Intruding Thoughts: A Cirque Du Freak Tale
The streets of my small, not-so humble town were unusually quiet tonight. Dimmed lights showed the way into the old, run-down theatre. My grasp on the ticket tightened as I walked inside. Only the light from a lone candle lit the lobby of this abandoned place.
"Good evening." Said a deep voice from behind. Spinning around, I faced a rather tall man, dressed in a red circus uniform. He grinned down at me, giving me the chills. "Are we here to see the show?"
"Yes, sir." I answered politely. He nodded and took the ticket out of my hand. "But, I am also looking for someone."
The man leaned down, showing his entire face. "And who might that be?"
"Larten Crepsley." I answered firmly. The man cocked an eyebrow at me, as if he were in some sort of deep thought.
"Come this way, my dear." He said gently, patting me on the back and leading me out to the back of the theatre, where most of the performers lived. He led me into his trailer. "Now, I'm afraid Ms…."
"My name is Lara," I said softly. "Lara Crepsley."
The man you later found out was called Mr. Hibernus Tall, sat silently, as if he had not a clue on what to do. He gently took my hand, startling me quite a bit.
"My dear, are you related to Larten?" He asked in a hushed voice. I nodded and looked down, feeling tears forming in my eyes.
"I need to know where my father is, please." I said firmly, pushing back the tears. Mr. Tall said nothing only smiled and looked to the door.
"Come in Desmond, meet my guest!" He said gleefully. I laughed at his words, but was hushed when a small man walked into the trailer. He was grinning also, but something worried me about this man. He noticed me immediately and came to kiss your hand.
"And who might you be?" He asked in a cocky tone.
"Lara Crepsley, sir." I answered softly. He looked stunned and glanced at Mr. Tall, who nodded. He looked back to me and smiled.
"I never knew Larten had a child." Mr. Tall said to himself, though he was looking at me. I blushed and looked to the ground smiling. "Now, would you like to meet your father?"
"Is he not here, sirs?" I asked politely. They shook their heads and I sighed. I had waited for so long to meet him, and now he was gone again. Mr. Tall patted my back and looked to the man named Desmond Tiny.
"Will you take her to him, Desmond?" He asked. Mr. Tiny looked as if he were in deep thought and kept silent for a moment. Suddenly he jumped up from his seat and grabbed me by the arm, pulling me up.
"What will you do to see him?" He asked, giddy like a school girl.
"Anything sir!" I answered in a hopeful tone. He smiled and led me out of the trailer. There were 4 little people in robes standing before me, not saying a word. "Where is he sir?"
"Vampire Mountain, my dear, and please, call me Desmond." He said, pulling me away from the trailer, into the darkness of the forest behind the theatre.
It had been 2 years since that fateful night. Desmond had taken me under his wing, becoming my mentor. He took me all over the world to train with vampires and vampaneze alike. I hated how the two similar races hated each other, but it was not my place to change that. Desmond gave me shelter, kept me warm on cold nights, and placed food in my belly. Even though he was so good to me, there were times when I just hated the way he was, and the things he did. He loved death, mayhem, and chaos, like mortals loved sex and money. He was very strange to me, even after 2 years alongside him. But still, he was good to me, and he gave me expensive gifts. Just the other day he brought me a diamond necklace that outstood the "Hope Diamond". He gave me furs and gowns, and you thought it was silly to waste money on such things. But I did like them…a lot.
Now, I finally stand in front of Vampire Mountain, as the sun sets off in the distance. Even in the daylight, this place gives me the creeps. Desmond and his little people stood beside me, silent. Suddenly me felt a hand pull on my blouse.
"I can't let you see the rest of the journey, fate would not approve." Desmond said, letting go of my blouse. I cocked an eyebrow his way, making him laugh. He pulled me down to his face and burped a toxic, smelly gas into my face, knocking me to the forest earth, unconscious.
I woke to find that I was lying on a stone floor, the noise of arguments and anger not too far away. I sat up slowly, a headache forming from the disgusting gas Desmond had breathed into me. I gently brushed the dirt of my white blouse and riding pants, checking to see if my guns and swords were still on me.
Whew….still there!
The clatter going on behind me had stopped, and I turned to find an entire clan of war-trodden vampires, staring at me. I slowly got up and looked for Desmond, who sat high above the others, on what seemed to be a throne. He smiled and summoned me forward. The vampires, stares didn't cease.
"I would like you all to meet my latest project." He said, nodding towards me. I quietly made my way through the group, hoping none of them were hungry. "Miss Lara Crepsley."
The crowd began to whisper to each other, glancing at me and talking nervously. Through all the clatter I heard footsteps approach me, and I turned to see a man I had longed to see.
"Lara?" Larten Crepsley asked, walking up to me slowly. He looked shocked and confused.
"F…..father?" I stuttered, not being able to move from where I stood. I felt him embrace you tightly. I felt a stir of happiness grow within me as my long lost father embraced me. "It's good to see you."
"Oh, I do love these moments...now, where was I?" Desmond said, making the two of us pull apart. My father smiled down at me and looked back up to Desmond, who carried on with his words of wisdom. "One of the hunters is absent, so I'll not name him. If the other two head for the cave of lady Evanna, they'll probably run into him along the way. If not, his chance to play an active part in the future will pass, and it will boil down to that lone pair."
"And they are..." Said an elderly vampire in a tense tone. Mr. Tiny glanced at a young man standing beside my father.
"The hunters must be Larten Crepsley and his assistant Darren Shan." He answered simply, as all eyes fell on the two. Father boldly stepped forth and looked to Desmond.
"I relish the chance to hunt down the Vampaneze Lord." He said sternly. The boy named Darren Shan stepped up behind my father and said,
"Me too."
The rest of the night went by quickly, Desmond speaking with the other angry vampires, and also with me. He told the vampires that non-vampires must play a part in the hunt, looking over at me. Desmond assigned me a part to the hunt, alongside my father and Darren Shan. Once he finished speaking with everyone, he jumped down off the throne, pecked me on the cheek and left Vampire Mountain.
Once he was gone father took me out of the great hall and into a smaller cavern. He told the young boy, Darren and a little person named Harkat who could talk! to get some rest. They nodded and went off to their own caverns, as father took to me very own. Once inside, I saw that someone had prepared a bed, and some food, just for me. Before me could say anything, father had me locked in a warm embrace.
"Oh praise the gods Lara, you're alive!" He said, through muffled tears. I cried along with him, burying my face into his chest. He gently picked me up and placed me inside the coffin, lowering himself in as well. That day, Father and I were reunited….in a coffin!
Whelp..here it is! The fixed begining of my favorite series!! Yay!!