"ANOTHER CHAPPIE!"
After getting well Darren, Evra, and I hunt for the Little People and give them their food and we move onto our work around the Cirque to make sure that everything is in place for the show tonight when suddenly I hear something groan and I look up and see a large pole used to give us electricity when we're out in the wilderness is about to land on the boys who are blissfully unaware of the danger they're in.
For the love of all that is good and holy! I think in frustration as I run forward and shove both boys out of the way before I lift up my arms and feel heat inside my entire body and I catch the heavy pole with a grunt. I stand there, unable to move due to the weight and I groan as I feel my body heat up more and I adjust myself to walk towards the middle of the pole and as I walk and move my hands lower on the pole my blood gets hotter and hotter until it seems like I'm going to burst as I get to the bottom to keep it from moving. I move my fingers around the broken part and it mends to not break again and when the heat leaves I have not even the strength to stand so I collapse.
"Topaz!" the boys yell, running over.
"Are you okay?" Darren asks.
"You saved our lives," Evra says.
I laugh sarcastically, but it comes out breathless. "You boys need to pay more attention," I say and move to get up but find I can't. With a pain filled groan I suddenly feel the heat of a nearby fire and my eyebrows come together. I don't know why I feel this, but all I know is I need to go there. "Take me to the fire, I think I need food."
They nod and struggle to get me to the fire. As we near my strength returns only a little. I tell them to put me near the fire and I stare into the flames, feeling better, but nowhere near strong enough to go about my usual tasks. I lay there for a while, for so long that Mr. Crepsley's come out for dinner (more like breakfast for him) and I'm fed some food, but it doesn't seem to refuel me like I think it would.
I take a deep breath in and I notice a small part of the flame comes toward me, but when I breathe out it retreats back into the large flame. I let out all of the air in my lungs and breathe as deeply as I can for as long as I can, the flames entering my mouth and going down my esophagus to settle in my stomach and as I do this I realize that my strength is returning as the fire gets smaller. I continue to suck in my breath until the flames are diminished. I finally breathe out and only smoke escapes and then I stand with a triumphant grin (mentally) and everyone blinks at me.
"You can eat fire?!" Alexander says.
"Even I can't do that," Rhamus says.
I blink. "Yeah... I just found that out too."
"No," the Twisting Twins gasp in shock.
"Will you reveal your talent now?" Evra asks.
"No, I won't ever show you my talent. This is as close as you will ever get," I growl and turn on my heel and go back to work.
Fire burns through my veins and I can feel my temper wanting to come out. I help get everything together for the show, working harder and faster than the freaks and other stage hands. I can't help but put my energy into my work because if I don't someone will get hurt and then I'll get hurt again. I do my last task and find a secluded area in the fields nearby and I sit in the tree, rubbing my arms. Mr. Crepsley's the only one that's ever seen my scars and the second to discover my past in Cirque Du Freak. I don't want anyone else to find out and I don't want him getting any closer to me than he already is. Suddenly I hear someone and I look down and see Mr. Tall.
"What do you want?" I ask.
"Nothing. Simply that you return to camp. Everyone is questioning your whereabouts."
"Why? I'm an antisocial demon," I say sourly.
"Don't ever call yourself that," Mr. Tall snaps at me, his eyes filled with fierce protectiveness. "You're not a demon. You're Topaz, and don't you forget it."
I blink at his fierceness and turn my gaze to my feet. "But... I'm no better than one... You know what I did..."
"Yes, but that was an accident. You can't blame yourself for that, you must let it go. You need to open up and-," I interrupt him.
My eyes lift to his and I growl, "No! If I open up, bad things will happen. I can't let anyone get hurt because of me."
"At least open up emotionally," he sighs.
I look away, unsure. "It's hard to open up when people can turn on you in a split second. It's happened before... someone acts nice and I start to relax and they attack."
"You'll find that freaks are more lenient because of each of us has a past. Freaks stay together and don't judge," he informs.
"I don't know..." I shake my head.
"For now come back and get rest. The show is about to start and you've done more work than any of us," he says.
I nod and jump down to stand next to him. If I feel like a dwarf next to Mr. Crepsley, I feel like a midget of midgets next to Mr. Tall. I find myself more comfortable around him. He puts a hand on my shoulder and I stiffen. He apologizes and leads me back to my tent and ensures I'm in bed before he leaves. I change into pajamas: pajama bottoms and a plain white long sleeved shirt before I eat some Doritos while I watch the TV we have in the room. After a while I finally drift off when Fran's complaining about her mother to Mr. Sheffield in The Nanny.
"Next chapter!"
