Delusions of the Mind

Day 3- A Terrible Practice

After dealing with Ariella and Maverick, I headed off towards the outside tent, where lights were rigged up to illuminate the inside. The target was set up, with one of the knife throwers assistants strapped to the target board. The silver streaks being sent flying, still amazed me, with how accurately they could be thrown, to narrowly miss living targets. Even though I was going to be trying out knife throwing, without a living person strapped to the target board, it still made my stomach twist into knots. The sheer excitement of watching the skill these men had.

“You made it!” Ben called, coming over to greet me, while his peer continued his relentless assault on the target board.

“I told you I would come, if you could ensure, the assistants would be safe.” I replied, the blades from earlier, staring me down. They had undergone, not just a sharpening, but also a detailed polishing, as light reflected off the blades.

“You have nothing to fear.” Ben stated handing me the silver blades.

“Don’t you think I should start with something…. I don’t know a little blunter?” I inquired, curiosity taking over, as I touched the points of both blades against my fingertips.

“A blunt blade could lead to a fatal error. They could bounce off the wooden target and hit someone standing closer than we are.” Ben explained, raising an eyebrow at me, snapping his fingers to gain my attention, “You’re awfully entranced with those blades.”

Looking from the blades to the target, “There’s just something about them is all. I can’t explain it, I feel drawn to them in some way.” I reply, my voice coming out rougher than normal.

The nagging feeling within my heart, causing my heartrate to spike. Why was I so drawn to the blades currently sitting in my hand? There was nothing special about them, except that glint, they gave off under the light. Almost as if they were taunting me. Shaking off the feeling of dread starting to cloud my judgement.

Stepping forward to take my turn. This was the first time, I was going to throw anything in the air willingly, aside from my pins. Surely this couldn’t be much different. Feeling the light weight of the dagger as I tilt the blade back and forth on my index finger.

“Is there a specific way to do this?” I ask over my shoulder. Trying to line up with the giant red circles hypnotizing me.

“No trick, it’s like throwing anything else. The flick of the wrist is what counts.” Ben replied.

“Are you sure? You guys make this look so easy.” I snicker.

“I’m sure.” Ben said, as he laughed at my lack of confidence.

Shrugging my shoulders, following Ben’s advice. Clearing my head, allowing the weight of the dagger to tilt forward in my hand, as I raised my arm above my head. Flicking my wrist, turning loose of the dagger, opening my eyes upon its release. The silver dagger gliding through the air at the stationary target board. The silence behind me almost deafening. No one was saying a word, as we all watched. Waiting to see where the point of the dagger was going to bury itself.

THUMP! It landed directly in the middle of the inner red circle. I did it! On my first try I had successfully buried the tip of a dagger in a bullseye!

“BULLSEYE!” shouted Ben, who was now jumping on my back, despite my left hand still holding a blade.

“I… I-I actually hit the target?” I asked incredulously, the feeling of doubt being erased as I stared at the protruding dagger handle.

“Yes!” Came Ben’s excited voice, “Are you sure you have never thrown a knife at all, before tonight?”

“I’m sure, maybe it was just beginners’ luck?” I ask, turning to face the small huddle of guys behind me.

“Beginners’ luck? I doubt that you threw with a skill that takes years for us to master!” Exclaimed the one of the other guys, as he stepped through the group, making his way to the target board.

I had no idea, what he was talking about, I had no skill for this art, I simply closed my eyes and threw the knife. It had to be beginners’ luck, nothing else explained it. Handing Ben, the blade, I still held in my left hand, turning to leave the tent, only to hear an earth-shattering scream come from the other direction. What could possibly possess someone to scream that loud over nothing. Rushing to the far side of the tent, behind the target board, with Ben and his troop of performers, meeting the grotesque sight before us.

Who could have done something like this? We had all been standing here just moments before talking and having a nice evening. Now we faced a performers death. The haunting whites of their eyes staring back at us, their mouth gaping open in a horrified expression. Whoever had done this had a personal vendetta against the person. There was no reason for someone to be stabbed as many times as they had been.

The sickening peel of shoes as they treaded through the blood, was enough to turn your stomach. It was the sound your shoe would make if it had been stuck to the floor by syrup, or sugary substance. We would need to report this to Ariella, in which, she would obviously try to frame one of the people she hated most, me. I was not looking forward to this conversation.

“Someone needs to get Ringmaster Ariella. She needs to be informed of a performer’s death, even if we have no clue who could have committed the crime as of right now.” I spoke, my voice almost a whisper. This performer may have been an assistant, but until we found out who’s assistant it was, we would all need to be careful, Including the ringmasters.

“I’m coming for you! There’s nowhere to hide, where I won’t find you!” Came the voice I had been hearing for the past two days. If I could find out, who it belonged to, we may escape this hellish nightmare, that was just beginning.

“Ali!” Came a small feminine voice from behind us, I knew the voice well. I had replayed it in my mind several times before tonight. Emilia knew the performer lying in front of us dead. Spinning around on my heels, catching her small frame. “We’ll find out what happened, I promise!” I whispered against her hair, allowing her to sob into my shoulder. Averting her gaze from the body in front of us starting to molt, the strange purple lines, would soon litter the pale body.

Practice had not gone according to plan last night, the shock of Ali’s death rippling through our ranks. Ringmasters now frightened for their safety, while clowns were throwing pies, trying to cheer everyone up. There was no way, we could cheer everyone up on a morning like this, the cool bite of a summer morning breeze, matched the feelings we all were experiencing.

“Who could have done this?” Came Ariella’s voice. Cold and unforgiving, on a hunt for her prey.

“There was only the group of us throwing knives last night, none of us missed the target though!” I heard Ben speak up, hiding the fact that I was one of them throwing knives. He was trying his best to protect me, after Maverick’s relentless accusation’s yesterday.

“Who all was in the group?!” Inquired Ariella.

“Only our knife throwers! Keylan, Machia, and myself. The only other people were our assistants! The female assistant’s never handle the knives you know this!” Ben replied.

“No one else was around?” Ariella questioned again.

“No one. Just us.” Ben replied, looking around at the crowd. The only ones who knew Ben was lying, weren’t speaking up out of respect for Ben.

“Are you completely sure?” Ariella insisted.

“If you’re accusing someone, why not go on and accuse me Ariella. You have been looking for a way to get me removed from the Circus since I joined and rejected your advances!” I spoke quietly, now everyone knew what had happened between Ariella, and myself. Something I had never let on about, no matter what she tried throwing at me.

“You seem to always be around when tragedy strikes.” Ariella remarked.

“I can assure you; it wasn’t me. I have no reason to harm anyone here.” I replied, turning to walk away, leaving the bitter b***h reveling in her own sorrows.