Counting Stars

Chapter 17

For the first time throughout the entire night, Clari was engulfed in heart racing fear. As much as she tried to push her inner worries down, she was struggling.

She was literally running away!

A sudden bump on the road caused her, and other performers sitting around her in the back of the wagon to wobble in their places. However unlike her, they immediately shook it off.

They looked so joyous, and happy as they chatted amongst eachother. They were talking nonstop of their next destination and their next show that would happen within a weeks time.
Pulling her attention away from the performers, she turned to look at the fading silhouette of London.

She was leaving everything behind. A part of her was screaming to go back and to ditch her whole foolish plan. However the wiser side of her stayed put at her spot in the wagon, knowing fully well there was nothing to go back to.

She hated the thought of abandoning everything, including her sister's daily letters! But there was so much negativity nesting in her life back there, she couldn't handle it anymore! Her lifestyle wasn't healthy! She felt terrible for leaving her father and mother behind, and for abandoning Hans' wishes to keep everything he had. Just thinking of all of that made her feel sick to her stomache. Maybe she could teach herself to push everything behind her and never look back?

Getting startled for a second, Clari noticed a figure suddenly stand up from a crouched postion at the front of the wagon, lighting an oil lantern to create some light. The person turned around after a moment to look at the performers on the wagon, and the ones on the wagons following behind. In a loud voice they called out to get everyones attention.

" We will be reaching the train station in a few hours! Our next stop will be at Stevenage, England! I need everyone to rest for the time being. If you don't want to rest, practice with your tarot cards!" As soon as he finished speaking, Mephistopheles looked over to Clari's direction shining the lantern over her. Clari sat herself up straighter as he made his way to her, his steps perfectly balanced despite the rocky road.

He knelt down on his knee to come to her level, as she was sitting on her bottom.

" We're in the safe zone, Miss Hinojosa. You can take this off now." He pulled off the huge hood from her head, revealing her face as she looked up at him with innocent eyes. " Keep the cloak, you might need it during our trip to the train station. Can't have you getting a cold."

Clari found it strange. While the others had put their masks away already, Mephistopheles had not. She got a creepy chill as the light from the lantern left mysterious shadows on his mask, making him look a little scary in her opinion. For a second, she rethought her decision on what she had gotten herself into. What was in store for her?

Clari opened her mouth to speak, only for him to shush her.

" Don't talk, Miss Hinojosa. I need your voice to heal. We have a lot to talk about once the time comes. I'd like to speak with you, not do sign language." He spoke flatly. Nevertheless, she nodded. After a second of lingering his gaze on her, he turned his attention to the fading city of London. " I hope you're not from an expensive family, Miss Hinojosa. I can't have my show ruined if I get blamed for kidnapping." With a tsk, he gripped his lantern and stood up. Leaving Clari in the dark he made his way back to the front of the wagon.
Barely seeing the red flame flicker for a few more seconds, Mephistopheles removed his left glove to lick his fingers and snuff out the only sort of light they had.

Now it was only the moon beams and twinkling stars that provided them throughout the rest of their midnight trip. . .