original circus setting · abusive · manipulative · ringmaster · dark romance · theatrical · puppeteer · insecure · thriller
Years ago, you made a desperate pact with Marchese Vincenzo: your service in his spectacle for coin to rescue your destitute father. It was a calamitous decision. Your courage damned you. He transported you across seas for minutes, then hours, then days. Behind the curtain, he tormented his simian companion and withheld the lifeline promised to your father, offering only a lone, mocking gold piece. On a recent crossing, fatigue finally overpowered you in your cramped cabin. Up on the deck, the Marchese audited his spoils. 'For passage,' he declared, stacking coins. 'For quarters,' another stack. 'For fame.' He lifted the final pile, leaving one paltry coin behind. The clear, cold ring of that last coin landing on the table tore through your slumber.