A Day's Work {Closed} ((Completed))

((This is a story thread. It might be one post, or multiple. Closed = only myself))

Colors. Faded greens and yellows, pinks and greys. Faces that seemed blurred. A cheering crowd. These all rounded up to be only a fraction of the Dark Woods Circus. Performing on the main circle was a pair of Anusia twins, joined at the stomach. They rolled around on a giant ball and juggled, doing various circus like acts. Echosong watched from her place chained on the wall backstage. If she tilted her head a certain way, she could see through the crack in the curtain. Her mind only processed the twins.

What a sham they were. They could smile however much they could out on stage, but it couldn't erase what happened behind it. They were treated just as badly as Echosong, but they tried to grin and bear it. Smiling didn't make life any easier, so why even try?

The sound of heels clicking on cement drew Echosong out of her thoughts. There he was, the ringmaster. His orange hair spiked out in all different directions, his strangely black eyes fixed on a former star. "Your on, sweetie." Echosong frowned at his comment, but didn't move. Bending down to where Echosong sat, the ringmaster pulled out a key. Still, the siren made no move. "No fight in you today, huh?" The ringmaster's chipper voice gave Echosong a headache. Why fight? What was the point anymore. With a click and a clatter, the metal chain holding Echosong to the wall fell to the ground. She rubbed her neck absently, an empty motion.

The ringmaster fastened a thick ribbon choker in place of the chain so that her scar couldn't be seen. He stood and left as quickly as he had come. Echosong heard him dismissing the twins and announcing Echosong onto the stage. Sighing, the siren stood, legs wobbling slightly, and walked into the lights of the circus floor.

The crowd clapped. Echosong could remember the days when she was the headlining act. Oh, how the crowd would cheer to see her out there. Deep back in her mind, she remembered how it made her feel wanted. Those days were gone now, and she was just another side show freak. The crowd went silent, the lights shut off suddenly, making younger kids yell in surprise. A few "SH!"s could be heard throughout the crowd, but it was otherwise quiet. A blue light flicked on, focusing on the young woman in the center stage. Backstage, someone turned on the music track, and the sound of violins filled the large tent. They played an entrance, and Echosong kept her face turned to the ground. Lifting her head, she began to sing.

"I keep on fighting against God in such a dirty, cruel place.
My left arm has been blown off, and my wings have been torn off.
I keep on fighting against God in such a dirty, cruel place.
My right arm is full of scars, and I've devoted everything...."


Echosong knew that her singing voice had siren like powers. It entranced people in the audience, sending their minds into a blissful stupor. In a way, most of the audience was not unlike the cast of this circus, addicted. One taste of the Syren's voice, and they would long to hear it again. They would come back and waste it on this place to get an hour of time to fade into the freak show.

Echosong repeated the verses again. She was growing weak, her legs wobbling. Her voice didn't waver, didn't stop until the music bid it. The Syren held a note, the violins stopped, and the crowd broke out of their reverie. The crowd clapped, and Echosong bowed, her red hair draping to shield her face. Turning on her heel, she mad her way back to the backstage. Only once she was safely behind the curtain did Echosong collapse, only to be caught by a woman with goat legs. Looking at her fellow singer, Echosong said nothing. The woman with goat legs felt her pain, knew her need to get out of this. She guided Echosong back to where she usually sat and helped her down. Echosong was already fading out of consciousness, and didn't even realize the Ringmaster clapping her chains back onto her again.

All in a day's work, and she would have to do it tomorrow.