The Curse of the Red Eyed Witch

Mr. Crow stood on the top step to his trailer and looked over his circus with a glint in his eye. Men and women were moving about doing their usual chores to get ready for tomorrow night's show. He spread his thin, scarecrow-like hands and arms wide and said, "All this is mine!"

He stepped down off the steps and strode toward the animal cages. His long, lean frame towered over most of the other circus people in his group. Mr. Crow knew they always made way for him. He felt as if he were their ruler. He decided who stayed and who went. People and animals feared him. That was exactly how he liked it he thought as he walked toward the lion cages. He stopped near the closest cage and looked in at the supposed "King of Beasts." The lion wouldn't even meet his gaze. This always made him feel as if he were the king of the beasts. He slipped his hands into his vest pockets and walked on to the next cage. Inside it was the jaguar. The animal lay in its cage without moving. Its breathing was shallow and labored. Its hip bones and the ribs stood out in stark contrast to the rest of its body. He grasped the bars of the cage and growled at the jaguar, "If you don't earn your keep you won't eat!" 

The jaguar didn't move. In frustration, Mr. Crow turned and walked towards the closest handler. "You there, I want that animal in the show tomorrow night! Get him in it or you're fired!"

The handler hurried over to the jaguar cage and started using the cattle prod to rouse the animal without any luck.

Mr. Crow made his rounds of the circus animals and the acts to be sure that everything would be ready for tomorrow night. He surveyed his "kingdom" as he called it.  Finally, he returned to his trailer, assured everything would be ready.

The next night the show started with a packed house. The bleachers surrounding the center ring were filled with men and women with their screaming children. Mr. Crow would never admit it but he secretly hated those little children. The mere sight of their wiggling, screaming, little bodies, with their little fingers that were always touching everything and always dirty, never failed to appall him. He surveyed all the people and spread his arms wide and yelled into the microphone, "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the greatest show on earth!" He scanned the crowd as he told them about the acts. He was talking about the dancing horses when he saw a pair of glowing red eyes peering from the back of the crowd. With the audience in the shadows, it was hard to make out any distinct features. He paused in his speech as he blinked. The eyes were suddenly gone. He looked at the people around the area where he had seen the eyes but no one seemed to have noticed. Mr. Crow resumed his speech introducing the clowns for the first act.

For the next hour he introduced act after act. He was waiting for the dancing horses to finish when the handler from the day before came up to him and said, "Boss, I have bad news. The jaguar just died. He won't be able to go on after the lion act."

Mr. Crow could feel his face grow hot with anger. The handler scuttled back away from him mumbling an apology. Soon the dancing horses were leaving the center ring and he walked back out to the center ring with his calm, controlled face in place once again. They finished the show minus the jaguar. He made a big demonstration of sadness when he announced the death of the animal. He knew it always tugged at the hearts of the crowd, and often times their wallets as well.

The ring master's sly grin spread across his face as he watched the crowd  start digging for their wallets and pocket books as they left. The glowing red eyes surfaced again before him. He shook his head and looked again. The eyes were gone.

"I must be getting addled in my old age. Tonight will be a very prosperous showing!" Mr. Crow said to himself.

That night after all the animals were bedded down and the lights were turned out , he sat on the edge of his bed. He stretched his arms above his head and gave a great yawn. He felt so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open as he got ready for bed. He slumped on the bed without even pulling the blankets over himself. The last thing he remembered was thinking he should pull the blankets up.