STORYTIME BLOG HOP OCTOBER 2026 - ACT 1

Hello friends! Welcome to my newest blog hop, enjoy! And don't forget to read the other short stories linked at the bottom <3

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Antonio was exhausted after another night under the big top. His jaw cramped, and his arm ached from where he continuously raised his puppet to the audience. They applauded his ventriloquist act, and they laughed at his jokes. But Antonio realized, as the lights of the big-top blinded him, that this was his final performance.

“How do you expect to get away?” his puppet, Mulberry, asked as the pair rested in Antonio’s tent.

Antonio turned to the puppet sitting beside his dusty vanity. “I learned where Master Heathrow keeps the contracts,” he tilted his head, rubbing makeup from his face.

The puppet vibrated a bit. “You know what our deal is,” the puppet reminded him.

Antonio nodded. “We scratch each other’s backs when no one else will. Sound about right?”

Mulberry nodded. “What are you giving me in return for coming with?”

Antonio thought about it. “What if I could promise you… a body?”

“A body?”

“A body.”

The puppet mulled this over, then swung a tiny hand out to Antonio. “It’s a deal.”

Then, the pair waited for the rest of the circus-folk to fall asleep.

---

Antonio kept Mulberry tucked under arm as they quietly dodged between fences, stands, and tents. The guards were asleep in their chairs, chins tipped downwards and hats covering their eyes as they slept through their shift by the back entrance as per usual on a random weekday.

The pair made it to Master Heathrow’s tent, but Antonio felt Mulberry’s tiny hand on his before he entered.

“Are you sure about this?”

Antonio nodded before entering.

The pair jumped when they saw Evelyn, the Bearded Lady, standing before them with something in her hand.

“I saw your future,” she mused.

Antonio gulped.

“You’re going to have to think of more than yourself if you want to survive this,” she suddenly parted her beard hair, revealing an eyeball peeking out from the strands.

“What the fuck?” Mulberry remarked.

“It’s an All-Seeing Eye,” she huffed as the eye closed and vanished back into the beard.

“I thought that only happened to… well, regular eyes,” Antonio stumbled over his words.

“Apparently not,” Evelyn remarked.

“You can see the future,” Mulberry filled in.

She nodded. “About ten minutes ahead. You’ve got about five.” Then she shoved a whiskey bottle into Antonio’s hands before disappearing into the night.

Antonio was confused but set Mulberry and the bottle down before tearing the tent apart. He was about to go crazy when he noticed a somewhat hidden chest tucked away in the far corner.

“Hurry!” Mulberry shouted, and Antonio groaned in frustration until his hand touched the edge of parchment paper. As he lifted the last book away, dozens of contracts spilled forth, each signed in blood—once by Master Heathrow, and once by the new carnies.

“We need to find ours—”

“There’s no time!” Mulberry lamented.

Antonio couldn’t think, he could only act. He grabbed the bottle of whiskey sitting on the ground before dumping it over all the contracts, then produced a lighter.

Master Heathrow, security in tow, appeared then.

“You wouldn’t dare,” he paused, his eyes flickering to where Mulberry was sitting on the ground.

Too late, Antonio realized what Master Heathrow was about to do before the demon leapt forward and snatched the puppet from the ground.

“Let him go!” Antonio screamed.

“Step away from the contracts and I will,” the demon huffed.

Antonio looked from the demon to Mulberry, who was struggling in the demon’s grasp. “FUCKING DO IT! MAKE THIS ASSHOLE PAY!” Mulberry shouted.

Antonio knew they were both dead. But this was his chance to be free, if only for a moment, and maybe some good would come from releasing everyone from the show.

He lifted the lighter, then dropped it. The contracts were alight seconds, the fire spreading quickly out of the chest and towards the edges of the tent.

Instantly, Antonio could feel the iron vice around his neck was gone.

“You—!” the demon began as the tent began to smoke, and while he didn’t seem to feel the heat, the guards did and ran outside.

 That gave Antonio a moment to leap forward to grab Mulberry.

The demon didn’t put up much of a fight, and while Antonio was glad to have the puppet back, they were both blocked in with a raging fire at their backs.

“Nowhere to run,” Master Heathrow grinned.

Antonio stood his ground, much to the demon’s surprise. “Hey Mulberry, didn’t I promise you a body?”

The puppet blinked before his eyes locked onto the demon’s. “You did.”

Antonio threw Mulberry at the demon.

“What the—? No…no! Get off me!” the demon screamed as Mulberry dug his tiny hands into the sides of Master Heathrow’s head, black blood pouring from each wound. Antonio was glad he’d remembered that Mulberry could latch onto any other vessel, including a demon, now that his contract was broken.

Master Heathrow screamed, but by then, the smoke was filling Antonio’s lungs. He collapsed, the world going dark as he watched a slithering, black form move from Mulberry’s head into the demon’s.

 ---

When Antonio came too, he almost puked at the sight of Master Heathrow staring down at him. He was sure he was in hell until the man spoke.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s Mulberry,” the puppet said. Except it wasn’t the puppet saying it, it was Mulberry’s soul inside Master Heathrow’s body. Apparently, once the transfer had been complete about an hour earlier, Mulberry, now in a human body, could easily carry Antonio out of the flames and to safety.

But the circus was no more; the carnies and guards had all fled as the fire spread to most of the tents before going out.

“What now?” Antonio asked.

Mulberry the Man shrugged. “We can always find another circus,” he grinned. “I think you’d make a pretty good Ringleader.”

Antonio laughed. “Friend, I never want to see another circus again.”

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OTHER BLOG HOP STORIES

Midnight Mission by Gina Fabio

Shadow Kissed by Ruth Sard

Dad by Katarina Gerlach

Act 1 by Angelica Medlin <<< YOU ARE HERE

Awakening (Part 2/3) by Barbara Lund

Spider Racing in the Rain by J Moore

Trick or Treat by James Roecourt

Diving Into Darkness by James Husum

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