What Lurks Between the Trees

by will_of_the_wisps

Summary:

"Rule #1: Don't go into the woods at night."

Lyra has lived in Wyoming for as long as she can remember.

But on one day, bringing her dog with her to the open basketball courts to play in the nearby city, she is stopped in her tracks by a local circus that has come to town and barricaded the streets: The Freak Circus of Horrors. And with the circus have come rumors: of people going missing, but more notably near the Duskmire Woods she lives next to.

"Rule #2: Don't look to the treeline when something speaks your name."

And when Lyra is invited to see the circus through a mysterious red ticket that ends up in her hands through a chance-meeting with one of the local freaks, she takes the chance to investigate for herself the newcomers and the forest to find whether the quiet life she once had is good as they say it is.

But the world she once saw and came to see through rose-tinted glasses… will only be grabbed and flipped upside down.

"Rule #3: Don't. Turn. Around."

Notes:

Please read this first before delving into the concept chapter! Thank you!

The music, “Wherever I Go,” is by OneRepublic.

Chapter 1: Author's Note: Introduction (PLEASE READ FIRST!)

(This cover art is done by yours truly!)

Theme Song for Story

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Hello, everyone!

I am Wisp! I will be your wonderful author for this experience.

First, we are going to go over some rules:

1. You MUST be 18+ to read this story! Neko, the creator of The Freak Circus, has explicitly stressed that for his work.
2. If you know The Freak Circus, be aware that the story you are about to read contains horror, blood, and similar themes. If this makes you uncomfortable, I highly suggest you find something else.
3. Please go support the original game, The Freak Circus, created by Neko with the support of his team behind him! They are the ones who inspired me to write this in the first place. :)

Note: This is currently only a concept for a story. You will be introduced to only two original characters who are integral to the tale and the beginning of the end, with mentions of the canon characters. You will be unexpectedly thrust into craziness you will not anticipate—and read an egregious act of survival and trial by fire. You will briefly get a taste of what this story could become and hints of what may have happened to the circus and its characters beforehand.

If you, dear readers of my work, enjoy what I put forth, and the reception is overwhelmingly positive, I may just continue this and make it a full-fledged story, adding additional tags in the future. That's not to say we won't be learning more about The Freak Circus characters by then. If you are curious about anything and have any questions, comments, praise, or critiques, I am all ears. It makes me a better writer!

Please enjoy:

ᱦ𐋏𐌀𐌕 𐌋𝖴𐌓𐌊𐌔 𐌁𐌄𐌕ᱦ𐌄𐌄ⵍ 𐌕𐋏𐌄 𐌕𐌓𐌄𐌄𐌔