Notes! : Oh Darren ~ It'll be alright...
Chapter Twenty-Four . . . It was just a test
Evra, after everything was done with Cormac's littler performance, told me that Cromac was harmless. And he was normally like that with the newer acts. I wasn't sure what to say. He did know I was only fifteen right? I was a lot younger then him. I just hoped his dirty jokes would soon end. The last thing I needed was to be red in the face as I walked around the camp thinking of those jokes.
The camp was buzzing with activity all afternoon. People were running around like crazy. A bunch of them were working on putting together the circus tent. I haven't seen it before. It was an impressive sight when it was done, tall and round and red, decorated with pictures of the performers.
Evra and I were kept busy, Hammering pegs into the groud to hold the tent in place, arraging seats inside, setting up the sage for the show, preparing props for the performers (we had to find tin cans and nuts and bolts for Rhamus Twobellies to eat, and help move the wolf-man's cage inside the tent, and so on).
It was a huge operation, but it moved with incredible speed. Everyone in the camp knew their place and what was expected of them, and there was never any real panic over the course of the day. Everyone worked as a part of a team and things came together very smoothly.
Sam showed up early in the afternoon. I would have kept him around to help with the work, but Evra said he'd be in the way, so we told him he had to take off. He was really upset and slouched off, kicking and empty soda can along in front of him.
I honestly felt really bad for him. Now if there was something I could do for him...Wait there is! I know a way to cheer Sam up!
"Hey Sam! Wait a minute!" I shouted "I'll be back in a second.." I said to Evra before I rushed off to Mr. Tall's van.
I summoned the courage in my gut and knocked once. The door swung open instantly, making me take a step back from shock. Mr. Tall was standing inside and before I could say a word, he held out two tickets for the show tonight.
I blinked hard. Then looked at the tickets. What the...?
My stare went to Mr. Tall. "That's amazing...How did you know?"
"I have my ways." He replied with a smile.
Was I the only one a little nervous how he first knew my name and how he knew I was coming to get the tickets? "Umm...I don't have any money." I had spent all my savings on getting my ticket for the show a few months back.
"I'll take it out of your wages."
I was going to say ok and walk away but then quickly realized, I don't get paid.
"I don't get paid though..." I had a confused look on my face. Did I get paid? Mr. Tall, Evra, Mr. Crepsley, or anyone, didn't tell me about getting paid.
He smiled widened. "Clever old me." He then handed me the tickets and closed the door in my face as I was in the middle of 'thanks'.
Not thinking more of it I hurried back to Sam and gave him the tickets.
"What are these?" He asked looking at the green and black paper.
"Tickets for tonight's show." I smiled. "One for you and the others for RV"
"Oh wow!" Sam was once again excited and shoved the tickets in his pocket, as if the wind might blow it away or I would snatch them back. "Thanks Darren!" He cheered.
"Its my pleasure." I smiled back. "The only thing is, it's a late show. We're starting at eleven, and it won't be over till nearly one in the morning...Will you be able to come?"
"Yeah. I can sneak out. My parents go to bed at nine every night. They're what you'd call early birds."
"Ok, but if you do get caught, don't tell them where you're going." I warned.
"My lips are sealed!" He said making a gesture like he locked his lips together and throwing away the key. Then he set off to go find RV.
Dinner was quick, but the work was never done. Dinner was the only break before the show. And everyone ate quickly. While Evra left to feed his snake, I was setting up the candles in the circus tent. There was also five huge chandeliers to be hung, four about the crowd and one over the stage, but the Little people took care of those.
Mags - a pretty woman who sold souvenirs and candy during intermission - asked me to help her get the displays ready, so I spent pretty much a full hour stacking candy spiderwebs, edible glass statuesand pieces of the wolf-man's hair. And well small models of Cormac Limbs. It was really creepy, it looked just liked him. You could cut a part of his lims off, and a new piece grew in its place. I was confused how that happened.
"Hey mag...How does this work?" I asked fiddling with the figure.
"It's one of Mr. Tall's inventions." She shrugged. "He makes a lot of this stuff himself."
I chopped the head off the model adn tried peeking down its neck to see what was inside. But a new head sprung up before I could.
"The models don't last forever," She continued not stopping from her work. "They rot after a few months."
"Do you tell people that when they're buying them?" I asked setting the figure back down and returned to helping Mags
"All the time. Mr. Tall insists we let the customers know what they're buying." She siad. "HE doesn't approive of conning people."
Mr. Crepsley summoned me a half hour before the show. He was fxing up his old timey suit. And this man didn't have a girlfriend yet? He was handome with dark maroon eyes and weird orange hair. What person didn't find that strangely attractive?
"Polish Madam Octa's cage." He ordered. I could dothat. Madam Octa loved me. Even after I threw her out my window. For the two months I stayed with my mentor I had attempted to play with her, and polish my skills on the flute. But it was for ten minutes at the most every day. I just couldn't get my mind off the still burned in memory of how i became a half-vampire.
" - Then Brush your suit and clean yourself up."
Wait...What?
"Why?" I asked
"you are going on with me." He said
My hear dropped. What? No, I couldn't do that! In front of all those people?! No way! I'd rather face the wrath of Steve when I beat him at a video game! Dang it, he came back into my mind...
"I can't!" I protested loudly feeling fear growing fast in me.
"It will only be a small part." He tried to explain, but I wouldn't let him.
"You don't understand!" I interrupted. "I can't do it!"
"And why not?" He wasn't mad but almost sounded it. His voice was calm.
I was finding it hard to breath just thinking about it. "I-I..." Now words weren't forming. My heart was beating fast in my chest. I couldn't go infront of all those people, even if the part was small. I feared groups of people.
"I can't do crowds. I'll have a panic attack..." My words were as shakey as my body. Mr. Crepsley sighed lightly.
"Darren, we are under staffed tonight, all you do is bring the cage on stage and play the flut when it is Madam Octa's time to spin a web over my mouth." He placed his hand on my shoulder assuring.
"Everythings going to be alright." He promised meeting my eyes. He tucked my bangs out of my face. "Just breath, look at the back all or at me the whole time. Don't look at the crowd."
His words were soothing, but not as soothing as his dark colored eyes. They seemed warmer then normal. It stopped my shakiness. Once I was calmed down enough he spoke again. "Besides you are better suited for the job."
"H-how so?" I asked taking in a deep breath, trying to slow my heart down.
"You look creepier." I wasn't sure if I should laugh or be offended. "With your pale face and suit you look like something out of a horror film."
I smiled a bit. Me from a horror film? As what? The first one who gets killed? There was no way I looked like a killer. I never thought I would be creepy looking. I looked in the mirror and realized, I did look sort of creepy. I looked drained because I haven't been drinking human blood. My suit was getting dirty, even though I only wore the white shirt, pants, belt and shoes. I made up my mind, tomorrow I'll find something new to wear.
The show started at eleven on the dot. I hoped there wouldn't be a big crowd. We were in the middle of nowhere, and there wasn't much time to notify people about he show. So I wished there wasn't many people. But the tent was packed and I was scared.
I had fixed myself best I could. I still needed a hair cut and a new set of clothes. But worked with what I had. I dusted and fixed my clothes the best I could. It still looked the same as it did a few days ago. The belt was tight enough to keep the black pants up. My shoes weren't the cleanest but they were passable. And my shirt wasn't white like it was the first time I wore it. But it was also passable. The shirt wasn't tucked in and a few buttons at the top were undone.
For my hair I brushed it and tried to keep it back in its orginal style. The last few days I was lazy and just pulled it back in a poney tail. I was really regreting that. I wouldn't be so nervous if I could find my sunglasses. I lost them. I had no clue where they were. So I could wear them.
"Where did they all come from?" I whispered to Evra as we watched Mr. Tall introduce the wolf-man. For some reason I thought that would calm my nerves. It didn't.
"Everywhere." He replied quietly. "People always know when one of our shows is happening. Besides, even though he only told is about it today, Mr. Tall probably knew we'd be playing tonight ever since we set up camp."
I watched the show, my stomach growling tight with each passing act. I was so scared. There was a lot of people out there. I just felt like running away. I tried breathing but it wasn't working. For some reason all my mind could go back to was Steve. He was normally there for me. And when we were in crowds. They weren't that much of a bother when I was with him.
Hans Hands went on after the wolf-man, followed by Rhamus Twobellies. We had our first break, then Mr. Tall went onstage and darted around the place, never seeming to move, just vanishing from one spot and appearing somewhere new. Next up was Truska, then it was my turn to go onstage with Mr. Crepsley and Madam Octa.
Mr. Crepsley placed his hand on my back assuringly as we walked on stage. I'm pretty sure he knew I was terrified. "Remember breath, you can stare at me or the back wall. Don't look at the crowd." He said in a low voice.
Too late...
The lights were low, but I could easily spok Sam and RV in the crowd. They were surprised to see me up there and clapped louder then anyone else. That wasn't helping. I took a deep breath and set Madam Octa's cage down before Mr. Crepsley started his speech.
I stood on the right of Mr. Crepsley, only because I was blind on my left side, and would be able to see when it was my time to play. Mr. Crepsley spoke his speech the same way he did when I first saw him on stage. It was about how deadly Madam Octa was. He explained a bit of Madam Octa's posion as an assistant led a goat on the stage.
There was a loud angry gasp when Madam Octa killed the goat.
...Oh crap! That was RV!
I had forgotten how fond of animals he was. I felt even worse then I did when I first came on stage. I could take back my invitation now.
Mr. Crepsley said something that I missed, he played a small tune on his flute before stopping, and then I met something crawl up my leg. I turned to see what it was. There, now crawling up my torso was a colorful giant spider...Madam Octa.
"It's pretty unusual even for me..."
I heard the dark tone of suduction that came from Mr. Crepsley voice.
"Madam Octa has taken a very special liking to my assistant. I don't even need to play the flute and she wont harm him. It be hard to get her off him."
I smile rose on my face, making me forget about the crowd. I looked at Madam Octa who was resting on my shoulder, awaiting me to give her orders. "Well," I laughed "Go back to him, we're still doing a show." I felt light. I wasn't really nervous after Mr. Crepsley did that. It reminded me how much I loved this colorful spider.
Without needing to play a tune or saying another word. The spider jumped down and skittered back to my mentor.
"Truely a mystery!" Mr. Crepsley said. "Madam Octa listens to him without the flute. Never in my life have I seen something like this."
Soon enough it was my turn to play the flute and control Madam Octa, I guess I didn't need the flute. But I didn't want to mess up. I mean that would kill him...
...kill him...
As she weaved her web across my mentor's lips, it struck me that I could get rid of him now if I wanted. I could make her bite him...
I shivered at the idea. My eye's never left Mr. Crepsley. I once again forgot about the crowd as my mind stirred up a plan. I was a bit scared of myself for thinking something like that. I never though about killing someone before.
His life was in my hands...My hands! All it would take was one "slip". I could say it was an accident and that I was scared of the crowd. Nobody could be able to prove otherwise.
I watched my mentor. I wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for him. But I wouldn't be able to make it in the world without him. I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have made two friends by myself. I would still be at home, in my bed asleep. I'd still be hanging out with Alan, Tommy and even Steve.
I would still be so shy. Everywhere I'd go I'd wear my sunglasses. It wouldn't be how it is now. I barely use my sunglasses now. And instead of having my hair down It was mostly up in a pony tail. I would still be the sorry shy Darren. And not the new one.
Over his mouth she spun her web. His hands were down at his sides. He wouldn't be able to stop her. One wrong move on the flute was all it would take. One wrong move, everything would come crashing down.
I couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it. I know I couldn't live with out him in the condition I was in. He kept pushing me to do better. He could be annoying, but it was kind of...Fun. I didn't do it. I played it perfectly and safely. I didn't let Madam Octa kill master, and at the end of the act we took our bows and exited together.
Mr. Crepsley patted my back and rubbed my shoulder, in a congrads you did well motion. But softly in a calm voice he said. "You thought about killing me." We were backstage now, the next act going on stage.
I flinched lightly. "W-what do you mean!?" I asked shocked. Like the thought never crossed my mind. Even though I was really shocked that he read my mind.
"You know what I mean." There was a pause and his hand was off my shoulder. "It would not have worked. I milked most of the poison from her fangs before we went on. Killing the goat took the rest out of her."
I backed away from him. "It was a test?" I didn't want to believe it! I was starting to hate him once more. "I thought you were being nice to me!" I balled up my fist. I was getting mad. "And all the time it was just a stupid test!"
His face was serious. "I had to know." He said bluntly. "I had to know if I could rely on you."
I couldn't believe this!
"Well listen here damnit!" I growled I crossed my arms. It was to keep me from slapping him. I didn't want to make a scene. I didn't know what would happen if I did slap him. "Your test was useless! I don't even want to kill you! I only said that out of anger!" I snapped.
"Don't ever talk to me again!" I hissed before storming out. I didn't want to stick around. I'd like to see Cormac Limbs act. But I was to fired up to be around my mentor without wanting to hit him. I knew why he did it. But I hated him for it.