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“What I’m about to do is very dangerous,” he declares. “Sword swallowing is not for the faint of heart.”
I lean forward as he pulls a sword from the display. Surely it can’t be sharp, not if he’s going to swallow it. Of course, as if everyone has the same thought, Club grins. “You all think this sword is fake, do you not?” There are some affirmations from the crowd, a few jests and jeers. “Shall I prove its sharpness?”
Someone rolls a table out laden with small fruits and vegetables—apples, oranges, and even cabbage. He picks up an apple and tosses it in the air. He moves so quickly, I barely notice him doing so, but I do see the two halves of the apple clatter to the tabletop just as everyone else does. I gasp right along with them. He does the same with an orange and finally with the cabbage, proving without a doubt that the sword is not only real but incredibly sharp.
“One wrong move and I could shred my insides,” he says, turning back to the crowd. “I can’t make any mistakes.”
His eyes meet mine in the crowd as he lifts the sword to his lips and licks the edge of it. His gaze doesn’t move from mine as he does so, and my heart clenches. It shouldn’t be as sexy as it is, but I can’t help the excitement that floods my veins as he gets to the tip and positions the sword above him. He tips his head back, exposing the full column of his throat. The music rises before he slowly slides the sword into his mouth and down. The crowd gasps and oohs and aahs as it sinks to the hilt, and then he bends awkwardly forward into a bow, his eyes meeting mine again with the sword sticking from his mouth. When he straightens and carefully pulls it from his throat, the crowd erupts with cheers before the lights go black.
“Our sword master, ladies and gentlemen. Don’t let his pretty exterior fool you, he’ll cut you if you let him.” A chuckle fills the air along with Diamond’s voice as he carries on. “Some might call beasts and monsters the same thing, but they would be very, very wrong.”
The lights come on once more, and a tiger sits in the center of the arena, free of chains or cage. Panic erupts around me as people scramble back. The tiger just watches us all curiously. Spade suddenly appears from the darkness, dressed in fitted pants and nothing else. Even his feet are bare.
“This is Freedom,” he says as he lays a hand on her head. “She doesn’t like cages, so pardon me if we perform this act without one.” The crowd settles, but many still push backwards in an attempt to put distance between them. “Tigers are a beautiful species. They are capable of great harm, but in the end, they want what we all want.” He lets his words hang for a moment before he nods. “To be free.”
The tiger stands and circles Spade, her eyes on him as he moves his arms.
“The trick to beasts is you must respect them,” Spade says as Freedom comes up and nudges her head against his hip. “If you don’t respect them, they won’t respect you.” Freedom stands on her hind legs, putting her paws on Spade’s shoulders. His muscles bunch under her weight, and the crowd claps. “Can you believe these beautiful creatures are headed for extinction because of humans?” he asks, his eyes hardening beneath the light. “Tell me, who is the monster? The creature trying to survive or the human who kills the creature for sport?”
Freedom leaps from his shoulders and sprints toward the crowd on the other side. She stops just before them as they scramble backward and roars so loudly that most of the crowd covers their ears. Spade points in the other direction, right at me. He looks down his arm at me, meeting my eyes, wearing a smile on his face. Freedom sprints toward me, the crowd around me scrambling back, but I don’t move. I meet the tiger’s eyes as she comes to a stop right before me and roars. I don’t know if this is a test or not, but I take it as one. Freedom chuffs in my face, and instinct has me raising my hand.
Someone behind me screams, “No!”
Another panics and tells his wife they are leaving, but I pay them no mind. I slowly raise my hand and place it against Freedom’s head despite the baring of her teeth. The moment my hand touches her fur, she pushes her head against me like a cat and chuffs again.
“Respect,” Spade says as he comes to stand beside Freedom. “It’s the most important thing in the jungle.” He lays his hand against Freedom’s back, and she turns away from me to follow Spade. “But tigers aren’t the only beasts here, just as I’m not the only monster.” More lights come on, and all kinds of animals appear from the edges—dogs, horses, a goat, a macaw in vibrant colors, and lots of small animals. An elephant strides through the tent flaps, its large feet moving carefully around the smaller animals. A camel trots in last, its annoyed expression telling me he doesn’t want to be here. I watch a show of amazing, impossible tricks that I never could have imagined animals were capable of. One dog walks on a tightrope, perfectly balanced, and the elephant stands on its hind legs with Spade perched on its front leg. The macaw performs aerial tricks and even flies through a flaming hoop. By the end of the act, I’m clapping and shouting in excitement with everyone else.
“Remember, always respect animals,” Spade says into the microphone, but his expression turns dark, “or they’ll eat you the first chance they get.”
Spade bows and runs out of the arena, all the animals following after him, his threat lingering in the air. It feels intentional, and somehow, I almost believe the animals know exactly what he’s saying as they make their final rounds and exit through the same tent flap Spade did.
Diamond appears again, his top hat a little crooked.
“Have you seen any monsters yet?” The crowd erupts with their answer. “Yes? Well, you haven’t even seen the worst of us,” he muses before slowly looking up.
A spotlight appears, showcasing Heart in all his glory above us. He wears tight pants again and nothing else as he balances on a thin ladder. I’d always been enamored with the trapeze artists as a child. As an adult, I can’t help but get to my feet with the rest of the crowd.
“We don’t believe in cages here at Cirque Obscurum, and we also don’t believe in nets,” Diamond says, his eyes on Heart. “What’s more exciting than the risk of falling?”
My heart drops as Heart launches himself from the small platform and swings from one side to the other. When he releases it and twists in the air before grabbing another bar, I scream with everyone else. He moves beautifully, like a butterfly, gliding easily from bar to bar until more trapeze artists join him, and they put on a real show. I watch him, captivated, as he performs. At some point, his fingers miss one of the bars, and I scream with everyone else as he falls before catching himself on another post. He turns and grins at the crowd, laughing as if he weren’t close to dying. I realize it’s all part of the act when the other performers continue as usual. Heart catches my eye and winks at me as he climbs higher again, continuing his act.
The show is a beautiful, thrilling display of circus performances. Every single audience member is entertained throughout the evening. When it all comes to an end, I sigh sadly like everyone else. I could watch the performance over and over again and be just as amazed every time.
Diamond comes out one final time, and all the performers stand by his side. Spade has the macaw on his shoulder, the bird sitting peacefully despite the roar of the crowd. Heart is happily wiping sweat from his chest, a grin on his face as he waves to the crowd. Club stands stoically, his hands folded primly behind his back.
“That’s the end for now,” Diamond announces. “Cirque Obscurum thanks you for your attendance. When you start to miss us and the thrill of the cirque, remember, your nightmares are sacred, and you’ll find us waiting in them.” Diamond throws his arms wide to the roar of the crowd, and the lights go out. When lights turn on for the crowd to exit, they are gone, leaving behind nothing but the mystery.
I remain in my seat, watching as the crowd disappears through the tent flaps. Once everyone is gone, they come back out.
Heart grins. “What did you think, Queen?”
“Magnificent. Beautiful,” I gush, grinning. “Just as magical as when I was a little girl. You had me going there for a minute.”
He winks. “All part of the act. However, you petting Freedom wasn’t. Such a brave little queen.”
Spade stares at me. “That was awfully dangerous of you. She could have taken your hand.”
“I’ve spent a good portion of my life being afraid and careful,” I say as I meet his eyes. “I think it’s time I start to live a little. Don’t you?”
