Read Circus Summer (Circus of Curiosities Book 1) for Free Online Page B

towards the highest point of the roof. A point that the woman has reached by now, climbing quicker than I could have believed so that she hangs by her hands from the very center of the tent’s roof.
                She drops, and everyone gasps at once. She turns a perfect somersault in the air, then lands precisely on top of the human pyramid. We all cheer and clap, because it seems so impossible that someone could do something like that.
                After the clowns, there are fire eaters. They’re as acrobatic as the clowns were, jumping and rolling, all the time whirling flaming sticks. Every so often, one puts the stick to their mouth, blowing out a gout of flame into the air. Often it’s into the spot that one of the other fire eaters has just left with a spin and a jump. It’s almost like they’re dancing with the flames, and when they’re done, they swallow the fire, literally putting the flaming torches in their mouths to douse them.
                A dark haired young woman comes out next. She can’t be more than a year or two older than me, and she moves lithely, wearing all black and carrying a long whip, which she cracks above her head. Something shuffles out into the circus tent after her.
                It’s one of the creatures that has mutated out in the wilds. My teachers say that there are things out there that have never lived before, twisted and changed by the fallout from the coming of the Invaders and the ongoing war. I’ve always known it in theory, but this is the first changed creature I’ve seen. It’s grey and slow moving, the size of a small elephant but more like a sloth in appearance, with dull fur and long limbs ending in wicked looking claws. It looks like it could rip the young woman to pieces if it wanted.
                Yet it doesn’t. She cracks the whip again, and it starts to dance, rearing up on its hind legs and shuffling as music plays through the tent. She has it balance on balls and turn in graceful circles, keeping control of it the whole time. When they’re done, she even has the creature take a kind of bow, before making it shuffle back out of the ring.
                A familiar voice booms out then, as the man from beside the truck steps into the ring, walking like he owns it. He has a top hat in one hand and a cane in the other, both of which seem strange against his patchwork clothing. I can’t take my eyes off him.
                “Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! I am Dr. Dex. I hope you have enjoyed my Circus of Curiosities so far!”
                That gets a roar of approval from everyone around me. I join in. It has been spectacular so far.
                “Well,” Dr. Dex says with a wide smile, “I’m glad you liked it, but it will get better still. Because some of you have agreed to join us.”
                I feel Thomas’ hand fold over mine in that moment. Firmly. Protectively. In what seems like the same instant, Dr. Dex’s eyes seem to lock onto me for a moment. Even from where I am, I can feel the intensity of them.
                “Not everyone is meant to be a performer,” he continues. “That is why we will test you and train the young men and women who have signed up. Those who find that they are cut out for the ways of the performer will have the chance to show what they have learned in a series of live performances in front of you , their friends and families. The ones who do best might just make it through to join our troupe for the performances we have planned back in the Center!”
                Just the mention of the Center is enough to get a round of applause.
                “Now, where’s that list?”
                Even that is done with style. The young woman who dropped from the roof comes cartwheeling out to put it in Dr. Dex’s hand without stopping. He stares at the list for a