(narrating) She took my hand and led me through the busy street of our town, people glaring us down as we ran, some with judgment, but some with the yearning of that young innocence only children obtain. A young innocence I no longer possessed after this day.

(narrating) On the crooked stage, the 5 figures walked, dressed in black, their face cloaked with an expressionless mask. By all means, they weren’t scary, but something about the way they just stood there, swaying, waiting, like an encore waiting to be sung, made me want to run away. (beat) I should have. But I didn’t.

(narrating) The strange thing that comforted me was that I am not alone in my misery. Not alone with that burden. somewhere in the world, there’s a circus with a strange and terrible secret, passing it along. And in some ironic, twisted turn of phrase, I am now, just like them.