Jane sat at her vanity putting on her makeup while Robert lounged on her bed.
“You know what I miss?” he asked, looking at the ceiling.
“What?”
“I miss traveling with the carnival. Wasn't that fun? Trains. Animals. Different towns every week. Hootchie coochie girls. All that good diner food.” Robert sighed.
“Oh god, Bobby! For the last time, Ray Bradbury did not base the character Dark in Something Wicked This Way Comes on YOU.” Jane said without pausing in her mascara application.
“He did so! You're just too stubborn to admit it. I'm Dark and you're the Dust Witch. It couldn't be clearer. We were living in that fantastic wagon with the velvet drapes and the feather bed. I KNOW you remember the feather bed.” Robert waggled his eyebrows around.
“Don't change the subject. You were not the tattooed man and you weren't the magician so how could Dark be based on you? The Dust Witch never speaks and, as you enjoy pointing out to me, I never shut up. And I don't remember the outhouse being particularly luxurious.” Jane started rooting through her jewelry box, looking for earrings.
“You're such a snob. How about the part where the Dust Witch goes up in the hot air balloon? You know that came from our show. And you wore that whole get-up with the mantilla. You looked good too. You should go back to black hair, it makes you look exotic and mysterious.” Robert rolled onto his side and propped his head on his right hand. “For me? Please?”
“You told me you couldn't wait for that time to be over so you didn't have to live with that smelly costume. I sweated like a horse in that thing and I couldn't wash it. It practically stood up by itself. Anyway, I wanted to be the mermaid.”
“Too bad you couldn't hold your breath like Alice could. I told you to practice and you'd get it eventually. But nooooooo, you had to go spend time with the pinheads.”
“Well, you'd certainly know if Alice could hold her breath. Michael wasn't going to let me do anything but be a psychic. If I goofed the readings he cut my pay because I wasn't accurate and if I was too accurate he cut my pay because I scared away the marks. “ Jane found the earrings she was looking for and put them on her ears.
“And he ALSO told you to speak as little as possible so no one would hear that Marie Provost accent you had. That goes to MY story that I'm Dark and you're the Dust Witch.”
“Ray Bradbury is still alive you know. Why don't you ask him?” Jane applied more lipstick.
“Oh, sure. I'm sure he's listed in the phone book. And I hate telling people I'm my own grandson.” Robert leaned down to retrieve his shoes.
“Give me a break. “ Jane leaned back to inspect herself in the mirror.
“Jim Morrison agreed with me.”
“Jim Morrison was stoned all the time. If you had gotten Ray Manzerek to agree with you then I'd listen. Are you ready?”
“I've been ready. I'm waiting on you. As usual. That's all I do is wait on you. Here, I'll help you with your coat.”
“You know what I miss?” he asked, looking at the ceiling.
“What?”
“I miss traveling with the carnival. Wasn't that fun? Trains. Animals. Different towns every week. Hootchie coochie girls. All that good diner food.” Robert sighed.
“Oh god, Bobby! For the last time, Ray Bradbury did not base the character Dark in Something Wicked This Way Comes on YOU.” Jane said without pausing in her mascara application.
“He did so! You're just too stubborn to admit it. I'm Dark and you're the Dust Witch. It couldn't be clearer. We were living in that fantastic wagon with the velvet drapes and the feather bed. I KNOW you remember the feather bed.” Robert waggled his eyebrows around.
“Don't change the subject. You were not the tattooed man and you weren't the magician so how could Dark be based on you? The Dust Witch never speaks and, as you enjoy pointing out to me, I never shut up. And I don't remember the outhouse being particularly luxurious.” Jane started rooting through her jewelry box, looking for earrings.
“You're such a snob. How about the part where the Dust Witch goes up in the hot air balloon? You know that came from our show. And you wore that whole get-up with the mantilla. You looked good too. You should go back to black hair, it makes you look exotic and mysterious.” Robert rolled onto his side and propped his head on his right hand. “For me? Please?”
“You told me you couldn't wait for that time to be over so you didn't have to live with that smelly costume. I sweated like a horse in that thing and I couldn't wash it. It practically stood up by itself. Anyway, I wanted to be the mermaid.”
“Too bad you couldn't hold your breath like Alice could. I told you to practice and you'd get it eventually. But nooooooo, you had to go spend time with the pinheads.”
“Well, you'd certainly know if Alice could hold her breath. Michael wasn't going to let me do anything but be a psychic. If I goofed the readings he cut my pay because I wasn't accurate and if I was too accurate he cut my pay because I scared away the marks. “ Jane found the earrings she was looking for and put them on her ears.
“And he ALSO told you to speak as little as possible so no one would hear that Marie Provost accent you had. That goes to MY story that I'm Dark and you're the Dust Witch.”
“Ray Bradbury is still alive you know. Why don't you ask him?” Jane applied more lipstick.
“Oh, sure. I'm sure he's listed in the phone book. And I hate telling people I'm my own grandson.” Robert leaned down to retrieve his shoes.
“Give me a break. “ Jane leaned back to inspect herself in the mirror.
“Jim Morrison agreed with me.”
“Jim Morrison was stoned all the time. If you had gotten Ray Manzerek to agree with you then I'd listen. Are you ready?”
“I've been ready. I'm waiting on you. As usual. That's all I do is wait on you. Here, I'll help you with your coat.”
I like the history in this one. The title is a little confusing though. Jane only calls Robert "bobby" once. The title should be more along the lines of their past like "Carnival" or something :-D
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