Some (likely very few) of you might know of a place called “Gandini’s Circus”. It was an old circus camp that was left abandoned in the middle of the woods. I’m sure you can find more information about it online but I didn’t do much research on it (although maybe I should have.)
I randomly stumbled upon it while trying to find locations for a horror movie i was planning on writing. It would be a fun place to explore, and it seemed to have exactly what I was looking for in a location. I wrote down the address in my phone, planning to drive up there on the weekend.
Friday night, I decided to prepare for the next day by throwing all my camera gear, a headlamp, and my Swiss Army knife (just in case) into a backpack. I planned to do a few test shots, try to find some areas for a good jumpscare, and maybe even grab a souvenir to take home. Feeling satisfied that tomorrow was gonna be awesome, I laid down and fell asleep to YouTube.
Then, some time after I fell asleep, I dreamed about the circus. I dreamed about exploring the rotten remains of a crumbling, fading memory, all while being silently observed by whispers of the past. It was peaceful in a way. I could smell the popcorn and hear the laughter of children long since gone, and it felt almost magical. But all of a sudden there was something else. A gut feeling. The feeling that tells you, “this is your last chance to start running”. I froze. Why couldn’t I move??? Please, no no no no n- “Too late.”, my gut informed me, just as the loud snap of a twig outside my window woke me up.
I immediately turned on my light and, to my surprise, nothing was there. I was wheezing like i had just run a mile, and I couldn’t help but start crying. It felt like my safety had been violated by some unknown and terrifying creature and it was out to get me now. It was the kind of raw, scalding hot, unadulterated fear that I hadn’t experienced since I was a child.
But, as all feelings eventually do, the dread faded and eventually shriveled up into nothingness. It was now replaced by curiosity. I had to find out what it was that made me feel terrified for my own life like that. Filled with a weird kind of determination, I fell back asleep and had another dream (this one about pear husbandry in space.)
When I woke up the next morning, I was determined to explore Gandini’s Circus. That nightmare had awoken something in me. Call it morbid curiosity, call it stupidity, call it bravery, I was exploring this pile of metal, wood, and bright rainbow paint and nothing could stop me.
By the time I was ready and had started the car, I had that feeling again. Almost involuntarily, I turned off the car and took the keys out of the ignition. No. I’m going to do this. I need to prove to myself that I can face my fears. I banished the feeling and started the car again.
As I was driving down the road to the circus, I noticed how cloudy the sky was. But I couldn’t give up, no matter how much the dark grey clouds in the distance threatened to storm.
I’m here now, sitting in my car, and it’s starting to rain. I thought it’d be smart to write some of this down just in case I don’t make it out; but that’s enough stalling. Time to get to business.
As I open my door, I’m greeted by the gentle sound of raindrops falling on the pavement and slapping the leaves of the trees in front of me. I grab my backpack and sling it around my shoulders as I gingerly make my way towards what I hope to just be a normal abandoned circus in the middle of the woods.
The rainclouds continue to drift along, covering the sun and making the world look grey. The first thing i see is a disheveled bus, it’s frame being the only thing seemingly untouched by time. As I get closer, I notice that the bus is filled with trash, broken furniture, leaves, dirt, and is caked with spray-painted graffiti. I decide to clear some of the debris out of the bus and discover that a message on the floor says “LooK UP!”. I follow the vandal’s directions and see another message that makes my heart sink.
“ThIS IS JusT THE BEGiNNING”