The Circus Master Pt. 06

The Fire-Witch hissed and jabbered. The Circus Master bellowed. Thunderous boom rumbling like a lion's roar -- shaking the forest air. Sophie careered headlong down the slope, chasing after her own feet as they plunged off into the darkness. Stumbling before the road and sprawling across the concrete. Hands and knees banging and grazing, but she twisted into a roll to keep the momentum flying forwards. A glimpse of the Circus Master's monstrous figure silhouetted against the fiery glow on the crest of the slope. His hat had come off and twists of dark hair spiked out like horns over his head. He was coming after her!

She dashed through the camp. Her panic hurdling as a lioness burst out of the marquee doorway and sprinted towards her. Sophie veered hard right, but the predator was closing to intercept. Prey bracing for the pounce, but the lioness' leash-chain pulled taut just out of range. A flail of claws slashing across Sophie's shoulder, nearly getting hold of her billowing jacket, but she dodged clear and kept running. Hurtling back into the woods, towards the distant festival.

Brambles scratching forearms like grasping claws, but she tore through their clutches. Low body moving at speed, ducking under the grab of the thorny branches. Undergrowth and scrubs coming thick and fast, out of the night. Arms fending them away from the face, but a swishing lash of thin wood across the cheek. Ignoring the attacks and accelerating to top speed. All her blood burning in the adrenaline of the chase. The wild excitement of running and being pursued. The clutch of primal fear! No need to look back: can feel his timeless presence behind... pursuing... catching up... drawing closer... ever closer.

She knew she needed to run faster, but was already pumping full-tilt and there was nothing more to give. Everything was pitch black and the darkness threw things in her face as it zipped past. The ground undulating maliciously. Her foot dropping down a small crevice felt like falling off a cliff. Tumbling forward into the dirt, but rolling with it. Glancing a flash of darkness moving in the darkness behind. Could smell the scent of blood in his nostrils. Her hands and feet pushing off the soil as she scrabbled up and bounded on.

Not sure whether she was still heading towards the festival -- running blind through the night with wild abandon. Undergrowth crackling underfoot as she belted along. Could feel him gaining on her, though -- sense his presence drawing around hers. Don't look back! Could see him clearly in her imagination anyway. Propelling along on his powerful legs, abs clenching, muscles cranking, chest pumping. Terrifying mask of a face flying in front, black-magic eyes fixed on the desperate, little creature scurrying before him. Their auras merging together in the darkness, hearts beating as one. The wild flow of life. The electricity of fear. His magical gravity warping the space and time around her, pulling her back to him.

He whispered a spell and a tree thrust out its root to trip her. She flew through the air and rolled down a slope. An angry sizzle of nettles stinging all around her legs, tumbling body splashing into a shallow stream. Stones and cold water spiking and shocking her bottom half. She struggled to her feet and scrambled up the slope. He burst from the night to leap over the stream in one long bound. Ghoulish white jaw flashing out of the darkness a couple of meters to Sophie's left. She twisted her body and veered away, but could feel his pounce gliding through the air behind.

His arms catching around her waist and thighs... and bringing her down. Body slamming onto the dirt, elbow pick-axing the ground, soil billowing up into her mouth and nose. And the feel of his teeth sinking into her flank, biting through dress and panties and into the buttock, clenching hard. Prey screaming wild in the sharp, shooting pain. His incisors releasing grip as a strong hand grabs the top of her panties and rips downwards. Tearing them away, and scuffing her dress, to leave her bare behind waggling.

She thrusts a hip forward, but his teeth coming down again: biting into her ass like a juicy slab of meat. Squealing, wriggling and squirming... a roll of her twisting flesh clamped in his jaws. Digging nails into the dirt to claw away... and him just letting her go. Sprawling and falling upwards in her desperation to escape. Finding her feet, but panties twisting around the ankles like manacles and tripping her to tumble forwards. Flashes of muscular body looming over as she rolls.

Landing on her back, she pulls the panties off an ankle to free her legs. His demonic mask swooping down, but she twists and stamps upwards. The sole of her shoe connecting flat and heavy on his side of his face, fending him off with force. Could hear the air hissing out of his gaping mouth -- glinting with glee like the gaseous ignition of explosive laughter. She rolled sideways, but a shoe wobbled off as she tried to find feet, collapsing her into an awkward squat.

Coming from behind, he looped his arms around her waist and plucked her into the air. Legs swinging high, shoe hurtling off into the darkness. She kicked out frantically as he swirled them around, limbs flailing until her foot made contact with a tree. Driving off it to thrust them both backwards. He rotated to absorb the momentum and placed her feet back on the ground. Quick as a flash, his arms switched positions, curving his body to re-wrap her waist. Squeezing tight as he cranked his trunk to lift. Her legs flying up sideways as she spun head-over-heels -- the same rotational motion as experienced on the wheel. He released his grip when she was upside-down, flinging with enough force to whirl her 360 degrees... landing back on her feet like a surprised cat.

He grabbed the tuft of her feathered jacket to swing them face-to-terrifying-face. Sweat on his war-paint, fire in his wild eyes, elation in his mad Joker-grin. Sophie returned his snarl with the primal aggression of a cornered animal. His hands came down to clutch her dress by the bosom. Wrenching the straps off and tearing her clothing asunder in a glitter bomb of mermaid scales. Dress peeling off her body like fish-skin. Now stripped down to her bra and jacket, tangled panties clutching around her one remaining shoe.

The naked adrenaline exploded and she flew on the crest of it, springing onto his torso and biting into his chest, just above the nipple. Snarling her whole face into the clench, digging the enamel in as deep as she could. His loud bark of a laugh expressed both pleasure and pain, raising his head to the sky like a wolf howling at the heavens. He embraced her and dropped back onto the ground, pulling Sophie down on top of him. She kept her carnivorous mouth-hold, writhing her whole body and growling as she twisted his flesh in her teeth -- trying to tear a piece off.

He rolled sideways to mount her, but kept the momentum going to bring her back to the top. And the tumble continued, their brawling bodies locked together as they bowled along forest floor. Sophie biting and scratching and hissing. The Circus Master's rumbling growl undulating hungrily as he threw her light frame about in his hands. She tore free and leapt clear, onto all fours. Hand grabbing around a thorny bramble as she scrambled to escape. He pounced on her back, wrapping his body to enclose hers. Could feel his fierce erection straining against his trousers and pressing into her buttocks.

She thrust her head up, as if trying to stay above water, but his jaws closed around the scruff of her neck and drove her back down. Face splatting into the dirt. She squirmed and twisted, thrusting her ass back into him and smearing her buttocks around his hard cock. He bit lightly, relying on his weight to trap her below him. The feel of his rough chin nuzzling against her neck. His growl both panting and purring, tickling her trembling skin. Could taste his dragon-fire breath. There was no escape. His steely body caged around hers. She stopped resisting. A little trill of excitement fluttering in the fear -- a butterfly in Mordor.

He released his hold and stood to tower above. She took a deep breath and looked up. His posture was relaxed, wearing a solemn expression as he offered his hand. She took it and was pulled to her feet. A strange, trance-like eye-contact. She was bleeding, from the handhold of thorns, and blood from her palm smudged onto his. He could smell it and brushed a swipe of crimson across each of her cheeks, smiling softly as he licked his fingers clean. Maybe the hammering of her heart wasn't fear? Loose knuckles pushed gently under her chin.

'It will all be right... again... Little Bird. We are One... a part and apart. As ever before, as ever after. No need to count the times. There are not numbers.' He cocked his head and glazed his eyes. 'So just sleep.' As her body crumpled he lowered his. Easing her onto his broad shoulder and heaving her into a fireman's lift. Her lids flittering closed. Darkness falling into darkness... and embracing.