The Skeleton In Me

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

I ran out of the dark room, and back into the mass of people who all stood directly in front of the stage. I couldn't breathe, and my heart was racing a mile a minute, and my thoughts were drowning my senses of reality.   

Why have I become so infatuated with this poor clown? I've only ever met him once, and before that he wasn't even a thought in my mind. I've spent my entire life not knowing this clown even existed until a few days ago where advertisements of the circus were spread throughout town.

Now, I find myself unable to breathe until I know Cousin is out of here.

I pushed my way through the crowd until I was directly in front of the stage. I found myself looking around frantically in case Katie and Jace somehow realized I'd be here of all places.

They can't find me, not yet.

Mr. Father stepped out onto the stage, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" He roared through the microphone, and I winced at his appearance.

This man is vile.

"We all know why you are here. You seek difference, you desire to see something out of this world!"

Cousin is a man. A human being.

"You want the supernatural!"

I want him free.

"And I'm here to deliver." He smiled broadly to the crowd, as everyone cheered so loud they all blended together. I felt my head ringing from the noise. "Spare your eyes if you cherish the beauty of the world! For this creature is truly the worst of them all." He paused for that familiar dramatic effect, but my patience was growing thin, "The monster your children fear at night; the one, the only, Cousins Icon!" The curtains rose, and my heart stopped.

There he was, chained up just as before. Cousin.

The crowd gasped, for a long moment, it was as if everything had stopped. Everyone went quiet, and yet everything was so loud in my brain. I kept hearing a voice telling me to get him out, he can't be here, I must get him out.

I need to get him out of here now.

"He's a monster like no other." Spoke Mr. Father, and I cringed as his use of words. Cousin seemed to be unbothered by what was being said about him. At first, he hid his face from the crowd by looking down. He was on his knees, with his wrists chained together, which put his body at such an odd angle, that his already protruding bones were sticking out even further. Mr. Father walked over to him, and grabbed a fistful of his black hair, jerking his face up towards the crowd.

"Look at him, or leave, if you feel faint, I suggest you scurry before unconsciousness gets the better of you." Mr. Father advised, and women were fleeing, and children were rushed out, and boys my age were following and I was the only female left in the crowd. My dress must have put me in a spotlight, because Mr. Father was suddenly looking at me.

Me and him, we locked eyes for a long moment, and I knew this was a battle I will win. He will not intimidate me, because there is nothing about him that isn't driven by money.

And yet, men like him are the most dangerous kind.

Not taking his eyes off me, Mr. Father rose the microphone up to his mouth to speak, "Do I have any volunteers to hop on stage, and meet this creature face-to-face?" He wasn't asking anyone, he was asking me, and we both knew it.

I didn't hold back. "I will." I said, and I felt all eyes on me as I didn't wait for him to call me up. I hoisted myself onto the stage, and the crowd cheered just as they did before.

Mr. Father smiled, but I wasn't looking at him. I was looking at Cousin, who was staring at me with an expression I couldn't decipher.

"You're a brave one." Mr. Father complimented, but I didn't hear it as a compliment and maybe it wasn't. "Step over here, sweetheart, meet the beast."

I felt my heart quicken, as I took a few more steps towards the both of them and suddenly I realized that I don't know what I should do next. I just wanted to see the clown.

Now what?

I was now only inches away from Cousin, and I ignored Mr. Father standing over the both of us as I knelt down on both my knees, until mine and Cousin's faces were leveled.

"Hardly a beast." I said to him with a small smile, a fake smile, but still a smile.

He said nothing, but we stared at one another in the eyes. He was looking at me, and for a second I wonder if the look on his face wasn't just rage, but confusion. The last time we encountered, he stared at me with such a sincere look of hatred and anger, and I will never blame him for that.

Now, it was anger, but a bit of something else.

I reached my hand out just as I had done with him before, there was a bit of his hair that had fallen into his face, and I knew if he allowed me to move it, then there is hope for him.

He did.

At first, his body tensed, and I knew he wanted to do nothing but coil back, but I didn't stop. I moved the bit of hair back until both his eyes were visible, and they were staring back at me with such sincerity that I almost felt embarrassed but instead, I smiled to him again. This time, it was genuine.

I lowered my voice so quietly that not even Mr. Father could hear. Only me, and Cousin. "You're miserable, and it's unfair how they treat you." I swallowed hard, "It's not right, none of this is right." I felt my anger towards Mr. Father explode throughout my body, and I had to grip the hem of my dress to keep from lashing out at him. "I will get you out of here." I said to him, "I promise you I will." And then I stood, looked to Mr. Father, and then to the crowd, "Is a man bound by chains the monstrous one, or a man making a dollar on the chained man's behalf?" I gritted my teeth, "I see a monster here, but he is not in chains, I assure you, we have been deceived, or-" I turned to Mr. Father, "or we have been part of the greatest profiting scheme on earth, sadly I cannot tell the truth."

I don't know what I expected the crowd to do, or how they'd react, but it surely wasn't cheering. They all, cheered, and clapped, and whistled, and Mr. Father's eyes twinkled in wicked amusement.

He stepped over to me, and leant down until his face was inches from my ear, he spoke lowly, "Welcome to show business, sweetheart, nobody is a saint here, not even you."

Horror consumed me as I realized one thing; I want nothing more than to ruin this man. I want him to beg on his knees for forgiveness for all that he's done for the sake of money.

I will end everything he has ever worked for, I will bring him to his knees.