Circus Life

Wendy sat in the corner of the room, going through the drawers of the desk she claimed when she first came to work for the company. Who knew it would take her three months to get around to actually using it?

"I don't think anyone's been in this desk in about a century," she said, coughing a little at the acrid smoke that filled the room. Her fellow mechanics had set up a folding table at the far end of the work bay and were currently placing opening bets on a round of five card stud.

"Just let me know if anything alive crawls out of there. I've always wanted a pet," Lou called, cigar dangling from one corner of his mouth. He turned to Pinkie. "Two for me."

"Will do," Wendy replied as she hefted a pile of papers out of the bottom left drawer and onto her desk. Just then, something caught her eye. Scribbled on the back of a bookmark, she read the most interesting thing...

         The circus is dead. Pg. A4

Intrigued, Wendy pulled a yellowed newspaper from the stack and flipped to the page. Her eyes widened as she read the headline. "Hey guys, listen to this. It's a headline from 2041. It says..."

"Are you really gonna bore us with ancient history, Wen? I'm trying to win some money here." Angie shouted. "Three cards." Pinkie obliged her request.

"Let her talk, Angie, jeez. She's the only one actually doing something productive anyway. And she brought us these yummy doughnuts," Lou said as he plucked a chocolate iced confection from the box in front of him. Angie snorted and turned her attention back to her cards.

Wendy continued. "It says, 'Federal judge sides with PETA on animal rights case; all circus animals to be freed'."

"What's PETA?" Lou asked.

Jordan jumped in then. "Wait, there used to be real animals at the circus?"

"I guess so," Wendy replied scanning the rest of the article. "It says here that they used to have real lions and bears and elephants even, but those PETA people - looks like they were some kind of activists supporting the rights of the animals - they started protesting and saying the animals were being mistreated."

Jordan slammed a fist down on the table. "Those damn animal rights people took all the fun out of the circus! Think about how great it would be with actual animals. Not like the crap we peddle now."

Angie laughed. "Those damn animal rights people gave us all jobs, remember?"

"Yeah and who's to say they weren't right?" Pinkie said, grabbing a doughnut for himself. "Maybe the circus shouldn't have been using real animals as gimmicks. That's exploitation right there. Three aces." He laid his cards on the table.

"I'm not sayin' I'm not glad I have a job." Jordan threw his cards away. "I fold. But wouldn't there be a certain, I don't know...majesty to a circus with real animals? I don't understand why people still come."

"To see silly people doing silly things and to stuff their faces with cotton candy and peanuts, of course." Wendy said.

"Well I still think it's a sham. And I think it'd be cool to work with animals."

"You do work with animals," Wendy said. "They're just made with gears and oil instead of flesh and bone. And besides, I like my grizzlies."

"You can think whatever you want, Jordan." Angie laid a straight on the table with a smirk. "Just don't go spreading your weird ideas around. I want to keep my job."

"And you're gonna need to, Angie," Lou said, holding up two kings and three fours. "Because you're losing all your money at poker."


Word Count: 620