Circus of the Dead: Book 1

by Kimberly Loth

  “I know. But it looks so real. You really think I believe that there’s a tiger here that won’t hurt anything?”

  “She just pretends to rip people limb from limb.” He chuckles, but I’m not sure I believe him.

  He continues to pull me along, and I stare at my feet, Luke be damned. I cannot stomach other fake-deaths-but-look-so-real-that-I-might-vomit. My toes, normally coated in sand, are now covered in dirt. The red from the pedicure Maddie gave me the other day is barely visible.

  Something skitters next to me, and I jump. Benny pulls me to the side, but not soon enough. Next to me is a man over six feet tall. His chest is ripped and his face devastatingly handsome, but his body is that of an insect. Eight legs extend from his body and skitter on the ground. People give him a wide birth. He turns to the side, and a large tail rises up, curling into his body, a foot-long stinger at the end.

  Oh, hell no.

  I tug on Benny’s hand to go down an alley with only a few people.

  “What was that?” I asked.

  He gives me a crooked grin. “That was Simon. Great costume, eh?”

  “Costume. Yeah, right. It looked so real.” I feel too exposed here, but at least I’m not about to get impaled by a human scorpion. I stay alert now, watching for anyone who looks remotely like Luke.

  “That’s why the circus makes a racket.”

  We stroll past a tent labeled “Fortune Teller,” and I snort. My mother would be all over that. Her psychic comes over to the house at least twice a month. The incense she burns lingers in the house for days afterwards.

  I catch a glimpse of a dirty wife-beater, and I don’t hesitate.

  “I’ve never had my cards read!” I pull Benny into the tent and let out a breath of relief. I don’t think Luke saw me.

  Benny stumbles behind me. “I thought we were going to see Fiona.”

  “Oh, come on. I want to get my fortune read.” Plus, I really don’t want to see Fiona pretend to rip someone limb from limb.

  Benny rubs the back of his neck. “You know, it’ll be gruesome, right? That’s what she does.”

  “I’ll be fine.” A gory tale from the fortune teller won’t be anything like seeing those live acts.

  The tent smells like sage and essential oils. It is decorated in pinks and purples with an impossible chandelier hanging in the middle. It’s a tent for crying out loud.

  A woman wearing a flowy white gown enters from the back. She looks to be about thirty with slick black hair tied into a bun. She doesn’t look as if she belongs in this demented circus.

  Her eyes move past me to Benny.

  “I see you’ve brought me a victim.” Her voice is low and gravelly. I swallow. Maybe this is scary after all.

  “I’ve done no such thing. The doll insisted.”

  The woman glides over to me. “Did she now?” She holds out her hand. “I’m Lorena. And you are?”

  I shake her hand, but I’m afraid she’s going to eat me. “Callie.”

  “Callie. Is that your full name or just a nickname?”

  “Nickname. My real name is Calliope.”

  “Interesting name. Like the instrument.”

  I’m impressed she knows the reference. Most people don’t. They are huge piano like instruments that sat on the top of riverboats in the old days. My mother loves them. “Come sit and let me tell you how long you have to live.”

  I roll my eyes. Sure. Whatever.

  I sit on a damp pouf next to a small table. Benny settles on the floor next to me, and Lorena sits across from me with a flourish.

  “Hand, please.” She holds out her own. It doesn’t match her voice, which sounds like it belongs to a sixty-year-old woman. Her skin is smooth and wrinkle free.

  “Actually, I was hoping for a tarot card reading.” The longer I hide out in here, the closer I am to getting back on a ferry without running into Luke.

  She raises her eyebrows. “Are you sure? Those can be quite a bit scarier.”

  “I’m sure. I just saw a woman attacked by a cobra and a man turned scorpion. I can handle a scary fortune.”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure, dearie. But if you insist.” There’s an edge to her voice like she doesn’t really want to do the reading, but maybe that’s just her way to add creepiness.

  She pulls out a deck of cards from underneath the table. “You must be absolutely certain. There is no going back once the fortune is read.”

  I wave my hands. “Just get on with it.”

  “No. You must commit,” she growls.

  “Fine. I’m certain I would like to have my fortune read.”

  She meets Benny’s eyes. “Very well. Let’s do a one-card draw to determine your immediate fate. After that, we’ll do a full spread.” She shuffles the cards, and they are so worn that they barely make a whisper. She lays the cards out on the table. They are black with strange writing, and I feel like I’m in an episode of Supernatural. I could handle being rescued by the Winchesters.

  “Choose any card,” she says.

  The cards’ strange energy pulls me in. Mom always talked about the way the cards spoke to her. Which I always thought was nuts. My hand hovers over a card near the far right. I slide the card out about halfway and then change my mind. Instead, I go the far left and take the card on the very top. I hand it to Lorena.

  She stares gravely at the card. “Are you certain? Perhaps that card calls to you even more.” She points to the half-slid-out card.

  “I’m sure.”

  “Very well.” She flips the card over, and a grin forms over her lips.

  “What?” I ask.

  She lays the card slowly in front of me. “Lovers.”

  I let out a breath of relief. “I thought for sure I’d get the death card.” Not that it would mean anything, but everything feels so real here.

  I steal a quick glance at Benny. He raises his eyebrows at me. Was this some sneaky way of trying to get me to hook up with Benny? If he thinks that, he’s got another thing coming.

  “Lovers is not the best card to get. You are now bound by this fortune, whether you want it or not. Forced love is not something everyone wants, but that is neither here nor there. That card was not meant to be your fortune, and now you have forced it to be so. That never ends well.”

  Right. Because that wasn’t scary enough. Ten bucks she tells me I should’ve chosen the death card. “Why was that not supposed to be my fortune?”

  “Because that was not your first instinct.” She waves the card that is half out. “Go ahead, let’s see what you get.” Death card. Bet.

  “Sure.” I draw it out and flip it over.

  She gasps. “The eight of swords.”

  “Not death. How disappointing.” I chuckle a little. Mom’s fortune teller is always having to explain away fortunes that don’t come to pass. I have no idea why she keeps paying her.

  Lorena sits up straighter, her lips pursed. “You mock my art. Do you not understand the eight of swords?” Her eyebrows crease together, and she frowns.

  “I don’t really care. It’s not death.” I look at Benny and give him a grin, but he frowns as his dark hair falls into his eyes.

  “It’s worse than death, dear. Each of these cards is tied directly to the circus. Your love will be found here; the lovers card ensured that. The eight of swords…that means you are trapped. You can never leave this island.” She frowns and creases her eyebrows.

  I can’t help myself. I laugh out loud, but it comes out fake. “Yeah, right.”

  I look up at Benny, but he looks just as worried as Lorena does. The tent suddenly feels stuffy and tiny as if the flowing fabric is reaching down to strangle me. I grip the edge of my pouf, feeling the silky material slick in my hands.

  “Why would the eight of swords mean I’m trapped?”

  “You see the woman there. She’s trapped by the swords. She cannot escape. You may try, but you will never get off this island. I suggest you make yourself at home.”

  No. That’s i
mpossible. Mom and Dad said just for the summer, which seemed like an eternity at the time. But really, I can leave anytime I want, and they won’t send me back here. I’m leaving tonight.

  “It’s just a stupid fake fortune.” Suddenly, I can’t get out of there fast enough. Something about this feels too real.

  I stand and rush from the tent.

  Chapter Four

  Benny chases after me and catches my hand. My mouth goes dry, and I can’t figure out my own emotions. Benny stares at our hands for a moment then drops his to his side.

  “Let’s go see the big cats. Come on.” He takes off, and birds flutter after him. I follow him because I don’t know what else to do, and I nearly run into a kid wearing jeans that look like they are going to fall off at any moment. I step around the kid and catch up to Benny.

  “You don’t seem worried about my fortune anymore.” Maybe I misinterpreted his look in the tent. I take large strides, all while trying to keep an eye out for Luke. So far, it doesn’t look like he’s around. The caliber of people has changed, though. Instead of silly college kids and teens, now it’s mostly adults who look like they belong in prison.

  “As you said. This is the Circus of the Dead, so of course, you drew a horrible card.” Benny walks quickly, and I’m having trouble keeping up with him.

  “But the other card was the lovers card.”

  “Illusion. You played right into what she wanted.” He gives me a quick grin and grabs my hand. “Let’s go. I can’t wait to show you Fiona.” The excitement on his face is almost enough to make me want to meet this tiger. Almost.

  There was nothing to that fortune. It was just Lorena trying to scare me. But everything here is trying to scare me.

  The sky has grown even darker from the clouds that rolled in, and there isn’t a star to be seen. Fewer people mill about, and they speak in soft voices. Gone are the screams of earlier. The air smells funny. It’s wet but with no salt. I miss the light and fun feel of the beach. This feels heavy and oppressive.

  “It seems much later than it was before, but we couldn’t have been in there that long.”

  “Time passes strangely at the circus. It’s almost dawn.” His face is determined, and I wonder what he means because it was just midnight.

  “But it’s only been a couple hours since the sun set.”

  He stops and looks me right in the eye. “Are you sure?”

  I falter. No, I’m not, but it doesn’t feel that long. “I don’t have my phone, so I have no idea.”

  He pauses for a half second and touches my cheek. “Trust me. The sun is coming. Come, doll, I want to show you the big cats.”

  “Wait. If it’s nearly dawn, then we should go to the ferry. I’ve seen plenty of tigers in my day, and I need to get off this island.”

  “You need to meet Fiona. We have about an hour. Plenty of time.”

  I chew on my bottom lip. I want to argue, but Benny is my key to getting off the island. Normally, I would just take off on my own, but I don’t really want to run into another scorpion or snake man by myself.

  The smell of ammonia hits me, and I cover my nose. “Where are we?” I ask.

  He points to an orange rolling cage. Or at least, once upon a time, it’d been orange with green symbols. “The big cats.”

  A large tiger prowls back and forth and growls as we approach. She barely has room to turn around.

  “That’s too small of a cage for her.”

  “I agree, but if you don’t like it, talk to your uncle.” Benny’s not looking at me. He’s looking at Fiona the way my mother looks at our dog.

  “Luke? Why?”

  He draws his attention away from Fiona and back to me. “Because he’s in charge of the big cats.”

  My breath catches in my throat. “We have to get out of here.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Luke’s looking for me, and I don’t want him to find me.”

  The tiger roars, and I jump back. No way am I to be her dinner. I’m sure I taste better than whatever gruel they give her here.

  “Well, if he’s looking to pop you, and he knows you don’t want to be found, he won’t be here.”

  Benny has a point. This is probably the safest place for me until it’s time to go.

  “You want to feed her?”

  “Feed the tiger?”

  Benny raises his eyebrows. “Yeah. I do it all the time.”

  I look over my shoulder. “Sure.” I have only one hour, and this whole nightmare will be over.

  We walk around the side of the cart and into a small building with a kitchen full of freezers and refrigerators. Benny opens a fridge and pulls out a bloody steak and hands it to me. The heavy chunk of meat is cold in my hands.

  I wrinkle my nose at the smell. I’ve never seen a raw steak so close up.

  “What’d you think? You’d be feeding her tacos? She eats steak. You can wash your hands later.”

  I’ll probably have to wash my hands five times to get the stink off.

  I hold it away from my body. Mom is vegan, and the last time I had a steak when we ate out, she glowered at me the whole time. At least that steak was fully cooked.

  “How do I prevent her from biting off my hand?” I can’t wait to tell Maddie I fed a tiger. Something good has to come out of this, right?

  He chuckles, and I notice that he has dimples. “You don’t hand feed a tiger. You just throw it at her.”

  On the end of the cart with the tiger, Benny opens a small door, big enough for me to climb into. “Go ahead. I’m right behind you.” His eyes sparkle with excitement, but there’s something hard behind his expression. One of the birds behind him caws loudly.

  “And she won’t hurt me?”

  “Fiona is as docile as a house cat. She might lick you, but she won’t hurt you. I promise. Especially if I’m in there, too. Seriously, I’m right here.”

  I’ve never been this close to a tiger before, and I can’t wait. I climb up the set of stairs and into the cage. The door behind me slams, and I stumble a little.

  The tiger stands in front of me, breathing heavy, breath putrid.

  And she doesn’t look happy to see me. She growls and snaps her jaw.

  Nothing separates me from the hungry tiger with razor-sharp teeth.

  And Benny shut me in.

  Chapter Five

  I drop the meat and fumble with the handle, but I’m trapped. Hot breath breezes past my ear.

  I can’t believe I was so stupid. I just assumed Benny was telling the truth. Oh, who am I kidding? I didn’t even think that far. I was just excited to feed a tiger. This is what I get for seeking help. I should’ve known better. I’m much better doing things all by myself.

  “Benny!” I scream. “Get me out of here.”

  But Benny is nowhere to be seen. I spin around. Neither is anyone else. I’m alone.

  Benny didn’t want to show me the tigers. He wanted to kill me. I think back to everything he told me. Maybe the deaths all around us are real and he was just pretending they were fake to lull me into a false sense of security.

  This is a twisted sick place, and the first thing I’m going to do once I escape is go straight to the police and have it shut down. But first, I have to get out.

  I turn back and face the tiger. I’ve never been this close to a predator like this. I have no idea how to get out of here. I’m gonna die. Mom, Dad, and Maddie will have no idea what happened to me. What the tiger doesn’t eat of me will get thrown to the gators.

  A small crowd gathers around the cage.

  “Help!” I scream.

  “Yes!” says the tall boy with the too big shirt and the too short pants. “This one’s gonna fight. None of the others fight.”

  I squeeze my eyes shut a moment. Everyone here thinks this is just part of the show. The meat sits at my feet, and I throw it across the cage, hoping to buy some time. I wipe my bloody hand across my shirt. The tiger turns her head and stares at the steak, but she makes no move for it
.

  Dammit.

  A paw knocks me across the head. Stars flash behind my eyes, and I stumble and fall. The crowd outside the cart cheers, and my stomach lurches. The bastard tiger is playing with me. I crawl to the door and fiddle with every knob and latch I can find. Every nerve in my body is on high alert.

  The tiger sniffs my neck, its whiskers tickling my back. My breathing comes fast. Surely, she doesn’t really want to eat me. Tigers eat deer and things. Not humans.

  But no deer or bunnies are in the cage with her. Only me. The tiger snorts and roars, and I feel her breath hot on my back.

  I whimper against the door. This seems like such a horrible way to go.

  “Look at the poor baby crying! Come on, tiger, bite her. Rip her head off,” the kid shouts.

  If I get out of here alive, I’ll personally tear that boy limb from limb. This is some sick circus, and I am going to be eaten alive by an effing tiger. I continue to mess with the door in the hopes that maybe I can make it work.

  My back suddenly burns, and I cry out. It takes me a second to understand. The tiger’s claws are splitting me open. The pain is worse than when I ran into a school of jellyfish. I curl into a ball and wait for the next blow. Hopefully, I’ve protected all my vitals.

  In some ways, I want it to go fast, but at the same time, I’m not ready to go. Maybe she’ll just toss me around a bit and leave me alone long enough for someone to rescue me.

  Another paw comes down on my back, and I scream out again. The crowd outside the cage cheers. I bite my tongue and taste blood.

  Suddenly, the door opens, and I fall out. Strong arms catch me, and the door slams shut.

  I look up into the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.

  Chapter Six

  The man holds me gently. I can’t stop staring at him. He has a strong jaw and golden blonde hair. He smells of sandalwood and sage. I wonder if I’ve died. He looks like an angel, and if this is death, sign me up. Butterflies flutter in my stomach.

  “Are you okay?” he asks, and I shake my head. I may be trapped in the scariest place in the world, but at least it has good eye candy.