The Lone Wolf

"Roll up, roll up, the circus is in town!"

The words are forever etched in my mind. I turn the ticket over in my hands thoughtfully as I read the same words. Circuses have always brought me so much joy. Hell, this one's even called "Cirque de Joie".

I think back to my times as a child, going to the circus with ma and pop. The bizarre sideshows, the amazing acrobatics...I loved it all. But what I loved the most was the showmanship. It was truly second to none.

What happened to those days? The circus, one of America's greatest pasttimes...no, THE greatest pasttime. Nowadays it's nothing more than a memory, a halfhearted emulation of the wonder that it once was. All I see are abandoned lots, ghosts of circuses past. Circuses are dead.

I take another look at the ticket, then look up at the sight before me. This is the right place, is it not? It looks utterly derelict, an empty husk of what was once surely a magnificent circus grounds. Yet, I feel an odd sense of calm and peace wash over me. It's just me and the circus, alone in the world.

I venture into the funhouse, with its array of mirrors. The circus may be defunct, but at least this is one thing that's been untouched by the wheels of time. As I gaze at my warped body, I glimpse a shape whisk by behind me. And then another, and then another. Curiously, I peek out of the funhouse and notice that the circus is slowly starting to fill up. I see the looks of disappointment on everyone's faces as they notice how run-down this place is, even after how touted it was on the publicity.

I step back out into the fresh air, and start to follow one of the intruders. A man trespassing on what was my circus just minutes ago. The oaf hardly seems to notice. Am I that silent, or is he that stupid? I begin to wonder why I'm actually following him, but deep down I know. Deep down, I am doubtless. I reach my hand into my pocket and feel the cold kiss of steel against my hand. I feel a small cut form on my fingertip as I brush against the razor-sharp blade, but I do not flinch. I take my hand out of my pocket and lick it off. I swallow and close my eyes. It's been so long since I've felt this sensation. But I cannot resist it anymore. This circus has brought it out of me, what had been suppressed for so long. I open my eyes and reach back down into my pocket, forming a tight grip around the knife's handle.

And so began a night unlike any other. One night that would change everything for those lucky enough to survive. Whenever you breathed you could taste the blood and smell the death. And yet all the while, through the fire, blood, and glorious pain, my mind kept coming back to the same phrase.

"Roll up, roll up, the circus is in town!"

The Goon

Boss never said it'd be easy, that's for damn sure.

But this magnitude of people? This might be harder than I thought. I just gotta keep reminding myself: these ain't people, they're maggots. Fucking filthy maggots, wriggling pathetically around these circus grounds. And ain't no one gonna miss these sad sacks when they're all gone. Hell, we'll be doing them a favor.

They are many, that's for sure. An...eclectic group as well. But nevertheless, they will fall. One by one, they will fall. And the funniest part is that none of them will even see it coming. The show is only about to begin.

I look out at all of the unsuspecting souls as they file in, their looks of anxious anticipation soon turning into ones of plain disappointment. Just wait 'til they see what's next.

I walk into their midst and make my way across the grounds. To them, I'm nothing but another face in the crowd. I look over my shoulder and make sure no one's watching I take a sharp turn down a small alleyway. I wade through the knee-deep grass...and wade some more, until finally I reach a the outer fence, and climb through a small hole.

And then I see it. That dim light in the distance. That smiling bastard. I walk and walk some more until it fully comes into view: a gigantic clown's head. Light is illuminating it from inside, so much light that it looks like it's breathing fire. And in its flaming mouth stands a small group of silhouettes. I rejoin my brethren as we meet for the last time before the sun sets. And when the lights go out, the games will begin.

The Circusgoer

"A left at the 7-Eleven, then a couple miles down the dirt road."

Simple words, yet that single sentence changed my life more than any other.

First off, that was far more than a 'couple' miles. That shit was ten...fifteen miles at least. Hard to gauge distance when there's trees in every direction. As the sky began to gleam red behind the tops of the trees and the world began to darken, I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever find this place. Yet about a minute later, I caught my first glimpse. My first glimpse of this wretched place.

Oh, it wasn't wretched at the time. Admittedly, I was mostly happy to see something that wasn't another goddamn pine tree. But I do also have to admit: these are some beautiful circus grounds. Despite that, I couldn't shake off the fact that they were located all the way out in the middle of damn nowhere. How would anyone know to come out here?

That line of thought soon ceased when I pulled in closer and noticed all the other cars parked outside the grounds. Whatever the case, it seemed they had gotten their turnout after all.

"A left at the 7-Eleven, then a couple miles down the dirt road."

The man had practically shoved the ticket into my hand. It reeked of desperation. Courteously, I took the ticket and told him I'd think it over, but deep down I knew what'd happen. I always was a big softy. Gotta help out the little guy, you know? All I gotta do is stop at a circus and enjoy myself for a few hours. Hardly a steep price to pay.

I shuffled into the surprisingly bustling circus grounds. So many people but...where were all the workers? Where were all the festivities?

Well, I'd have my answer soon. Only, the festivities weren't exactly the type that any of us were expecting, to say the least. We turned on each other like animals. By the end, no one's hands were clean. By the end, every path was clogged with corpses. Tonight's main attractions would be murder, mayhem, and madness. The circus was in town, and it was only just beginning.

You were stranded on Devil's Island



You checked into the Comfort Inn



You rode the Wendigo Express



You escaped from Black Creek



And now...





















You're invited to Cirque de Joie




Welcome to And Then There Were Scum V: Cirque de Joie!

Hosted by Curtis and Carter




This is a regular Mafia game. The game will be entirely anonymous, and each of you will be playing as a made up character on another board. The more in character that you are, the more entertaining the game will be for everyone, so we encourage you to come up with something you enjoy playing.

We're looking for an unlimited number of active players. To sign up, add your name below.

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etc.

Send us your character info throughout the week. Either PM it to myself or Boc or both. All you need to send is your characters name, a brief description, and a photo. Make sure they're made up characters please. If you can't think up a character, you may PM us and we'll give you three character choices that you can choose from.

The game will start Monday, October 27th. Registration and pregame will start the day before.