Searchterm Entry #5: Evil Wishes
For the fifth entry to our Search Term Challenge we have a curious tale with Greek mythology-inspired nuances. [Update: Slight edit -- the story now contains all four search terms.] For details of the challenge, and to see other entries, click here.
The author of this entry is Kerryn Angell, who blogs over at No Excuses. Just Write..
******
Evil Wishes
The high summer sun beat down on the Bellowing Bastard Brothers Circus. What had been an open dusty field just days before now held an array of coloured tents and mysterious wonders. The big top rose up at one end of the camp, the red and white tent glowing. Visitors made their way idly down rows of sideshows and food stalls that made a maze of the field.
The smell of sugar hung sticky and sweet in the air as candy floss dissolved on children’s tongues and caramel apples crunched between their teeth. Music and laughter and the jingle of bells converged along the stretch of sideshows fables. With elaborate costumes they told the fables of The North Wind & The Sun, The Bear & The Travellers, The Tortoise & The Eagle and a dozen more.
On a stage circled by black and yellow stripes between The Hound & The Fox and The Goat & The Vine Alice stepped forward every half hour as the queen bee from Hymettus on her way to Olympus. Today the elastic on her translucent wings had snapped and was knotted too tightly over her shoulders. Her long black hair fell in curls to hide where the elastic had rubbed holes in her costume and her constant buzzing around the stage concealed the rips and tears she’d been unable to mend.
“I come bearing fresh honey from the combs of Hymettus as a gift for Jupiter,” called Alice. She peered out into the crowd as if to find Jupiter. A pot clearly marked ‘honey’ swung from her wrist.
Robert stomped on stage as Jupiter, his muscular build draped with the robes of a Roman god and a halo of drooping ivy. He took the pot from her and indulged in the imagined honey.
“This is the finest honey I have ever tasted. Surely it is a thing for the gods. I must reward such luxury with a gift of my own,” he announced to the crowd before training his gaze on Alice. “You may ask for anything you like. Anything at all.”
Alice buzzed around the stage, her dress twirling around her and her bare feet dancing across the wooden boards. Slowly she grew still and earnest.
“I would be very grateful if you would give stings to bees so we may kill those who rob us of our honey.” There were some gasps from the crowd and Jupiter grew angry.
“I love mankind and would not see harm come to them.” He paced the stage. “But I gave my word.” He paused and stared at Alice. “So stings you shall have.”
***
Alice left the stage for the final time that day. She packed up the props and set the belted sting in the costume box on top of Jupiter’s robes. She fluttered the wings one last time before scraping one elastic loop down her arm and twisting to try get it over her elbow.
“Let me help.” Brent, the younger of the Brothers, stepped forward and laid the blade of his knife between her skin and the elastic. Alice suppressed a shudder and in another moment the elastic was cut and she was free of the wings.
“Thank you,” she said trying not to be too curt. She reached her arms over her shoulders to untie the ribbon that laced up her dress. Brent’s hands got there first and she could do nothing but let him help. The moment he had loosened the dress enough that she could shake it from her shoulders she stepped away from him.
He stood silently, watching her while she stepped out of the dress and folded it carefully into the box. Left wearing only her white shift she never felt more naked that when Brent watched her. His bulk was threatening enough without the special attention she had been getting of late.
“For you, for the wings.” He held a length of black ribbon out to her. Her stomach sunk and she forced a brief smile.
“Thank you.” She took the ribbon and fetched the wings to take back to her tent to mend. Clutching them to her chest she tried to make the silence as awkward as possible.
“Good day.” Brent nodded to her and strode away. Alice breathed a sigh of relief and ran for the safety of her tent.
She burst through the flaps to find Danielle curled in a ball on her pallet sobbing with her fox costume still on.
“Danielle! What’s happened?” Alice fell to her knees beside her friend and pulled her up into her arms. She took the fox ears off her head and rubbed her back until Danielle was able to speak.
“I’m, I’m pregnant,” Danielle choked out before dissolving into more tears. They both knew as soon as the Brothers got word she’d be left behind when the Circus travelled again. They seen it happen too many times to doubt it.
“Whose is it?” Alice had seen how Bruce delayed Danielle in the evenings and it was those same evenings when Danielle was latest to bed. If it were one of the Brothers she may be able to get rid of it.
“Bruce. It’s Bruce.” Danielle gulped in breath after breath. Alice felt a stab of pain for her friend. The eldest Brother was the worst and yet what could any of them do to stop him?
“Have you told him?” Alice lowered her voice. “Have you asked him for medicine?”
Danielle moaned and lay back down. “Yes and he won’t give it to me. He wants me gone.” Alice felt the familiar loneliness goading her from the shadows. She had only been rid of it for a few precious months since joining the circus. “How can I survive with a baby in this town? They’ll all know. I’ll be shunned and then where would I go?”
***
Alice listened to Danielle cry herself to sleep and fought the memories from her past that could stop her helping her friend. Gathering her courage Alice slipped out of bed and ducked out of the tent tying her new black ribbon into a bow over her shift.
The Circus slept and it was a rare night when only the stars lit the empty paths between tents. Alice padded her way softly to Brent’s tent. Ghostly hands of her stepfather reached out for her and she wondered if she had changed one dirty house for another.
“Brent?” She slipped into his tent with a whisper.
He shifted on his mattress and Alice took a tentative step closer. The shapes of a wardrobe, wash basin and chest gave depth to the shadows in the tent. Which one held the medicine vials?
“Alice?” She took another step towards Brent and another until she stood beside his mattress and he was sitting up with one hand toying with the end of her ribbon. His eyes held hers and with a nod from Alice he pulled the ribbon off and away.
“I’ll give you anything you want.” He placed a warm hand on her ankle.
“What?” She jumped. His hand roamed up her calf and she forced herself to lean into it.
“I’ll give you anything you want,” he said. Alice bit her lip and her heart raced.
“I want one of the vials.” His hand vanished. He stood and moved away from her. She began to shake. It could never have been that easy. She picked the ribbon off the ground. Would it be worse to stay or to go? Would he let her go?
Brent had gone to the wardrobe, not to secure the tent flaps. He turned back to her and held several vials out in his palm. He had never stated his intentions so clearly.
“Give one to me, please.” Her voice was barely above a whisper and she held out her own hand. He came in close and took the ribbon from her.
“I’ll put these here for after.” Brent placed them on the chest next to his mattress and led her to bed.
***
Alice belted on the sting and tugged her queen bee dress to fold over it. In the glaring light of day and the familiar hum of the circus she could almost pretend that nothing had changed. That the last month had been the same as all her previous months at the circus.
She buzzed on stage to see Robert, now dressed as a man and not the god Jupiter, sneak over to a stack of honey comb. She swept across the stage in front of the crowd and waved her sting back and forth.
“Who goes there! This honey is property of the Hymettus bees.” Alice twirled around Robert and began stabbing the air with her sting.
“I only want some honey for my toast and tea,” said Robert. He leapt comically out of the way to applause from the crowd and guffaws of laughter.
“And what am I to feed my children or offer to the gods?” Alice made one final stab and Robert caught the sting under his arm.
She tried to pull away but it stuck and showing panic she unhooked the belt to let Robert hold it to his side. With the sun in her eyes she stumbled forward to the gasp of the crowd and fell to the wooden planks, dead.
Robert pulled the sting from his side and stepped over Alice.
“And so the story of The Bee & Jupiter ends where evil wishes, like fowls, come home to roost.” He bowed and the black and yellow curtains fell across the stage.
Alice waited for Robert to leave before sitting up. She pulled at the ribbon and the bows holding the wings to her back came undone. The joy of the circus was muffled through the curtain and she took herself away from it.
“Alice! Alice!” She turned to see Danielle running towards her for a second before she was enveloped in a hug.
“It worked,” Danielle whispered in her ear. “It worked.” Alice squeezed her back.
“Shouldn’t you be resting?” Alice pulled back and studied her friend. She was pale but the light was back in her eyes. She could only hope Bruce would leave Danielle alone now.
“Alice.” Alice stiffened at Brent’s firm summons. Danielle held questions in her eyes, questions Alice would have to answer later. For now she forced the smile on her face.
“Go and rest. I’ll come see you soon,” said Alice.
Brent’s face was stormy and his broad shoulders were set. He looked as immovable as a brick wall. Alice shook the dust from her skirts and went to him.
***
Three months later at the edge of another dusty field beside a nondescript town Alice watched the Bellowing Bastard Brothers Circus roll off towards the horizon. She had packed up the sideshow tent, mended her dress as best she could and snuck the black ribbon back into Brent’s things. They would discover her absence soon enough but her place was no longer with the circus.
Around her the leaves were beginning to turn, flashes of gold and burgundy reds through the green. Alice placed a hand on the swell of her stomach and turned to her own new beginning.
******
You can learn more about Kerryn and her adventures having fun writing towards publication at www.kerrynangell.com.