𝙎𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 (𝙔𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚!𝙈.𝙎𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙓𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧)

Chapter 13

Had the day flew by in all fours as their tension finally died down. Both of the men in the shop ignored each other and only tried to take my attention like a nag. I looked down on the carnival tickets with a clench, even more perplexed on what to do with the two.

I took a deep breath and turned around with a beaming smile occurred on my face as I handed out the tickets towards them on the counter. "My mother bought us these tickets to the carnival, and I thought that maybe we should go tonight." I finally uttered out, looking at them while I wait for their answer.

They took it at the same time and nod their heads.

When we arrived in front of the circus, it was crowded with a rendezvous of a people that excitingly entered inside. We gave our tickets to the booth and set foot inside. My eyes were far from being at heed as it darted from left to right.

Thousands of lights emitted around the circus with many of the members in funky, radiant costumes and face paints of clowns and their big red noses. The strings of light twinkled with many of the primary colors and vendors that called for us to buy sweets and corn.

It was a cheering sight, even if there were kids that ran around with their fun colors of candy floss at hand. I turned to look at Merrik who stepped away from the kids in a jump, he turned to me with a surprised expression and turned it back to neutral. "I hate kids, (y/n)," he complained, scratching the back of his head.

He pointed at one of the stalls with a man whistling to himself while he made candy floss for the two couples. Merrik raised a brow, "What is that thing? Do people eat clouds now?" he questioned with a perplexed look, "That's cotton candy, Merrik. It's sugar," I explained briefly and walked my way over, pushing the gold coin forward as he gave me a stick of the sugared cotton.

I turned around with Merrik behind me. I nudged it forward while he took it slowly, hesitant to even try it. I rolled my eyes and tapped on his shoulder, "Don't be scared, Merrik. It's just a cloud, eat it." I assured him with a smile on my face.

My eyes darted around in search of Jack and saw him waving at me with the biggest grin on his face, pointing at the clown that juggled rainbows of balls while he balanced himself on a big-wheeled circus bike.

I pulled on Merrik's sleeve and pinched my way over at the crowd that watched the odd clown. "Isn't that brilliant, (y/n)?" Jack asked, clapping his hands in cheer as I nod my head, impotent to keep my eyes off of the goofy looking fellow.

I craned my head to the side, letting go of Merrik's sleeve to see him empty handed. "Merrik, where's the paper straw?" I asked while I turned my body towards him, tilting my head back to see if he still had it. "I ate it, (y/n). It tasted like cardboard, honestly." Merrik replied with disgust, scratching his tongue with his dagger-like teeth.

I pulled him closer while I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Merrik, you were supposed to throw the straw away. Not eat it!" I muttered, looking around the people as few gave looks and little gossips.

The three of us walked inside the circus tent as we watched many of the first-stringed members perform their acts. Merrik seemed to not pay as much attention to the show as Jack and I did, while all he did was glance back at me every now and then.

"Wasn't that fun, (y/n)? I still cant believe that tiger could jump through those fire hoops. It was amazing!" Jack compressed his hands to fists and bit back a squeal ike an enlivened child, looking around and going off at one of the games.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm babysitting a child rather than having a grown adult by my side." I spoke to myself with a plastered frown, saying those words without spite under my breath. Merrik chuckled and took my hand all too sudden, "This place is too crowded for my liking, (y/n). Will you come with me?" he asked, tugging me forward with a sincere look coming across his face.

I hesitated for a moment, thinking of what to do but finally gave in on his entreating expression as I nod my head. We began to run out of the place and stopped in front of a pub, making me gulp as I heard the cheers of drunkards from inside and slashing of glass beer.

The door slammed open with one of the men swaying side to side, holding a beer up in greeting. "I...I don't think this is where I should be, Merrik." I trembled, tearing his hand away from mine.

After a lot of convincing had I finally agreed and went inside. The room was seemingly dim with its orange lightning and cramped rooms with savage women showing their knees while they danced without a fluttering shy, singing songs that were not familiar to my ears.

They all sway with the small mugs of beer spilling on the counter tops and rigid floors. The men all cheered in rejoice, holding all of their big mugs up and drank it whole in one swallow.

Many of the hazy people stared at me while I stayed close by Merrik, holding tightly on his forearm while I felt little from their intimidating gaze. One of the men pulled out two large, foamy beers as Merrik drank away.

An older man sat beside me with his eyes going up and down on my stiffed body. He creepily took a strand of my (h/c) hair and twirled it around his finger, but I only sat quietly and tilt my head down while I bit down on my lip and clench my fist timidly.

My peer wandered to the corner of my eye to see Merrik drowning himself with beer as he joked with the men across from the stand, finally feeling thrilled. He turned to me and slammed down his glass of beer, the unearthly force making the glass shatter in fragments. I jumped.

The glee that was once there fazed away from his visage, as if it was never there to begin with. He inched closer with a narrow gaze, his emerald eyes coming to a darkly gleam. "What do you think you're doing to her?" he asked with furrowed brows, not letting go the handle of the shattered beer glass.

The man from behind me yanked my hair even further, making me wince and lean towards him. "It's none of ye business." he barked back with a smug smirk. Merrik stood up from his chair and adjusted his collar, "Actually, it is my business sir. And if you do not want trouble, I suggest you let go of (y/n)." he warned, taking his hand that clenched tightly on my hair.

I yanked back and stood up from my chair as the fellow man hit Merrik the glass of beer across his face.

My knees began to tremble as my heart palpitate with my quivering hands to see Merrik's cheek swiftly cut with a trickle of seemingly cerulean like colors of blood. He chuckled to himself, "I gave you the warning, but humans like you never seemed to change. What a stubborn prick you all are," Merrik snapped while they all began to laugh on his comment, some falling down on their chair.

The lights began to flicker with the ceiling drooping with droplets of water. "And you will pay for what you've done to my (y/n)." Merrik took my hand and began pulling me outside the pub, his fingernails digging on my skin.

We turned around with Merrik pushing me from behind while I peeked. The ceiling burst with green-like waters and smoke coming from each drunkards that touched it. Their painful screams could be heard from outside while they banged on the window for help, but not one had even got the fragments of courage to step up from the crowd.

The windows started to break while I clenched on Merrik's shirt tightly with horrors filled inside my eyes. "What...what did you do, Merrik?" I asked in disbelief with mouth ajar as the acid flew out of the pub.

The throng of people screamed in fright and ran. I squeezed my eyes shut, preparing myself for the stinging and burning sensation, but it never came.

I slowly fluttered my eyes open, lifting my eyes up to see Merrik holding the acid waters frozen and away from us in an inch as it body flows like it was caged on his wicked arms. "No one can hurt you, (y/n). Not even the waters I rule."