Literary Fiction
Date Published: October 7th, 2018
Doe’s Circus, one of the last of its kind in Australia. Travelling across the country all year round, thousands of humans visit to revel in the tradition of Dagwood dogs, dodgem cars and the weekend prime time show.
Yet for the animals locked away in the small confines of the petting zoo, the circus is a neon-lit, human-infested nightmare.
Tormented by the ringmaster and his gang of tyrannical showmen, two pigs, a rooster and a sheep devise a plan to accomplish the impossible―escape the circus.
Excerpt
1:
The
sun sets on Doe’s Circus. Humidity evaporates from the night breeze as all the
lights ignite throughout the fairgrounds. Walt surveys the crowd as they
venture to the big tent in excitement to see the prime time show. Night-time,
from the pig’s countless observations, serves a higher order of enthusiasm for
the humans than daytime circus operations. Whether it's the tacky neon lights
or hypnotic carnival music, the humans skip around as if they've discovered a festive
utopia. When the arena is buzzing with a crowded house and the ringmaster can
be heard romancing the masses, Walt becomes ill with anxiety.
Excerpt 2:
Thousands
of humans, visiting from all across the country to ogle and fondle the animals
in their cages. Blinding, flashing lights. Music as mad as a March hare. The
game stalls are fixed and the food turns the humans loud and rough. The
showmen, all part of a petulant, foul-mouthed family, stink of cigarettes and
beer and represent the lowest rung of human society.
Being
an orphan of the circus his whole life, Walt was conscripted to be a sideshow
act along with an ensemble of various stolen animals. He refuses to accept that
he’ll die in Doe’s Circus. One day, he’ll escape.
About the Author
Michael Batchelor, born 1991, is an Australian author based on the Gold Coast, Queensland. He graduated from Griffith University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Communications and in 2015, published his first novel, The Red Chilli.
Michael’s greatest joy is to share his stories and ideas with the world.
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