Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Juno pushed the dolly with the terrified woman strapped to it toward the center of the ring. The woman’s eyes were wide with terror, her sobs muffled by the gag in her mouth. Her arms and legs were bound tightly, leaving her utterly helpless. Kinks gestured to the four Mel, Hayven, Lana, and Sunshine. "Time to earn your keep, girls," she called out, her voice chipper. "You’ll be helping me with the setup."
They stepped forward, moving under her direction. Each was assigned a different part of the rigging, securing the ropes and preparing the hooks that went to the ends of them. Sunshine passed a sharp, glinting hook to Lana, who attached it without delay. Hayven adjusted the ropes, ensuring they were taut, while Mel locked in the base. Eryx and Rafe loosened the restraints on the dolly, but not enough for the woman to run away, removing her gag last after they positioned her where she needed to be for the rigging to work. Kinks took her place next to Hael at the control station, a twisted smile on her lips. The crowd's cheers grew louder as they realized what was about to happen. The masked acrobats descended from above, their bodies twisting and contorting on silks that appeared as if from nowhere, adding an eerie elegance to the scene.
“This is going to be a real treat,” Kinks announced.
Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics—slowed down, distorted, and remixed to give it an even more haunting quality began to play, the deep bass reverberating through the ring, the melody winding through the twisted atmosphere of the circus. The masked acrobats started their descent, intertwining with the silks, moving in sync with the rhythm, their bodies a testament to control and elegance.
They took control of the rigging ropes, the first tug landing with a hook through the woman’s shoulder. She screamed, her body jerking upward as the rope pulled taut, slightly lifting her into the air. Another yank and a second hook tore through her thigh. The crowd was in a frenzy, feeding off the pain that echoed around the ring.
The dance began in earnest as the acrobats manipulated the ropes. It took three times before the hooks were embedded enough to force the woman to twist and turn in the air, her limbs flailing in agony as each movement sent the hooks deeper or tearing through her flesh as she was wrapped in the ropes that held them. The acrobats mirrored a ballet, their silks flowing as they spun and twisted, their movements graceful and sinister.
The woman’s body arched backward as another pull brought her higher into the air, her screams drowned out by the growing fervor of the crowd. Kinks reveled in it, moving her hands with the precision of a maestro conducting a symphony of suffering.
But the dance was not yet over.
Kinks leaned forward, and the acrobats’ movements became sharper, overextending the ropes. The hooks dug deeper into flesh, tearing muscle from bone as the woman’s body contorted in ways it was never meant to. There was a sickening crack as bones snapped, her body twisting into an unnatural shape.
The acrobats spun faster, their silks swirling like blood-soaked ribbons as the music built to a crescendo. The woman’s final scream pierced the air, a chilling sound that echoed long after her voice had given out. And then, with one last violent tug, the ropes gave way.
Her body fell to the ground in a broken heap, some of the hooks ripping free and clattering against the floor. The acrobats descended gracefully, landing in perfect synchrony as the music faded to silence. The crowd erupted into thunderous applause, their cheers and whistles a grotesque celebration of the beautiful show they’d just witnessed.
The sight of it all—the efficiency, the cold, calculated design—had my blood thrumming. But it wasn’t the rigging or the spectacle that truly held my attention. No, it was her—my Sunshine. There she was, front and center, wearing that white dress now streaked with splatters of red, like some twisted angel drenched in blood. She was perfection in chaos, and the sight of her sent a primal surge of desire coursing through me. My hands itched to pull her close, to run over every inch of her skin, to mark her as mine right there in front of everyone.
For now, I had to settle for watching, knowing she was performing for me, even if she didn’t realize it.
Kinks stepped forward, raising her arms to soak in the adulation, and then smiled at the girls, a twisted expression of approval. “You did well,” she said, her voice dripping with delight. “Now, let’s see if the next round can top that, shall we? But first, can I have my cleanup crew on the scene?” She called for her trusted clowns to clean up the mess. They swarmed the ring, their exaggerated movements turning the removal of blood and body parts into a parody.