There’s One Born Every Minute

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by James Rumpel

 

The ringmaster approached two boys who stood near the “EGRESS” sign.

“You’re not fooling us,” said one of the teenagers. “Egress means exit.”

The ringmaster laughed, “You’re smart. However, at this circus, the egress is much more than a way out.” He brandished a pair of tickets. “Take these. If you find yourself outside, you can return.”

The boys grabbed the passes and entered the passageway.

Later, the ringmaster watched a grotesque monster devour the last remnants of its meal. He picked two blood-stained tickets off the ground. “Did you enjoy your lunch, Egress? I’ll send dinner after tonight’s show.”

James Rumpel

James Rumpel is a retired math teacher who enjoys spending some of his free time trying to turn some of the odd ideas in brain into stories. 

 

A Circus Act to Remember

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by C. L. Sidell

 

The house erupts in applause as a top-hatted performer steps into the arena, handling three hoops of fire.

On the sidelines: a monkey escapes its cage, pilfers blades from the knife-thrower’s stash, surreptitiously drops them into the cannon.

In the spotlight: the golden-maned cat growls and pounces; the startled entertainer drops his flaming rings.

From the shadows: the oldest elephant charges forward, trunk collecting and flinging each fiery hoop with practiced precision, igniting the cannon’s wick.

An explosion of blades pierces human flesh.

Among the chorus of screams: screeching, trumpeting, and roaring of long-suffering animals now free of their tormentors.

C. L. Sidell

A native Floridian, C. L. Sidell grew up playing with toads in the rain and indulging in horror stories. She holds a master of arts in both English and library & information science, moderates two creative writing groups, and reviews books for the Florida Library Youth Program. Her work has appeared (or is forthcoming) in 34 Orchard, 805 Lit, Dark Moments, The Dread Machine, Frozen Wavelets, opia, Quarantine Quanta, Spark: A Creative Anthology, and others.
Twitter & Facebook: @sidellwrites

 

Work the Crowd

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by Evan Baughfman

 

Applauding trapeze artists’ aerial excellence, Caitlyn declared, “Way better than some mangy flea circus!”

I agreed. “So fun!”

We must’ve misread the advertisements. The show was impressive, a dazzling evening inside a towering tent, complete with clowns, acrobats, and lion tamers.

A hundred spectators cheered as nimble performers gathered centre stage, taking their bows.

The ringleader thanked everyone for attending, adding, “Concessions are closed. Now, time for us to eat.”

Troupe members shed their skins—disguises—revealing insectoid mandibles, three pairs of powerful limbs.

Massive, agile bloodsuckers leapt into the stands, surrounding prey.

We screamed. Stumbled. Found nowhere to flee.

Evan Baughfman

Evan Baughfman is a middle school teacher and author. Much of his writing success has been as a playwright. A number of his scripts can be found at online resources, Drama Notebook and New Play Exchange. Evan also writes horror fiction and screenplays.