INSATIABLE [DARK ROMANCE]

LJ's Carnival

Chapter Forty Eight

||KIT||

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I was ecstatic to see Jack walking next to me, his lanky frame towering over mine and his blue eyes a stark contrast against his ghostly-pale skin and the rest of his monochrome attire.

"Where are you off to, Doll?" his voice was raspy but I could hear the laughter in it and I looked around the deserted street before speaking.

"I- I was actually looking for you."

"Hm," he used a clawed hand to stroke his bare chin in thought, "you came looking for me?"

"Yeah, I needed your help."

Jack was still walking with me along the sidewalk and after a while, he spoke, "you seem to have a lot on your mind, little one."

"Yeah, I just don't know what to do right now," I sighed, biting into my lower lip.

LJ nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets as we walked, "and what can old Jack do to help?"

Should I ask him?

It was possible that he didn't even know Masky's whereabouts and besides, I wasn't sure what I would even say to Masky when I did manage to find him. If I was being honest he was likely to find me first since he had apparently been keeping tabs on me without my knowledge all this time.

But if I didn't ask I'd never know, right?

"I... I just wanted to know if you could help me find Mask- um Timothy."

"Oh!" LJ grinned, clasping his hands together, "of course, I can!"

I perked up at that and where the sidewalk ended we crossed the street. I looked down at my shoes, a smile playing on my lips, "thank you Jack, I-"

"On nights like these, the stars seem to shine even more brightly than they usually do," Jack was talking and I looked up at the sky to see the myriads of stars that shone down on us. The moon was moving across the sky at a slow pace behind fat white clouds and I heaved a sigh, feeling a weight being lifted off my shoulders.

Jack would take me to him.

It was a beautiful night but I could hardly appreciate it fully with all my emotions rioting inside me. What will happen when I see him? What will I say? What will I do?

"Yeah," I finally responded to Jack's statement.

"Perfect night for a carnival."

I looked over at him with a raised brow, "a carnival?"

"Don't you hear the music?" it wasn't until he spoke that I heard the rising sound of carnival music somewhere in the distance and I furrowed my brows.

"Don't you hear the children laughing?" LJ held out his hands before him and I tried to sense where the sounds seemed to be coming from. The music was far off but just close enough for me to pick up on and I could hear the squealing laughter of children along with it. I didn't know there would be any kind of celebration out here in a place like this and besides, I couldn't see any lights either.

LJ's hand rested on my shoulder and when I turned to look at him he pulled his hand away, his long clawed fingers had left a warmth that seeped through my shirt and hoodie and as he grinned down at me with a sickly sweet expression, his sharp teeth glinted in the moonlight, "don't you smell the cotton candy, feel the heat of the bonfires and wish you were at the carnival too?"

I closed my eyes, sucking in a deep breath and my mouth instantly watered as my senses were bombarded with the smell of candy apples and fried ice cream. My stomach betrayed me by rumbling at the exact moment and Jack grinned triumphantly.