Disclaimer: This story is not for the faint of heart, and certainly does not have a fairy-tale ending. For whatever reason this story wants to be written, it will be gruesome, twisted, unafraid to go there. The mission here is to play with emotions, and you've been warned. Also, the supernatural creatures within this story are not the same as many would think. I have combined traits from multiple shows, books, and movies to create the perfect monsters.(ex: TB,TVD ) I am well aware of the fact "hey that's from this show or that book" I've just made these creatures my own mixed version. As much of a messed up story that is going on here, I hope it is entertaining, and reviews are always loved.
(Prologue: Becoming Part of the Show Part One)
Santana's phone starts to go off, forcing her to roll over in bed almost knocking everything off the nightstand.
"Hello?" A sense of grogginess coats over her voice.
"Afternoon Santana," the voice laughs through the phone. "It's so nice of you to finally join the rest of the world of the living."
Brittany.
A smile spreads across her face and she rolls over on her back.
"Hi, Beautiful." Santana says rubbing away the tired from her eyes. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Well San, I was going to get you for lunch and talk to you about something. However, seeing as you won't be ready when I get back home, I'll just tell you when I see you." Brittany laughs, says her sweet 'I love you' and hangs up the phone.
It doesn't take Brittany long to get back to their loft. Whatever she mentioned on the phone, she's really excited about. Santana is sitting on the couch flipping through an old magazine when the blonde bounces through the front door. Brittany tosses her sweater on a chair, dances over to Santana and tackles her into the couch with a kiss. Santana grabs her sides' mid-kiss, Brittany tries her best to squirm free from their tickling grip; their fingers finally intertwine when she shows some mercy. Santana's head falls to the side, staring up at the blonde who is now on her lap.
"So what was it you rushed home for, other than the obvious of course," Santana jokes motioning to herself with their locked hands.
"Oh yeah!" she leans over Santana to the end of the couch; Santana can't resist the opportunity. She breaks her hands free, and makes for another attack at Brittany's sides as the dancer shrieks out in laughter. The two of them flip off of the couch, tumbling down to the floor. There's no chance Brittany will be able to contain that adorable laugh, and soon enough, neither can Santana. Brittany begs for Santana to stop or she's sure she is going to die. It takes a little longer but eventually, Santana does.
Santana hovers over Brittany's body, grinning down like an idiot when their eyes meet each other's.
"Can I show you now, or do I risk another attack?" The smiled that gleams back at Santana only makes her laugh, nodding her head to go ahead with whatever she was reaching for. Brittany stretches over to the bag for a split second before snapping back at Santana raising one finger at her. "Saaaan," An eyebrow rises in suspicion.
Santana can't help the noise that escapes her.
"I promise," she tells Brittany. Now the blonde is still a little hesitant, but the smile is pretty clear across that wonderful face of hers. It takes her a minute to rummage around her bag until she finally pulls out a small, folded up piece of paper; she keeps it close to her chest waiting for the big reveal.
"Okay, so, don't judge alright?" she says cautiously. Santana shakes her head of course, dipping her head low enough for another kiss.
"Never," She whispers against Brittany's lips.
Brittany turns the piece of paper around and at the top, large bolded words are written an eerie font promoting a 'once in a lifetime' event.
"A freak show?" Santana is genuinely surprised. "Isn't it a little early for Halloween B?"
"Now just wait a sec, says it's a 'carnival' and a 'freakshow'. Not to mention it also says right here," Brittany twists the paper up, "'Who said it can only come around once a year?'"
Santana motions to see the flyer.
"When I was leaving school today, I could hear it a few blocks away. A guy was passing out these flyers, and talked about how it was a 'show like no other'. There's something about the whole thing seems, just so exciting. I mean I've never been to one so I thought why not ask San if she would want to go."
Santana listens to Brittany go on about how strange the man looked wearing the shows get-up, but the words never really could sink in. Santana dips her head to Brittany's chest, dusting light kisses up all the way to the blondes shoulder, mumbling 'Mhmm's and 'yeahs' too distracted by the taste of Brittany's skin under her lips. Brittany would giggle to herself, trying to get Santana to stop so she could finish, but Santana can't just quit what she was doing. Santana reaches back to her mouth, kisses her softly until she feels Brittany's hands rest on the sides of her face. She pulls back, and that childish grin is back on her face.
"Anything for you." Santana says. Brittany vibrates with an excitement that only managed to spark her laughing again before she pulls Santana down for more even kisses.
When they arrive, the largest show tent is packed with pretentious college students' eager to get their drinking on. Brittany holds Santana's hand tight, leading the way through the crowds of people. The further in the twisted carnival they find themselves, the scene is beginning to give Santana a new sense of titillation, an enthralling need to see what more this place has to offer. It was weird because before they had gotten there she wasn't too sure what to expect, or if it would be worth it in the first place. Now, she's sitting alongside of Brittany as the masses of people make their way to their seats, Santana is getting more and more amped up for the show just to freaking start. A wave of adrenaline rushes over her, she's suddenly impatient and antsy, how much longer do they have to wait? The two are acting like they've been loyal fans of the show for years and years, even though this is the first time they set foot in such an environment.
After a few more agonizing minutes pass by, the lights go out, and sends out a rippling effect that causes the entire tent to scream and cheer; Brittney and Santana oddly among those people. A loud voice booms over the speakers, sending a nasty chill down their spines that's both nerve wracking and delirious at the same time.
"Good evening Ladies, and gentlemen! "
More screams roar out from the audience,
"Welcome!" A spot light beams to the center of the tent, focusing on a man in a top hat wearing a torn and tattered tux, with a black cane in hand to tie the outfit together. Brittany is standing now, screaming like never before with everyone else, cheering, and waving her hands at him like she knew who he was. Before Santana knows it, she's doing it too, feeling like a totally different person.
"We have a brilliant show planned for this evening." the crowd is hysterical with enthusiasm. "They say the freaks come out at night," His grins wildly. "Now you better prove to me that that it is true!" He yells aggressively into the hanging microphone; the audience eats it up, somehow managing to cheer even louder. This unfamiliar feeling takes over Santana's entire body, completely consuming her. Music blasts overhead, jutting deep into their core with ferocious beats, telling the entire unsuspecting world, that the show… has just begun.
Brittany is engrossed in uncontrollable laughter as they head out of the tent. Santana's mind is foggy, head buzz-like, and she can't make much sense of what they had just witnessed. It was as if everything she had seen was more of a hazy dream. Obviously that couldn't be the case here, if both her and Brittany are still holding on to the excitement they felt when they had first arrived; Right?
It only takes a stranger bumping into the two girls that sends their hands apart, and whisks Santana further away from Brittany with the leaving horde. After waiting a few minutes of letting the crowd flood out from the tent, Santana can make out that Brittany is talking to a man alongside of the show tent. She pushes a couple of people out of her way; her irritation quickly gets the best of her.
"Come on Britt, let's go," Santana reaches for her arm, but the dancers attention is focused elsewhere. The man standing in front of Brittany steps around her into Santana's way like a human barricade. He tilts his head down to look at her; with the weird drag he was wearing, he definitely had to have been a part of the show.
"Why don't you just leave this lovely lady alone, and go back home." he says like he is commanding her.
"Shove off, Asshole." Santana hisses at him slamming her hand hard into his chest to move him out of the way. She pulls Brittany behind her, but when they turn around she runs into another large body blocking their path; her grip tightens on Brittany's hand. Santana can make out the face of their blockade and realizes it's the Ring Master from the beginning of the show.
"Control your freaks." She spits at him trying to shove him out of the way too; but when he doesn't budge, there is a twinge of fear that strikes into Santana's chest for the first time.
"I plan too." He says flatly when Brittany's hand is suddenly ripped away from Santana's, and the Latina's mouth is covered by the man's hand. Santana's fists are pounding on his chest in any effort to get him to let her go and chase after Brittany; she manages to bite his hand making him reflexively let go for a fleeting second. Before she can get further than two inches from him, his arm is wrapped around her waist and she's being dragged against her will to follow suit behind the man that has Brittany.
"Let me go! Brittany!" She calls out hearing only a faint cry out in reply; she is too far from Santana. The man lifts her off of the ground effortlessly even though she's struggling like a small child.
"You see, your love for that girl," he's pointing in Brittany's direction, "Has allowed you to escape what we call 'compulsion', and I want to see just what else you are capable of."
Santana punches at his arms, kicks at his legs, but nothing works in her favor.
"What the hell are you talking about, let me go! Let her go!"
Santana's wish is granted, just to be thrown to the ground near a terror stricken Brittany.
The two girls are surrounded by masses of people that are howling and hunched over like wolves ready to ambush its prey. The crowd shoves and fights each other trying to get closer to the girls like this was some sort of sick show.
Being protective as she is, Santana lunges forward to Brittney only to fail once again when she's yanked back away by another arm around her waist.
"I'll get us out of here Brittany, don't worry, don't be scared," Santana yells over the roaring crowd of freaks, trying everything she can to stop the tears swelling up in her girlfriend's eyes. The man that had been holding Brittany by her arms lets her fall to the ground. Dark purple shades have already blossomed under her skin. She reaches to sooth them. Santana's chest ignites. She fights even harder against the arms that keep her in place. "It's going to be okay!" Santana calls out again who is nervously starting to doubt her own words at this point.
Fear floods every inch of her when she is shoved to her knees.
The ring master crouches to Santana's level, tilting his head in a curious way before reaching under her chin, forcing Santana to meet his gaze. The man's eyes are dark, black as far as she can tell, and they are keeping her body paralyzed; she couldn't make an escape from them even if she tried. His jaw tightens at Santana's sight, and it almost makes her sick that the proximity between them is only mere inches.
"You would do anything for this girl, wouldn't you?" he asks teasingly.
"Just let her go," Santana falls short of breath from fighting, "Please."
He shakes his head giving her an apathetic look. "I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, I don't see you really as useful without her. Now, I think you're more powerful than you imagine so I'm going to keep you both around. Besides, the others want you shredded apart for themselves, but I'm just overwhelmed with curiosity. I want to see exactly what it is that happens with you."
Santana confusion is well hidden behind a disgusted face.
"God, this anger that is fueling you right now," he takes in a deep breath near her, "It's simply delicious."
Santana can't help herself, and spits at his shoes. At what point she thinks that was going to help their situation, she has no idea but does in fact know instantaneously it's a mistake. He throws is head back in a menacing laugh. The ring master is standing next to Brittany, Santana's eyes widen at his speed. The ring master shoves the man who had given Brittany the bruises out of the way, and grabs her throat to lift her to her feet.
Trepidation finds a new level inside of Santana, and her whole being inside and out, is screaming at him.
"Would you die for this women?!" he demands but this time is staring Santana down; the question sends an energy through the freaks around them to holler about like a wild pack of hyenas.
It is sickening.
"S-Stop!" Santana's voice is strangled, raspy with fear. Brittany is being forced to stand still by the ring masters fingers that are clenched around her throat. She clutches at his hands only to find the grip tightens before his arm is locked around her throat, and he is using her like a human shield in front of Santana.
Santana can faintly make out the blonde shaking her head at her.
At the answer Santana will undoubtedly give.
The ring master tares his wrist open with his bare teeth, sending blood to spatter on the ground. A cry escapes from deep within Santana's chest when he shoves the wound right up to Brittany's mouth. Blood is spilling out from the sides of the blonde's mouth. When she is clearly trying to resist, he inflicts an ounce of pain that forces a scream out of her, and she's unable to fight against it anymore.
Her muffled screams tare Santana apart until she is screaming at the man again,
"Yes! Yes! I would!"
He yanks his hand away from Brittany's mouth; she's trying to spit out what she can manage while it still takes everything she has not to get sick. It doesn't help how badly her body is shaking and the tears stream down her terrorized face.
"Good then." He says flatly grabbing the sides of the Brittany's face, and snaps her neck in one swift motion.
Brittany's body slumps to the ground.
Santana's entire world comes to a screeching halt, and throws her off of it. Her screams are something different now, a sound like nothing she has ever made in her life. The sound is soul wrenching and the word 'no' at once. Pain wraps dark tendrils around Santana's throat, making her put up a fight just to scream out Brittany's name in sheer agony.
Santana's body feels like it just had a high speed collision with a bus. She can't breathe, but she also can't stop screaming no matter how much it's starting to hurt her; her chest heaves in and out and her lungs could be filling up with cement and she wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
The pain is unbearable seeing Brittany's lifeless body lying on the ground only a few feet away.
"Then she shouldn't have a problem in killing you." His voice is cold, but promising even though it doesn't make any sense to her right now.
Santana's body is completely wrecked. Curse words spill from her mouth at him, her heart is falling out of her chest, her lungs have finally collapsed in on themselves. She begs and pleads for him to just kill her, unable to think or see clearly enough because she's crying so hard.
Santana's whole existence has been shattered within seconds. Her entire world… gone. She can't understand anything that's happening; it's grotesquely overwhelming.
"Take that one to the Turnet," His words implying to Brittany's motionless figure.
An unexpected fire once again ignites inside of Santana, and she's now suddenly thrashing out at the men attempting to pin her down, wildly cursing at them every word she's ever known. She can't handle the thought of someone touching Brittany, especially now, the idea floods her with an immense hate.
"Oh come 'on now, I'm doing you an incredible favor!" The ring master says, "You don't need to feel so much animosity towards me, even if it is intoxicating." He loosened his ugly tie. "There's just one last thing I'm curious to see," He insists.
Her hand is extended unwillingly out to the ring master. She lets out another cry the second his teeth pierced through her wrist, quickly feeling weaker than she thought was possible. He lets her go seconds later and wipes his mouth clean of her blood. "What's this … beauty? Who… " He mutters amongst his own company.
"I'll kill you." It may be whisper, but he manages to hear it anyway.
"That's what I like to hear! Positivity is what it is about my friends!" It almost sounds like he's applauding her. "Take this enthusiastic one to the halls," He stands close enough for Santana to lash out at him one more time. It may be subtle, but he is enjoying this, getting aroused off of her struggle. Off of her pain. Off of her hatred.
"You're going to make a fine addition to the show. You've already become very useful indeed." He walks away saying.
A sudden force slams against the side of Santana's head and instantly the world around her goes black.
Santana's body jolts awake, she choking on the polluted air surrounding her that ends up sending an immediate pounding to her head. She makes an attempt to reach for the main source of the thudding pain, but her arms make no movement. Where ever she is, it's dark and cold. The air is dank and it leaves a terrible taste in her mouth. Not to mention it also smells awful; in her perception, this is what an abandoned slaughter house has to smell like.
She makes another weak attempt to sit up and use her hands for support when there is a weight on them. The metal clanks against the hard floor under Santana, and she presumes that they are shackles of a sort but it is too dark to see them clearly.
There is screaming coming from the distance, and it isn't coming from fans or has been made out of excitement. No, these screams were formed from pure unadulterated fear and the altercation that people are screaming for their lives.
Santana's eyes drastically become heavier; she's fighting with her mind to stay conscious just a little while longer. It only takes one more scream that in nothing flat, she can differentiate from the rest.
It sounds like… it came from Brittany. Her heart sinks.
Stop. She's dead. And you're going to die too. That's not her.
Her mind starts to spin, she can't hold on any longer, and she slips back into unconsciousness.
Cold water splashes at Santana's face, sending her head to jerk from the initial shock. Her eyes are still heavy though one is forced to remain completely close because her own blood drips over it, from that gash on the side of her head. Santana's arms sit in a stage of comatose, weighing down from the metal constraints around her wrists assuring her she isn't going anywhere. She's resting on her knees, and is wondering how she hasn't fallen over already.
"Get up," a voice commands from behind her. When she doesn't move, she's lifted to her feet too fast for her head to handle. She wants to get sick, it's well overdue.
Santana stumbles over for a second when she feels a grip that painfully constrict around her arms to keep her balanced in place. There is another presence on the side of her, and when he talks, she immediately knows it's the ring master. That sick fuck that killed Brittany in front of her, who taunted her, who she swears to kill if it is the last thing she ever does.
He starts yelling at the man who has a hold on Santana's arm, making her head pound even harder. The other man yells in his defense when suddenly his voice is cut off, and his body falls to the ground next to her in a blurry heap.
"I'm am truly sorry about that, that shouldn't have happened dear." He's actually sincere, but the sound of his voice starts to fuel her again before she can bother to notice. "But, look, I have a surprise for you." He tries to lift her head, only to meet empty eyes and lets her head fall lazily back down.
Nothing is clear anymore, that was, until she heard her voice.
She can still hear it, no matter how much she tries to stop. It haunting her, lord knows she can still hear Brittany's voice as clear as day. She is losing it; there isn't any other explanation on why her mind is beginning to playing dirty tricks. Santana's breath hitches when she hears her name again. With every ounce left in her body, left in her soul, she manages to get a glance up.
For the thousandth time, her breath is stolen from her… there Brittany was… standing before her. Her blonde hair glimmering even in the dim light; her smooth skin looks untouched reminding Santana that of a statue, and when it comes to her motions, they are so fluid they're practically angelic.
Santana feels like she has never truly seen Brittany until this very moment, and her beauty is just astonishing.
Tears are swelling up in her eyes, and she's doing her best to blink them away before they obscure Brittany's image any more than they already have. Santana comes to the conclusion that she is being tortured in one form or another. There is no plausible reason that this could be at any chance, real.
The she hears that laugh again, that dark and sickening laugh.
"She doesn't believe you are real." He continues.
Santana's face is cradled by cool hands, instantly taking her back to the moment that afternoon. She wants to get lost in it; the way Brittany vibrates with laughter underneath her, the smell of her shampoo, the life in her eyes, the heat from her skin under Santana's lips, the happiness that she fills Santana's body with-
"San, I'm here," Brittany's words wash over her, delusively numbing all the pain. This is it, she is sure she is dying. Or at least she is almost there. Brittany is fading in and out of Santana's vision, but Santana is determined to claw her way back from the darkness and not lose sight of her, not again.
She is ready to be pulled from the nightmare, to be rid of the pain her wreaked body was now based upon; anything to be with Brittany again, where ever that may have been.
When her face is let go, Santana's heart sinks, she needs that touch even if it is hallucinated.
Brittany seems to be yelling about something, it is not directed at Santana, but it is about her.
A small gust of air passes through Santana's hair, there's another person next to her. Faintly she makes out the shady looking figure grab at Brittany's wrist, brings it to their mouth, and bites into it. Brittany lets out a small whimper yanking her hand away those three seconds too late.
Santana's body jumps when something is quickly places over her mouth, and floods it with a thick metallic tasting liquid. Its blood, she's got that right, but the more that she's able to swallow, the sweeter it begins to taste in a sick and twisted way.
The more she thought about what she was actually doing, the more she wanted to push away from it, to spit it out, to get sick; but she is too exhausted.
In a matter of seconds, her head is clearing up and the pounding reduces to an almost nothing. She's able to register all of the sounds around her, and her vision is becoming more vivid and less of a blurred mess it was before.
How is this even possible? Thirty seconds ago Santana doubted she'd have been able to spell her name correctly, or make a coherent sentence if she tried. Now all of the sudden she can hear the buzzing coming from the overhead light, and smell Brittany's perfume as if it had been sprayed it directly in her face?
"San?" Santana hears the angle's voice again, and looks up quicker than she could have done earlier.
"Brittany?" She breathes relieved, but now is suddenly more confused than ever. Sobs let out from her chest, and the only other thing she is capable of doing right that second is apologize; over and over.
Brittany holds onto Santana's shoulders, comforting her in the best way possible, and tells her that she is there with her. Insisting that she is real, that all of this is real, and how she's fine; Santana just needed to breathe, to calm down.
But who in the hell could calm down at a time like this?
"Listen San, I have to do something, something really bad, but I have too, or O'Grady is going to hurt you." There is something about the way Brittany is talking, and the tone that carries with each word that unravels Santana's nerves again.
Santana is still pleading for forgiveness to Brittany about not being able to save her.
"Little Brittany," There is that voice again, pouring liquid flames into Santana's veins. "Don't make me get angry, hurry now. Like I showed you."
Santana can feel Brittany's hands starting to shake even though she is still trying to caress her face.
"Feed yourself, give her more of your blood, and then finish it. Simple."
Santana's head is quickly beginning to spin again, "W-What is he-" she's only able to manage her words in low increments. Brittany looks around them helplessly, still trying in her best effort to comfort Santana the way she always used to.
"Phase one will be completed and everything will be over with."
Brittany focuses her attention back to Santana, an undoubting sadness over coming her as she whispers only to Santana,
"I'm so sorry, He'll kill you for good if I don't," she says and Santana's hand is being brought to Brittany's lips. It only takes a second to register that the sharp pain in her wrist is being caused by Brittany; her mouth pressed against it, sucking on it and Santana's body immediately goes weak like before.
Brittany seems like she is having trouble stopping, having trouble letting go of Santana's wrist; but when she does, she's snaps it away from her and wipes her mouth with her sleeve.
"San you have to drink, you have to drink more," her voice is coating each word with an uncertainty. "Please," she's pleading. Santana heard her make another small noise in discomfort, and her mouth is being pressed to again with Brittany's arm. The same liquid fills her mouth, and this time she absolutely doesn't have the strength to fight it. She had been drained again.
She has to be being tortured now, this is ungodly.
Santana starts to cry again, letting the tears fall when she hears Brittany caved in and is doing the same thing.
"Remember what I told you? Together, forever, isn't that what you want?" He claps impatiently. "Kill her now." His words seem to be threating her more than Santana.
The thought clicks in Santana's head in what Brittany is being asked to do; the tears come faster. Brittany embraces Santana, cooing words to her, but anything she says is hardly recognizable through the insistent sobs and out bursts coming from Santana. Never has she felt this way, she has officially let herself go.
Santana doesn't realize what she's saying until it is already out in the open. It just overcame her. If this saves Brittany, in any possible way, what the hell was she waiting for?
"It's okay," Santana says in the crook of Brittany's shoulder.
Brittany lets out a sob,
"Brittany its okay." Santana's words have become lifeless in themselves.
She lets out another gasp of air telling Santana she doesn't want to, that she can't. Santana only repeats herself louder when they are rudely interrupted.
"Come on Brittany, if I do it, she won't wake up, I can promise you that." and he means it.
"San.."
"Just do it,"
"Oh San," Her voice cracks, and tears are stained down her face.
"Do it Brittany."
She holds on to the sides of Santana's face, leaning up to kiss her forehead.
"I love you San,"
"I love you too, Brittany."
The last thing Santana feels is Brittany's smooth hands of the sides of her face, then everything goes black again.
But its blank.
Darker.
Just, completely empty now.