Enter the Circus

A young man with auburn hair and freckles in a green pinstriped suit and a top hat sat on a stool in the center of a vast stage in a rather gaudily decorated theater. He raised his head so he made eye contact with the audience.

"Who is this guy?" a person in the front row asked.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Cirque De Crainte, the fantastic circus of fear. Be careful though. You may shudder in fear or hide under your seats. What did you expect? We’re the circus of fear for god’s sakes. I am Curt Paulson, your host for this evening. I will appear before every act to introduce the performer. We come from a diverse array of backgrounds. And the others are just dying to meet you. Let the curtain rise and the show begin! Heh heh heh!" He disappeared offstage.

Several of the audience members gasped. Others remarked on how crazy the ringmaster was. Still a few wondered why they bought tickets to this crazy show.

Curt strode behind the stage. A young woman with black hair in a bun in a swimsuit stood behind the curtain. "You're up, Amber. Knock them dead!"

"Oh, I will!" She said. The crimson curtain rose and Amber walked onto the stage.

"Hey, Curt!" A tough young man in a black leather jacket said as Curt passed by. "You're awesome!"

Curt smiled. "You too, Ulrich. Are the animals okay?"

Ulrich scratched his head. "They're okay, but Billy hasn't even stepped near the cages. You know what happened."

"I do," Curt sighed. "They took his arm off. Did you ask Frank how he's doing?"

"Frank's in the back, still trying to console Billy," Ulrich replied. "I wonder if he's gonna sit out this performance."

"I hope not," Curt said. "His necromancy performance is one of the scariest."

Ulrich shrugged his shoulders. "Let's go ask him."