Snippet #1513219

A steaming mist swirled over the waters of the Acheron. The air hung with only a distant sound, like a buzzing almost, but indistinct, coming from the high walls at the far side of the river which were obscured by the dense fog. The only other sound was the bubbling of the murky waters.

Through the mist a silhouette of a boat appeared, with a cowled figure standing, rowing slowly to the shore. Charon stepped off onto the dead grass which lined the banks. In front of him, the never ending queue of miserable humans who stood quivering with various degrees of trepidation as to their fate in the underworld. Some of them stared at the ground, their minds tuned out and driven mad with confusion and fear, but most of them fixed their eyes on the boatman as he strode up the bank.

To their surprise, he walked right past them and further up the bank, onto a ridge. He’d heard the rumours; as solitary as his existence was, he heard a lot from the various supernatural beings who passed by the river, or the demons on the far side who ventured away from Hades on their travels.

From atop the ridge, he saw in the distance that the rumours were true. A few fields away, standing tall and sinister, was the Cauchemar Circus. Perhaps the last sight anyone would expect to see so close to the gateway to the nine circles of hell. A smile crossed Charon’s wasted, bony face. The famous Cirque De’Laire and her travelling troupe of freaks and unnatural creatures with unnatural talents. They had been the talk of the underworld for a long time. But Charon had been around for much, much longer, and he certainly had no interest in going to partake in such base entertainment. Maybe sprites and faeries would be amused by such petty acts...

But Charon had a different idea in mind. Cirque had risen to fame too quickly. It was about time somebody forced her to put her claims to the test. She thought she could guarantee a fright for everyone who saw the show? Let’s see how she fares with an audience of men and women who were already doomed to the fires of hell...