Work Text:
Statement Begins.
It started off as a normal day. Just waking up, getting ready, driving to work, spending 7 hours at a mindless desk job, getting maybe a five minute break in-between to eat something, then finally when the realization comes that it's already 4pm, you can be grateful and finally go home. Then driving home and having this little thought in the back of your mind that something is a bit wrong but you can't exactly pinpoint what.
Then the realization comes that the circus is back in town.
It rarely comes here but this is the second time I've seen it here. I don't like it. I've never liked it. I didn't go to see it but the people I know that did go, either stopped texting me or calling me, or they returned back really weird. I didn't want to go at all, but I had to babysit my sister's kiddos and I had no idea how to entertain the little ones and it seemed all they wanted was to go to the circus. And so, I thought, how bad could it possibly be? So I took them. It was a foggy evening, but I drove slowly and we got there eventually. Thankfully, the tickets were free for the children so I had to only buy one adult one which didn't cost that much, so I was already thinking this wasn't so bad. The children get entertainment and I get to do nothing, just lay back and relax the whole time.
As we came into the circus, though, I knew in the back of my head that this wasn't the best idea. It was a completely normal circus, but deep inside me something told me that this was not any normal circus. But, of course, I ignored that feeling and carried on. I just assumed it was my childhood fear of clowns creeping back in. So I sat the kids down and decided to go look around a bit, because it wasn't like I had anything better to do, really. So I left the main tent where the show was supposed to be and decided to head over to the snack booth. I got myself some cotton candy, and was about to return when something caught my eye. It was a smaller tent, right beside the big one, it was clearly not meant for the guests to go in but something drew me to it. It was almost like an invisible force was moving my legs, but it wasn't like I was fighting against it, either. I was curious. But as people always say, curiosity killed the cat.
I came to the small tent, my hands moving on their own as I parted the curtains to the tent, and stepped inside. What I saw made me want to run but my legs didn't seem to want to listen to me.
It seemed much, much bigger on the inside than it did on the outside, even bigger than the main tent, but that wasn't one of my main concerns. There were puppets. Mannequins. Stuffed Dolls. They all were moving. Dancing. I tried to yell or cry for help but I seemed to be crying to the abyss, all I heard was my voice, echoing back at me, like a wave. A wave of music, that came out of nowhere but everywhere. I don't even get to do anything as I'm surrounded by puppets,mannequins and stuffed dolls, singing that awful, awful tune. Until I realise I'm singing it too. It's like the words are coming out of my mouth all on their own. And the music..the music doesn't stop..it just goes on. Until I'm dancing. Dancing forever, in a mindless whir of colors, and sounds, my body lost in the abyss of the circus.
It did eventually stop. Although it felt like years until I was finally found and taken out of there. I never told anyone. They'd all think I'm crazy. Maybe I am crazy. I ought to be. But if anyone can understand, I thought it'd be you and your institute.
Statement ends.