The Eternity Circus | Teen Ink

The Eternity Circus

September 7, 2023
By KeileyA BRONZE, Pasadena, Texas
KeileyA BRONZE, Pasadena, Texas
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Jerry woke up from a mystical dream. It’s a dream he has had many times before, flashes of a circus, lights, music, and a mask in a purple hue. Jerry hasn’t seen The Eternity Circus in years, not since he was a little boy. Jerry lay there staring into nothingness trying to fall asleep again to see the circus once more, until he heard a sound. A sound he hadn’t heard on many moons, a sound he had only heard in his dreams, carnival music.  
Lilyan, Jerry’s wife wakes up and with a sleep-redden voice says, “What is with that creepy carnival music?” It’s not creepy, it's normal carnival music. " Jerry said. “No, it’s not.  Normal carnival music is faster and happier!”  Lilian replied. "It doesn’t matter.  That music means that the Eternity Circus is in town.”  Jerry said with increasing excitement. Just when Lilian was about to say something their daughter, Rosy, walked in wearing her pajamas asking, "Mommy. Daddy. Can we go to the circus?” Sure sweety. We will go in the morning.” Lilian said. As soon as she finished speaking, Rosy blurted out in a panic, “It is only open tonight". Lilian starts to say something when Jerry interjects saying, “Rosy is right, honey! The Carnival is only open tonight.”  Thinking for a moment, Lilian agrees to go with them to the carnival.  
The three all start to get ready to go. As the three leave the house and head to the carnival, they see what appears to be the whole town headed there too. “Wow, I didn’t expect to see the whole town headed here,” Lilian says as they reach the carnival grounds. “Of course, it is the best event in town, and only comes around once every generation,”  Jerry replies in a condescending tone thinking that his wife should know this. “Well, I am new to this small town, so forgive me for not knowing something,”  Lilian responded with a tone of irritation. Jerry apologized. The circus was so beautiful in the moonlight that even Lilian was impressed. As she looked around, she suddenly saw a snake. “Watch out! There is a snake!” she yelled in a quiet voice as a snake slithered across their path. "Thanks, dear!” Jerry said with relief. Once they got into the carnival ground Lillian turned to Jerry and said, “I feel off here". "It's probably the carnival music,” Jerry replies. Looking around nostalgically, “I hope Mr. Ring is still here. He was the ringleader when my parents brought me here as a kid.” Jerry said with a happy tone.  
The family headed to the main tent. "Why are we going to the main tent first?” Lilian said with confusion. “The carnival master always starts the curiosities then releases every one to go and enjoy the circus.” Jerry explained. The family of three entered the tent and took a seat to wait for the show to begin. Once everyone was seated, the lights went out and the platform at the center of the tent was illuminated. Suddenly a figure in a purple Victorian coat, dark magenta gloves and a black top hat with a red ribbon walks up onto the platform. Once Lilian laid eyes on him, she was abstracted from everything around her. The man was unsettling, due to the mask the man was wearing. It was a comedy mask half purple, half magenta with pure black eyes and mouth. Even as she was preoccupied, she heard his voice clear as day. “Hello and welcome to the Eternity Circus. It is a pleasure to see you all here again as well as all the unfamiliar faces. At the stroke of three the main performance will begin. Now enjoy the carnival.”  the ringmaster announced. He then turned and left the platform. As the crowd walks out, Lilian pulls her husband to the side and says, “I get a weird feeling about the   ringmaster.”  Jerry replied, “He is nice if you talk to him.” Lilian was about to speak when Rosy interrupted “Can we go get Nana and Papa?” “Great idea Rosy,”  Jerry said. As the family left the carnival grounds, Jerry felt as if someone was watching him and when he turned his head, he saw the ringleader leaning on the entrance gate and staring at him “My, my, my.... leaving so soon?” The ringleader said with a playful voice. “We are going to get my parents because they loved the circus so much,” Jerry replied uneasily now, understanding his wife's concerns. “Oh!” the ringmaster said with surprise, “That is kind, please don’t dilly dally. I don’t want any of you to miss the main show.” Then he turned and walked back into the carnival.  
It took some time for them and when they finally reached Jerry’s parents’ house, they invited them to the circus. Surprisingly, Jerry’s parents responded by telling him that the Eternity Circus was shut down before they were born. Jerry convinced them to go to the fairgrounds to watch the carnival. When the family got there, they found no lights, no music, and no carnival. They only found an abandoned field covered in rundown rides that hadn't been ridden in years. As the five walked to the center of the abandoned carnival grounds the moon seemed to hide. As the clouds move in, Jerry screams it all goes black. Jerry woke up to sirens and found he was lying in the back of an ambulance. The memories of the evening came rushing back. Memories filled with the horrific images of an unknown man and a woman, brutally butchered and dismembered with malicious motives on the carnival grounds flood his mind. As Jerry looks into the tree line, he sees the ringleader watching from afar tip his hat and disappear into the forest 


The author's comments:

A short horror story about a circus that comes around once every generation for one night and leaves behind a horrific suprice.


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