The Girl Who Joined the Circus

The only person not lying on the ground and asleep was a young boy who was clutching the iron bars of the gate, pressing his face between them as he stared at us as we walked by. I couldn’t see him that well in the dark, but he looked to be about six or seven years old. Would Laurent even consider accepting someone that young? I felt terribly sad seeing all these people who were, no doubt, down on their luck, sleeping out here on the cold, hard ground. They were covered with nothing more than thin blankets and required their collective body heat to keep warm.

Halfrieda put her arm around my shoulder and turned me away from the gate. “Ya can’t concern yerself with ‘em, love. They come an’ go an’ every town’s the same—they’re always there, just waitin’. Seems like everyone wants ta join the circus.”

I glanced back once more before we left and was relieved to see the little boy settled back on the ground as he pulled a blanket over himself. We walked in silence for another few minutes with only the shuffling of our feet on the dirt path making any sound.

“Where’re we goin’, love?” Halfrieda asked. “Or is it anywhere the night takes us?”

“I, um, I really want to see what’s inside the… the caravan at the back of the circus.”

“Oh, that’s right off-limits, love.”

“Laurent said I needed an escort,” I replied, knowing full-well I was telling a slight fib, a white-lie as it were. “And I figured you could be that escort?”

Halfrieda barked out a sharp laugh. “Trust me, love, ya don’twanna step foot in that place. It’s creepy as a heebie-jeebie, an’ that’s comin’ from a big ol’ gal like me.”

“Come on, Halfrieda, it can’t be that scary.”

“You couldn’t pay me ta put one little toe inside that place. It’s cursed, I’ll tell ya!”

“Then I’ll go inside on my own.”

“Laurent catches ya, he’ll have yer hide, love.”

“Then you can be my lookout.”

“An’ let him have my hide too?”

“He won’t have your hide because you won’t go inside. You just keep a good watch for me outside.” I looked back at her and smiled. “Okay?”

Halfrieda’s brow crinkled as we stared at each other. I needed to get inside that black caravan—I didn’t know why or how, but there was just an assuredness within me that insisted on as much. I pasted a wide-eyed, innocent smile on my face and eventually, Halfrieda let out a defeated sigh. “You can go inside fer one minute, got it?”

I smiled. “I got it.”

“I’ll be countin’, so ya best be sprintin’ through that place fast as you can.”

Relief washed over me. “Deal!”

“An’ ya owe me one.” Halfrieda grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly, turning us back toward the black caravan.