1952 - Hallow's Eve
Edward Mordrake was baffled. He'd observed all the freaks in Jupiter, Florida for hours now. It wasn't that he was unable to come to a decision of whom to take with him to the other side. It was the momentary distraction the residents were providing.
Ethel had told her story and now, joined by her son Jimmy, suggested he'd go for a show. Elsa was "in the zone" and performing her next song. They escorted Edward back to the main tent and sat him down with Esmerelda and Desiree to watch Elsa sing a song called, "Transmission." (Joy Division)
What are cheetos? His demon wondered. As they were offered to him from a short average girl named Lucy while they observed Elsa's performance. Lucy looked like a cigarette girl with her tray of things that hung around her neck. Edward could not find anything freakish about her.
Surprisingly, Edward accepted the bag of "cheetos" to which he echoed back to the cigarette girl, "Cheetoes." Lucy looked at him and then offered to open the bag. "It's quite alright, my dear. I think that I can figure it out on my-"
Edward had popped open the bag when they went flying everywhere.
Elsa had stopped her performance and glared at Lucy. Edward exclaimed, "Do not worry. I shall have this cleaned up in no time." And he promptly bent down to try and retreive all the orange pieces. Ethel and everyone stared at him in amazement. He seemed too hoity-toity to be doing such a thing.
Elsa came down from the stage and rushed upon the mysterious man in the top hat. "You must try to forgive Lucy for her clumsiness," as she stretched out her hand so that Edward may shake it or perhaps kiss it. He stood upright and simply stared at her.
She took the silence as him being in awe of her talent and beauty. Lucy pretended as though she was never there and silently retreated from the whole event.
Desiree and Jimmy were trying their best to not laugh. Esmerelda stared at Edward and Elsa in complete horror as she realized that Elsa still did not know that this man was not some sort of talent scout. "Elsa, may I speak with you for a moment," Ethel said. Elsa ignored Ethel's sudden request and continued to dote on Edward, "I do hope you enjoyed the show. I realize some of my lyrics can be a bit-" "Elsa, outside. Now." Ethel insisted.
Elsa and Ethel went outside of the tent and found Lucy standing there looking somewhat awkward. "What is the meaning of this," Elsa began harshly, "I don't take orders from anyone! Especially in front of strangers!"
"Elsa, don't you know who that is?"
But Elsa wasn't paying attention, "Lucy!" She yelled. "Where are the drinks?"
"Coming up." Lucy promptly left.
Ethel looked anxiously back at the tent to make sure that no one was listening. "Edward Mordrake-"
"Oh don't give me that," Elsa said as she lit a cigarette.
"We warned you about what would happen if you performed on Halloween Night. I told you. And now, if he takes one of us, it's on your head!" Ethel said firmly.
Lucy came back with soda pop to which Elsa yelled obscenities in German adding, "I meant brandy, Lucy, what are we children?!"
Lucy left again to get the proper drinks while muttering, "You are."
"I heard that!" Elsa yelled after Lucy.
Jimmy walked up to Elsa and proclaimed that he would perform the next song. Elsa's anger was overflowing now. Especially when she heard Desiree and Esmerelda singing really loud and off-key. (Come On, Eileen).
They all walked back into the tent to find Edward standing with Lucy as she showed him how to open a pepsi can. But it fizzed and erupted all over his suit. Upon noticing Elsa's entrance, Edward quickly stated, "I'm dreadfully sorry. Modern day things seem to overwhelm me," as he began to brush off his suit with his gloved hands. Esmerelda and Desiree began to laugh as they sang. Elsa rolled her eyes.
Lucy went to grab some napkins and began to help get the pepsi off of Edward's nice suit. But her hands accidentally touched him in a very special place and he simply stared at her. This is when everyone on stage could be heard laughing even more. "Got your hands full there, doncha Lucy." Ethel said with a smile.
Lucy's face was red when she realized what she'd done, "forgive me, Mr. Mordrake. I was not paying attention..."
"Damn right," Elsa chimed in, "you never pay attention. Now clean this mess up."
"Do not fret, dear Lucy, I can clean this up. For it is my doing." Edward said. Everyone stared in amazement once again as Edward got on the floor and began to sop up the liquid with napkins. "And please call me Edward," he added to Lucy.
The expression on Lucy's face changed from utter embarrassment to a silly smile as she looked at everyone on stage and to Elsa, who was positively pissed off with the ridiculousness. Lucy simply shrugged her shoulder in an uncharacteristicly proud way.
The song was almost done by this time and everyone seemed at a loss for words as Elsa marched angrily to her tent. Jimmy fetched a waste basket for Edward who was now staring irately in the direction of Elsa. Lucy had caught glimpses of Edward's other face and was unafraid to look away. Sometimes she thought they shared an understanding of some sort.
"Don't mind Elsa," Ethel said to Edward, "She's a lot of things. But she has taken us all in. Without her, who knows where we'd be..."
Edward stared at nothing in silence.
Suddenly Jimmy's voice sang on stage, "I'm at the phonebooth it's the one across the hall!" and another song had begun.
Lucy had brought Edward another pepsi, one she'd opened for him. Nervously, she offered it to him. He greatly accepted it and eyed her with fondness.
"Should we leave you two alone?" Desiree said as she came off the stage towards them.
Lucy turned red and stated, "I... I have to go check on my cat." Then she abruptly left.
Edward's face fell as his eyes follwed her out of the tent.
Desiree circled in on him, "She ain't no tart. So if you're playing something, you have us to deal with."
"Madam, I only wish to know your stories. And then perhaps to take one of you with me to the-" Edward was interupted by Desiree, "Yeah yeah yeah, the other side. I get it. So who are you going to start with first, huh? Because we are not going to easily let anyone just be taken around here... except maybe my huband." Edward looked interested in this offer. "Perhaps I should start with your husband."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Lucy decided to stay with her cat the rest of the night to avoid any further embarrassment. She could just see Jimmy asking her tomorrow if she "made it" with the dead two-faced guy. She sighed and began to drift off when she heard a timid knocking at her door.
Lucy decided to pretend as though she wasn't there and ignored it.
"Lady Lucy, It is I, Edward."
Lucy's eyes shot open, wide.
Edward was standing in the chilly night looking around as if he was uncomfortable. He knocked once again on her door but there was no answer.
Esmerelda was walking by and smirked at him when she saw him awkwardly tip his hat towards her. He then said to the closed door, "Lady Lucy. I really loved the fizzing beverage that you so graciously offered me and have come to say that-"
"She's not going to answer, you know." Jimmy said as he came up behind Esmerelda, encircling her with his arm as they were passing by.
"Why don't you just use your smoke trick to get in? Ethel says you can walk through walls let alone tents." Esmerelda said.
Edward sighed, exhaustedly, "I do not wish to visit Lady Lucy in such a way as it is improper to intrude upon someone who is an innocent."
Jimmy and Esmerelda scoffed at him calling Lucy "innocent". But in truth, they didn't really know much about Lucy. So they continued on, Jimmy yelled, "Good luck!" as they giggled and walked into the night together.
Lucy was listening intently on the other side of the door, contemplating what to do. She didn't feel threatened by his presence however he did make her very nervous.
"I understand if I frightened you away. I just wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoyed our meeting and would be ever so happy if I could see you again before I must away." He realized that he sounded quite desperate. He turned to go. Even his demon's face was solemn. Lucy slowly opened the door and looked at him. He rushed back to face her, bowing slightly, "Forgive me, Lady Lucy. I do not wish to bother you. I simply wanted to see you once again." His face was intense. But she was sure that was just the way his eyebrows made him look.
"You are not bothering me. Please come in." Lucy smiled as he seemed to be full of joy at her words.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~**
Edward stepped into Lucy's tent and suddenly felt uneasy as she cleared things away to reveal a sofa. "May I si-"
"Yes" she interrupted him. She seemed more nervous than he. He smiled at her social awkwardness and for once in a very long time, he and the demon forgot themselves and felt peace.
But Lucy was worried. She sat on her bed and stared at the floor unsure of how to begin a casual conversation with a man that was no longer a man.
Edward was preoccupied with the contents of her tent. Her books, music, nic nacs were very fascinating to him. "Coffee?" She offered, in hopes of distracting him from her mess.
"No thank you, Lady Lucy." He said, ernestly. This is good because she really didn't have any coffee and wasn't sure what she'd do if he wanted some.
She paused, not knowing how to say the following without insulting him in any way.
"Please call me Lucy," she said, feeling strange.
"If you wish, Lucy." He said her name as if it gave him chills.
She stared at him in disbelief. "It was just pepsi. I didn't even make it myself-"
"That is not the real reason as to why I sought you out." Edward stated in all seriousness.
"Oh...?" She said. She waited for him to state the reason. When seconds went by and he failed to do nothing except simply stare at her she said, "What is the reason?"
He took a breath and let it out, closing his eyes as if this would be the most difficult thing in the world. She waited and watched him as though he may explode. He was silent for awhile, his eyes closed. For the first time since she'd met him, she was able to look at him and not feel awkward, so she took advantage. He was handsome but distraught. The kind of guy she knew she should stay away from. She wondered what the other side of him was thinking.
"Lady...I mean, Lucy. I know you more than you know yourself."
He said this to her and then he stopped talking as if he'd never said anything. He looked around her tent and began to ask if he could pick things up, "What is this trinket?" He said as he pointed at her record player with his cane. He began walk around her tent looking at things. "May I?" He said as he cautiously touched the snowglobe she forgot she'd had.
"Um.. yeah." Lucy said as she moved to put a record on for him.
What record should she play? I've been using commercial songs so far only so that readers know which songs they are. But it really isn't what I'd listen to...
To anyone who actually reads this, I invite you to submit a song idea and I will write the next chapter to it. (unless it is a dumb song!)