Carnival

(Micro Fiction) Selena felt something turn inside her, and she handed the rollie back to him without taking a puff.

Photo by Annie Hendrix

Jake took a pull off his spliff and offered it to Selena, then tilted his head back and blew the smoke at the moon. “Audience was dead tonight.”

“Band sounded great though.” Selena felt something turn inside her, and she handed the rollie back to him without taking a puff. She must have been imagining whatever that churning feeling was, because the mute egg inside her was far too young to kick or do any kind of acrobatics. She reached around her stomach and her bare arms touched the sequins she’d sewn to her leotard.

“You cold?” Jake put the spliff between his teeth, then took his jean jacket off and draped it over Selena’s shoulders. He didn’t look at her. He looked toward the camping trailer parked one hundred yards from the small circus tent pitched in the center of the moonlit field where Maggie sat reading in the lit window.

“What are your plans after this, Jake?” The egg inside her asked as she felt her mouth make shapes.

“I’ve got to get back tonight.”

“I mean once the tour’s over.”

“Me and Maggie are going to stay on the road.” He turned his gaze toward a dark spot on the ground and spat at whatever it was. Spilled ice cream, maybe blood. “Take gigs and busk, I guess.”

Selena nodded and imagined the mute egg inside of her. Hungry. “I’ll have to find a job.” She leaned over until her shoulder was touching Jake’s shoulder. He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

“Don’t worry about that right now. We’ve got plenty of time on the road.”

“About nine months.”

“Yeah.” Jake put the spliff out under the heel of his boot, then searched Selena’s soft brown eyes. “Nine months, I guess.”

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