The Girl Who Joined the Circus

Cirque du Noir… the circus of the night, where the line between the real and the imagined is a thin one.

It’s 1930, I’m nineteen years old, and I have high hopes of joining the circus with my best friend, Amelia.

But when I find myself alone at the train station with no sign of Amelia, I have no choice but to find my own way to the Cirque du Noir, all the while figuring Amelia must have already arrived.

As I reach the circus grounds, I’m summarily greeted by the alluring owner of the circus and ringmaster, Laurent, who tells me he’s been awaiting my arrival.

And yet there’s still no sign of Amelia…

I soon learn she’s had to rush back home to tend to a family emergency, which means I’m now all alone as I embark on the next chapter of my life.

While Laurent welcomes me to his circus wholeheartedly, something about him feels off—though I can’t put my finger on just what. Perhaps the strange feeling is owing to the fact that I feel like I know him—that I’ve known him my whole life, and yet, I’ve never laid eyes on him before.

Or maybe it’s the circus itself—the more time I spend here, the stranger things get—like seeing people whose faces I can’t make out, or an old gypsy woman I’m reasonably convinced is a ghost, or the caravan parked on the far side of the circus which is off-limits. Yet, I can’t help but feel an unearthly call to the place.

Or maybe all the angst I’m feeling is owing to one man: Rex, the caretaker, and manager of Cirque du Noir.

For as charismatic and charming as Laurent is, Rex is the opposite. Dour, rude, and quick to anger, it’s clear Rex not only doesn’t want me here but also harbors a grudge against me though I don’t know why.

Even though I have the same sense of familiarity with Rex that I do with Laurent, with his surly attitude, Rex makes me nothing but nervous.

And yet I can’t deny that I’m drawn to him—that he makes me feel a passion the likes of which I’ve never experienced before. Strangely, I feel a similar draw to Laurent, and I’m convinced they feel it too.

Between searching for answers to the myriad of questions regarding the Cirque du Noir, Laurent, and Rex, I wonder if perhaps I’ve made a colossal mistake in joining the circus…