Constantine

I just want to die.

The small child stumbled his way through the circus grounds, night had fallen quickly as well as the closing act for the guests. His steps were uneven, one step forward, the next was a forceful drag against the dirt path. Even with the cool night air hitting against his heated skin, it gave no relief. Sweat rolled down his face, as well as his salty tears. He continuously brushed his tongue over his chapped lips, his left arm cradling his right.

“Oh love. What have they done to you now?”

The voice was smooth as silk, draping over his shivering body with a caring touch. It was familiar, the only one that would even consider calling him ‘love’ and honestly mean the word. For a moment the child’s limping gait paused. His arm continued to cradle the other and his face still wet with his tears. Beside him, glistening in the soft moonlight, was a cage. Its iron bars rusted with years time creaked and groaned as the creature inside moved closer to the edge. Their feathered arm reached out between the iron bars, hand outstretched in kindness. Without hesitation, he found himself leaving a limp arm to dangle and using his good arm to reach out for the hand, grasping tightly to it with his own pawed hand. “What they always do,” he stated the obvious. His voice was stretched, cracked, and slightly choked. Between a few words he found himself quickly breathing in, in result of his tears.

“I’m sorry to hear that my love. Come here,” she crooned to the boy, helping him up to the small platform that let others view into her cage. Despite the bars separating them, she held out her arms to hug the hurting child, whispering softly to him and stroking his hair as he crumbled against the metal grate, fresh tears spilling over. “Shh my little lamb, it will be alright. Stop your tears,” she told him in a motherly tone.

Constantine tried his best to control his breathing as it came in quick, uneven gasps, coughs, and cries. He allowed the woman to hold onto him a bit longer before her soothing whispers and gentle touch calmed him. The boy sat on the metal platform, wiping the tears with one hand, his good eye focused now on the shadowed figure.

“Do you feel better now?” Her voice was still soft, still motherly. She waited until she saw the nod of the boy’s head in the shadowed moonlight. “Do you want to talk about it?” There was an immediate shake of the head. The woman expected no less of an answer. Half of her hoped for a shake of the head in response. She had ideas of what they put this boy through, but never were any of them confirmed.

Silence fell amongst the two. The woman looking over the boy’s limp arm as well as the other cuts and bruises along his face. nothing hurt her more than to see the boy’s face cringed in pain and sorrow.

Footsteps suddenly echoed with a heavy crunch. The woman’s eyes flickered to the surrounding area and she reached forward, hurrying the boy to his feet and speaking to him in a quick and harsh whisper. “Time to go now my love. Hurry now, don’t get caught wandering this late. I don’t want you to get in trouble,” she told him lovingly, stroking his hair lightly with a tender kiss to his paw. “Run along now.”

Without questioning her hurried motions, the child slipped off the metal platform, landing on the cracked ground with a dry thud. He winced from the pain in his bad leg, as well as the pain in his arm. Once more the boy cradled his right arm in his left, dragging one leg behind him and continuing on as if he had never stopped.

“Constantine!”

This voice was not as kind. It was gruff, harsh, cutting through him with a fearful slice. There was no debate in stopping. His movements resulted in a sudden halt just with a single word slipping from the other’s mouth.

“What are you doing out here so late? I am sure Sebastian let you free much earlier, giving you plenty time to return back to your tent,” he purred in a mocking voice, each word dripping with taunt and pressing into his skin, waiting to pierce the flesh left on his bones. Silence was the child’s response, but silence was never meant to be an answer.

Constantine found himself tossed back, the side of his face stinging from the crack of a hand meeting flesh. The gimp arm rested motionlessly by his side, leaving him to catch himself with a single paw. His face hovered dangerously close to the ground. He could smell the dirt, his sweat and tears disappearing quickly into the thirsty ground. His chest fell forward, a desperate gasp of air finding its way out of his lungs as he heard the voice again, this time more impatient. “What are you doing here so late at night?”

“I was still walking.. I hurt my leg.. And I can’t move my arm. I can’t move quickly, it hurts,” the child quietly complained, his words drawn out as he tried to breath and hold back his tears, both proving to be difficult at the moment. He was finally allowed on his feet and he was grabbed by the shoulder. Fingers dug into his skin and it felt as though they would cut through. “I’m sorry,” he quickly added, feeling the grip only loosen slightly.

“Well then. Sebastian will not be too happy to hear you let yourself get hurt again. Will he?” The man’s voice echoed in his mind, leaving a permanent scar. Constantine shook his head quickly, eyes focused on the ground while he involuntarily shivered from fear. “I suppose in the morning Taren will look at you. For now. Go back to your tent.”

There was a pause, silence between both parties as Constantine gathered all the strength he could from his limited supply. “Yes Demarion, sir,” he spoke in a low, submissive tone.

With that being said, the child was forced along his way. Wounds to be tended to in the morning, where he would need to suffer the night with them. He had not bothered to wait for what Demarian might have wanted to say next. He turned his back to the creature and continued to walk in a limping pattern. The tent was not much farther, he was terribly close.

With all other performers sleeping, Constantine found his cot through the darkness and laid down. His right arm now useless until the morning where Taren could possibly see him. His leg would be fine by morning and the cuts would have healed over, bruises lightened up, so he would be ready to repeat the same routine. So he would be ready to make others laugh at the masks performers wore as well as their stumbling acts. So they could live through their lives unknowing the dark secrets kept within any circus.

Get me out of here, please.

Sebastian

That was right, Taren had finished. He was approached by a small child, one with no emotion to his face and once had difficulty in seeing through one eye. He whispered quietly into his ear that ‘he’ was ready. Excellent. A new attraction to add to his wonderful family. Wonderfully demented, tortured, and damned. Their suffering cries and beautifully deformed faces brought him contentment.

As soon as the leader of the circus reached the meager tent, hidden far back, a broad smile crossed his lips. There was his creation, his beautifully torn face, the bemused expression, and his hopeless eyes. The smile curled slowly on his lips, then pulled quickly upward on his face.

“Welcome to the Cirque!” His voice boomed, vibrating through the plastic lining of the tent. He watched the face of his future performer, focusing on the slowly aware of a gaze. “Mind you, you’ll still need some time to adjust, but you will surely fit in!” His voice held excitement only a psychopath could manage in such a situation. His head dropped to one side, dark golden eyes focus on the figure in front of him. The stare cut through the feeble creature on the floor. Cut through his horrendous attempts to act tough. “My, my.. Seems like we’ll need to break this one in,” he thought out loud, twirling a cane delicately in one hand as he walked around the male. He observed him as if he were a work of art and he, the critic. “Such a wonderful job,” his voice held a purr. A sickening sound to the one currently being observed. Sebastian refused to let the creature speak, thinking of something to say just before the male’s mouth even begun to open. “Yes. He will do well. I am sure the people will love him.”

“Excuse me!” Finally. It seemed he had finally found a moment to cut in, rudely at that. Sebastian turned to face the source, eyeing him carefully. “What did you do to me!? You can’t keep me here!” His voice was frail, not the best attempt in acting strong.

“Oh, on the contrary. You will be staying here. You made the choice on your own. You did not pay for your ticket, you must earn the money. Being in a circus such as this one means you must be a part of the act, but of course, you cannot look normal. No, no. That will do no good.” He paused only for a moment to hit his walking cane against the ground, a warning to the creature that he mustn't talk as he was talking. “So you see, you’ve been altered. You look much better now. You will also fit in much easier with other performers. So, whether you’d like to go home or not, there is not much of a choice now, is there?” He did not wait for an answer and instead continued on. “Who would want you around? No average person, seeing as the average person is highly boring and they do not much of an imagination when it comes to being around such wonderful creatures all the time.” A low rumble of laughter suddenly spilled from his mouth, following by another’s laughter, Taren’s of course, seeing as Amory was incapable of laughter.

The laughter ended with an abrupt halt. Sebastian’s pleasant expression suddenly grew quite serious and he tilted his hat down. “Now if you’ll excuse me. I have other things to attend to. As do Taren and Amory, so I will leave you with another. I trust him to take care of you and I wish you the best of luck. If you can survive through today, you will make it.” Sebastian left his tone ominous. He decided to play with the creatures mind and leave him wondering what he could possibly mean. Before anything else was said, he turned his back to the three in the tent and left with a wave of his cane.

Taren & Amory

“Amory, my boy! We can’t keep that young man waiting! He will be waking soon. Do you have the things?!” Even though Amory was simply standing beside him, Taren screamed as loud as his lungs would let him. The noise did not bother the boy the slightest and he simply stood by the doctor’s side with a blank face. The doctor, yes. Taren was the doctor of the cirque. The word stretched its furthest in its meaning.

“Yes, Taren. I have them right here.” The child held up a small medical bag, his fingers gripped tightly around the leather strap.

“Good, good!” For a moment the man patted his pockets, as if searching for something, but simply continued on his way after a moment. “Yes. He should be awake now. No use in running, where would he go?” Taren laughed at his own joke. Amory simply stared, taking note of Taren’s actions as they made there way to the tent that was currently holding Ivan. It was across the circus, a tent where no one was allowed to enter bu the performers themselves and if anyone else were to peer inside, they would surely ‘disappear’ and never be heard of again.

“Taren! Taren! I heard the news!” What voice was calling out to him now? He had a busy day today. No distractions at the moment, but one of the two headed figures decided to show their faces. As, Roux. It would be her, seeing as she was quite fond of Taren. Despite what he had done to her.

“Yes, my dear, yes.” The group continued walking, Roux eager to follow as Cival tried his best to slow her down.

“Cival! Stop that!” Roux scolded the male beside her, glaring furiously at him.

“Make me!” His voice was harsh and painful to the ear.

The two continued with their bickering and as much as Taren would enjoy to stop, Amory kept him on track. He felt the small child grab his hand, giving it the slightest pull before he started to walk again. “Right, yes.” The tone in Taren’s voice was playful and mocking and quickly the two approached the tent. It was much smaller than the others and held a darker look to it. Amory simply walked inside, followed behind Taren.

In the middle of the tent laid Ivan. His face still showed that he was dazed and trying to find his surrounding. His face was blank as he noticed the two figures that walked into the tent. “You!” he screamed at both of them, but quickly stood up to grab at Amory, simply because he was closer. Before Ivan was even allowed a step forward, his body crumbled beneath him and it found it difficult to use his own limbs. Taren watched with interest as he pulled himself up off the ground again.

“My, my.” Taren held a cocky smile to his face as he stepped forward, watching him. “Can we get up? It doesn’t seem like it.”

Taren looked over his work. The work he was proud of and the work that kept a roof over his head as well as Amory’s and food in both their stomachs. “Amory, my boy. Make sure everything is running smoothly. He can hardly move. Sebastian will be quite proud. You were very much a success,” Taren spoke in an annoying tone. Annoying to Ivan’s ears. He could see in the teen’s eyes that he held pure hatred for him and most likely Sebastian once he realized who that was. Such a foolish boy not to know who he was.

Amory did as he was told, looking over the teen. it was difficult as he tried to smack away the small child, but his attempts were pathetic and useless. His limbs would take some time to gain full control and strength. From each joint in his arms a string was coming out. Ivan found himself constantly blinking before he felt two small hands on his face.

“What-” he started to yell, but was cut off by Taren yelling. For what reason he did not know. He stared at Amory as the child stared at him, curiously glancing at his face. One eye was a milky orange color, one in which Amory had to make sure was working correctly. Amory could tell the teen was staring at him, just as he was staring back, but had he realized why? Amory’s gaze flickered blankly toward him before removing his hands from his face. “You-” Ivan started horrified at what he was seeing.

“Oh, you’ve realized?” Taren laughed, walking over to Amory and putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. “His eyesight was growing horribly bad in one eye and we needed a replacement, but Amory of course could not have such a silly looking eye, could he? No, no. Your eye worked much better for him, but now you look more like a freak than before. Sebastian will be happy!” Taren eyed his creation once more. Each joint, including his legs and even the top of his head held a long thin wire of string. One highly smiler to a puppets. Hooked onto his back was a large wooden ‘X’ made out of a light wood to make it easier to carry. The teenager was now a walking, talking, living puppet. The one who pulled his strings, the man who kept this entire place running, Sebastian.

“What did you do to me?!” Ivan screamed angrily, his hands reaching forward, but he found himself unable to take full control of his body. Rage filled the teen to the brim. This was a dream! He was dreaming! This was not possible! When he thought of the performers lives, he was not expecting this is what it would be! Now he understood the woman’s sadness. The two headed freaks constant arguing and anger. This was not a choice they had. The man in front of him purposefully mutating their bodies to give others enjoyment. The train of thoughts was broken as his annoying voice spoke again.

“Welcome to the Cirque!”

Ivan

With all his spendings used to buy the ticket that got him into the Cirque, there was not enough for him to buy the one ticket he had come here for. The one ticket that got him into the big top. It was a bit extra money to get into the big show, but the young teen had another idea in mind. He could just sneak himself in. He was sure that no one would notice, not with everything gone on.

The air was starting to hold a small chill, finding it’s way through wearers coats. The teen himself was wearing nothing more than a pair of tattered trousers and a worn out coat. It hardly kept him warm, but it was better than wearing nothing. After examining all the performers on his own time, he followed the group walking towards the big top. Why were they all happy? He couldn’t quite understand, but he could only guess that they truly had no clue how the circus was run. From what Ivan had seen, he didn’t find it to be the entire story. That woman he had met first. Her face was smiling, but her eyes were mournful. Why was she stuck in that cage? Why would she want to stay in there?! There was no human being in this time that would enjoy something such at that. But that was just it, they were no longer human or they were never human to begin with. It was difficult to tell.

Ivan quickly turned, walking around the large tent and keeping himself away from the entrances. He made sure no one was around before pulling back a part of the tent and peering inside. Thankfully he was hidden behind the stands of people. The downfall was that it made it difficult for him to see the show. Still, Ivan desperately peered at the center of the ring.

To his disgust and amusement, the first act was that woman. Her name slipped his mind, but she was out of that cage! She did look quite happy to be touching the ground, even if that meant showing of the deformities she held. The young teen felt that she did not mind doing what she did as long as other people were happy with her.

The boy continued watching the show through the back, hidden beneath all the stands. Just as it neared its end, he felt a hand on the back of his coat. Quickly, Ivan pulled away from the last few moments and whirled around. He had expected a large man guarding the tents, but instead found a child clasped tightly to the hem of his coat. Ivan was not sure what to make of the child. His expression was blank, no emotion showing through at all. Around his right eye was a row of stitches and then another following down his left eye, disappearing underneath his chin. What was wrong with this boy and why was he holding onto his coat of all people?

“You shouldn’t be looking.” The boy’s tone matched his expression. It was empty and simply sounded like someone reciting lines they were forced to memorize. It was almost robotic.

“What are you talkin’ about?” Ivan retorted scoffing at the child and attempting to pry the hand off the hem of his coat. It was much more difficult than he expected. The kid had a good grip. “Get off my coat, will you?!” Ivan soon began to worry. He could hear the crowd cheering from inside the tent, which meant the show was over. If any of the performers found him back here, he was sure to get into some trouble.

“My, my, Amory. What’ve you found here?” This voice was deeper, almost playful as it spoke. Ivan turned once again, the boy never letting go of his coat. This was getting too out of hand. He now faced an insanely looking man. He stared at Ivan wide eyed and curious, much like a child would when finding a new toy to play with.

“Who are you?” Ivan’s question went unnoticed.

“He was sneaking. He watched the show inside from outside,” the boy, no older than nine, informed the odd looking man. Ivan could only guess they worked with the circus as well, but the strange man had a much different reaction than what he had expected. Instead of looking angry, he looked delighted. Maybe he didn’t work for the circus after all? It would be Ivan’s luck day if it were the case.

“Is that so?! Then you know what that means my dear boy!” The man’s voice was getting annoying.

“Yes Taren sir. It means there is more to our family. Right?” The boy looked for some sign of approval for his answer. The man, Taren it seemed, gave the boy a small pat on the head before gently peeling his hand off of the hem of the coat.

“Yes indeed my boy! Won’t Sebastian be so happy to  hear this! But it must be a surprise. Yes a surprise. Won’t you think he’ll enjoy this surprise? Of course he will.” Taren continued to ramble his thoughts, a hand resting on his chin as the other grabbed firmly to Ivan’s upper arm.

“Excuse me?! What are you doing!” Once again Ivan’s questions were left unnoticed and Taren resumed dragging the teen across the circus ground.

“Screaming won’t help. It only makes it worse, so don’t try.” Ivan looked to the source of the comment. It was that boy again. He was strange, but Ivan somehow believed what he told him. He was unsure why he was believing a small child like that, but he seemed to have no choice at the moment. Not with him being dragged across the grounds.

“That’s right my dear boy!” Taren agreed from the other side of him. It was not a very long walk, they simply passed two more tents before reaching the very back of the circus, where it seemed only the performers were permitted to enter.

“Where are you taking me?” Ivan demanded, his struggling continue to grow the further they were away from the large crowd of guests. This time his question did not go unanswered.

“To my tent of course. You did come for the show did you not?” Taren’s words were puzzling and difficult to reveal their true meaning. Holding onto the man’s other hand was that child. When Ivan took a closer look at the small boy, he noticed how he looked sewn together. Suddenly stories he remembered reading as a kid felt like they were coming to live just with the two beside. Ivan tried to convince himself that he was dreaming, but the sharp pain in his shoulder from being pulled along and the loud hum of the man beside him were all too real.

“Why?” he demanded to know, trying to stop but the man was a lot stronger for some reason. He didn’t look it at all, but Ivan should have realized looks were deceiving. Specially in the circus.

“You were looking at the show from outside.” It was all Taren said before the group arrived at his tent. The man pulled back the flap of the tent. Inside was a large metal operating table. Circled around it were tools, all different types, shapes, and sizes. Ivan’s eyes scanned over the bloody sight. Red splattered the ground as well as the tools laying on the metal stands. Panic was quick to settle in and Ivan gave his arm a sharp tug, releasing his arm from Taren’s hold.

“You’re insane!” Ivan turned, trying to run but the man was quicker as well. He grabbed Ivan’s arm and turned to the boy.

“Amory. You know what to do my boy. Get my that over there.” It was such a vague order that Ivan was not sure what he meant by it. “Now, now. It will only hurt a moment. Even then it might not hurt at all! Why don’t you just relax over here now. We just have to make sure you’re working properly.” Taren needed both hands to pull Ivan over to the metal operating table. The young teen kicked and yelled, but no one was around to help him. The small child returned with a syringe in hand, holding it up for Taren to take.

“What is that?! What are you doing to me?!” The teen spoke at the top of his lungs, attempting to kick at the boy, but Taren turned him away, making a faint ‘tsk’ noise as he did so.

“Now, now,” Taren purred with a satisfied grin. He freed one of his arms for a moment and taking the syringe in his hand. Despite the teenager’s struggles, the needle found its way into his arm and the strangely colored liquid was injected into his arm.

Ivan first felt a burning sensation. His body felt as though it were on fire and he screamed, dropping to the ground in a head. The burning sensation quickly cooled and he was left with an ache. His mind dulled by the second and his eyes drifted in and out of focus. As he looked up, he saw the two staring down at him. He could see their lips move, but there was no sound. What were they saying? Ivan wanted to know but as he tried to open his own mouth, it seemed impossible. His vision slowly faded from him and he fell asleep.

By the time Ivan woke up. He did not feel like himself. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in that strange tent. Was it all a dream? No. Ivan felt different. There was something different about him. He lifted his hand, staring at it for a moment as he pushed himself to sit up. Silence was all that filled the lone tent he rested in. As the teen brought himself up to his feet, it was then he noticed what was wrong. He stared, horrified at himself.

Sebastian

The cirque worked hard all morning to keep its guests entertained. Sebastian, being the leader of the circus was always there to announce the big top show. The guests piled in by the dozens, all eager to find their seats and see the amazing acts strung together for pure joy and entertainment. The loud call of whispered echoed through the large tent as men, women, and children piled in the stands placed in a circle around the ring. The light was proved by the afternoon sun, shining bright and giving everyone a clear view. In the center of the ring was a small stand, striped yellow and red to match the tent. Standing on top of it was a tall man. His lips were pulled back into a wide grin, revealing a sharp smile and focused eyes. His gaze focused over each face that entered the tent. Woman whispered to one another about his looks as he stared, but the loud whispers soon turned to a hushed quiet, everyone’s smiling faces gazing at the center of the ring, waiting for the show to begin.

“Ladies and Gentlemen! Children of all ages! Welcome to the Cirque de Vari, where wonders are around each corner and the delight of the performers will keep you out of your seat!” Sebastian’s voice boomed over the crowd. Those who hadn’t started paying attention, now were with the man’s mystifying voice.

All their eyes rested on the lone man in the center of the ring. The charismatic attitude as well as the encouraging smiles and laughs from the ring leader had the audience thinking this was normal. None of this was a problem. There was a pause. The audience held their breath, watching him with anticipation. When would the show start? The same question ran through all of their minds. A baby’s cry broke the silence, but no one paid it mind. This was how Sebastian knew he was ready to start. Each performer would have their time to shine in the spotlight, their time to have all eyes on them-whether they wanted it or not.

“I present to you! Our opening act for the Cirque de Vari! Our lovely and beautiful Lynne!” Sebastian waved a hand towards her entrance, stepping off the stool and moving to the side.

In entered the man’s largest attraction and what brought most of his guests. Lynne. The feathered woman stepped in the middle of the ring with her arms raised. The long brown feathers caught everyone’s attention at they gasped in amazement. If it were not for the fact those feathers were growing off a woman, everyone would have thought them to be beautiful. That was not the case here though. No, not at this circus. Everything was disturbed, wrong, and disgusting to its guests, but at the same time they were always amazing. Lynne did her many tricks, riding on the back of animals, showing off her feathers, as well as attracting the male’s in the tent. If Sebastian had their attention, he would have the money. That was his main focus. The men and the teens. The sick curiosity everyone held deep in their hearts was what kept this circus running.

With her act finished and the amazed guests staring blankly in front of them, Sebastian once again entered the center of the ring to introduce the next act. “Now ladies and gentlemen. I give you something so disturbed in appearance, so shocking, that you would never believe them to be real unless you have seen them with your own eyes.” There was a pause for dramatic effect. He watched as the children leaned forward in their seats, waiting with anticipation with what they were going to see next. “Two separate people, fated to live with one another forever. I bring you the twin freaks of this circus! Cival and Roux!” The happiness to his voice as well as the eager shouting left the guests smiling and clapping their hands as the deformed teens made there way to the tent.

This time the pair was not wearing their masks as they walked into the tent and their hands waved to the shocked crowd. Their mouths were wide open and Roux simply giggled to their reactions. Cival kept a straight face, neither amused or unamused by the gaping mouths that stared. The treatment was the norm, but just because it was the norm did not mean it was right.

The pairs act was soon over and the circus continued on. The last act was Sebastian’s second prized performer. The little clown quickly scampered his way into the center of the ring. Lynne may have attracted the older males and young teens, but Constantine attracted the women and children into the circus. The freakish outward appearance was considered cute. As afraid as he was, the boy smiled to the crowd, waving a hand to them all. Sebastian stood on the side, watching the act as it continued on and making sure that the boy did everything as he was told. Each act was different for Constantine and varied from simple things like juggling, to the more dangerous and nerve wracking jobs such as walking the tightrope. The child hated heights, but was forced to do the act to please its guests.

The boy’s good eye continued to flicker to one spot and that was Sebastian. The man smiled when he was doing well and there was a slight frown when he was not doing enough. The big tent act was the biggest act in the circus and if it did not go well, the Ring Master was not pleased and when Sebastian was not pleased, everyone else suffered.

Cival & Roux

“Lets go. Lets go. There are people waiting, we have to go.” The voice was impatient as they continued to get ready, putting their costume on for the long day ahead of them.

“You don’t need to hurry! Stop acting so childish!” The second voice was much harsher and pitched lower than the second voice. They fiddled and fought, their costume finally put on after the difficult hassle.

“Now we go!” Without a chance to argue the figure was forced outside, traveling from the back of the cirque towards the front where all the guests were beginning to roam.

“Roux! Stop!”

“No Cival! We’ve waited long enough!” Roux would not let Cival win. Control was fought, but Roux always won in the end. Her happy smiling face was the complete opposite of the one beside her. Cival’s face was grim and lonely. He had his lips turned down into a frown and his eyes empty of emotion.

“Your mask Cival.” Her voice cut through his own thoughts and it was a sickening sound. It was like nails on a chalkboard, Roux’s voice constantly nagging in his ear.

That was right. They were masked during the day. It was used not only to hide the scars on their faces from punishment, but also from Cival’s permanent frown, which damped the guests mood when they saw it. The circus was meant to be fun after all and frowning was not fun. Their masks were porcelain, finely decorated with red flowers and small bells that tied just to the ends. It left a faint ring in the air as they traveled. The noise was alluring and people were unable to help themselves and found they needed to follow the sound. Large feathers draped over the sides from the top of the mask. “Here they come,” her excited voice once again bothered his ears. No one could see the torment he went through, as it was covered by his mask.

The children gawked, the teens asked questions, and the adults cringed away with fear. Why was it they came to the circus then? It was in human nature to be fixed with things you thought were not real. The circus held many of those things and lured those of all ages, despite their beliefs or morals. The guests all stared at the two-headed figure. The freak was mystery as the crowd wondered the appearances of the faces behind the mask. Even to see Cival and Roux eyes were impossible. The holes in the mask were covered with a black mesh and it only added to their wonder.

Cival and Roux had their hands clasped together and their masks covering their entire face. The two walked through the crowd, Roux freeing her hand constantly and waving eagerly to those they passed. The children adored Roux. while they pitied Cival. No one cared enough to help. It was in every one's mind to pretend the children with their deformities loved to be in the circus, because parents assumed that was where it felt like home. This circus was no home to its performers. The fake smiles on their faces were real to the guests and it was a life style the performers chose, not one that was force upon them.

“Are there really two of you together?” An older teen’s voice reached the freaks ears. Roux was first to turn, quickly followed by Cival.

“How dare you think there weren’t!” Roux shrill voice responded, offended by such a statement. The hand she had control over was placed over where their heart would have been.

“Well I was only asking, since there is only one voice I here.” His tone was just as sharp, almost playful as he spoke with her. Roux was certainly caught by surprise, but pleased all the same with his tone.

“Well!” Roux turned her head to look at Civa, using her hand to quickly hit his arm, forcing his attention on her as he tried to gaze at the crowd. “Cival! Speak! Prove to him there are two of us!”

That nagging voice. Cival was hardly paying attention to what she was saying, buy she caught her order for him to speak. Cival narrowed hi eyes behind the mask, his expression hardening as he looked at her. Only Roux could tell of his expression while the teen in front of him waited patiently. “Don’t treat me like a dog,” he responded tiredly. His comment was ignored for the most part as she now focused her attention on the teen.

“There you have it!” There was such confidence in her voice that the male’s response caught her completely off guard.

“How do I know you weren’t just talking? It took quite a bit of time for a response.” The performers mask prevented him from seeing their lips move, it was a natural response, but never thought of before by Roux. There was a still moment as the three stared at one another, all for different reasons. Roux finally pulled the mask off her face. There was a small pause of realization and Roux looked to Cival for help. Taking off their masks were not allowed, but to prevent her from getting in trouble, Cival took off his own mask. It was now clear te two were seperate beings and those passing by stopped in their tracks to stare at the pair. They were only allowed a moment to glance before Cival and Roux returned the masks to their faces.

“You’re odd, but amusing.” The teen replied back, but his hands were now in his pockets. “I’ll visit you again.” With that, he was gone, leaving the two to their bickering of why it was not safe to talk seriously with the guests.

Lynne

Large crowds of voices passed Lynne frequently. Her iron prison was set near the gates of the cirque. Many children stopped to stare, asking her if they could touch the feathers along her arm. She only smiled at these children, their innocence great as they reached into her cage. The woman happily allowed them to do as they asked. They were fascinated with her and a few wished they were just like her. She laughed at those children. How could anyone want to look like this? Feather growing from your body as your limbs and eyes were replaced with another’s to make you look more of a freak. She quickly assured those children that it was not a nice life and there was much work. It convinced most, but to truly convince them, she needed to speak longer, but it was never an option. They left as quick as they arrived at times. Children’s mother’s quickly grabbed their hands and led them away. They must have been afraid their children would change. How amusing, she would think to herself, because the parents did not realize the worst of the freaks were still hiding. She heard their hurtful whispers and mocking laughs, but she merely smiled at them. Nothing bothered her an longer, everything meant nothing and was hardly focused on.

“Are you always in here?” The voice was unfamiliar, but obviously male. The feathered woman looked up from the steely ground of her cage and into the stranger’s eyes.

“Yes. This is my life.” Lynne had no problem speaking the truth. It was simply how things were and even with people knowing they preferred not to hear and continued on with their entertainment.

“Don’t you want to leave?” The young male continued to question, causing the others who wanted to look, grow irritated. Lynne knew that as much as she liked to talk, the enjoyment of the guests was most important.

“Where would I go?” She had returned with a question of her own, a slanted smile on her lips. “The other guests are growing restless. You should see the rest of the circus, they are much more entertaining.” Even though she was sad to see him leave, she needed to keep him moving. Eventually the crowd would not allow him to stay any longer. They pushed him along, but not before he called out to her a last time.

“I’ll visit you again!” With that, he disappeared into the crowd. Lynne could see the top of his head, but her attention was brought back to the demanding crowd and the young teen left her mind for now.