Chapter 1 - It Begins with 'The Fool'

Oh yeah, I didn't mention my name before. My name is Clairissa Marie Gray. Everyone calls me Claire though. I live in Old Town, Maine. Not much going here except living with my aunt since my grandmother died. I do have very few friends here.

"Claire!" A girl with dyed dark hair with a hint of light brown growing out shows up and has features of a tall supermodel. "Hey, what are you doing afterschool today?"

I was about to go home just now but, "Nothing just the usual and I was thinking about going to the cafe just now."

"Okay, mind if I come too?"

"Umm, sure I guess." 

This is my best friend, Kathy Lawson. She's goes to school with me and in the same grade. She's one of the few people who I talked to since I moved here. She's gorgeous and everyone likes her or I can say almost since some of the girls are jealous just cause of her looks.

Kathy is also the first friend to accept who I am and talk to me almost everyday. At first, I thought she'd be the one of those snooty popular girl who doesn't want to associate with someone like me but, I was wrong at that time. I told her alot of things about how I feel and stuff I know and she listens. She doesn't laugh, get bored or anything about what I say. I'm glad she's there to talk to me and I felt that most people won't stand me. She doesn't even care what people say either which makes me want to be like her.

I'm jealous of Kathy. She has pretty much everything in her life. She's one of the most prettiest girls in the school, has a nice body, and really smart. She's an honors student plus student council vice-president.

Sometimes, I wonder why am I still around a Miss Perfect. I'm not like her and it's not like I'll be on the same path as her.

"Hey, why don't we go get Aiden and wait for him to come too? I think he'll come since he's not leaving yet until the coming weekend again." Kathy said grabbing my arm.

"O-okay. Should he be in gym today?"

"Yeah, he should be getting out the gym by now. Let's go." Kathy dragged me out of my classroom.

As we go down the hall and turned towards the gym. We saw some guys exiting and saw a familiar figure came out last.

"Hey sis. Hey Claire." He came to us.

"Hi Aiden, Claire and I are gonna go to the cafe. Will you come before you leave today?"

He thought for a moment. "Sure. I'll go with you girls for a bit. It's been a long time huh?"

Aidan looked me and I just couldn't help but just nod.

"Cool, I'm gonna take a quick shower first. Just wait for me in the hall by the locker rooms, 'kay?

"Okay!" Kathy said.

All I can do is nod.

Aiden Lawson is Kathy's older brother. He's a senior while we're juniors. He's been traveling every weekend straight afterschool to do his part-time job. He's a card dealer at the casino, which is a few hours away from here. All of us don't get to hangout together as much now that he's away every weekend.

I also have a crush on him since we first met. I just like flared light brown short hair and his brown eyes along with everything else. He's funny and knows how to make people comfortable. Thats what I like about him, but I never had the courage to confess to him.

He's popular and hot like his sister, had girlfriends and all but I never stood a chance with someone like him. I'm fine having him as my friend and I think it's better this way. And of course I didn't tell Kathy either, she might make fun of me.

As we waited, I noticed something is a little odd in the blue sky.

"Isn't today going to fog?" I asked Kathy.

"Fog? Really?" Kathy looked at me briefly and then looked up at the sky. "It's still nice today and I didn't hear fog from the radio this morning. But we always get foggy days during this season so, I don't see what's wrong." Kathy said.

"I don't know about wrong but, something is strange about this coming fog." I said to her as I looked up around the sky.

Kathy strugged and shook it off. "Speaking of coming, do you know what's coming today?"

"What is?" I asked as I didn't take my eyes of the sky.

"I heard that the circus is coming and opens tomorrow." Kathy said.

"What circus?" I turned and asked.

"Oh yeah, you didn't know since you moved. Before you moved, there's always a circus traveling in to this town every 5 years exactly on March 13th. The circus are made-up of gypsies from a faraway country and they have been around for centuries since the late 1900's or maybe way before that. There's many rumors about that circus too."

"I didn't know about it. What kind of rumors?"

Kathy gave me the eerie look trying to scare me."There has been rumors that people see things at night whenever it comes. There's even weird whispers which people say they are witches chanting spells. 5 years ago, there's also a girl around our age who went missing on the day after the circus left."

"What happened to her?" I asked, I never thought this could be anymore interesting.

"I don't even know. She just disappeared out of nowhere by witches or monsters. It remains a mystery, no one knows why." Kathy wondered herself and then shrugged it off.

"Yo!" Aiden crept behind Kathy and I got startled. "Speaking of mysteries, how come I'm not in this conversation?"

"You took long enough, you didn't take longer than you usually do in the shower." Kathy pushed Aiden playfully.

"Anyway, let's go for some coffee." Aiden put his arms around Kathy and me as we left school.

"I heard you two about that creepy circus people have been talking about." Aiden brings that subject up. "Are you two thinking about going?"

"Maybe." said Kathy.

"I really don't know." I said. I'm not sure if it's a good idea either.

"Why not?" He asked.

"I just have a strange feeling just now." I said.

"Well if you changed your mind, I'll go with you girls. It's not friday yet so, we'll go tomorrow after school." Aiden shook me in his arm.

I looked at his arm around me and to him. I thought to myself that this could be a chance to hangout with him and Kathy since it's been a long while.

"I guess I could go if it's you guys." I answered.

"Great! I'll ask my boys and people along too if you don't mind." Aiden acted like a excited little boy.

"Alright, just nothing crazy, okay?." Kathy said to him.

"Cross my heart." He promised with a smile.

I don't know why do I have to agree to this. I don't think I should go but I can't say 'no' to Aiden and Kathy is going too. I don't want to be a downer but, I shouldn't think about it.

After having a small visit at the cafe with Kathy and Aiden, we talked about little things which is pretty much ordinary. They even persuade me to come to the circus with them but I told them that I'd think about.

Soon we our way home before the fog came. In this town, it was strange that the fog usually appear during the late winter til spring every year. No one could explain this phenomena but it always had ever since I first moved here.

People around the neighborhood warns us never to wander the night of the fogs and so we always did. Before any fog came upon the town, I always walk with Kathy and Aiden since they live down the street away from me.

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That night, when I was falling asleep until I heard some noises.

I listened carefully as I sit up from my bed. I heard horses trotting outside along with small bells chiming. I wondered if it was that mysterious circus Kathy was just taking about.

I looked outside from my window but it was so foggy that I can't make out what passing by my house. I barely can see hooded figures along with horses pulling carriages with faded colors. Some are cages with animals like birds, monkeys, cats and others that I can't identify. 

One hooded figure who walked by turned his/her head towards me watching from my window. I hid to avoid being seen.

For someone reason, I felt afraid yet intrigued with awe. I felt drawn somehow like something is calling me.

I turned to my tarot cards and drawn the card of what will happen. I drew 'The Fool' card. I knew as I looked out at my window again and saw them leaving into the darkness. I know then, it was something out of the ordinary waiting for me.