The dance of the will-o'-the-wis (corrected language)

So that's where they put poor Zdorc, in that damned cage in the circus of the malformed, the disenfranchised, Nature's unloved. Money, money, always money they wanted, the bosses of the itinerant raft, this band of profiteers, of soul bleeders. Bigger clowns, uglier monsters, sleazier shows.

Zdorc, the dwarf, abused, mistreated, like a beast that's been turned inside out. He was nothing more than a pawn, a piece of meat, a show, an act, an attraction for the gogos, the peasants, the Sunday onlookers who came to get a cheap thrill. A dwarf is always good to see, it makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it makes little girls shiver, it makes drunkards dream.

In the cage, Zdorc, his eyes crinkled like a beaten dog, his hair a mess, his face chiselled by wind, dirt and years of mistreatment. They made him jump, turn, grimace for the crowd, eyes wide, mouths open, fat laughter echoing like slaps in the heavy, oozing air of the big tent.

All he had was a doll, a piece of rag he called Mimi, the only friend he had in this world of bullies, the only one who didn't look at him with disgust, who didn't laugh at him, who didn't mistreat him. They had given him once to make him laugh, to make him cry, to make a good show. Zdorc, on the other hand, had taken her, held her close and never let her go. She was his treasure, his princess, his piece of happiness in this shitty world.

So there, in that cage, in front of all those people, Zdorc held Mimi close to him, looked at those mocking faces, those greedy eyes, and lost himself in Mimi's eyes, those button eyes, those soulless eyes but so much softer than those of her tormentors.

"It's time, Zdorc, time for the show!" shouted the Monsieur Loyal, whip in hand, smile on lips, gaze as cold as ice. And Zdorc would get up, take a deep breath, and get ready to dance, to jump, to wince, again and again, for these people, these monsters who laughed, who applauded, who threw coins at him like a beggar. And Zdorc danced, and Zdorc jumped, and Zdorc grimaced, with Mimi clutching him, as if to protect himself, as if to survive, as if to forget, just for a moment, the circus, the monsters, the cage, the whip, the look in those people's eyes, and see only Mimi, and lose himself in her soulless eyes, so much sweeter than all the rest.

There's this sinister cracking sound, like stepping on a snail shell. That's Zdorc's leg, I tell you! This damned cage, these damned tricks, these increasingly vicious shows. Zdorc falls, the crowd howls, the laughter dies down. You can see the pain in his eyes, deeper than the Marianas pit, rawer than black pudding.

"Zdorc! You piece of shit!" bellowed the circus boss, red as a boiled lobster, veins swollen like cables, eyes shot with anger. He approached, whip in hand, mustache quivering with fury. "You're ruining the show, you're ruining the business!"

Zdorc's eyes were misty with tears, pain gnawing at his stomach, his heart, his guts, like a rat in a sack of wheat. He held Mimi to him, tighter, as if that would stop the pain, as if that would stop the whip.

The boss stepped forward, the crowd holding its breath. Zdorc trembled, his gaze fixed on the whip, sweat running down his face. "Beg forgiveness, Zdorc!" the boss shouted, his voice thundering, the echo reverberating in the silent tent. "Beg forgiveness!"

Zdorc opened his mouth, pain taking his breath away, fear twisting his stomach. "I... I..." And then the whip would snap, nail the air, nail Zdorc's flesh, the crowd would hold its breath, and Zdorc's scream would be lost in the night, in the circus, in the show.

The whip cracked again and again, the boss howled, the crowd watched, and Zdorc wept, clutching Mimi to him, pain crushing him like a mountain, despair drowning him like an ocean.

And then silence. The boss walked away, whip trailing behind him, the crowd catching its breath, murmurs rising like a wave. And Zdorc was there, in the cage, pain making him tremble, blood staining the floor, Mimi clutched to him, eyes fixed on the distance, as if looking for a little hope, a little gentleness, a little respite from this cruel world.

In the darkness of the damn tent, the silence grew heavier, more crushing. Zdorc, our battered dwarf, was still clutching Mimi, his battered doll, to his chest. He sobbed half-heartedly, whispering the name of his only friend in the dead of night. And then, the miracle happened.

With a sudden shimmer, Mimi seemed to come to life. Not as a woman, no, but as a light, a spark, a kind of will-o'-the-wisp dancing in the cage, devouring the gloom. Zdorc froze, dazzled, amazed, terrified.

That light was Mimi, without a shadow of a doubt. She was swaying, swirling, an aerial dancer, a comet locked in the cage. "Mimi..." breathed Zdorc, his voice broken with emotion, his eyes riveted on the unreal scene playing out before him.

Then the boss, that shabby tyrant, appeared, whip in hand, cold anger in his eyes. He had heard Zdorc's whisper, seen the strange light. "What the hell?" he spat, his voice rumbling like thunder in the night.

And then Mimi turned to Zdorc. Her soft, warm light caressed the poor dwarf's face, erasing for a moment the pain, the humiliation, the fear. Zdorc shuddered, his eyes filled with tears. Mimi, his only friend, his protector, was offering him one last gift.

In a flash of dazzling whiteness, Mimi seemed to plunge into Zdorc's heart, her will-o'-the-wisp fading into his chest. Zdorc's body lit up, an unearthly glow that pierced the night, dazzled the boss, terrified the assembly.

And then it was over. The light faded. Zdorc fell backwards, his body lifeless in the cage. His face wore a peaceful, almost happy smile. Mimi, his friend, his will-o'-the-wisp, had stolen his soul, freed him from this prison of flesh and bone, taken him away from this circus of horror, away from this life of suffering.

In the silence of the night, under the bewildered gaze of the boss, Zdorc's soul had flown away, free and light, carried by Mimi's will-o'-the-wisp, towards gentler skies, towards softer places. In this cruel world, in this infernal circus, Zdorc had finally found peace.