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It was honestly exhausting.
***
I couldn’t sleep.
My brain continued to whir hours after the others settled in, and I tossed and turned, although the tent grew very silent, save for the occasional snores from my fellow performers.
Thoughts of Laurent’s performance drifted back to me. In particular, the strange, glowing mark that had attached itself to the woman’s wrist, only to be swallowed up by a black stain. And then I thought about the strange reaction I’d had to seeing him with her—jealousy. It was all… it was all so odd. Everything about this place was strange—I was seeing things, acting in ways I never ordinarily would have acted…
Then I started thinking about Rex and the argument I’d had with him. How arrogant he was! And how crass, rude, even. Certainly, he wasn’t the friendliest of people, but he seemed to go out of his way to be extra rude to me. Why? What did he have against me, someone he’d never even met?
There was something going on in this place, I was sure of it.
It just seemed like Rex had an axe to grind with me for something I’d apparently done, but for the life of me, I couldn’t imagine what I’d done. Having just met him, there was no history between us. Same as the twins, really. And, yet, they’d acted as if they disliked me as well.
Of course, that was probably a simple case of hazing the new person, so she was well aware she was lowest on the totem pole. Yes, that made sense, I supposed, but Rex…
With a huff, I sat up.
The image of the ebony caravan hit me like a lightning bolt—the Hall of Curiosities, Laurent had called it. His warning not to go inside without an escort echoed in my head, and I briefly figured I should think about something else. And yet… there was something about the place that seemed to be calling me—something mysterious that just begged to be figured out.
My mind made up, I pushed the bed linens off and carefully got out of the cot, my bare feet gently compressing the grassy floor. Something was definitely pulling me towards the off-limit caravan. I could feel it like an invisible cord that someone was yanking on the other end.
My heart raced.
The idea that I could be caught and subsequently, face a lot of trouble concerned me… heck, Laurent might even fire me! But the black caravan continued to call my name with an urgency I couldn’t ignore. With a quick glance around to confirm that all my circus mates were fast asleep, I silently tiptoed toward the entrance of the tent, where the moonlight was already streaming through the opening, as if encouraging me onward.
I sighed with relief when I didn’t wake anyone.
“Bindi?” Halfrieda whispered from behind me.
I nearly jumped out of my skin at the unexpected sound. She’d followed me to the entrance of the sleeping quarters, moving more quietly than I thought her capable.
“Whatcha doin’, love? Lookin’ fer a place ta relieve yerself?”
I considered lying to her. I really did. But something in my new friend’s eyes told me that would be a mistake—that her trust wasn’t something I should take for granted. So, I told her the truth. “I… I couldn’t sleep. I decided to go exploring.”
Halfrieda let out a huge yawn, stretching her arms upward as she cracked her knuckles. “You don’t wanna do that. This place can be right spooky at nighttime—best to stay put.”
I breathed in deeply as I contemplated getting back into my bed. But then an image of the Hall of Curiosities revisited my mind and that same strange pulling feeling accompanied it. “I can’t. I’m wide awake and when I get like that, I can’t even think about sleep.”
Halfrieda chuckled softly. “All right, all right. I ain’t s’posed to do this—you ain’t, either—but I ain’t lettin’ you walk ‘round by yerself, ‘specially at night. There’s no sayin’ what kinda trouble ya might find or might find you.”
Part of me was relieved I wouldn’t be alone to wander in the dark. But Halfrieda’s presence also hindered my purpose. How could I convince her to take me to the black caravan? I knew the building was off-limits, so I was more than sure she also knew it was off limits.
With an exhausted stretch, Halfrieda shuffled her body toward the entrance of the tent, gesturing for me to lead the way. I didn’t wait to be told twice. My nerves gripped me as I parted the curtain and stepped into the cold night.
The moon was thick and bright in the sky—a floodlight that allowed us to find our way. A soft wind wound around the tent and the dark shadows wavered, along with the rustling leaves of nearby trees. I shivered, pulling the collar of my nightgown up a little tighter around my neck.
We took the dirt path, passing the big top, heading toward the main entrance of Cirque du Noir. The empty stalls seemed so lifeless now, so quiet without their sellers and wares. The chirping of crickets and hooting of a lonely owl were the only sounds to prevent the grounds from being deathly silent.
However, we weren’t alone.
Outside the entrance gate, sleeping on the ground, were a sizable group of people.
“Halfrieda, who are—”
My question was interrupted by a wave of her hand. “Just some folks from neighborin’ towns. Like you, they probably wanna see Laurent in the mornin’ fer an audition. We git them in every town we visit.”
