It was late afternoon in some small town and Nathaniel Baker found himself in the bar of that town. He wouldn't have been in this town had it not been for the circus. It hadn't been that long since he left the circus, but he found himself pulled back every other week or so. He didn't perform, just watched. He still found it so glamorous and exciting.
Nathaniel glanced up at the clock on the wall and turned in his seat just as his former 'co-workers' walked in. They all cheered and hurried over to him.
"Puppet! 'ts good to see ya again!" The juggler exclaimed, slapping Nathaniel on the back as he sat next to him.
"Oh yes dear, it's always a right pleasure" the bearded 'woman' agreed, plopping herself down in a seat.
It didn't take long for everyone to get situated; they did this most closing nights before traveling on to a new town. The bartender took everyone's order and then it seemed the whole group started talking at once, voices lapping over one another, trying to receive more attention than the last. Nathaniel was smiling happily, flapping his gums just as much as the others when a form caught his eye.
There was a girl; she sat with their group but he didn't know her. She had loose curls in her bright red hair. She also wore a mask that covered the whole top half of her face. He turned his gaze to the juggler, a confused look on his face.
"'Ay jug, I ain't never seen this broad 'round before," Nathaniel said, pointing to the girl. She was looking at him now, a slight smile on her face. "She with ya'll?"
The juggler nodded, chugging down some of his beer. "So ya finally noticed the new acrobat, huh? She's real quiet; I don't think she's spoken a word to anyone except the Ringmaster."
"Shame! Your a pretty cute young gal," Nathaniel said, giving her a broad smile. "U'm sure ya gotta real nice voice. Why don't ya use it more often?"
The others started to laugh, shaking their heads. Another acrobat leaned in from the table he was sitting at and said, "Knock it off, Pup. The most hands'me man in the world couldn't move this chick!" The others started to chime in their agreements when something made them stop dead in their tracks.
"Dear friend, perhaps I'd tell if you'd tell how you lost your front teeth," she said quietly with a small smile. The crowd roared, muttering exaggerated statements of disbelief.
Nathaniel leaned forward in his seat, still smiling. "These ol' thangs?" He asked, pointing towards the gap in his mouth.
"Oh no, don't get him started on these stories!" One of them said with a hearty laugh. But it was too late.
"Wh', 'ts a story full of danger an' excitement. I ain't too sure it's suitable for a pretty young gal like you," he said, giving her a quick wink. She giggled and leaned forward as well.
"Try me."
"If ya say, miss," he said with a goofy grin. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he patted his lap and said, "F'ya ever get ta scared, jus' come and sit on my lap. Now, ya'll calm down an' listen up!"
--
It happened around twenty years ago, back when Nathaniel was an eighteen. Back then, he was a eighteen-year-old boy with no family and not a penny to his name. Lucky for him, at this particular moment he was employed for a wealthy man in some African nation -
"Pup, that's a big ol' lie 'n' ya know it! You always been with us an' ya came from a-"
"Now jug, who's doin' the tellin' here? Shut yer trap 'fore I do it for ya!" -
Ahem, anyways. He was in some African nation. Zimba-somethingerother. That isn't really important. The important part was that he was the apprentice of one of the greatest escape artists in the world. Houdini! (Houdini didn't mention him much, though, but if you checked a history book he'd be right smack there right by Houdini.)
The day in question, Houdini was trying out a new stunt that involved water, alligators, spikes, and a cage. It was daring, new, and more than a little risky. Nathaniel had been ordered to 'watch and learn.'
Houdini sat with him as he waited for everything to be set up. For the most part, they were silent. Then, the older magician looked at his apprentice. "Are you sure this is what you want to do, boy? Being a magician can be quite...dangerous."
"Of course, sir! I would right love to be a magician!" -
"Stop, stop stop! Hoss, ya knows ya weren't never no 'prentice of no Houdini! Houdini 'as dead 'fore you were even a lil swimmer in yer dad's -"
"I'as too, Beard an' obviously ya don know the first thin' about history!"
"Well, we can all tell that you sure ain't go no English accent, cool cat."
"...alright, perhaps I stretched the darn truth slightly. There ain'ta need ta jump'n me like that!" --
"A'cours, sir! I 'uld love ta be a magician!"
"I can't stop you, young lad. I just hope you know what you're getting into," Houdini said. The workers signaled that it was ready and he got up then. He sauntered over to the cage and allowed himself to get locked in against sharp spikes before being dunked into alligator infested waters. Nathaniel watched intrigued.
Seconds ticked by slowly as he watched. Then a minute. Then another...
Had the trap failed? Nathaniel was up in an instant and dove into the water. It was a foolish thing to do; he could have potentially ruined the act, but he had a grave feeling that his master was in trouble. He was right! Houdini was unconscious, bleeding profusely from a puncture wound to his right cheek. It seemed to be stuck in there pretty deep.
On the surface, the two guards stared at each other as time flowed by freely, every second seemed to doom the two further. One contemplated jumping in, but stopped just short. He didn't have the courage Nathaniel had to jump in and save a life like that. Instead, he ran off to call for help with his partner.
When they came back, they found Nathaniel, standing tall and proud with an unconscious Houdini ("No pitchers're taken, unfortun'ly; press didn want ta slander Houdini's good name, ya see." The crowd applauded, believing the ordeal to be over. Nathaniel, however, knew better.
He spotted a dark figure watching them from where he had been sitting. He could recognize the face any day; it was Schmittendorf, Houdini's arch-nemeses.
"Schmittendorf, you had something to do with this didn't you!" Nathaniel called (strangely losing his accent again), as the figure started to flee. Nathaniel gave chase effortlessly. He had almost caught the villainous foe when two of his goons - large fellows who definitely had more bulk than three of him - came out of nowhere and hit him with hard jabs to the face and stomach.
When he woke up days later, he was tied up in Schmittendorf's evil lair. There was still a dull ache in his mouth. Schmittendorf chuckled darkly and looked up at Nathaniel.
"You've woken up just in time to see my evil scheme unfold," he said, revealing a picture of an asteroid and the Earth.
Just then, Houdini dropped down from the ceiling, taking out the two minions who had been in the lair. "Not so fas-
"Alright, kid, I think we've all had EEHnuff of Pup's blubbering fo tonight, so let me tell you what really happened: Pup was flirtin' wit these new tightrope walkers, two young twans. They'us real pretty and graceful-like.
"So, ta impress em, hoss gets his rear on the tightrope and tries to do a little escape act. He failed a'cours, and fell flat on his face. Was out like a log for 'bout three days straight." The juggler finished his tale and did a fake bow in his seat before swigging some more beer.
"Jug, why ya gotta go an' ruin mah entatainment for the ev'nin?" Nathaniel crossed his arms across his chest in a huff. The new acrobat got up and stretched before walking over to the sullen-looking man.
"For what it's worth, I quite liked your story," she said, with a smirk. "Your abundance of creativity makes up for your lack of grace on the tightrope."
"Well, miss," Nathaniel started, heaving himself out of his chair. He took off his hat and held it in front of him. He ran his fingers through his red hair as he leaned against the counter and said, "Ja like it enuff to give lil ol' me a kiss?"
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and nodded.
"Goin' back ta no words?" He asked, putting his top hat back on. "Ya don't make many frien's thata way miss."
"Nor enemies."
He nodded. "That ta, I guess. But now I than' it time ta take my leave. T'is been fun ya'll, I'll see ya'll soon."
And off he went, into the dark of the night, still fighting off Schmittendorf and his minion alongside Houdini in his head.
Nathaniel glanced up at the clock on the wall and turned in his seat just as his former 'co-workers' walked in. They all cheered and hurried over to him.
"Puppet! 'ts good to see ya again!" The juggler exclaimed, slapping Nathaniel on the back as he sat next to him.
"Oh yes dear, it's always a right pleasure" the bearded 'woman' agreed, plopping herself down in a seat.
It didn't take long for everyone to get situated; they did this most closing nights before traveling on to a new town. The bartender took everyone's order and then it seemed the whole group started talking at once, voices lapping over one another, trying to receive more attention than the last. Nathaniel was smiling happily, flapping his gums just as much as the others when a form caught his eye.
There was a girl; she sat with their group but he didn't know her. She had loose curls in her bright red hair. She also wore a mask that covered the whole top half of her face. He turned his gaze to the juggler, a confused look on his face.
"'Ay jug, I ain't never seen this broad 'round before," Nathaniel said, pointing to the girl. She was looking at him now, a slight smile on her face. "She with ya'll?"
The juggler nodded, chugging down some of his beer. "So ya finally noticed the new acrobat, huh? She's real quiet; I don't think she's spoken a word to anyone except the Ringmaster."
"Shame! Your a pretty cute young gal," Nathaniel said, giving her a broad smile. "U'm sure ya gotta real nice voice. Why don't ya use it more often?"
The others started to laugh, shaking their heads. Another acrobat leaned in from the table he was sitting at and said, "Knock it off, Pup. The most hands'me man in the world couldn't move this chick!" The others started to chime in their agreements when something made them stop dead in their tracks.
"Dear friend, perhaps I'd tell if you'd tell how you lost your front teeth," she said quietly with a small smile. The crowd roared, muttering exaggerated statements of disbelief.
Nathaniel leaned forward in his seat, still smiling. "These ol' thangs?" He asked, pointing towards the gap in his mouth.
"Oh no, don't get him started on these stories!" One of them said with a hearty laugh. But it was too late.
"Wh', 'ts a story full of danger an' excitement. I ain't too sure it's suitable for a pretty young gal like you," he said, giving her a quick wink. She giggled and leaned forward as well.
"Try me."
"If ya say, miss," he said with a goofy grin. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he patted his lap and said, "F'ya ever get ta scared, jus' come and sit on my lap. Now, ya'll calm down an' listen up!"
--
It happened around twenty years ago, back when Nathaniel was an eighteen. Back then, he was a eighteen-year-old boy with no family and not a penny to his name. Lucky for him, at this particular moment he was employed for a wealthy man in some African nation -
"Pup, that's a big ol' lie 'n' ya know it! You always been with us an' ya came from a-"
"Now jug, who's doin' the tellin' here? Shut yer trap 'fore I do it for ya!" -
Ahem, anyways. He was in some African nation. Zimba-somethingerother. That isn't really important. The important part was that he was the apprentice of one of the greatest escape artists in the world. Houdini! (Houdini didn't mention him much, though, but if you checked a history book he'd be right smack there right by Houdini.)
The day in question, Houdini was trying out a new stunt that involved water, alligators, spikes, and a cage. It was daring, new, and more than a little risky. Nathaniel had been ordered to 'watch and learn.'
Houdini sat with him as he waited for everything to be set up. For the most part, they were silent. Then, the older magician looked at his apprentice. "Are you sure this is what you want to do, boy? Being a magician can be quite...dangerous."
"Of course, sir! I would right love to be a magician!" -
"Stop, stop stop! Hoss, ya knows ya weren't never no 'prentice of no Houdini! Houdini 'as dead 'fore you were even a lil swimmer in yer dad's -"
"I'as too, Beard an' obviously ya don know the first thin' about history!"
"Well, we can all tell that you sure ain't go no English accent, cool cat."
"...alright, perhaps I stretched the darn truth slightly. There ain'ta need ta jump'n me like that!" --
"A'cours, sir! I 'uld love ta be a magician!"
"I can't stop you, young lad. I just hope you know what you're getting into," Houdini said. The workers signaled that it was ready and he got up then. He sauntered over to the cage and allowed himself to get locked in against sharp spikes before being dunked into alligator infested waters. Nathaniel watched intrigued.
Seconds ticked by slowly as he watched. Then a minute. Then another...
Had the trap failed? Nathaniel was up in an instant and dove into the water. It was a foolish thing to do; he could have potentially ruined the act, but he had a grave feeling that his master was in trouble. He was right! Houdini was unconscious, bleeding profusely from a puncture wound to his right cheek. It seemed to be stuck in there pretty deep.
On the surface, the two guards stared at each other as time flowed by freely, every second seemed to doom the two further. One contemplated jumping in, but stopped just short. He didn't have the courage Nathaniel had to jump in and save a life like that. Instead, he ran off to call for help with his partner.
When they came back, they found Nathaniel, standing tall and proud with an unconscious Houdini ("No pitchers're taken, unfortun'ly; press didn want ta slander Houdini's good name, ya see." The crowd applauded, believing the ordeal to be over. Nathaniel, however, knew better.
He spotted a dark figure watching them from where he had been sitting. He could recognize the face any day; it was Schmittendorf, Houdini's arch-nemeses.
"Schmittendorf, you had something to do with this didn't you!" Nathaniel called (strangely losing his accent again), as the figure started to flee. Nathaniel gave chase effortlessly. He had almost caught the villainous foe when two of his goons - large fellows who definitely had more bulk than three of him - came out of nowhere and hit him with hard jabs to the face and stomach.
When he woke up days later, he was tied up in Schmittendorf's evil lair. There was still a dull ache in his mouth. Schmittendorf chuckled darkly and looked up at Nathaniel.
"You've woken up just in time to see my evil scheme unfold," he said, revealing a picture of an asteroid and the Earth.
Just then, Houdini dropped down from the ceiling, taking out the two minions who had been in the lair. "Not so fas-
"Alright, kid, I think we've all had EEHnuff of Pup's blubbering fo tonight, so let me tell you what really happened: Pup was flirtin' wit these new tightrope walkers, two young twans. They'us real pretty and graceful-like.
"So, ta impress em, hoss gets his rear on the tightrope and tries to do a little escape act. He failed a'cours, and fell flat on his face. Was out like a log for 'bout three days straight." The juggler finished his tale and did a fake bow in his seat before swigging some more beer.
"Jug, why ya gotta go an' ruin mah entatainment for the ev'nin?" Nathaniel crossed his arms across his chest in a huff. The new acrobat got up and stretched before walking over to the sullen-looking man.
"For what it's worth, I quite liked your story," she said, with a smirk. "Your abundance of creativity makes up for your lack of grace on the tightrope."
"Well, miss," Nathaniel started, heaving himself out of his chair. He took off his hat and held it in front of him. He ran his fingers through his red hair as he leaned against the counter and said, "Ja like it enuff to give lil ol' me a kiss?"
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and nodded.
"Goin' back ta no words?" He asked, putting his top hat back on. "Ya don't make many frien's thata way miss."
"Nor enemies."
He nodded. "That ta, I guess. But now I than' it time ta take my leave. T'is been fun ya'll, I'll see ya'll soon."
And off he went, into the dark of the night, still fighting off Schmittendorf and his minion alongside Houdini in his head.
