The Misfortune Teller by Steven Patrick Wilson
The Misfortune Teller
By
Steve Wilson
Copyright 2013 Steve Wilson
The Misfortune Teller
Katie was trapped on the roof of the semi-trailer. Von Adler, like a cat, had leapt on to the roof and crept toward her, pick handle in hand. "Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way young lady."
From below Mr Sprinkles called up to him in his gravelly voice. "Bloody hell Darryl! Get a move on will ya?"
Katie searched for an escape route. She saw a ghost gum alongside the truck. She sprinted along the top of the semi-trailer and leapt into space, willing herself to cover the distance to the nearest branch. She just managed to grab on and was figuring out how she could get down before Mr Sprinkles, Sasquatch and Thunderball could come around the truck, when she heard "Darryl" Von Adler's footsteps running after her. The tree shook violently as he jumped and grabbed onto the branch next to her. Katie felt her ribs crush as he wrapped his legs around her in a vicelike grip. Like a python he grabbed her in a headlock with a free arm and said in her ear, "So it's the hard way, eh?"
She couldn't breathe and didn't have the strength to break free so she let go of the branch preferring the fall to suffocation but, being an acrobat, he still had a firm grip with his free arm. Her predicament worsened when Sasquatch began jumping up trying to grab her feet. Katie then sank her teeth into Darryl's forearm. She felt the skin part and could taste hot salty blood in her mouth. He let out a deafening scream into her ear and, to Katie's astonishment, let go of the branch rather than her. They plummeted the three meters to the ground.
On top of Sasquatch.
The impact knocked the wind out of Katie. Sasquatch had broken their fall and both Von Adler and Sasquatch were moaning in pain. Katie was opening her mouth like a goldfish trying to suck air into her lungs with no luck. Silhouetted against the truck's lights she saw Mr Sprinkles and Thunderball approach her armed with shovels. Dust from the track swirled around them like an evil mist. "You kids just don't listen, do you?" said Mr Sprinkles as he raised the shovel like a baseball bat.
Katie raised her arms and clenched her eyes shut. I can't believe a clown is murdering me!
Three days earlier
Townsville
Katie stepped out of the Sanity music store at Stocktown Shopping Centre after purchasing the latest series of Archer. She was astonished to see a troop of circus performers making their way past the food court and toward her. There was a clown on a unicycle juggling bowling pins; an enormous, bald, strong man wearing a Fred Flintstone outfit and carrying a massive dumbbell; an identically dressed dwarf to his side; and a voluptuous, bearded lady. In their wake trailed a posse of screaming and laughing primary school kids. Free tickets to the circus and Chupa Chups were being handed out. The unicyclist spotted Katie and rode around her in tight circles. “Wanna come to the circus kid? Greatest show on earth didn’t ya know.”
“Yeah, OK. Can I get tickets for my friends?”
“Yeah, sure. How many?”
“Three.”
“Here you go kid. See you tonight,” he said over his shoulder as he rode off, weaving through the kids as he caught up with the others.
Katie sat in the food court and pulled out her iPhone.
To Josh, Luke
Got free tix to circus 2nit. Wan2go? :-)
Josh reply
Do I look like I'm 7? :(
Luke reply
Good one!
Katie to Josh, Luke
C'mon! Nuthin else on.
Josh reply
OK. When?
Katie to Josh, Luke
7@reid park
Luke reply
CU then
Katie was chaining up her bike to the temporary fencing surrounding Durant’s circus when Josh and Luke rode up. Like her, they were fifteen years old and had grown up together. Luke was a tall good looking boy with a footballer’s physique that belied his shy nature. Josh, by contrast was skinny, cursed with acne and had an unruly head of hair that would not conform to any current style. He made up for his lack of looks and build with a clever wit. Although neither boy would admit it, they both had a crush on Katie who was growing into a woman in front of them. Katie was blissfully unaware of this and dressed accordingly in T-shirt, jeans and Converse boots, complete with short, bobbed hair. She much preferred the company of Luke and Josh rather than that of “the Herd” as he called the vacuous collection of overly made-up girls at school.
"I came here like when I was little," said Luke.
"You gonna buy us fairy floss?" added Josh.
"Stop whingin'. It'll be like a real life version of the stuff on youtube or Jackass," retorted Katie. They fought to stifle their giggling as Katie handed over the tickets to the voluptuous, bearded woman in a booth and proceeded through the gates. The path to the big top was lined with trailers spruiking soft drink, fairy floss, air-rifle galleries and the ubiquitous ball-swallowing, fibreglass clowns. Mixing with the crowd were various freaks and performers. As well as the troop from Stocktown there were stilt-walkers, contortionists and a "wolfman" with every inch of his skin covered in hair.
An old, overweight clown suddenly accosted them. "Welcome to Durant’s Circus kids. I'm Mr Sprinkles. I see you've met Elle McBeardson," he said, as he honked a bicycle horn. The kids didn't laugh. They recoiled from his foul breath and stared at his yellow, crooked teeth.
"Oooh! Serious kids!" he said with a mock frown before pointing down the path. "If you're after something more grown up try Pyro or Allegra the Fortune Teller."
They moved on looking over their shoulders and whispering to each other.
"He's got like worse breath than my grandad," said Josh gagging. "His voice's croaky as well. Grandad says that's from a lifetime of drinkin' rum."
“I’m sure he was in a horror movie I saw once!” added Katie.
They next encountered a skinny fire breather who followed up a three metre long dart of flame by swallowing an enormous sword. His bare arms were covered with tattooed flames.
"Cool," said Josh.
"Told you...like, Jackass," said Katie.
"Hey, there's the Fortune Teller," pointed Luke.
Nestled behind the trailers was a tattered old, striped tent. "Love? Fame? Fortune? What's your future? Allegra can see all," repeated the scratchy message over an ancient, battered loudspeaker. A weathered sign dictated $5, One person at a time!
"Who's goin' in?" dared Josh.
"Looks like you," said Katie, pushing him toward the opening.
"But I already know I'll be rich and famous."
"Prove it," said Luke.
Josh, grinning, lifted the flap and went in.
Five minutes later, in fading light, a bored Katie said, "What's takin’ him?"
"Can I assist you my young friends?" said a deep voice behind them as they jumped in fright. They saw a tall man with an enormous pointy moustache and massive eyebrows wearing a very fancy suit and top hat. "I'm Mysterio, your Master of Ceremonies. The show commences shortly. Why don't you go in?" he indicated the Big Top with a flourish. "Your friend will join you soon. I will see to it personally,” he said with a raised eyebrow.
"OK," said a freaked out Josh and Katie in unison as they moved toward the big top.
They found seats in the half empty bleachers and saw, with much fanfare, Mysterio stride into the main ring. Loudspeakers were blaring out the traditional circus theme before fading away as he reached centre-ring. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls welcome to Durant’s Circus," he said in a booming, baritone voice before introducing a cast of freaks, athletes and animals. There was "Sasquatch, Australia's tallest man", a misshapen giant standing at "two point seven metres." He was followed b
"Look! Australia's skinniest teenager!" quipped Katie.
Josh ignored her. "That was like awesome."
"What did the Fortune Teller say?" demanded Luke.
"She was HOT! Like model-hot. She reckons I'll be rich, driven' fast cars and surrounded by gorgeous chicks like, before I'm thirty."
Katie rolled her eyes and Luke laughed aloud. "Wanker!" he said.
They settled down to watch the remainder of the show, which they pronounced was, "alright".
"What're you doin’ tomorrow?" asked Katie as they unchained their bikes afterwards.
"COD," said Josh.
"Skyrim," said Luke.
Katie rolled her eyes at their X-box addiction. "I might call tomorrow," she said as she rode off.
Two days later something unusual happened. Katie's iPhone indicated a call from a landline. "Hello?" she answered, perplexed.
In an adult’s voice Katie usually associated with serious stuff responded, "Hi Katie, It's Josh's mum."
"Hi Mrs Brenner."
"Have you seen Josh? He went out last night and we can't contact him. I’m worried sick."
"No, I haven't. Have you tried Luke?"
"Yes. No luck there."
"OK. Sorry I can’t help. I'll call if I see him."
"Thanks Katie."
Katie rode over to Luke's house. "Where d'you reckon he is?" she asked.
"Dunno. He was acting weird all day yesterday. Kept talking about that fortune-teller, Alleger."
"Allegra."
"Yeah, her. He reckons she could help him become rich and famous."
"That's really weird, even for him."
"Like d'you reckon he's run off with the circus?" laughed Luke.
"Any other time that'd be funny but it might be true."
"I've been texting him since yesterday and gettin' nothing. Now what?"
Katie, a fan of Law and Order-SVU, typed Missing teenagers into her iPhone. "Look. In the last month there’ve been four missing teenagers." She went to Luke's bedroom and pointed to the map of Australia. "See? There's a pattern. Coffs Harbour, Caboolture, Rockhampton, Mackay."
"Yeah, so?"
She did another iPhone search, Durant’s Circus Tour Dates with Luke looking over her shoulder. “Oh my God! Their last day in each town matches the days when these guys went missing."
"That's too freaky. Should we go to the cops?"
"I don't reckon they'll believe us. They’ll think we’re a couple if kids with a crazy theory. We have to go after him."
"What? Where?"
Katie consulted her iPhone, "They're in Cairns."
"How do we get there? What do we tell our parents?"
"I reckon we can stowaway on the train. Tell your parents you're sleeping over somewhere. It's school holidays they won't notice. If it's nothing we'll be back in time. If we find Josh it'll be worth it."
Another iPhone search later and she added, "Meet me outside the train station tomorrow morning at eight. Make sure you bring food and drinks."