Page 102 of Freak Show

Some of y’all need to go to church. I don’t want you in hell with me.

-Caristonia to her sisters

CARISTONIA

“Hey,” my sister’s sweet voice said. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

I frowned as I sat up in bed, my eyes still filled with sleep.

My neck all but screamed as I turned to look at the clock.

Five in the morning.

“What is it, Crimson?” I asked softly, hoping not to wake Slone.

It was a losing battle, though.

Especially when Crimson told me what she did next.

“There’s something wrong with Coco,” Crimson said. “I went to feed them today like usual, and she’s lethargic and not looking too good.”

I was instantly throwing the covers off of my body and heading to my exploding suitcase on the floor.

We hadn’t woken up a single time last night, and the only thing I’d gotten out of it before we’d made love and then fallen asleep was my toothbrush from the very bottom of the bag.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I said, my stomach now in knots.

We were on our way back to the circus in under five minutes, Slone and I not even taking the time to brush our teeth or get dressed in clean clothes.

Coco was three, so there was no way she should be exhibiting signs of sickness unless she’d ingested something that was poisonous or rotten.

She did have a stomach that tended to lean more toward sensitive.

Except, when I got there, it wasn’t going to be an easy fix like usual—i.e., putting her on a bland diet.

No, what I saw when I walked in was much, much worse.

When I rushed into the tent where my sisters were gathered, it was to see Coco lying on her side, panting, foam gathering around her mouth.

My stomach sank.

I yelled for my sisters to call a vet and went on my knees beside her. I thrust my hands in the thick fur around her head and softly scratched her. I asked Slone to stay against the side of the tent for now.

“Why do you keep them?” he asked curiously as he backed up, not judging but definitely not understanding. “Is it not inhumane?”

Meaning, were we complete assholes that just wanted tigers for the show aspect of it?

No, we weren’t.

“Coco and Melon came from abusive situations,” I said. “When my dad got them, they came straight from a rescue. Apparently, their previous owners thought it would be great to train them like their pets. Shortly after the birth of their child, the tigers were too rough and hurt the kid. Which is to be expected to be honest. They’re large animals, not house cats.” I continued to gently stroke Coco’s fur as she lay panting beside me. So still. “They neglected them. Shoved them into tiny cages. Tried to pretty much treat them like a parrot and only have them for the ‘cool’ aspect of it. They tried to take them to a zoo exhibit first, then an outdoor safari, but they don’t do well with men at all. That’s why I asked you to stay over there. Melon doesn’t know what’s going on with Coco, and her usual MO when something is wrong is to blame the males in the vicinity.”

“Oh,” he said. “But they do shows.”

“They do,” I confirm. “But, if you’ll notice, when they’re out there performing, the lights are all really bright on them and they can’t see into the audience. Plus, both of them are just such pleasers. They are truly devoted to us sisters, me especially, and go out of their way to get praise when we’re around to pay attention to them.”

“But you said you let them roam free. Are you not worried that they’ll attack?” he asked.

I thought about that for a long moment before saying, “Not in the least. They’re very gentle creatures and are way more wary of you than you are of them.”

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