The Showmaster

My world felt corkscrewed. A dull throb in my head grew significantly at any attempt to open my eyes. All senses seemed to be useless. I lay still for a minute, adjusting to the stiffness that overwhelmed both mental and physical. 

What did I drink last night? 

My memories of the night before are but fog. Vague faces, warm bodies against mine, the floor vibrating due to the intensity of the music, and then black. My hand finds its way to my head, slowly I open my eyes to find myself outside, in an unfamiliar corridor. The cold cobblestone beneath me sways as I attempt to stand. I quickly realize that I am in attire completely different from last night. Solid black sticks to me like a second skin, mesh fabric runs from my shoulders to my wrists, covered in thousands of multicolored crystals. 

Please let it be pants. Silently praying to any god who cared. Nothing could make waking up in who-knows-where worse than waking up in a dress. My hands drift towards my legs, the skin-tight fabric clung to both legs, pants. Thank god. I take note of the black heeled boots I was wearing, dotted with the same multicolored crystals that covered my arms, fading away as they got closer to my thighs. Weird choice of shoes, but ok. 

“Sohaila?” 

My head snapped towards the question. A woman, small framed, stared at me as if she knew me. My face must have reflected my confusion; “You don’t know me.” She realizes, her voice solemn. I shift backwards as she takes a step towards me. “I apologize, I must have had too many drinks last night,” I try to blame my lack of recognition on the alcohol. She shakes her head viciously and responds, “No, I know you don’t know where you are or who I am. But you should come with me.” I hesitantly follow her through the bleak corridor. My anxiety grows as I realize the way she is leading me is a dead end. A brick wall stands where she seems to want to lead me. The small woman looks back at me, and smiling, walks through the wall. My chest tightens. There is no possibility this woman just walked through that wall. My thoughts swell.

 I must have drunk the entirety of the bar. I must be in a hospital somewhere, that explains the new attire, a random woman walking through random walls, everything.

My rushing thoughts come to a halt as the small woman’s head appears from the other side of the wall, through the wall. “Are you coming, Sohaila?” She smiles brightly at me, cocking her head to the side. “I wasn’t aware I was allowed to just walk through walls,” I state, trying to convince her that this is not normal for me at all. Oh well, if I’m in an alcohol induced coma somewhere, what will walking through one wall hurt?

I follow her lead and step through the brick wall and I find myself gasping as I take in the other side.  A large tent encompasses what could be hundreds of people. The curtains were a deep red, held by gold columns that were dotted throughout the tent. I could see rows of dining tables, and a waiter carrying what looked to be a cocktail that shimmered hurried past me. The tent buzzed with energy, almost as if it was alive and surviving off of the many conversations being held in it. Each way I looked, my eyes caught something that could not exist.  A tall man performs card tricks, but anytime a card disappears, it would reappear on the opposite side of the tent. Some small children, just five feet away from the man, played with dolls that seemed to move on their own accord. A woman wearing a large dress passed by us. The dress had a corset back, skin tight, like my attire. It flowed out after her waist. The gown reminded me of my family’s vacation last year.  The emerald green fabric rippled with movement, thus causing the shimmering stones that dotted the dress to shine with unmatched beauty. My eyes stayed transfixed on the woman who passed us. I leaned and whispered to the woman who guided me to such wonder, “the dress is gorgeous. The green brings back fond memories.” The woman next to me had a sparkle in her eyes as I said this. “What’s amazing is you see a brilliant green, but I see a deep black and it appears that stars flash across the dress everytime she moves.” I could feel my mouth grow wide as she told me this and I suddenly felt underdressed.

“Come.” She grabbed my hand and led me. We stopped at a small stage in the center of the tent. After a few minutes passed, a hush overcame the room as it went pitch black. I could hear my heart as it pounded in my chest. The silence grew deafening and there was a palpable shift in the atmosphere, one of expectation and excitement. Suddenly, a bright light shot from the center of the stage, everyone gasped loudly. It was as if the tent was exhaling with the crowd, releasing the tension felt by everyone. Smoke billowed upwards and we cheered and welcomed the man who materialized on stage. 

He was dressed as eccentric as everyone else here. The red of his suit matched the curtains of the tent. An elaborate gold floral pattern matched the columns and swirled anytime he moved. He smiled softly, but it faltered when his eyes met mine. 

“Sohaila?” He asked. I grew uneasy, not sure how everyone here seemed to know me. He noticed the woman next to me and his demeanor changed, he became guarded and it was clearly visible that he did not hold pleasant feelings towards the one who led me here. “Good evening, showmaster.” She mocked. Those around us backed away, as if they were finally realizing who the woman next to me was, and they were terrified. I finally grew courage, “What is going on here? Can someone tell me what is happening?!” My voice faltered, my emotions taking hold of me. The showmaster smiled at me, “Sohaila, welcome, to a world of wonder and magic. Siorcas. A traveling world of light and mystery. And your original home.”