All because I stole an apple

I am running for my life all because I stole an apple. 

   Well, not really for my life. I just encountered a bit of bad luck. You see, there are two things that you need to know before I go on. 

   First of all, I stole this apple for my little sister. She was hungry and we didn’t have enough money to buy it, so I thought I could slip it under my jacket without being noticed.

   Obviously I was wrong.

   Second of all, I am running because I can’t afford to get arrested. I’ve already had multiple run-ins with the cops and they do not like me. Not one bit. 

   So here I am, my legs are practically giving out on me and I can’t find my way through these back alleys.

   “Cole… I swear to god… stop running!” Officer Roberts pants. I turn a corner and run down another narrow path. 

   I know I can’t keep running forever, that’s why I need a good place to hide. I come to the end of the alley and it opens up to a vast field with a strange looking building in the middle. I sprint towards it, figuring I can hide there until the officer gives up. 

   I look behind me and almost trip over my own feet. I can’t see the officer anymore and the building is getting closer.  

   It seems like it’s a circus, or was a circus at one time. The once bright white and red cloth is now stained with dirt and is worn down. This will be a perfect place to hide, at least until sundown. 

   Again, I look behind me but I can no longer hear the officer shouting my name. I peer into the entrance of the tent but it’s all black. I enter and pull out a lighter from my jean pocket. 

   The room immediately lights up, but not from my lighter. Dazzling floor lights turn on all along the stage and pink and blue spotlights come on from somewhere up above. There is some sort of circus music playing in the background. My surroundings smell like a mixture of sand and paint but the scene is wistful and mesmerizing. It takes me a minute to adjust to the blinding lights.

   I look around, but I can no longer find the exit. My palms start to sweat and I can feel my legs tremble. The door was just behind me, wasn’t it? There has to be someone that can help me out of this place. I make my way around a sand pit and try every bright red curtain but they all lead to another part of the tent.

   Wandering in circles, I try and think of a way I could possibly find my way out of this obnoxiously bright tent. I see a sign for the dressing rooms. Was that there before? I can’t remember, maybe I just missed it. 

   My heart starts to pound as I part the red cloth. Three pairs of eyes are staring back at me and I immediately want to dig myself a hole and hide in it forever. They are all beautiful young women and look violated as hell that I had walked in on them. 

There is a girl sitting down at a vanity putting on makeup. Her hair is a dark brown and she has strange, fiery red eyes. The girl in the back looks almost the opposite of her. While the brown haired girl's skin is tan, hers is ghostly white as well as her hair. Her eyes are also a strange shade of purple that I’ve never seen before. The final girl has dark skin with blue braids and dark blue eyes. All of their outfits are bright and colorful and match their eyes. I’m not sure if I should say something or just run away when the brown haired girl gets up and starts talking.

“Are you going to stand there and gawk at a bunch of girls or are you going to tell us what you want?”

“God, I’m so sorry.” I shield my eyes, “I was just looking for the exit. I thought I knew where it was but I seem to have lost my way.”

“Well I can help you with that. My name is Cemere. The purple girl is Vanessa and that is Indigo.” She says and points to her friends. Vanessa is death glaring at me from her corner of the room but Indigo gives me a small smile. 

“Thank you so much, this place is extremely confusing.”

“It can be at times.” Cemere gives me a comforting smile. “Here, the exit isn’t far from here. Follow me.” 

The girl walks to the back of the room and parts another pair of red cloth. I swear, this place gets more confusing by the minute. 

We wind down a dark hallway, the only noise I can hear are our footsteps and steady breathing. The red and white striped walls keep repeating and repeating and repeating and it grows darker and darker as we twist through the never ending hallway.

“What brought you to this tent?” said Cemere, breaking the silence.

“I was just unlucky I guess. Not that this place is so bad. I was just in an unfortunate situation.” I ramble. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Cemere laughs, “It’s okay, I understand.” 

I don’t answer and we sit in uncomfortable silence once again.

“Hey, when you get out of here, do you think we could be friends?” Cemere gives a shy smile and looks down at the ground.

“Of course we can. We’ll have the best time together, don’t worry.” I chuckle and nudge her with my elbow. 

She blushes and kicks a rock in our path.

Eventually we come to another red cloth with a buzzing red exit sign above it.  

“There’s your exit Cole. Don’t hesitate to come back, me and the girls just love company.” Cemere gives a big, charming grin. 

“Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this means to me.” I say. “Hey, when did I tell you my name?”

“Back in the dressing room silly, don’t you remember?” Cemere giggles. “You better get going, don’t want to keep your family waiting do you?”

“You’re right, you’re right. Thank you, Cemere.” I wave, close my eyes, and make my way out through the red cloth.

Outside smells like… sand and paint.

I open my eyes and find myself in a small room with dim fluorescent lights. The walls are no longer red and white stripes but white tile.

I can’t breathe.

Footsteps echo behind me and Cemere’s voice fills up the room.

“God, we haven't had another person pass through here in decades. I needed a good walk, what about you?”

I snap around and the girl is holding a knife. A big, sharp, gleaming knife.

“I have no clue what you’re doing girl. We could talk this out, come on.” I start rambling and put my hands up. “Look, I’m sorry about walking in on you and those girls, it was an honest mistake you gotta believe me here.” At this point my breath is rapid and I don’t know if I can feel my legs as I fall forward onto my knees. 

“That isn’t what this is about Cole. This is about pure boredom. Me and the girls also need a snack. Being stuck here in this magical time prison has its downsides you know.” Cemere waves her hands around, the knife reflecting the light right into my eyes. 

“So what are you going to do? Eat me?” I can hear my heart pounding in my ears and black dots start to cloud my vision.

“That’s the plan! ” She says, smiling like the Cheshire Cat. 

My vision clouds and grows dark as Cemere walks over to me with the knife in hand.

I’m about to die, all because I stole an apple.

*   *   *  

   “Hey Cole, wake up.”

   The sound of my mothers voice makes me shoot up. My hair is sticking to my forehead and my clothes are clinged onto me in a sweaty mess. I remember the apple, the police officer, and the circus. It was too real to be a dream. Too real.

   “You just missed your sister, she went out on her own. I thought you could join her later.” My mother gives me a warm smile.

   I rip the blankets off of me and get up from the couch. “Where did she go Ma?”

   “To some circus in the field behind the market, said she wanted to see the charming lady with the red eyes on the flier.”