Copyright –John Nixon
At the bottom of the tower, in a vast, dusty room lived the forgotten circus acts. Everyday they’d hope to be called. They never were.
Keeping each other entertained was challenging! The giant, clockwork mouse would sit frozen beneath the window, until the clown wound him up with his big key… or bad jokes!
Someone had dumped a piano in with them, Harrods had to get rid of them apparently, this one was saved by the Ringmaster.
The clown stood over the keys, he wanted to play but… the piano had other ideas.
“Encore, Encore!” Mouse cried without thinking!
awritersfountain 
Fantastic 😀
Thanks… Only took 3 edits! For the 1st time I struggled to write 100!
Bizarrely striking. Well done.
Thanks Sandra – it was such a bizarre prompt – seemed fitting! 😉
And you got the big key in too – one of the few Fictioneers to do so, I think.
Would I be terribly boring to mention that Ringmaster should be one word?
Not at all – thanks for the edit note. I was so tired when I wrote this, I struggled on trying to find 2 extra words in my 3rd edit to make it to 100 – wish I’d mentioned the stage lights! I have yet to read the others as I have just got in. Glad you enjoyed the read and oooohhhh (the noise of delight) at using some shadow that others didn’t.
Wonderfully imaginative, I love the idea of abandoned circus acts holed up together!
Thanks Trudy, I would never have thought about this setting without the picture!
I wasn’t sure what to do with that key. I am glad someone took the plunge, although i am sure the clown is not happy he did.
Yeah I don’t think the clown is happy at all, poor chap! Maybe the world inside the piano works out okay for him… I got the key idea way before the rest of them! Funny how that happens… because my instant reaction was panic (over the clown legs hanging out of a piano) so I searched the photo for something else and spotted the shadows!
I loved the last line – poor silly mouse!
That made me smile, thanks for the read.
Different and enjoyable, Neens.
janet
Thanks Janet – glad to be different 😉 just like the clown’s golfing outfit! I think a club member may have thrown him through the piano to be fair!
Nothing like throwing a wind-up mouse in with a group of washed-up circus clowns–can’t possibly predict what will happen.
Who’d have thought!
i love the little world you created there… and what an ending ^^ enjoyed it
Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
It’s like the Island of Misfit Toys, darling … how wonderful!
That’s not a place a know – but it certainly seemed like a bizarre place for these toys to be! Glad you liked it.
Awww..so sad.
Thanks for the read. Dark humour I would say. Like Toy Story Through the Looking Glass!
Oh wow! The ending is great! Oops. Uh oh, little mousey. This reminded me of the Valley of Lost Toys (from the Christmas special. Do you know which one I mean?)
Not aware of Valley of the Lost Toys either. I had a subverted Toy Story in my head… Dark like the neighbour boy (is it Todd?) who remakes toys using bits from each toy.
Well, that works!! It’s kind of like that. I think what I’m really thinking of is called “The Land of Misfit Toys.” Rudolf fits in there because of his red nose. Does that ring a bell?
No, I really haven’t seen it. Helena mentioned it earlier ^ but I’m glad readers have these tangible hooks to make my story easier to see/imagine. The photo with it’s giant shadows reminded me of toys. The possibility of a clown or a golfer in a piano can become a reality. It came from there. Was free written so I had no real idea where it was going.
I just think it’s comical to remember these other scenes. And, personally, I think they were brilliant! So, brilliant for you to come up with this, even more so, since you haven’t seen them. Really well done!
Thanks for such a compliment. I thought the photo set was funny. I was expecting it to be a little dark … After all there’s a man inside the piano!
Bitter sweet little tale!
Thanks for reading it Hannah. Bitter sweet sums it up perfectly.
This struck me as sad at first, with all those forgotten circus acts gathering dust — and then I had to laugh with your line about the “piano had other ideas”! Watch out for those pianos!
I wrote it as a funny little flash – definitely dark comedy though.
Dear Neens,
Stellar imagery with the dusty room for forgotten circus acts. You set the tone. Nicely done.
shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks Rochelle, for such a great compliment.