Book 1:

CIRQUE DU FREAK:

NIGHT'S SLAVE:

I'd kept quiet about what I thought I heard when Mom had asked if there was anything wrong with me. Though I assured her that I was perfectly fine - "Never been better" - she still looked at me suspiciously during dinner time.

It was a relatively quiet dinner, much unusual for our household. But towards the end Mom decided to spring some news on us since it seemed we were all a bit too miserable.

"I've got good news for you lot!" Mom said cheerily, grinning at us. It was weird to see her like that, especially as she was fuming all the time as of recent events.

Dad cleared his throat and took a sip from his glass of water. "Did they find that little boy? That would sure be damn good news."

Mom scowled before putting down her fork and knife. "No. It's not about that. Lucas called me a while ago to tell me that he was coming home to visit us. Isn't that nice?"

Isaac groaned loudly at the same time as I asked "Will he bring the Stick with him?"

"Leah! I've told you many times before not to call her that! Her name is Rebecca." Mom glared at me, lifting her fork to her mouth.

Dad scratched his head with the back of his hand, gazing at Mom curiously. "Are you sure her name is Rebecca? I could have sworn it was -"

Before Dad could finish his sentence Isaac coughed loudly, interrupting him while I madly waved my hand across my neck, indicating to Dad that he should shut up. He stared at me confusedly until Mom turn her eyes on me. I smiled innocently at her.

"If you have been feeding your father lies about Rebecca - that is her name, darling - then you better watch yourself, young lady."

"It wasn't all my doing!" I cried, pointing at Isaac who made a rude sign at me.

"None of that at the table!" Mom snapped, glaring at both of us as Dad continued to look between us.

"Is there something wrong?" Dad asked but Mom ignored him. She pointed at me with her fork and then at Isaac.

"If the two of you don't behave I will consider giving out heavier punishments."

"Like you don't already," Isaac muttered under his breath.

"I heard that!"

I laughed until Mom glared at me again. Then I picked up my fork and finished the food on my plate. I was nervous about going upstairs because it felt like someone was constantly watching me but I wasn't about to stay downstairs with Mom around the place.

She sniffed and dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. "I was thinking that maybe I should tell Lucas to cancel. I mean, right now isn't the best of times to visit, is it? What with the disappearance and all."

Dad nodded, smiling sadly. "It'd be a damn shame for him to spend time at home when people are scared to go out of their houses."

Mom agreed. "I have half a mind to send the two of you to your nana's," she said pointing in mine and Isaac's direction. We shared a look, silently agreeing that neither one of us wanted to go back to Nana's house where she had no computer, television or chocolate.

"They'll probably catch the kidnapper any day now." Isaac spoke up. "I heard at school that they're bringing in a detective or something. The kid's bound to be found."

"Are you not at all worried that poor Alex's body may be found? For all we know he could be all the way across the country!" said Mom, furious.

I raised my eyebrows and decided to bring up what I had learned today.

"Alex could be here, with the kidnapper. I mean, the police must have searched in other towns. So if this detective is coming here, I think it goes to say that they could be hiding right here in town," I spoke after swallowing the last of my food.

"Now I'm more worried," Mom cried, a note of irritation slipping into her voice. "I think you can manage a week or two with your nana. It may do you two some good," Mom sniffed again, looking down at her plate sadly as she stirred the remains of her dinner with her fork.

"But, Mom! It may do Leah some good since she's been getting into so much trouble lately-"

"Hey! That's not fair-"

"-but I haven't done anything bad and-"

"-you can't just leave me all by myself -"

"- I have my job! You can't forget about -"

"Both of you! Quiet!" Dad slammed his fist onto the table, making everything on it rattle from the force. Everyone - apart from Dad, himself - at the table turned to stare at him in wonder.

"You can talk, just one at a time! Otherwise you'll drive us crazy!"

Mom, a spark in her eyes now, turned back to look at Isaac. "I know you have a job but it isn't exactly safe right now, is it?"

"But they're thinking of cutting every student's hours short - so I'll be getting home earlier," Isaac moaned, anxious about having to go to Nana's.

"Is your job really more important to you than your own life?"

Isaac didn't answer, looking down at his plate instead. I looked at Mom before deciding to make a deal with the devil.

"What if we wait three more days? How about that?"

"Excuse me, Leah? Are you compromising with me right now?"

"If I've got the right definition of 'compromise' then I'm pretty sure I am," I grinned sheepishly. Dad sighed heavily and got up, collecting all the dishes. Mom groaned, bemused, and slapped a hand to her face.

"If this makes you swear that you will willingly go to your grandmother's house, then fine. You get three days, no more."

"And no less," I said, walking on a thin line. Mom sent me one of her glares before getting up and following Dad out into the kitchen.

"You do realise that if Alex Wood is found dead before this three days agreement is up, she'll send us to Nana's anyway?"

"I know. So pray that Alex is found alive and well," I said before getting up myself and running upstairs, yelling a "Thanks, dinner was lovely" as I went.


I sat at my desk, my small over head lamp on. It was sometime around twelve and I still had my maths homework to finish for tomorrow. I sighed heavily, exasperated with the problems that I had to solve. I snorted, like I'd need all this complicated maths stuff in my life. I was relatively good at maths but I hadn't been listening very well in class the past few weeks and it was showing in my work.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I kept it there ever since I'd gotten home and vowed to myself that I wouldn't let it out of my sight or reach. I didn't feel like having a repeat of what had happened to me - though I told myself aloud that nothing had actually happened to me while a voice in the back of my mind whispered the opposite.

I reached into my back pocket and retrieved my mobile phone. I'd put it on silent so as not to wake anyone if someone did happen to call or text me. I checked it and saw that I had one new message from Steve.

It read: Need to talk. Call me if you can.

I rolled my eyes. What could he possibly want to talk about with me now, at this hour? I decided that it couldn't be too important, otherwise he would have called himself already.

My phone went off again and I glared at it. Really, this couldn't wait until a better to call at?

I sighed and checked the new message.

Call me even if it's inconvenient.

Instead of ignoring him this time I decided to text back.

You can simply tell me through text whatever it is you wish to tell me. Next time, pick a finer hour to text at -L.

The phone vibrated again, almost immediately after I pressed on the send button.

THIS IS URGENT. CALL. NOW.

I rolled my eyes again before completely forgetting about my maths homework and pressing the call button under Steve's contact details.

He picked up on the first ring, surprising me with a "Why did you take for damn long?"

"Hey, I'm sorry but I'm not the one calling this late! My mom could wake up any minute and ground me. More than she has already!" I shouted in a whisper down the line, wishing I could do more damage to Steve's hearing.

"Calm down! If you keep your voice down then no one will hear. I did tell you that I had something urgent to tell you, didn't I?"

I walked over to my bed and lay down as gently as I could without making the springs groan in protest. I threw my thick blanket over myself, hoping that my voice would be muffled by the thick fabric.

"What do you want, Leopard? This really better be important - I have homework due tomorrow that's still not finished," I almost growled at him.

"You can finish it tomorrow morning."

"Like that's actually going to happen. Why do you think I'm not leaving it till then?"

"Just listen to me," Steve said, exasperation in his voice.

"Fine," I sighed, closing my eyes as I rubbed the back of my neck in frustration.

"Remember what I told you about my plan earlier today?"

"Hard to forget. You wanted to send yourself on a suicide mission," I droned.

"Well, I went around for a little look. I decided that the abandoned theatre would be a good spot. And it was. Guess what I found there," said Steve, almost gleefully.

"Oh - oh - oh! The kidnapper!" I snapped, glaring at the phone as though it were Steve himself.

"No. Stop snapping at me - it's irritating."

"And I should do what you tell me because…"

"Just be a good friend and keep listening."

I was silent for a few seconds. Steve had never really called me his friend. He said I was part of the group but he had never been best mates with everyone in the old gang. So this rendered me speechless for a moment before Steve cleared his throat and asked if I was still there.

"Yeah, yeah. I am. I'm listening," I said, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that I found the kidnapper's things. There was a rucksack packed with weird little bits and bobs - a few pots and a spoon. No clothes. No phone. Just the pots and…stakes. Some are just sticks but the rest are definitely stakes."

"Stakes? Like…stakes that you kill vampires with?"

"Now you're catching on."

"Catching on to what exactly? Are you saying this person - who's belongings you found in an abandoned old dump - is a vampire hunter?"

"No! I think it is a vampire!"

"Steve, that's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard you say. Vampire, seriously? Please, tell this story to someone else and don't waste my time."

"Okay, okay! I was just messing. But it's still weird that he has stakes in his bag, isn't it?"

Yeah it's weird. But how are you certain that this is the kidnapper's stuff? I mean, it could be just a regular bum's. He can't exactly sleep on the streets."

"I'm sure it's the kidnapper's. I've just got this feeling…I can't explain it. But I'm certain."

I sighed again. "I wouldn't put much faith into this certainty if I were you. Are you still there?"

"No, I cycled home as soon as I was finished looking through the kidnapper's -"

"-homeless person's -" I grunted.

"- bag. I didn't feel like sticking around in case he came back."

"At least you weren't caught by the police," I sighed in relief. It was a strange feeling, being relieved about Steve not getting in trouble. I hadn't realised that I had come to be so sympathetic towards him.

"They're too ignorant. They never look in the right places. I wouldn't be surprised if the kidnapper got another kid. The police just sit in their cars in one place on every street. And they're kind of bad when it comes to changing their shifts. Rodney, for example, leaves a few minutes before the next officer can relieve him of his duty."

"How on earth do you know that?" I raised my brow, staring confusedly at nothing in particular.

"Rodney was the officer I got a lift home from. I guess his girlfriend doesn't pay him enough attention since he practically spilled his whole life story to me, along with a few quips at said girlfriend. It was easy to get him to talk about the shifts and timetable."

"So you knows exactly when there are blind spots during their 'neighbourhood watch'," I stated, almost feeling excited over this fact.

"Exactly so!" Steve affirmed joyfully, as though he was confirming that Christmas was arriving earlier this year.

"I hope that you aren't going to abuse this knowledge…too much," I laughed, quickly covering my mouth with my hand afterwards, scared that I had woken someone up.

"Don't worry. We can both abuse this knowledge. I was thinking of checking out a few more places tomorrow night."

"Steve," I stressed his name, "I don't think this is a good idea. You know I don't."

"Leah, it's fine. I didn't get caught or anything tonight, and I won't ever."

"What if the kidnapper actually finds you. Steve, don't him more reason to go out looking for more victims."

"Come with me then. We could watch each other's backs. We could also get things done faster. So how about it?"

"Steve, I don't think I'll be able to get away with it. My mom's watching me like a hawk lately, for obvious reasons. She did catch me last time I sneaked out."

"Stop making excuses, Carell."

"Look, Steve. I don't know if you actually get this but I'm scared, okay? I'm scared to go out at night - even with you watching my back - because I'm afraid that I might find the kidnapper and never see my family. Isn't that a scary prospect for you?"

I could hear Steve breathing down the line. I wasn't sure if he actually felt the same fear as I did. I mean, he had just risked his own life in order to check out an abandoned old theatre for a kid-snatching-lunatic. If he felt scared, he was damn well hiding it.

"It's fine, Carell. I can just do this on my own. It's not a problem." But from the sound of his voice, it was definitely a problem in his point of view.

"Steve," I moaned, "c'mon. Don't be like this. We can just leave this and find something else to do. Just don't go out again."

"Whatever. I can handle it all by myself. 'Night, then."

"Steve, wait!" I called out in a whisper but to no avail. Steve had hung up, obviously intending to disregard what I had told him. I sighed and rolled over, pulling up my blanket to get a bit more fresh air.

As I sat up I could have sworn I saw a shadow in the window. I didn't bother getting out of bed and running over to check what it was. I frantically pulled the blanket over my head again, intending to close my eyes and quickly fall asleep before I could think about what had happened that afternoon too much.

Sleep didn't come easily for me that night and I kept tossing and turning all night, trying to make the images of a shadowy figure go away.


A burly figure stooped down low, just managing to pass through a low passage that consisted of a wide crack in a wall.

There was a sort of groaning and then frantic yelps came from further in the cave-like room.

Moving aside some random junk as the figure moved forward, a small figure was revealed behind a stack of empty boxes.

"Now, now. You know I like it better when you stay quiet." The man - for there was no denying the gruff voice belonged to a male - chuckled, biting down on something. He came closer to the smaller figure and offered a green apple to the small boy who was tied up with a gag in his mouth.

"It might help if you eat something." Before waiting for answer the man just threw the apple down by the small boy's feet. When the apple hit the ground it was obvious that it would bruise. It rolled away, out of reach of the small boy.

"Bad luck, eh?" The man chuckled again, biting into his own apple. He munched loudly while walking around the room.

He sniffed and wiped at his nose with his sleeve. "Now, there was a right old snoopy kid around hear a while ago. Good thing you didn't make any noise - otherwise you'd have a 'cellmate', shall we say?"

The small boy thrashed around and tried to yelp again but the gag prevented him from doing so successfully. The man walked over to him again and put his boot against the boy's damp cheek, pushing his face around so he could look him in the eye.

"Don't do that. You know what happens when you keep on doing that. I get angry. And I am a bit thirsty… Are you up for that?" When the boy stayed still and didn't moan or groan the man grinned, pleased. "I thought so."

He pulled his foot away, leaving the boy to roll back into his previous position.

"I was thinking that I'll look for someone new for tonight. I feel like getting something more fresh," and with a last chuckle the man threw his apple core in the young boy's direction and stamped out of the room.


A/N: Wooh! Another chapter updated. Sorry if it took another while - I was on holidays in Latvia, trying to enjoy the sun. I'm hoping to get the next chapter up faster.

Please review if you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are like food to me - keep feeding me, please!