🎪 Part of the Show 🎪

You were the star of the show, you were his star. You called yourself "La fée de l'air" which means the fairy of the air for the simple fact that you had an ethereal aura and it seemed like you were flying when you climbed onto the metal hoop and spun and made arabesques with your hands in the air. Other times you would go ashore and dance in the middle of the circus tent going around and around. Your slender figure and your delicate hands with long, bony fingers hypnotized people, you had great control of your body and you could bend and stretch and jump without getting tired, you were like an angel fallen from heaven. But who was most surprised by you was the circus presenter himself. He had found you some time ago when you were dancing in the streets to earn a little money, and from that day on he was enchanted by your beauty and your talent for moving and he told himself that he had to have you in his circus no matter what.

It was not difficult for him to manipulate and bewitch you to accompany him to his circus, he promised you great rewards and great popularity. All of that pleased you enormously, but even more so did his presence. His mysterious energy that sometimes even alarmed because of how dark it could be, but beyond that in the depths of his beautiful green eyes you saw something else, perhaps kindness or a wandering and wounded soul like a caged bird longing for freedom. Anyway, now you practically lived in the carnival and with him the days were more interesting, and the coming ones too, you were sure. Although… sometimes, you didn't know why, you felt like he was hiding something. And something shady. Sometimes you saw him talking to himself or having sudden mood changes as if two voices lived inside him and his head, far from scaring you, you felt sorry and worried for him, you wanted to help him but you didn't know how.

But although he tried to hide it, sometimes it was very evident, and it was noticeable in his functions. Sometimes he could change the entire planned itinerary and introduce you at the beginning or the end depending on his mood, but that was not all, sometimes his shows were a bit… macabre. From time to time you tried to ignore it or look away but the uncomfortable feeling wouldn't go away. But when that didn't happen he was really charming and charismatic and always came to see you in your dressing room waiting for you to be ready.

*Knock knock*

You were putting on your makeup in front of the light bulb mirror when suddenly a soft knock on your door caught your attention and made you spin around in your seat.

"Yes! come in!"

When the person opened the door you saw the man who had given you the opportunity to fulfill your dreams (and it could be said that you fulfilled his). Mr. Tophat leaned against the door frame crossing one foot in front of the other, he was wearing black and white striped pants and a blood red jacket, he carried his usual cane in one hand and with the other he touched his fingers to his hat greeting you with a nod of the head

"How is my star? Are you ready?"

"I'm almost ready". You said smiling

Mr. Tophat approached from behind with elegant steps and watched you from the mirror as you got ready. When you were ready you asked him what he thought.

"So? What do you think?"

He crouched down a little until his face was level with yours, peeking his face from behind your shoulder, he dedicated himself to contemplating your features and your makeup with a thoughtful gesture. You just watched as his eyes ran over your face and hair through the mirror. When he had finished he said solemnly

"You are beautiful my little fairy but I think you are missing something…"

He put his hand behind his back and pulled out a large, fresh white rose with a soft, sweet aroma.

"…to enhance your beauty"

You were stunned seeing the most beautiful and delicate flower that you had in front of you, the more surprised you were at how he had managed to make a rose appear out of nowhere, but hey, he was also a magician so. Marcus slowly placed the rose in your hair and then smiled at you in the mirror.

"Perfect, now you are ready"

He rubbed both of your shoulders to give you encouragement and courage, even though you didn't need it. You got up in your outfit that consisted of a mother-of-pearl bodysuit with a short white transparent satin skirt, your ballet slippers were also white and your hair was curly and messy. You had glued small pearls on your face and on your eyelids there was light blue glitter. You really looked like a fantasy being. Mr. Tophat stood next to you and you placed your hand on his to which he gave you a good luck kiss, placing his lips lightly on your knuckles.

"Show time"

He came out first to greet the public, he stood in the middle of the track with the spotlight illuminating his tall figure. With a big smile and open arms he started the show. There were clowns, contortionists, jugglers, etc. People seemed to laugh and have fun but Marcus had left you for the big finale because he knew that people would be left with that feeling of having seen the best last.

"And now ladies and gentlemen of the audience, I present to you La fée de l'air!"

People applauded when they saw you appear slowly descending from the ceiling sitting on the hoop. It seemed like time had frozen and people only had eyes for you. The lights above you made your skin and clothes shine and stand out. From below Mr. Tophat looked at you smiling proudly with his eyes shining with admiration. You did dizzying laps that left the audience stunned and you hung from the hoop with your legs bent while you moved your arms. But the best thing was when you went down to land, you danced with all the passion that your body allowed you, you not only danced with your feet but also with your heart. You put body and soul into every step and you silently dedicated them to the man who was always by your side. Your body and face expressed what words never could have done. Suddenly you did a Jeté Entrelacé in a magnificent way and people gasped with excitement. After you finished your dance, people stood up and applauded wildly. You made several bows excitedly and with a huge smile

After finishing greeting the audience and blowing several kisses with your hands, you left the center of the circus and headed towards your dressing room. The show continued without interruptions and when it was over people happily left their seats. Excited and about to cry with happiness, you entered your caravan and began to remove your makeup. You felt so full and satisfied when you were dancing in the air, the applause of the people, the screams of contained emotion, the dreamy eyes of Marcus looking at you from below…ah, there was nothing better than that. You had already gotten rid of your makeup and had taken off your skirt, leaving you in your pearly bodysuit. You took a bristle brush and began to gently comb your curls. That's when you heard another soft knock on your door, but this time they didn't surprise you.

"Please, come in". You said with a velvety voice

The same man who minutes before had visited you with his tall and stoic figure, returned to make his presence before you with the brim of his hat over his eyes, revealing only his Cheshire smile.

"Ah here's my favorite ballerina"

The ringleader approached you again but this time from the front. With his elegant steps and his cane echoing on the wooden floor. Thump thump thump. He crouched down to your height, one hand resting loosely on the tip of the cane. The other hand traveled under your chin and with his index finger he raised it to look at you better. Now his hat didn't cover his eyes and you could see that mischievous glint in them. Green like emeralds, fields or forests that penetrated your soul

"You were brilliant as always, my dear". He purred

Oh God. His words in another's mouth would have sounded empty and broken like a dirty compliment, but on his lips they sounded silky and passionate. Mr. Tophat was not only a great circus performer but also a great lover. You closed your eyes letting his warm breath and his syrupy flirtations collide head-on in your face. When you opened them again he had leaned his face closer to yours until they were only a few centimeters away. The handsome Machiavellian ringleader wasted no time in running his gaze over your eyes and your full lips, almost inadvertently moistening his own.

"I would love to reward you for being such a good girl. Would you like that my faithful assistant?"

His lips barely touched yours and his breath hit your barely open mouth, tickling you. His gesture was even sinful. His hand that was on your chin was placed on the side of your jaw and he stroked it with his gloved thumb. Yes, yes you wanted to.

"Yeah... please..". You meowed softly

Mr. Tophat growled lewdly in response and brought his mouth to yours. His chapped lips swelled yours with wet, desperate kisses. His hunger for you was voracious. With his gloved hands he separated your thighs and placed his knee in the middle of the seat, bringing his body closer and closer to yours. Every gasp and moan that came out of your mouth was silenced. Your hands climbed up his back and tangled tightly in his wavy hair, knocking his hat to the ground. He broke the kiss with his swollen pink lips.

"Y/n, my Y/n I don't know what I would do without you, tell me you love me…please". He said breathlessly

His tone was almost distressed and his eyes were glassy. A mixture of desire and affliction swirled in his dilated pupils like a tidal wave. He looked at you like a puppy desperate for affection and you felt sorry for him. You had been aware of his drastic mood swings before and this seemed like one of them. The one who spoke to you now was not his eccentric character or alter ego that he had created known as Mr. Tophat, no, now the one who addressed you was Marcus Cochran, a scared man and prisoner of a body and a curse of which he never wanted to be a part. , although you didn't know that until later

"I love you with all my heart, thanks to you I'm here today"

You kissed him again and he ran his passionate hands over your hips until they reached the height of your ribs.

"Will you stay with me? Do you promise to never leave me?"

"I-"

Suddenly a knock on the door made you jump and Marcus turned his head towards the sound. When the door began to open he jumped off of you and you got up from your seat quickly. They were both blushing. A muscular man with funny mustaches holding several daggers in his hands clumsily entered.

"Sorry for the interruption, master, but I wanted to ask you some questions about my next act."

The ringleader ran his hand through his hair nervously and angrily, his pleading gestures and benevolent eyes had disappeared giving way to the demonic appearance that he sometimes seemed to have. With a grunt he lifted his hat and placed it on his head.

"What a good time you chose to interrupt, but it's okay, I'll help you with your act". He snorted ironically.

Before closing the door behind him he looked out and smiling enigmatically told you

"Don't worry, this isn't over darling."

The days passed and you continued acting and dancing and after the performances your lover would sneak into your dressing room to reward you. But suddenly, one day, everything went terribly wrong. Marcus had left the carnival on important business that he did not want to reveal, but he had left his cane. You weren't sure if he had forgotten it or just left it there on purpose since it practically didn't come off his cane. That object had always caught your attention, it was so strange and peculiar that it even seemed to have a strong influence on Mr. Tophat, as if the cane were the one controlling the person and not its host. The staff topped with a luminous orb was in Marcus's dressing room. You headed there and when you opened the door you couldn't stop a wave of sensations from pushing you. As if a strange and evil magic pulled you like a taut rope. The staff shone with its own light, a mixture of yellows and oranges and in the center a white light like that of a lighthouse. Your eyes widened and you couldn't help but let your fingers barely caress the surface of the polished orb. When you did, an expansive slingshot like a nuclear explosion ran through your entire body with a painful electric shock and expanded outward and surrounded the entire circus. You almost fainted but managed to stay upright by holding on to the table. Your mind that was previously agonizing in a confusing and blinding fog was now completely clear like a sun peeking its rays through the clouds after a storm. Of course, he had bewitched you, that was the explanation for everything, because you felt so comfortable and you had never complained. You left his dressing room in a hurry and scared, the people also seemed to have woken up from the cruel spell they were under, as if they had woken up from a cloud of intoxicated drowsiness.

People started running away in terror and you did the same. You ran with all your strength towards the outskirts of the carnival of doom. It was night outside and a light drizzle was beginning to wet your nightgown and robe. You were barefoot so your feet were slipping on the stones and filled with mud which made it difficult to escape. The forest was thick and the trees looked like black, skeletal ghosts wanting to scratch you with their branches. Suddenly you thought you heard a deep, shrill voice among the thickets of the trees, but it was so dark that you couldn't see anything. Your heart hammered in your chest as you continued running but the voice continued to echo everywhere, even in your head.

"Why do you run away from me?!". The voice growled

You turned your head in all directions trying to see who was speaking but you already knew whose voice it was. Mr. Tophat appeared and disappeared like a ghost in the forest, stalking you like a wolf. You turned around desperately until you were dizzy trying to guess where he would appear this time, and as if he had emerged from the center of the earth, the ringleader stood right in front of you at a considered distance.

"I thought you would stay with me..." . He threatening little warning lowering the chin

He was getting closer to you and you backed away terrified, in many years of living with him he had never acted so creepy with you, almost as if you were a poor devil to be martyred and stunned.

"What's wrong my sweet Y/n? Are you afraid of me?"

His magpie laughter echoed throughout the forest like a pitiful echo.

"I can smell fear, remember?"

He got even closer and you went back as far as you could until you fell and continued crawling with your hands resting on the ground. The humidity of the mud rose to your nose, the dirt dirty your clothes and stuck to your nails, and the soft but incessant drizzle soaked your hair and face. You looked terrible and your eyebrows curved in an upward arc of fear and anguish. Seeing you like this, something in Marcus seemed to awaken because his gloomy and intimidating face changed to an expression of fear and concern for you. Hesitantly he approached with slower and more uncertain steps as if he were afraid of scaring away a badly injured rabbit. He approached you cautiously and you instinctively moved further away. Now he seemed hurt by this gesture and his face expressed more sadness, a hand gently approached your bare foot and placed itself on your ankle, you waited for a firm grip or for his fingers to dig into your flesh but nothing of the sort happened. Marcus's hand almost seemed to float on your skin as he didn't take his eyes off of you, and you could see that they were wet. You didn't understand what was happening to him and it was making you nervous, you looked at each other in silence trying to discover each other's thoughts. When you couldn't take more than one slap, you took his fingers off your ankle and ran in another direction, away from him. Very far

"No wait Y/n please…!"

Marcus stood up from the ground and watched you leave with a broken heart. He extended his arms in a useless attempt to catch you but you were already far away, as if that simple action of his fingers touching the air had been enough for you to come back. his side floating like a butterfly. His appearance as a child abandoned by his mother changed drastically and his easy features became hard. He clenched his jaw and clenched his fists, roughly removing his hat and throwing it to the floor. In a tantrum he screamed at the top of his lungs.

“Y/N I TOLD YOU TO COME BACK!!!”. He howled

His war cry echoed throughout the forest and scared away some crows that flew out of the branches of the bare and dry trees. You turned your head back to see if he was chasing you but he had disappeared. Through the forest the only thing that remained echoing were your footsteps, but in your mind his words continued to flutter like flies.

“Y/N I TOLD YOU TO COME BACK!!!” “Y/N I TOLD YOU TO COME BACK!!!” “Y/N I TOLD YOU TO COME-!"

The months passed and you returned to your sweet home. It took you a while to recover from the shock you had experienced and understand and process what had really happened. Mr. Tophat's manipulations, lies and false promises had affected you more than you wanted to admit. And it could be said that you were not handling the improvement process very well, since by not dancing in the circuses you had to go back to dancing in the streets and honestly it was not as fun as doing it at the carnival. People hardly looked at you and not everyone left a tip. And your home no longer felt the same as before, even though it was your real home you felt that something was missing, an emptiness oppressed your chest and you didn't know why. One day you picked up the newspaper that was always left at your door and when you read it you almost spit out the coffee you had put in your mouth. The newspaper mentioned a circus called "Carnival of Doom" and showed a photo of its ringleader. Would that man even chase you in the photos? The article told how that strange individual had dared to kidnap children and people by bewitching them and taking them to his circus, but what surprised you the most was that when they were freed the people had erased from their minds all memories of the Carnival of Doom and Mr. Tophat. You folded the diary and left it on the table reflecting. Why were you the only one who remembered everything? It didn't seem to be something Tophat planned. Did that make you someone supernatural too? You shook your head overwhelmed. Suddenly you started thinking about all the things you had experienced with him, the good and the bad. And you realized that that man could not be entirely evil, in life there are not only blacks or whites. No person is completely good and no person is completely bad.

You clung to the hope that the man who begged you to stay with him, who looked at you scared and worried as he caressed your ankle couldn't be the same one who screamed and grumbled when something didn't go according to his plan. The man who feared for his own life was Marcus, you had fallen in love with him, not Mr. Tophat. With all those arguments you decided to put on a coat and face your fears, you would go to where it all started and you would put an end to that torment. This time the sky was clear but there were no moon or stars. You went outside with a flashlight and headed to the place of your memories. The circus now looked more gloomy and depressing than before. The paint looked old and corroded and the tip of the tent was deflated and hanging limply to one side. When you were under the spell you had never realized how horrible that place was, everything seemed abandoned and dark. When you entered the circus tent you saw that it was all dark, with your flashlight you swept the place but suddenly the light began to flicker and went off. Great, you thought.

A laugh that was first soft and then louder alerted all your senses. A light turned on and the ringleader appeared standing to your right with his staff in his hand. Everything was dark so the light that illuminated him seemed even more powerful.

"So we meet again…What do you want from me?"

You were going to answer but the light went out and everything returned to darkness, uselessly searching for his image in the shadows. Another ceiling light turned on this time to your left and a little further away near the stands Tophat appeared again.

"Why don't you run from me uh?"

The man's smile was psychotic and hypnotizing and before you could say a word again the electricity went off again and his laughter echoed throughout the tent. His macabre games were making you nervous, he knew how to create the perfect environment to generate suspense and fear, his favorite emotions. Once again he appeared in front of you sitting with one leg crossed in front of the other and one hand under his chin.

"Why aren't you scared of me?... Or are you?"

"Stop it!". You yelled

His laughter sounded louder and closer as the lights went out again. It seemed like thousands of laughs and not just one. You covered your ears, wanting to wake up from that nightmare but unfortunately, it was real and you were wide awake. Again his voice was heard in the darkness and you got goosebumps when you felt it right behind you.

"But more importantly, what do you know?"

A light turned on behind you and when you turned around you saw his smiling face right above yours. He looked at you as if you were his favorite prey about to be devoured. You stifled a scream of terror. His features were more accentuated and seemed more threatening because the light did not shine fully on him and his hat cast macabre shadows on his skin. His eyes looked sickly and abnormally greener than usual. Being tall, he could lean over you as much as he wanted and that intimidated you. You swallowed and said with a trembling voice.

"I know everything and I remember everything too"

This seemed to disconcert him a little but he kept his expression firm and with a sudden movement he grabbed your wrists and tightened his grip until it made you hurt and scream. With a strong pull he brought you closer to his chest. His eyes never stopped seeing yours

"Oh really? And what will you do about it mon amour?". He said in perfect French accent

You shook and struggled but you couldn't escape him, he had a very good grip on you. You sighed tiredly and rested your head on his chest. He was surprised by this gesture but since he thought it was some kind of deception and trap, he did not loosen his fingers on your wrists. Just talk to yourself from the heart

"Marcus listen to me, I know you're there. Deep down behind all this horrible facade I know that a good man is hiding, the man I fell in love with. Please Marcus, fight, I want you to come out."

Mr. Tophat's eyes widened and he seemed to turn pale. You felt like his grip had loosened a little but not enough to let you go. You looked into his eyes and realized that they were shiny again.

"You do not know what you say…"

"Yes I know. I know you did all this to fulfill your dreams but you messed with the wrong people and now you are paying the price. Don't let others be part of this madness"

The man frowned and his lips began to tremble, it seemed that inside him a fierce battle was being waged over who would take control, Marcus or his alter ego. A light of hope seemed to pass through your eyes as his expressions seemed to soften and he looked at you with another look, one that asked for help and compassion, a look that he wanted to believe you. But that quickly changed when he tightened his grip again and pulled your wrists closer to his chest, also bringing your face just five centimeters from yours.

"And why do you care for me?". His eyes were cold and hard

"Because I know you're suffering and I don't like seeing you like this, you don't deserve anything you're suffering. I know your intentions were good. Please, Marcus, I love you and I want you to be okay. I want this all to end."

Something in him seemed to break because he let go of your wrists and his face expressed fear and concern, his eyebrows curled into a depressed frown and he looked at you as if it were the first time he had seen you. His lips trembled as tears fell from his eyes. His corners turned slightly downward in a pout. That was the real Marcus

"Y/n…I…I'm so sorry.."

With a sob he embraced you, wrapping his arms around your neck and pressed you against him in search of affection and containment. You wrapped your arms under his armpits and caressed his back, whispering tender and comforting words, managing to calm and comfort him.

"I don't know what to do now, without the cane I'm nothing" . His voice was muffled in the crook of your neck

"That's not true, together we can create something new and better. Besides, now I'm by your side, I promise to stay and never leave again."

He pulled away from you and looked at you hopefully. You smiled and then directed his gaze to the cane that was still in his hand. You extended your palm ordering him to give you the object. He seemed to hesitate, avoiding eye contact. A few seconds passed that seemed like forever until he finally handed you his cane with his hand trembling. You took it and after looking at it for a moment you smashed it against the ground, breaking it into pieces, startling Mrcus. At that moment the whole place seemed to calm down and you felt that you could breathe a new atmosphere, one calm and free of danger. You looked at your loved one again and now he smiled at you with relief and all traces of demonic evil dissolved in his gaze. He was a free man

"Thank you, thank you for everything". He said kissing your knuckles and shedding tears of happiness.

"You don't have to thank anything, it was the least I could do for you, and for everyone"

You wiped away his tears with love and tenderly kissed his lips. He delicately surrounds your waist. When you broke the kiss he caressed your cheekbone with his thumb.

"As you say, the show must go on. But this time let's start a better one"

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