Freakshow Narratives

Chapter three

Y/N was awakened by the rays of sunshine penetrating through the small window of her room. She got up slowly stretching, her muscles were still sore from the performance of the night before. She moved the curtain away to peek outside, a warm sun was rising between the various clouds that always seemed to overlook Gotham. One sunny day was practically a rarity in that gloomy city wrapped in smog, since they had arrived they had only been able to enjoy it twice. She decided that she wouldn't waste a single moment, she would have breakfast then a quick shower and she would head to the city, to explore it and maybe find some gifts for the twins or for her father. In the living room she noticed that the keys to Peter's old chevy were not in the usual shelf, her father most likely had gone out at dawn to stock up on animal medicines and something to eat, the fridge was almost completely empty.

Y/N sighed, she should have walked to the first available bus stop or used the subway to get around the city "Whatever, it's going to be a nice day I can feel it". She considered for a moment the idea of being accompanied by the boys but discarded it shortly after... she would have surprised them and hell she also needed some shopping time for herself. She put on her favourite jeans, a top and her shabby leather jacket, given to her by Jerome years ago.

Outside the trailer it was peaceful and quiet, Monday was a day off and most of the artists were still asleep to get rid of the fatigue (and for some the hangover) of the night before. Only a few maintenance workers were cleaning the main tent and repairing the minor damage that the public always caused. Y/N turned one last time, then crossed the ticket offices and walked towards the huge skyscrapers.

Living with the circus she had the opportunity to see different cities in as many different states, but no place she had visited before could approach Gotham. Y/N was overwhelmed by the number of people crowding the main streets, the skyscrapers that impressed even in the distance from near touched the unreal, the sun appeared and vanished behind the blanket of pollution overlooking the city. Embedded, she followed the flow of the crowd, without knowing where it would take her. She entered some shop intrigued by the strange storefronts and was not disappointed, finding for herself some cool clothes in case there was some party to crash into. She proceeded along the shopping square, passing through a smaller street. A little shop selling books, comics and DVDs attracted her attention and in fact she also found some presents for the two Valeska: a box of horror films for Jerome and some advanced engineering books for Jeremiah, and finally an old superhero comic for her father. She checked the time on her mobile phone, time had flown by and without her noticing it was past midday, but she still wanted to explore...she felt she hadn't seen even a third of what the city had to offer. Maybe she could try that Italian restaurant at the end of the street, some other monument or historical building of the city, a club where she could dance in the coming months and then she would return to the circus with the bus line. Y/N did not consider the possibility that she might get lost given her unfamiliarity with the place or the high crime rate that had increased in the last ten years.

Jerome and Jeremiah's hunch turned out to be correct. Lila hadn't been back home all night... she walked into the door around ten o'clock, drunk and soaked just to fall asleep again on the couch. Woe to anybody who dared to make a noise or disturb her rest. Jerome decided to flee, today was a free day, he and Y/N could go to Gotham to explore like they did with the different cities where the circus landed. "Where are you going?" his brother's whining voice asked "Farther away from our mother" "I'm coming too... I should have gone to Y/N anyway" Jerome raised his eyes to the sky. They went out together, two red hair like flames in the quietness of the circus. Miah knocked on the door of the Jankowski trailer, no answer came from inside "I don't think they're in- Jerome!" his brother had easily opened the door with the spare key leaving him there on the landing like an idiot. He came back shortly after with annoyance "the keys of the chevy are missing... probably she and Peter went to buy stuff in the city" but Jeremiah was looking beyond his brother "I don't think so" "what does it mean you don't think so?" When he turned around he understood what he was referring to: Dr. Jankowski had just parked his car, getting off loaded with shopping bags and medicines for the animals being treated, Y/N was nowhere. "Guys, good to see you. Would you mind helping me offload? "Hasn't she gone out with you, Dr. Jankowski?" Jeremiah's petulant voice was even more anguished now "No... it was too early, I didn't want to wake her up, maybe she left a note on the fridge" "She wouldn't leave without telling me" "Without telling one of us" corrected Jeremiah "Don't worry, she'll just have gone for a walk, you know how much she loves the sun, she'll be back soon. You can wait here if you want, I must urgently give care to the lions" he left them there, in pain and to reproach themselves for having waited for the return of their mother instead of going out first.

Lost.

She fuckin manged to get lost. After eating something in that corner restaurant, asking a passer-by for information on how to get to the Wayne Palace and Gotham Gallery, the rather rude interlocutor mumbled some approximate directions and then resumed his walk. She had tried to orient herself as best as she could but instead of reaching her destination she ended up somewhere else, she found herself without knowledge in one of the most infamous neighbourhoods... in the Narrows. "You're a fool, congratulations Y/N! You'd already found everything you wanted but for your curiosity look at what you got yourself into" she tried not to lose heart, she would only have to find the bus line that took you out of town and would come back safe and sound. She thought this when she noticed with the tail of her eye that someone was following her, she accelerated her pace but so did her pursuer, she turned the corner and her heart stopped: dead end.

She turned around and noticed a man definitely older than her, stinking of alcohol that held a knife firmly in one hand "Come Baby doll, are you lost? This is a dangerous place for a nice face like yours" he slowly inched forward "Stay away from me, you bastard or you'll regret it" a deep anger had shaken her, she vaguely remembered her father who taught her to defend herself. "Oh how feisty, I think I'll cut off your tongue baby doll" he made a shot at her and Y/n jumped, kicking with all the force she had in the lower parts of the assailant "Fuck you asshole" she stayed there for a moment pleased at seeing the man collapse to the ground but when she saw that he was going to recover she ran away from the alley. She ran and kept looking over her shoulder when she crashed into something, or rather someone. She looked up still in the grip of adrenaline ready to hit again, but instead of a drunkard molest she found a face she knew. "Jankowski? Is that you?" Daniel Grayson looked at her incredulously, surprised to find in that part of the city the young promise of Haly.

Daniel Grayson was twenty-four years old and was the youngest of the family of acrobats' present since the origins of the circus. Y/N had sometimes glimpsed him during their shows or around the circus but honestly, they had never talked before. Despite this, she was happy to meet him, at least she would get home safe and sound. "Yes, that's me. Daniel, right?" he smiled. "in the flesh. Then what are you doing in a neighbourhood like this? I don't think you came to the Narrows for shopping" "No, I was in town to shop and thanks to my fantastic sense of direction I got lost" she joked "Alone in a new city? Hell, you're tough Jankowski" "Y/N, call me Y/N" "Y/N, you want a ride?" he pointed to a car parked nearby "that would be perfect, thank you".

It was almost five o'clock in the afternoon.

Jerome had been freaking out for hours now, while Jeremiah was anxiously checking the clock in the Jankowski's living room. There has been no trace of Y/N since the morning, the last person to see her leave the circus was one of the maintenance staff who told Peter, who was out asking questions. "We gotta go fuckin' find her! If something happens to her I-" the words died in his throat, who knows what could happen to her in that fucking city, he clenched his fists convulsely. Jeremiah tried not to give weight to the words of the twin. No, she could not abandon him, if he was left alone at the mercy of his mother he would have fled, would have changed his name and "Fuck it, you stay here and stare at the damn clock, I'm going to town" Jerome interrupted his flow of thoughts and left the door open, after a moment of hesitation Miah ran after him.

They were almost at the ticket entrance when they saw her. The old sedan had stopped in the front space of the circus, one of the Grayson's, recognized the twins, came out of the car and went to open the side of the passenger showing a winning smile. Y/N came down with several bags in her arms "Are you sure you don't want a hand? I'll take them to the trailer if you want. " "No problem Daniel. " "Whatever, baby. It was a pleasure... listen tomorrow night in the city there's a party of fraternities, me and my brother we managed to crush in, would you like to accompany me?" "I don't know, maybe...thanks for the ride, if it were not for you I would still be wandering in the Narrows" Daniel gave her a kiss on the cheek making her blush. Y/N said goodbye and began to head to the entrance, unaware of those who had watched the scene.

Jerome and Jeremiah had the same gloom and contracted expression on their face, with eyes full of rancour they seemed to throw lightning at Daniel's head. If they could, they'd have killed him there on the spot (Murder twins AH!). The feeling of jealousy threw sharp peaks into the chest of both.

Jerome was the first to look away and move from the scene.

Jeremiah continued to stare at Grayson... another obstacle did not frighten him, he would have found a way to annihilate even that lame acrobat before he could even lay a hand on Y/N. Knowing to be unnoticed he didn't hold back the evil grin spreading on his lips. Oh, he would solve this problem as one of his mazes.