~ day three: surviving ~

Hello lovelies ~

I will be real with you ~
This will be a long one ~
Yesterday was one of the scariest days of my life ~

(if you do not or cannot handle sad stories right now ~
that is completely fair ~
you can skip everything within these lines ~)

———

You may have noticed the winds and the rains yesterday ~
The start of the Village day was especially behest by strong winds ~
Our first VIPs were inside, mostly alone, setting up their display of eggs and nests and other tokens of nature ~
The walls start billowing and at first I worry about the decor ~

Then a strong gust blows into the tent ~
And nearly takes the tent with it ~
The frame sways and one of the walls crack open ~
The rain soaks the power boards ~
Threatening sparks burning down the tent ~

In a city I used to live in ~ many years ago ~ was the Ghost Ship ~
Functioning not dissimilar to our Secret Society ~
But in a warehouse ~ supposedly more stable than a wooden tent ~
Filled to the brim with what the reports say were:
”aggregates of salvaged and scavenged materials, such as pianos, organs, windows, wood benches, lumber, and innumerable other items stacked next to and on top of each other”
~ sound familiar?

One night in 2016 ~ as the warehouse was full of revellers ~
An electrical appliance sparks ~
And a fire breaks out ~
Engulfing the Ghost Ship with smoke and heat and flame ~
Everyone tries to escape of course ~
But as another report puts it ~
"It appears that people either made it out [safely], or they didn't make it out."

36 lives ~
The highest count in the city’s history ~
The Ghost Ship befits its name ~

I did not know any of them directly ~
but many people I cared about lost their friends ~

Ever since then I keep an eagle eye on any venue that may be set up like the Ghost Ship ~
Any stacked electrics ~
Any fire hazards ~
Any escape routes ~
Any plans to rescue those that may be trapped ~

And as the three of us hold on to the poles that were meant to hold the tent ~
Too busy keeping the tent upright to disconnect the power ~
I see the Ghost Ship sailing ~

I tell the other two ~

LEAVE!
LEAVE BEFORE THE TENT COLLAPSES ON YOU!

I did not want them to die ~
Even if it meant I would go down with this ship ~
At least they would be ok ~

But they would not leave ~
They refused to let me be alone ~
To go down with this ship ~

I yell for help from the Village team ~
Who were split trying to tie down all the other tents ~
But we manage to gain reinforcements ~
Orange tape tied to stakes ~
The tent rearranged ~

Egg work with only an audience of two ~
Myself and a brave new member ~
I feel sorry for them but they are forgiving ~

For the rest of the day I brace myself against the nearly-broken pole ~
Watching the billowing fabric walls ~
As our VIPs and our members so bravely tell their stories ~
I keep the power unplugged when we do not need to ~
(which I had already been doing ~ but it seemed more important now ~)
When the shock wears off I shake and cry ~
This happened a lot ~

The children outside think the orange tape is a toy ~
Or the tent is a toy ~
Which shakes it further ~
But I do not want to scare them ~

Some members thought I was joking when I talked about the tent ~
Trying to test its strength ~ trying to uproot it ~
This is no laughing matter.
Do not do this.

I do not realise how much I had worked to keep the tent up ~
Until I finally go home ~
And my body reveals how tense it has been ~

Today the weather promises to be calmer ~
I have yet to arrive at the Village today ~
So I hope the tent stays aloft ~
It is the last day of The Village after all ~
(though I do not want to say that we will go out with a bang ~
given the circumstances ~)

OK ~ sad story over ~

———

Here are the VIPs for today ~

1pm: ~ Folksy acoustic jazz for Sunday brunch ~ BYO peri-peri ~

2:30pm: ~ The best is yet to come for this hot mess ~

6pm: ~ "Cock-a-doodle-doo", says Raymond ~

And here’s where you may find them ~
(or already have ~)

~ You may have seen our 1pm VIP go solo on Friday but now he brings friends ~

~ If you told our 2:30pm VIP they were prettier when they smiled on Friday we would exile you from the tent ~

~ Our 6pm VIP presents their regular self just before at another space that transforms into its own pirate-themed Secret Society some nights ~

These cards are flying off the selves ~
But keep an eye on them ~

If you do see me ~
Do say hi ~
Do not ask where my accent is from ~
Do not try to test the tent ~
But do be lovely ~
And stay safe ~
No Secret Society is worth dying over ~

~ The Mxtress ~