Chapter 1
I hadn't visited my hometown for many years; in fact, the last time I was there was the day of my "funeral". Now Cirque Du Freak would be there once more…and so would I, and that was a scary thought, all the way there I wondered more and more about my family, about Annie and how she was. How my mum and dad were.
Harkat kept sighing sadly when I mentioned them to him, and it drove me mad at some times. When a day before arriving he asked me a simple question, one I hadn't truly thought about. "What if…you run into your…old family what…will happen if…they see you…alive?"
I went a little pale. I hadn't thought about that at all. However I didn't mind the thought of them seeing me again, I wished I could have told Annie about me, my curse or I should say my gift. I could tell her about Steve and I and Crespley's death. She'd believe me I know she would.
Then we finally arrived. I wanted to go about and look about my old neighborhood, but Mr Tall wouldn't hear of it.
"Darren, you cannot go into a place where you're believed dead…"
"I'll go in disguise…" I insisted.
"And if you see your family? What then?"
I puzzled over it until I shook my head, "I don't know…" I said sadly and honestly. Mr Tall sighed.
"Exactly. It is safer here for the moment Darren, I strongly advise you to stay here, and besides, I need you for my show…your going to be the main attraction."
I was very confused then. "Main attraction" I asked curiously. "What am I doing."
"You my vampire friend are going to do what Larten used to do in his younger years…you are going to do some aerobatics…
I shook my head in despair. Though I would love to I didn't think I could be ready to do that. "I can't do that!" I said. "I've had no practice at all!"
Mr Tall smiled. "You have 3 days…I am sure you'll be able to put them seventy two hours into good use…" and he walked away and Harkat and Truska (Truska is the prettiest performer in Cirque du freak who could grow a beard) came over to me.
"So?" she asked "What he say about you going home!" I smiled weakly.
"No…not yet. He says it's too dangerous"
"What else…did he say?" said Harkat.
I gave them both a grin and smiled at the way Larten Crespley would have put it simply. "I have to learn the unthinkable…I have to learn to fly…"
***
Learning the acrobatics weren't easy. The twins helped me out along with the other performers, even Harkat though he was too small to help me sixty feet in the air. There would be no safety net, I was stuck to either get physically hurt if I landed wrong…or to get really good results and have to risk my life again and again for a long time.
"You must…try harder…" said Harkat who helped me back to my feet after the fifteenth time falling from the air and on to my back.
"I can't do it…" I said moaning, the pain was unimaginable. "I am not able to do this!" I said angrily. Harkat then something I thought he'd never do. He laughed at me like a mad man, and he just didn't stop.
"Harkat…" I said sadly, annoyed he was laughing at me "What you laughing at me for!"
"You numbskull…"he said and I scowled, when he continued to speak " You fought vampaneze…took the trails…twice…and you are…technically sixteen years old! How can you not…"be able" to do this…small thing!" he said still laughing, I wanted to throttle him and agree with him at the same time.
"Shut up…" I said annoyed, and he did so, and I laughed at the obedience of it. "I know your right…but how--"
"Fate is told…on a heart-shaped…watch," said Harkat, "Mr Tiny…may be a mad man…but he does make sense…once you figure…out what that means, you…will understand your fate Darren Shan…" said Harkat solemnly and walked away, leaving me more puzzled than ever before.
***
After spending the seventy-two hours before the show practicing, rehearsing and getting rest, I thought I had finally got it. The night of the first show came quickly; Truska gave me a completely new suit, which was light and easy to wear in the heat of the tent.
It was a red cape and matching trousers and shirt, Also a red blindfold with the eyes cut out to disguise my appearance to any vampaneze or vampets in case they recognized me. It looked to me like an old army uniform. I thanked her and then she sighed.
"I didn't make them…" said Truska, "I made it size you, but was Lartens…When he preformed the aerobatics he simply amazing in that costume, and look like he could fly in the sky though you be better I know." She said sadly in her English accent, though she missed words out I understood. I thanked her gratefully and tried to picture Mr Crespley in the uniform, it was painstakingly hard to do without bursting into tears. A smirk fell on my lips.
"The vain old git is probably cursing you in Paradise now for saying that…" I said but all I felt was my voice crack in my throat.
"You will do good." She said. "You will be…"
"I better be…" I said smiling, "I've trained long and hard for this…"
***
I sat on my trapeze waiting for the signal to get ready; I would come on after Evra and his oldest son Shancus and I knew then that I'd have to perform for my life. The signal came, Mr Tall's farewell to the audience and then the curtains came up and I began to breathe deeply, getting ready for the first fly across to the next trapeze.
Then the gaping crowd finally saw me, and I saw every performer at the Cirque looking with the audience from below. I ran off my small platform and twirled in the air as my feet left the platform and into the air. My blood was rushing to my head, adrenaline pumping through my body as I caught hold of the handle and I caught it with sweaty hands and swung round and back toward the platform.
I breathed in deeply as I waited for the applause from the audience to slow, but the others in the Cirque waited, they knew that it was only the beginning of the performance. They knew I was saving my biggest stunt to last.
I did more swirling tricks and more and more applause came, each time getting louder and louder, for quarter an hour it continued and then I started my finale. I took out the sword from my belt and jumped off my platform to the ground of Cirque. I was to twirl my sword round and flit at the same time, a super fast speed, and then run round the room performing sword tricks.
I landed and then I went to begin my finale when I saw someone in the audience. Someone I hadn't seen for almost 20 years. I froze, I knew they were almost 30 now but I didn't care, They still had the looks of a child with bright blue eyes and the most roguish smile. I used to know them better than the back of my hand…a 10-year-old child. My little sister. Annie Shan!
***
plz review…taken me ages to get story line so plz! R and R…I need a hand to do the next scene so any suggestions will be helpful.