing said. "I'm Twinkle! Would you like a balloon animal?"
"Sure," I heard a little girl answer.
Apprehensively, I opened one eye and watched as Twinkle the Clown cheerfully twisted a squeaking balloon to the girl's delight. The clown tortured the girl for what seemed like hours before ruffling her hair and prancing away. The little girl fawned over her purple giraffe-shaped balloon while her mother looked at me as though I were insane. Whatever, lady, I thought. You're the one that's insane, for letting that freaky thing come near your daughter.
Just then, a circle of light appeared in center of the stage, and the circus ringmaster, my father, stepped into it. Everyone began to applaud, and he waited patiently for them to stop. "Welcome to the Reinier Traveling Circus," Dad started, grinning grandiosely. I rolled my eyes, getting pretty tired of all the acting. "I am Mister Reinier, your ringmaster. As you may know, we have a marvelous many attractions to behold, but tonight, the spotlight belongs to the magnificently talented Wilhelmina Hope Reinier, my beautiful daughter."
As Dad walked off, Willa came out from behind the curtains and the audience went wild. I did not. My little thirteen-year-old sister Willa was dressed in a skimpy two-piece, consisting of probably fifteen or twenty sequins that barely concealed her still-developing body. Her copper-colored hair fell over her bare shoulders in voluminous curls, and she had on almost as much makeup as the clown. I heard a guy whistle from behind me and turned to give him the finger. Then it occurred to me that if either of my parents had seen that, I would be scolded for it later, so I clapped for my half-naked sister until my hands stung.