Trapped in Freak Show Chapter 11

Hannah and Harry had their honeymoon in a tent about a mile away from the carnival.

A few days later, Maggie spilled the beans about helping Stanley kill the carnies. She told Desiree and showed Elsa by bringing her to the museum with Ma Petite's body and the other carnies remains. Pepper's husband's head and Ethel's head were into circular tanks too.

Harry came back to the carnival after as Elsa and Maggie retuned. He looked broken. His eyes sank. He didn't reaction to his sister calling his name. He walked up to Elsa and Maggie.

"Harry?" Elsa asked. "What's happened?"

"Where's Hannah?" Maggie asked.

Harry looked up slowly and answered. "I don't know. I woke up and she was gone. So sign of her. No note-"

"Harry," Amy folded her arms, "she can't write."

He looked down, empty. Hopeless.

"We'll look for her." Eve said.

"She can't have gotten far." Desiree said. "I mean the girl has no feet."

Kate glared at Maggie. "Hannah worries she could be a target for that museum."

Other carnies looked at her.

"What museum?" Dot asked.

"Was Hannah on Stanley's radar?" Kate asked Maggie through her teeth.

Maggie looked at Kate. "I Uh- no. She wasn't."

"Perhaps we should talk somewhere else." Elsa said.

Kate pulled Maggie by the elbow into her tent.

"Hey," Maggie said. "I don't know where Hannah is."

"Stanley wanted freaks for money. Ma Petite was one. And-" Kate said.

"Hannah wasn't even on his list. He wanted the twins. That failed. He wanted Suzi. There's an easy target. But she's fine. He also wanted Paul but he's okay too. Hannah wasn't even on his top five list. She has legs now. Why would he go after her?" Maggie asked.

Kate took a few breaths. "Jimmy was on his list too. And he almost got away with it. He would have taken Jimmy's hands and sold them!"

Maggie put on hand on her hip and one in her head. "We need to work together to stop him. Stanley would kill all of us if he got any sort of money for it."

"Don't act so innocent." Kate said. "You think that just because you feel guilty for killing people is going to make us forgive you?"

Maggie leaned back and moved her eyebrows together.

"Don't even deny it. You're working with Stanley."

"Not anymore." Maggie said.

"After we get Stanley, you should run. Run far away and never come back."

Maggie raised her eyebrow and folded her arms. "You just want Jimmy for yourself."

"You think Jimmy wants you? He almost lost his hands because of you!"

Maggie looked down at her shoes.

"Where is Stanley?" Kate asked.

Maggie looked up. "He's in town."

"Call him. Lure him back to the carnival. We'll take care of the rest." Kate said.

Stanley showed up at the carnival later that day. Maggie met with him in the performance tent. When all the carnies showed up in the tent, ready to hurt him,

Stanley shouted, "I'm not your enemy! Elsa killed Ethel!"

"You'd say anything to save yourself." Jimmy said.

"Elsa made it look like a suicide." Stanley said.

"Elsa's been there for us." Kate said. She walked around Stanley. "She protects us. She cares about us."

Harry gave Kate a weird look. He looked back at Stanley. "Where's Hannah?"

"I don't know who-" Stanley said.

Harry grunted and pushed Stanley to the ground. "Where is she!? What did you do to her?" He voice cracked.

"Sounds like that information is the only thing keeping me from harm's way." Stanley said.

"Think again." Desiree said before driving the heel of her shoe into his leg.

"Ahhh!" Stanley shouted. He scooted away from them and got up. He turned around and ran out of the tent.

The carnies chased after him. Some held knives in their hands. Some had other tools such as hammers or screwdrivers.

Stanley tried hiding underneath a wagon cart. Suzi quickly found him. Eve dragged Stanley out from under the cart.

"Ahhh!" Stanley screamed.

Meanwhile, Chester was hearing voices from his dummy, Margery. The voice teased him and blamed him for having to move. It taunted him constantly. He believed that she killed his wife and lover.

The next day, Hannah was still missing. Harry, Amy, Eve, Maggie, Desiree, and Elsa searched for Hannah for hours the day before. They searched the tents and the carnival grounds. They searched the area around the honeymoon tent and in the woods.

The carnival was quiet that morning. Amy made eggs and oatmeal. Kate served herself and sat with Jimmy. Maggie didn't come to breakfast. Harry didn't come out of his trailer either. Chester came for food and Amy avoided eye contact with him.

Rehearsals for their next show were slow. Half the carnies didn't sing during Elsa's song. Amy sang her song with little emotion. Kate stumbled doing her contortions.

Amy retreated to the outside of the performance tent after her song. She walked over to the fish tank she stands behind to give the illusion of being a mermaid. "You guys have it easy." She said to the fish.

"Why don't you join them?" Someone said from behind her.

Amy's eyes widened. She recognized it as Chester.

Before she could turn around, Chester grabbed the back of her head and shoved it in the fish tank. Amy's arms flailed around and splashed in the water. She shouted as loud as she could for being underwater. Bubbles quickly reached the surface of the tank. She tried to kick him with her feet but she moved out of the way.

"You think I'm some sort of freak huh? You're the one that doesn't belong here." Chester said.

Amy's flailing stopped. Her muscles relaxed.

Chester let go of her, and her body fall to the ground.

Just as Chester reentered the performance tent, he was up. He go on the stage with his props. He asked for an assistant and Maggie volunteered. Harry looked uneasy. Kate raised her head up as if her attention was high.

Maggie got into a large box and Chester closed it with her inside. He began to saw her in half and Maggie cried for help. She screamed in fear and in pain. Harry lunged forward but Kate held him back.

"We have to stop this." Harry said. "He's killing her!"

"No." Kate said. "Chester will leave after this."

Harry looked around at the other carnies. Desiree didn't budge. Paul looked away. "We are not monsters." Harry said. He lunged forward again.

Kate grabbed him again, tightly. "Stop."

Harry listened helplessly and Chester sawed Maggie in half. She screamed and cried. She cried for help and shouted in pure agony.

When Chester separated the two boxes, Maggie's insides fell out. A large puddle of blood was spilled all over the stage.

The carnies slowly walked out to see Maggie's body. Harry covered his mouth. Kate smirked at Maggie's dead face.

Chester realized what he did and ran out of the tent through the back.

"Serves her right." Desiree said about Maggie.

Harry scoffed in disbelief and left the tent through the front. He didn't take five steps out of the tent before hearing Penny scream. Harry turned back and found Penny by the fish tank.

"Amy..." Paul said standing by her body.

Harry saw for himself and fell to his knees. "No no no!"

Kate covered her mouth and backed up. She bumped into Jimmy.

"How did this happen?" Eve asked.

"She drowned of course." Desiree said.

"Who would do this?" Penny asked.

Kate uncovered her mouth. "The same person who killed Maggie."

The carnies marched over to Chester's trailer. Harry stayed behind. Eve kicked the door open. They searched the trailer unsuccessfully. Chester was gone, along with Margery.

Kate ran back over to Harry's trailer and pounded on the door. When he didn't answer, she used the spare key under the mat by the door. "Harry."

She found Harry hanging a noose from the ceiling.

"Harry..." Kate said calmly. "You don't have to do this."

"My sister is dead. Hannah is missing, possibly dead. Why would I want to stay in this life?" Harry said.

Kate put her hands over Harry's. "Because I'm here. I know we haven't been that close but we're friends aren't we?"

Harry gave her a strange look. "I don't want to live a life without them."

"You'll still see them again. And if Hannah is still alive, how awful would it be if you were dead?" Kate asked.

Harry glanced at the noose and sighed. "Three days. If she isn't found in three days, I'm doing this." Harry said.

Kate folded her lips. "Not a minute sooner."

The next day, Jimmy found an abandoned car while driving back to the carnival. He pulled over and investigated. He looked at the car. It was Stanley's car! He looked in the dusted up windows. There was nothing in there.

Then he heard a banging sound coming from the trunk.

"Hello?" Jimmy asked.

The banging sound repeated. He heard a muffled screaming.

"Hannah?" He called.

He heard her muffled cries.

"Oh my God." He said. He tired opening up the trunk with his lobster hands to no avail. He picked up a rock and hit the trunk of the car a few times until it opened.

Hannah stood up and jumped on Jimmy.

Jimmy returned to the carnival with Hannah. She still had her wooden legs intact. Kate saw them in the distance and ran to get Harry.

Harry ran out of his trailer and over to the front of the Carnival where Hannah and Jimmy were. He ran up and hugged Hannah, swinging her around.

"I thought I lost you." Harry said.

"I'm not so easy to dispose of." Hannah said, still holding on to him.

Author's note: I thought I posted all of Freak Show when I took a break. Oops. Thank you for reading this story and I should be posting regularly now.