This chapter... This chapter... I won't be saying anything.

Warnings for this chapter: corpses, blood, implied/referenced death, murder attempt.

Chapter 11: Shaken

The next day, Roku had taken the kids to the Circus. Originally, Ennea was going to do that job until Nona had insisted her mother should stay home and rest for her own health as for the baby. When her mother had insisted that she wanted to go out on a walk to better care for the unborn child, Nona had turned to her father for help, giving him a pleading look. In response, Roku amusingly pointed out Ennea shouldn't do anything strenuous. Even though she was nowhere close to the due date, if anything were to happen, it would affect the child. With no other counterarguments, the girl celebrated as her mother was persuaded to stay home.

"Be sure to stay safe, promise me, okay?" Ennea had doted, adjusting her daughter's clothes so she would be protected from any elements.

"I will!" Nona pouted before smiling.

With her own smile, Ennea stood up to look at her husband. "Be back with her, alright, Roku?"

The man responded by taking her hand and planting a kiss on it. How very courteous of him. "Of course, honey."

Gazing back at her daughter, she crouched down, lifting her index finger to pat Nona's head. "I'll see you later, little riceball."

"See you too, Mom." Before she left with her father, she turned to address her mother seriously, "Stay healthy, okay? If you're feeling unwell, call Dad back so he can help you."

"I will, little riceball. I'll be here, so go on and have fun!"

Nona was glad, however, that her mother was staying home. She didn't want Ennea to get into complications when she was a month away from her due date. Besides, her father wasn't the only chaperone. The Town Head and a few other adults were present along with other children she knew. At the moment, the group of adults and children were standing at the border of the Haven, looking at the metal gates that opened invitingly for them.

Waiting on the other side were three merchants, it seems. Stepping out of their boundary, the Town Head and Deka did the same. The two sides converse with the former expressing interest in the rumors that spread far and wide of a safe place, which was the latter's Haven. As the Circus has been traveling around the world, the performers were tired and wished to rest for two months at the latest before moving again. Of course, the Town Head had welcomed the traveling guests as he left to give them a tour of their town.

With his father gone, Deka had given a signal for everyone to enter the Circus. The children practically ran, excitement filled their minds while the adults called out for their respective kids' names, trying to catch up to them. Out of the protection of the Haven and into the inviting gates of the Circus. Nona and her group of friends stared at the many colorful tents that were put up. Excitedly, they rushed inside one of the tents to be met with many mirrors that distorted their images. After spending a few minutes laughing at their reflections, they left to enter another tent.

At some point, Roku needed to rest from all the kids running, choosing to sit down on a bench right beside the gates. Wanting to give the kids freedom to explore and have fun, but also praying that they will learn to be responsible, he gave them a time limit. They are to return to the gates at five.

"Okay, we'll come back!" Maru exclaimed.

The other kids left, leaving Nona behind. She simply looked at her father before asking him, "Promise me that you'll save Mom if she's in trouble?"

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Roku smiled, patting her head with his finger. "If she calls, I'll be there in a heartbeat! Which is why I'm trusting you and the others will be responsible and return at the time I gave you."

The girl looked like she wanted to say something, but then heard Elfie yelling at her, "Hurry up, Nona! Or we're going to have fun without you!"

"Coming!" Nona shouted back. Looking at her father one last time, she simply gave a nod, "We'll come back for you to pick us up!"

And with that, Nona ran towards her waiting friends before they disappeared into the crowd, leaving the man behind.

For a few hours, it was nothing but fun. The Circus had many rides and attractions. Many of the Haven children were playing in a carefree manner. The group of five was running from tent to tent. Out of all of them, Elfie was the more energetic child. The twelve-year-old girl was running ahead as everyone else tried to catch up to her. How was it possible for her to run in sandals with so much ease? No one had the answers. She was getting so far ahead, her dirty blonde hair was just a blur.

"Hurry up, you slowpokes!" she yelled.

"That girl! Where does she get her energy from?" Maru complained to Nona and Deka.

"From her parents, apparently," Deka smiled. Turning to Nona, he inquired, "Do outsiders have some sort of special abilities? Does Aunt Ennea pass them down to you?"

"Mom never told me much about her past, so I wouldn't know," she replied.

Deka nodded in understanding. There were still many things he didn't know much about the rest of the world. Outsiders who lived without protective safe zones like the Haven seemed to have a rough life. Ennea was an outsider. Elfie's parents were too. They were adults who were no different from the adults raised in the Haven, but their eyes seemed to contain a deep sadness - like how living outside was filled with horrors no one could understand.

"El!" Nona exclaimed, snapping Deka from his thoughts as he watch her run ahead of him.

Holding onto Milli's hand so that she wouldn't get left behind, the Town Head's son picked up the pace, catching up to the scene. It would appear that Elfie had crashed into someone - a girl. Squinting his eyes, he tried to get a clear sight of her. Long ginger blonde hair in braids that shone golden in the sun. Blunt bangs framed her face. Light blue eyes. A face dusted with freckles. About Nona's height and age. Getting enough of the girl's main features, the boy's eyes widen more. He had seen her before, but he didn't know her well enough to remember her name. But he did know this: she had a parent who was an outsider.

Maru had trotted over to help the girl to her feet as Elfie bowed down, repeatedly apologizing to her. Catching up to Nona, Deka could hear the girl assuring Elfie that she accepted her apology.

"Are you alright, um...?" Maru inquired worriedly.

"Trois, and yes, I'm alright. Thank you," the girl replied.

"Again I'm sorry I bumped into you. I wasn't watching where I was going," Elfie apologized.

"It's okay," Trois reassured Elfie.

"Where were you going?" Milli questioned, eyeing the girl shyly.

"I was going to get myself an icy treat." Trois pointed to a little ice cream machine sitting in one of the food stands.

Feeling a need to fill their sweet tooth, the group traveled to the machine. There wasn't any line, which was surprising, considering that the machine seemed to be automatic. They'd never seen anything like it. However, it looked easy to handle. Apparently, a cone is picked and placed directly under the dispenser. There were six levers, each with its own flavor. There were six of them and six levers. The children all came to the same idea of each picking a flavor to see which was the best, and put it into action.

Being the first to pick up a cone, Nona held the wafer container directly under the dispenser. After voicing out what flavor she wanted - which was strawberry, Trois tugged the lever down. The other children watched in awe as they saw pink cream coming out of the machine, swirling around the cone. After the third loop, Trois pushed the lever back up, stopping the machine.

Seeing how pretty Nona's ice cream looked, the other kids rushed to grab their own. One by one, they stood under the machine, waiting for the ice cream to be dispensed. Vanilla. Chocolate. Mint. Coconut. At the end of the line, Deka asked for the last option, which was matcha. Nona gave him just that.

With all of them having their own flavors, the children have a taste at the same time. Nona's eyes brighten as she beamed. So this was what ice cream tasted like. Obviously, she knew and heard of them before, but she never tried them before. The others also gave delighted hums, satisfied with the flavors they've picked.

Deciding not to stand directly under the sun, the children moved to sit underneath a shade. There, they talked and introduced themselves to Trois. Nona found herself liking the girl, finding her to be very friendly and sweet. For thirty minutes, they got to know each other. Or rather, they got to know Trois and she got to know them. Morning soon faded to afternoon.

Finished with her coconut ice cream, Trois checked her watch. "I have to go home. My mom will be worried," Trois explained, hopping down the bench. Dusting herself, she gave everyone a wave. "It was nice meeting you all. Goodbye."

"Bye, Trois," the children called out.

About to take another bite of her cone, Nona's eyes traveled to Maru. The nine-year-old boy was gazing in the direction where Trois had gone. Even though she was no longer there, he was still staring. A hint of a smile crept onto Nona's face. She recognized that look. Could Maru...? Looking at Deka, she nudged him gently to get his attention. The teenager looked at her questionably before she signaled at Maru with her chin. She could see those dark orbs drifting to the young boy. Understanding that hopeless expression, mischief sparkled in the teenager's eyes. He returned his gaze to her, she teasingly stuck out her tongue.

Deka shook his head fondly before putting a hand on Maru's shoulder. "Maru, if you don't finish your ice cream, it'll melt."

"Huh?" Maru blinked. "O-Oh, right."

Without looking at his cone, he quietly ate his mint-flavored ice cream, not breaking his stare away from the path. Noticing this, Nona smiled more. Darting her eyes to meet with Deka's, his gaze confirmed her suspicion.

"Maru, do you... have a crush on Trois?" she asked teasingly.

"N-No!" Maru denied it, his face turning bright pink. "I do not!"

"Ooh~!" Elfie teased harder, making the boy turn a deeper shade of red.

Giggling, Nona lightly slapped Elfie's arm, much to the older girl's mild complaint. It would be a little mean to tease the boy for having a crush. While Nona herself didn't know what it was like having a crush, she felt it would be a tiny bit embarrassing to have her friends teasing her about it. Lifting her head upwards, she could see the sunlight peeking through the green leaves, some of the light making its way down to her and the others. Faintly, she wondered to herself: what would it be like to find love? Would she be staring hopelessly like Maru? Caught in a sweet daydream? Her eyelids closed halfway as she softly smiled at the thought. It sounded nice. She would be elated if she found someone for her one day. But maybe falling in love should happen when she was older. Right now, she was eager for her little sister or brother to be born, her chest was overflowing with tender feelings to love and welcome them to the world. Her mother wasn't near the due date yet, but she couldn't help her excitement. Until she finds and receives love, she'll be the one giving it.

With the thoughts of crushes and love coming to a close, she went to finish the last bits of her cone.

~oOo~

Once all the children finished eating their ice cream, they returned to explore more of the Circus. A red tent had caught the free-spirited Elfie's interest, so the group went inside to see a stage. It would appear that there was a show but it hasn't started yet. Taking their seats in the bleachers, the children waited in anticipation as their eyes were glued to the dark stage.

Very soon, three spotlights came from different angles, shining onto the center of the stage. Entering the scene were the fools. It was indistinguishable if they were female or male, all wearing the same white jumpsuit and crazy-looking wigs. With white face paint, they smiled at their small audience with their red lips. Laughing and giggling, they performed many tricks.

As she watched, rather than being fascinated, Nona felt a little uneasy. She could even feel Milli burying her face in her side, clearly disturbed by the adults. Instinctively, her arm wrapped around the little girl, pulling her closer as if to shield her from the sight. They weren't the only ones who were disturbed by the fools. Deka watched them with a large frown on his face. He remained quiet, but his easiness was caught by Nona who was sitting next to him. Before she could ask him what was wrong, she felt Milli tremble.

"I don't want to be here..." she whimpered.

The others heard her and unanimously decided to leave. Getting up from the bleachers, the children exited the tent as quietly as possible. Still performing on stage, the disguised adults didn't stop their performance, even if there were no audience to watch them. However, they kept their hollow, dead eyes on the leaving children. Despite the large, Glasgow smiles on their faces, sounds that hardly resemble fun or joy came spurting from their mouths.

Outside and far away from the red tent, the children tried to comfort the terrified seven-year-old. She was hysterical, saying that the performers had red blood dripping from their lips. When Elfie assured the child that it was lipstick and Maru added that the artist did talented work in making them look like that, Milli arguably pointed out that the performers never changed their expressions.

"It's like their faces are stuck that way!" she yelled, a little agitated that her friends weren't taking her seriously.

She wasn't the only one upset and creeped out by what they saw. When Nona tried to comfort the girl, she could feel Deka tapping her on the shoulder. Turning to look at her friend, she was surprised to see such a seldom expression on his face.

"Can I talk to you alone?" he requested, his eyes pleading with her.

Understanding the importance of his request, she gazed wordlessly at Maru and Elfie, silently telling them to take Milli elsewhere to have fun. They both understood and began to lead the little girl away, even further from the red tent. Faintly, she could hear Maru offering to take Milli to a carousel with lots of unicorns to choose from.

Alone with Deka, Nona gave him her full undivided attention. "What's wrong?"

The teenager stared at her without saying anything at first, looking at her longingly as if she was a ghost. He was very pale and didn't utter a word for a minute. Finally, he spoke, "I... saw something."

Nona blinked. A premonition? She was aware that Deka mainly see in his dreams when he was asleep. However, as rare as those occurrences happen in his sleep, it was even rarer to have them when he was awake. Did he have them when they were watching the goofy adults performing tricks? Nona knew that it was most likely about her or it concern her family since Deka wouldn't ask her to be alone if that wasn't the case.

Taking a deep breath, she asked, "What did you see?"

Deka became silent again. For a while, he didn't utter a sound. The silence was making Nona become impatient, worried with trepidation. Once the silence became maddening, he finally answer in a quiet voice. "... ed."

"What?" Nona urged, unable to hear his response.

Clearing his throat, Deka repeated, "You died."

Hearing those two words had Nona freeze in fear. She... died? How? Why? Wait, wait! Don't get too ahead of yourself! Maybe Deka was mistaken... But she was aware that the boy was never wrong. His premonitions were always true. The only thing that Deka could be mistaken for was his interpretation of what he saw. Unfortunately, despite how vague his visions or dreams were, it leaves no room for a wrong way of perceiving them. She opened her mouth, wanting to chance it - wanting to ask if maybe he got it wrong, but the words wouldn't come out. Unable to inquire about Deka's promotion, she closed her mouth and just thought in silence, repeating his answer in her head.

Luckily, the boy understood what she wanted to say and slowly elaborated, "I saw those, those... things... chasing after you. Each time, you died differently. The one with the blue wig... trapped you in a watery tank. The one with the red wig threw you into the fire. And the one with the green wig suffocated you."

"H-How... do you know it was me?"

"You were wearing your raincoat."

Nona blinked. She did own a raincoat and it was one of a kind. Apparently, it was the only one. There were no other raincoats like it. The shopkeeper who sold her her raincoat had told her that one of the manufacturers had made a mistake, resulting in the hood being rhombus-shaped. Since it was an odd shape for a hood, the raincoat was discarded in favor of coats with round, circular hoods. Eventually, it ended up in the store where she bought it. Personally, Nona loved her coat with it being so unique. However, this was why she became concerned when Deka mentioned her raincoat. There could be no other explanation. No wrong interpretation.

"Were there any signs or clues in your vision?" she brought up, still hopeful that maybe Deka got it wrong in spite of what she knows.

The boy's face twisted in deep thought as he tried to recall anything out of the ordinary. In the end, he shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry, but I don't have anything."

Nona's eyes softened. She understood. Deka couldn't differentiate his prophetic dreams from normal ones. It was a bit of a stretch to demand him of such. Holding his hand, she assured him, "Hey, it's okay. I'll just stay away from them."

The boy nodded, not failing to catch a bit of humor in her last sentence. Gazing over at the red tent, he remarked, "Milli was right. Something's off about them and I don't like it."

Nona said nothing, remaining quiet. However, in her heart, she silently agreed with Deka. Before he had even told her about his vision, she couldn't help but think about Milli's words. Those faces with large abnormal red smiles. Lifeless eyes seem to stare through her. Laughter erupted from their mouths. Maybe it was her imagination, but she could have sworn she heard the sound of weeping buried beneath the laughs and giggles.

~oOo~

The duo eventually reunited with their group. Getting closer to see her friends, Nona could already see that Milli had forgotten about the jesting fools, a cheerful smile beaming on her face. However, the thought of those adults brought a frown to Nona's own expression. Even though it was a warning, she couldn't shake Deka's new vision. Despite the simple solution, it still bothered her deeply.

"Ah! There you two are!" Elfie exclaimed excitedly, snapping the girl from her thoughts. Rushing over to them, the twelve-year-old grabbed onto Nona's hand, pulling her forward. "Come on! We're about to get on an attraction!"

Sneaking a glance at Deka, Nona could see that he was wearing a pleasant look on his face as he hold Milli's hand. Catching the fun-loving mood in the air, Nona exhaled softly before putting on a cheery expression for her friends' sake. Right. The others were here for fun, she couldn't take that away from them by being all gloomy. She'll save the talk for another time.

"What attraction are you talking us, El?" Nona beamed.

"You'll see...!" Elfie teased.

Up ahead, they were entering a small building with a maze inside. What makes it more tricky than normal mazes was the fact that the walls were made out of mirrors. Upon stepping inside, their reflection appeared on all the corners. Many times, the children would bump into the glass, thinking they found a path. It took a while, but eventually, everyone found the exit, making it to the other side.

"Hurry up you guys!" Elfie shouted, something had already caught her interest. "Geez, what slowpokes!"

Catching up to the adventurous one of their group, the rest watched as Elfie pointed to yet another attraction. It was a giant wheel with many colorful seats. Wanting to try that ride out, everyone unanimously agreed and got inside the gondolas in pairs. Poor Deka had no one to pair up with, but he had insisted on being the last one in their group. There wasn't much of a line to wait since it would appear that not many people were interested in trying out the wheel. It was slow and there wasn't much action, but it did allow a good view when the top was reached as the children peer out the window of their gondola.

From such a massive height, all the buildings looked so tiny like they came from a dollhouse! However, the best part to take in was the beach and the town. The entire ocean was sparkling blue, slightly different than the color of the sky. From the giant wheel, the Haven looked so small. Still, it was their home - their beloved home.

For a ride that was so slow, it felt like time went by fast. Maybe it was because the view of the Haven from the sky was fleeting and that was why it felt like it was over so soon. By the time the children returned to the ground, they discussed what they should do next.

"It's four-twenty," Deka replied, checking his watch. "Nona, we should go back. Uncle Roku would be waiting for us."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go, everyone."

~oOo~

It was getting late. The children were waiting at the gates. It has been ten minutes past five and yet, Roku wasn't here. In fact, he was nowhere. The kids were starting to grow concerned, Nona was most affected. They knew Roku was a responsible adult. Even if he had returned home to take care of his wife, he would never be late and left them waiting for him. It wasn't safe like that. He would have either asked someone to care for Ennea on his behalf or send a trustworthy adult to wait for them.

"Should we... return home?" Milli suggested uneasily. "It's not like we don't know the way..."

"But Uncle Roku could be here. If we leave, he might come back and panic if he can't find us," Elfie countered.

Everyone fell into silence. If they didn't go home, their parents would worry. But if they leave, they would worry Roku. So, Deka offered a solution, "Nona and I will get someone. The rest of you stay in case Uncle Roku returns."

They nodded their heads in agreement as the duo left the Circus. As the two kids were getting closer to the Haven, they already saw some of the adults murmuring anxiously. The sudden tension in the air brought unease. The murmuring festered and when they got to the border, Nona could see her mother kneeling on the ground. Doctor Hino was there as well.

"Mom!" she called out.

Startled, the woman turned around to see her daughter running up to her, fear shone in the adult's eyes. Panicking, she warned, "Deka! Get Nona out of here - NOW!"

The teenager, having seen the reason why pulled the girl back. Immediately, he covered her eyes as she screamed in surprise and demanded to be let go. The boy simply held her back as he stared with wide eyes. The reason why Ennea had requested for Nona to be taken away was because... lying on the ground... in a pool of blood... was Roku! He had stab wounds in the chest and... he was still alive?!

"Hurry, now!" Ennea's voice yelled, becoming more distressed.

Snapping out of the scene, the boy quickly explained as he started dragging a struggling, screaming Nona away, "The others are waiting at the entrance!"

"Understood. Take Nona home and don't let her leave!"

"Mom! What's going on?!" the girl cried out.

She didn't know what was going on. Her vision was blocked and being young, she was easily dragged away by her friend. She tried asking the teenager to let her go, but he didn't comply. As for him, he regretted seeing it. He couldn't believe it. How could that happen?! Their town was called the Haven because it was safe. Immediately, the gears in his head were turning. He didn't want to suspect but could someone from the Circus do this? If so, why?! Roku was a respectable person. On top of that, he was ready to become a father with a second child on the way. Who would mercilessly do such a thing? The boy prayed against all odds that the father be saved for Nona's sake. Ennea's sake as well. And the unborn child's sake.

Taken to the Tsukumo residence, the boy finally released the girl as he locked the door. Upset, Nona shot a weak glare, her eyes were demanding answers that weren't being told to her.

Understanding that look, Deka sighed, "Look, Nona, your dad is... injured. Really badly."

Immediately, her gaze softened a bit before it took on a look of concern. "What did you see...?" she finally asked after a few minutes passed.

"Well..." the boy was looking around, his brain quickly racking for answers to give.

The two discussed with Nona asking questions and Deka making sure to keep his answers vague. Eventually, the sun sets in the sky as natural light left the windows, shrouding everything in the dark. It was hard to give her satisfying answers because the girl strategically keep on asking open-ended questions, but Deka persisted. Unsatisfied with his responses, Nona relented with her questions, trying to sneak out of her house instead. However, the teenagers also made sure that she didn't have access to the door, pulling the stool away so she couldn't jump to reach the lever. The windows in the kitchens were too high to reach and the living room sliding windows required an adult to unlock them.

Secretly, Deka hoped that the girl wouldn't try to escape through her bedroom. She was capable of doing it whenever she was strongly determined. Guiltily, he also hoped that the confusion and frustration she must be feeling would prevent her from doing such a bold thing. After making sure that his friend wouldn't be trying to leave, the teen made a phone call to check on the others while keeping an eye on the girl, who was sitting sulkily on the first step of the stairs. Luckily, Ennea had asked someone to pick up the others and they were taken home, safe and sound. It would appear they didn't know what was going on, however.

Placing the phone down, the children heard the door opening as Ennea stepped inside. She looked... tired and a little shaken. Hesitantly, Nona approached her mother with a worried look on her face. She wanted to ask. She wanted to know. But would knowing be the best? Sometimes, some things were best not known. But this was concerning her family.

Mustering what little courage she could gather, she inquired, "Is Dad going to be okay?"

"I don't know," Ennea answered, her voice barely audible. "We just have to hope that he does his best." Turning her sight onto the boy, she added, "Deka, you should return home. Your father is... requesting for your return."

The teen silently nodded as he put on his shoes. He wanted to say something - a few words of assurance - but choose to say nothing. Instead, he bid the woman goodbye and send an apologetic look at Nona before leaving the house. Now, it was just the two of them, mother and daughter.

Unable to bear the silence, the child called out, "Mom?"

Ennea sighed tiredly, "I'm going to stay at Hino-sensei's place, okay?"

"O-Okay..."

Offering a sad smile, the grownup gave her daughter a hug before leaving the house. All alone, Nona frowned, not sure what to do. She was never put in a situation like this before. Not feeling hungry but deciding to care for her health, the ten-year-old tried to eat dinner. Despite her cooking skills improving, the food tasted bland and she couldn't find enjoyment in eating when constant worry keep plaguing her mind. Looking up, all she could see in front of her were two chairs neatly in place. No signs of two adults sitting them and eating dinner with a lonely girl. Frustrated, she placed her utensils down, having lost any semblance of an appetite. Deciding to sleep early, Nona retired to her room and hoped tomorrow would get better.

Not bothering with changing into her sleepwear, the girl crashed onto her bed.

Tiredly, her eyes closed.

Fun fact, Nona's family name, Tsukumo, literally means ninety-nine. Since Ennea is Greek for nine just like Nona is for Latin, both mother and daughter have 999 if combined first with the last name. Roku is six in Japanese so his would be 699.

Also, Spoon Girl makes her debut! She was the third child in the concept art so I have to give her a name that means three. Of course, my OC Tria already had that name, so I gave Spoon Girl the name 'Trois' as it's three in French and it isn't spelled with 'Tri' or 'Tre'.