"Agh! Alright, alright! Stop poking me…what day is it?"
"Never mind all that geek! Get going you know how the Ring Master doesn't like being kept waiting! Phew! You smell even more disgusting than usual! I guess that's one way to keep Ajax from killing you, he'd probably vomit his guts out before he could lay a hand on you…then you could lick it up for the rubes! Ha ha! Move it Geek!"

Charley prods you with a sharp stick periodically on your way to the Ring Master's trailer until you arrive at which point, Atlas stops the both of you.

"Stop! What business do the both of you have here?"
"Goddamnit you fuckin' one eyed freak! We go through this all the fucking time and its getting REALLY old! You just saw me come out of the Ring Master's trailer earlier today when he sent me to get the Geek, you know damn well what we're both doing here!"

Ignoring Charley's comments Atlas looks down at you and points.

"You may enter, but the Ring Master doesn't need to see you again, so you may not."
"Yeah, whatever enjoy the smell." Charley says and mumbles something to himself while leaving the area.

You barely make it up the little steps to the trailer, but you do. You're finally starting to gather your wits together; your head still hurts though and you've just realize you haven't had a drink yet. What a terrible feeling. You open the door.

"Close the door, you're letting all the sunlight in." the Ring Master orders from behind his desk. She's siting in his chair, but has her back turned to you.
"Uh you wanted to see me?"
"Of course…(Sniff sniff) you really haven't been taking care of yourself. If anything you've become even more repulsive than when I first took you in. Remember that day?"
"Um, yeah I think…no, no I don't. I mean kind of… I forget things."
"I'm not surprised; you're constantly drinking that swill Charley makes. I am surprised you haven't gone blind yet though. Oh well what you insist on doing to yourself is of little concern to me, all I require is your obedience. You are thankful for all I have provided for you aren't you?"
"Oh yeah. Sure I am."
"You seem to be one of the few nowadays then. There are some though that are ungrateful for things I've done for them, they plan to betray me and everything this carnival stands for. They plan to change the natural order of things. Can you imagine what might happen to this carnival if I wasn't here? What might happen to you?"

You attempt to think about this scenario, but instead you just stand there because you can't really form anything in your mind because it hurts really bad, you've been sober too damn long, and it's about to get even longer as the Ring Master seems intent on bombarding you with talk as he finally swivels around in her chair. That pale androgynous face of the Ring Master's is displaying a look of seriousness as usual.

"Nothing good I can assure you. Which is why I'm putting YOU in charge of this task."
"Huh? What task?"
"Why ensuring the survival of the carnival of course."
"What!? Me?! Why? How!? I'm not qualified! Can't you or Charley do it?"
"I fear I've done all I've can. I mean I've provided all of THIS to everyone here. I've given them purpose and a life. If that isn't enough for them, then my words aren't going to make a difference at this point. And as for Charley, well…I'm sure even in your usual state of drunkenness you're aware that he has his own plans for this carnival."
"I guess…but agh, it's too early for all this…why me? I mean what am I supposed to do? I'm just the Geek."
"Yes, and that's exactly why I'm choosing you. You have no motive, you have no agenda, you have no friends, and as such you would probably be the best candidate to convince others to resist change and keep the status quo."
"You have to be joking! Nobody's going to listen to me! I'm the fucking Geek!"
"You might be surprised, you have far more potential than you give yourself credit for…perhaps you'll even change some perspectives, or maybe not. The choice is yours, because the fate of THIS carnival is resting solely on your actions, you can no longer afford to hide from the world in a bottle and a cage if you wish to keep your current life. It is time for you to take some responsibility, its time to repay the debt you owe me. You have until show time."
"But…"
"Now leave me, I wish to be alone."

The Ring Master swivels his chair back to its original position. You head back outside, where upon Atlas blocks it again with his massive body.

Never before in your life have you been put in this kind of position of responsibility, (Not that you can remember anyway) but you're going to have to do something, the question is what exactly?

You run away!

This is all just too much for you; you don't want to be any part of this. You do what you've always done all your life; run away leaving the carnival behind. Nobody goes looking for you, not even the Ring Master. Geeks like you are a dime a dozen. They can get another one.

You take up "residence" in the nearest town, begging for money for booze and sleeping in the park. The townsfolk are a little less tolerant of the likes of you than the Carneys were though and besides they already have town drunks that they know and love. You're treated worse than you were at the Carnival if such a thing were possible. At least there you served somewhat of a purpose; here you're just a drain on the community.

One night the town's drain is solved when you're beaten and set on fire by the local young punks.