What Happened Under The Big Tent (IT'S ALL PART OF THE SHOW SEQUEL)

Chapter XIX🦂To The Circus

Evil? Am I evil? Or are your eyes deceitful? Evil? Thought I was evil? Through the empty eyes of these people

MARCUS: I was able to see my child...

Madison's POV

...I was crying for my Father and I was so scared.
Everything was hot and my clothes were covered with ashes and soot. The sky was black with smoke and the fire raged like it was upset. The slight breeze- warm with embers, pushed the flames to one side as the tent burned rapidly.
The people screamed and shouted, but my own cries were loud inside my head as I shouted out for Father through my tear filled eyes. "Daddy!"
I called turning side to side afraid.

I kept picturing Elizabeth coming towards me and scooping me up protectively in her arms and that she might carry me over to Father and he'd take me into his arms and guard me with everything inside him... that Father's black slacks and boots would be behind all the running feet and his arms wrapped in the bright crimson red of his blazer would reach me and lift me close to his chest and keep me safe and calm. —that my head might touch the fabric of his jacket and my fear would be significantly better at the feeling of home.

I chocked on my breath and the smoke. The air was hot and dry.
"Daddy!"
I cried through my sobs.
"Daddy!! The air, it burns! Daddy, my eyes hurt! Please make it stop Daddy!"

...I never got that feeling back as the sky turned black, it got hotter and there were screams and a loud noise as ropes snapped.
Someone else had found me and everything was black.
... Elizabeth found Father under the pile of wood from the riser that had been constructed neat the tent to rig up lights and banners— it had come down near him and some debris was pinning him to the gravel. He was just as close to the flames as I was- not close enough to have been burnt, but too close for comfort and it was far too hot to bear.
.....
The room was dark.

Madison had just had a nightmare about 1953– when she was taken away from us.

Maddie sat up quickly, her eyes were filled with tears.
She heard shuffling going on... even I could hear it.
Madison was going to wipe away the tears, but she didn't. Her muscles weren't responsive.

"You always used to cry."
Madison listened, but didn't move.

She knew whose voice it was and was wishing herself away.

I could feel how ashamed she felt hearing that because of what her mother: Taylor Greens used to say about her crying, even through, Maddie was a very quiet kid.
'I don't know what she wants Marcus! She always cries!'

Madison cried because she was hungry.
I felt how afraid she was.

"SHUT—"
I closed my eyes as one of them came at me.
....
Marcus POV
I closed off the line of connection right then and there. I knew what was going to happen and I didn't need to witness it again.

I hung my head as I got up.

"I don't like the look on your face..."
Harold said noticing my eyes
My emerald eyes held tears in them.

"No. No, please no. William, please tell us it's not what we think."
Spoke James.

"Father, please watch over my child... your granddaughter and our 4th generation. Our everything... our purpose, our crimson child. My Tiger... my little Tiger."
I said as my voice wavered.

Harold hugged James and Henry hugged me, pulled us into the embrace of James and his cousin.
The other three didn't need anymore information, they knew what had happened by my unsettled state.

"We are all with you Madison. We're coming."
I said trying to visit her.

"We're coming."
Said Harold.

"Be brave kiddo. Be brave and strong, your Father said this shall not last, Maddie."
James communicated with Madison.

Over on Madison's side of things:
I looked up after I was sure they were gone from the basement.
I tried not to think about the pain coming from my left eye, but I reached up and touched it and winced. It hurt, but I didn't know what was there.

I heard James. His voice was around me.
"J-James?"
I whispered.

"Father?"
I whimpered as tears fell down my face. I missed him. I missed him- all if them so so much.
I was afraid.

"Father... It- It, h-hurts."
I spoke to the empty and dark room.

I heard James' voice through the dark:
"We're coming, Madison. We will rescue you."

"J-James... James, they—"
I began.

I saw a glow of red and a flash of light. Then, another glow of red.

I saw my Father. I saw his red.

"Save your energy, Tiger. We are coming I promise. Be brave and strong... this shall not last, Tiger. I love you. I love you, so much. William is with you, Maddie."
I heard my Father say again as he stayed with me in my mind:
'Be brave and strong. This shall not last, and you will be fine.'

'Breath. Breath.'—
...

James' POV
We lost connection with Madison.

I was hurting right there with Maddie.

I spoke:
"Marcus they h- Marcus, they—"

"I already know. I- I can feel the pain around her eye... from where they, hit her."
Marcus had tears falling from his eyes.

I reached over to give him a side hug. We all felt Madison's hurting.

Marcus winced and I could tell that he was still feeling his child's pain. I didn't ask, using my imagination was brutal enough. It stung as much as the belt that came in contact with her skin...

This is why we don't wear belts... this is why:
'I hate the objects that are belts... I only wear suspenders. I prefer suspenders- they are a form of kin to me.'

....
"Are we—"
I begin as Harold spoke.

"Please be a good announcement."
I (James) added.

"Please! William please!"
Pleaded Henry.

"We're here."
My cousin finished.

Harold, Henry, Marcus and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"We're not out of the woods yet guys. Father, please keep her safe."
Marcus spoke thinking about his father.

Harold stopped the vehicle, applied the parking break and turned the keys back towards him- shutting the engine off.

We all eyed the orb that had floated through the truck.
All of us chanted: "William please keep Madison safe and guarded over. William please keep Madison safe and guarded over."

I looked at Marcus.

We took our seatbelts off -Harold gave me the look: thankfully, James still had his on. and anxiously exited the truck.

(1,129 words)