Chapter 5
Big Top Battle
Her only relief of what she had claimed so far in this strange world was now gone. Snatched from her while she slept heavily. She stared at the bloody footprints. She could almost hear the echo's of the clowns giggling as they dragged him back to that hell. Another thought dawned on her head. What is going to happen to him once he is taken back into the jaws of evil? Violent cruel images rushed into her mind. She collapsed feeling her tears sting her face.
" I failed...I failed...I failed to protect you. I'm supposed to be a princess...I'm supposed to protect my people and my friends from harm but I cant even protect one child... "
She could no longer speak and burst out after wave of anguish and sorrow flowed through her. She was lost. Everyone she had ever loved was either gone or no longer knew who she was. She bit down, picking herself up. She had no time to be feeling sorry for herself. This isn't how they would want her to had to keep going and press forward. She was still alive and that's all that mattered. Mr Snively had taken Tails away and she was going to make him pay for what he has done to him and countless others.
" This has got to stop. Now. "
She followed the tracks back blocking out the world around her following the bloody footprints as they twisted and turned in every direction. Eventually the evil circus poked its head upon the gray horizon grinning at her. She soon began to smell the stench of stale popcorn and rotten meat. When she came to the main gates they were wide open. There was no clowns, no freaks, or anyone else. The place felt completely deserted. But she knew that she was expected most likely. But this time things were going to be different.
" I will not die " she whispered to herself as she passed through the viel and into darkness. Her senses heightened as her vision failed her in the dark. Utter silence and blackness surrounded like a curtain draped over her eyes. She kept her ears up waiting for any sound or surprise to spring out and jump her. She slowed her footsteps and came to a halt.
" I know you are here, Snively! What have you done with Tails and Rosie! " she hollered.
Suddenly she felt two large gloved hands grab her arms in a powerful grip. She struggled and kicked but the grips only tightened and her bones began to bruise. A weird squeaky laugh hollered out of the darkness and another one joined in. The two voices both laughed in unison joining together forming a different laugh. A demonic devils laugh echoing into the void. But light was born and it clawed and gnashed at the dark as a spotlight activated in the middle of the big room they were in. Sally's eyes stung as her eyes that had become tainted in the spell of the dark burned at the brightness. A echo of footsteps was heard coming slowly towards her. She opened her eyes as they adjusted to the light and looked at who or in this case what had was the two big clowns, Roosevelt and Boink. They grinned hungrily at her licking their saggy and scabby red lips. Then Mr Snively came into the spotlight with a dull bored look to him as if he was expecting something more grandiose to happen. He took out a golden pocket watch from his pocket and looked at it. He grinned devilishly.
" You are right on time for the show! "
The lights tore at the dark and loud blaring carnival music was heard coming from every direction filling the tents. The cheerful decieving sounds of instruments working as one with metallic chimes of electronic bass occasionaly cueing in. Strobe lights and lasers decorated the changing mood to the tent and life sized toy soldiers came marching out banging their drums. Fireworks shot off followed by a roaring cheering of an invisible audience. Mr Snively clapped his hands to the beat of the music and began to dance and sing.
" Welcome to our circus!
We hope you enjoy your stay,
Everything will be a o-k!,
We love to see you grin and shout and kick and spout,
But we also love to see your organs rip and splat and go and flap,
In the Circus of Pain!
Tonight on this very night we will dance under trance,
Dance will painted smiles and ghoulish hands,
Easy not to think,
Blink and you will miss,
So come see!
In the Circus of Pain!
You cannot not escape it!
Do not try!
Do not flee!
It is too late,
We are here and the fires burn bright,
Popcorn and candy,
Pain and Pleasure,
Naughty and Nice,
Young and old,
Die in our dance,
Die...
In the Circus of Pain!
The moon is bright and stars are twilighting,
So shall the fires reach brighter,
Burn your flesh,
Kiss your bones,
No time to fret for we are only starting,
Here nothing is as it seems,
Tricks and magical carpets,
A cage of freaks that is such a sight to see!
You will not believe your eyes,
But you have come so have a seat,
But watch your step for it might be your last,
Witness the Alphas and Omegas kiss here,
See the beasts with the biggest claws,
A princess with a lost cause,
In the Circus of Pain! "
As he finished the fireworks erupted and explosions went off around her in a great flash. The shadowy dancing figures slithered back into darkness and he gave a bow. He walked over to her.
" What did you think? That was just for you my dear! "
" What have you done to Tails...and where Rosie! " she said.
" Whats this? No thank you or a applause for the maestro? Well aren't we rude. "
" Tell me now! "
" As you wish " he said, frowning. "I have done nothing to that dear old , she passed away in her sleep last night. "
" No.. ." Sally said.
" As for the two tailed fox brat...he decided to struggle and disobey his master. A mistake. "
The spotlight shined abit brighter and Tails presence was made known. He was wrapped with cuts and lashes all over his body. His fur was stained with his own blood and his tails were tied up with barb wire again but this time more was added. He made no signs of movement or life to him. Sally welled up with pure hate towards the monster before her. " I assure you...I kept him alive. Don't believe me? Watch this. "
He pulled out his whip and cracked it over his back. His eyes shot open and he screamed like a girl would and collapsed to the ground shuddering. Rage overcame Sally and a burst of strength came flowing through her. She broke the grip of the clown to her left and grabbed ahold of the other clowns hand and grabbed its wrists and pressed down on the left lobe as its thumb locked up and she was able to free her other hand and made a mad dash towards Tails. Pools of blood collected around him as his face was in the dirt. As Sally came towards him Mr Snively reached into his pocket and pulled out a long pistol and pointed it at her.
" And not a step further. "
The gun cracked off a shot at her. The bullet pierced her shoulder. She grit her teeth trying to block out the pain, gripping the wound still showing defiance to him.
" Thats nothing " she said clutching the bleeding wound panting. Mr Snively growled.
" Kill her! "
A ring of fire rose up around her trapping her with the two giant clowns who were even more vicious looking than before. Boink let out a tiny shrill laugh and slapped Sally across the face sending her flying near the other side. She felt the side of her face go numb and her mouth taste like blood. As Roosevelt approached her she kicked it as hard as she could in its shin and leaped to her feet and pounded away on its fat gut. It did not move an inch of show any signs of pain.
" Hahahahaha! You cannot hurt them. I made those two from a pile of dead meat. They feel no pain so feel free to give it your best! "
Boink grabbed Sally from behind and tossed her up into the air like a rag doll. Roosevelt caught her and tossed her back and forth to each other like she was a toy. Mr Snively flicked his wrist and aimed his pistol at her while she was getting tossed about. As his finger tightened on the trigger Tails sprang to life and bit down on his ankle. He looked down enraged.
" You little bastard! "
He tryed shaking him off but he was clamped on tight. He took his gun and went to shoot him but he ducked around the back of his leg clawing and ripping at him and grabbed his top hat and fled.
" Why you little...! "
He fired at him but Tails raised up the hat as a shield as the bullets bounced off the metal plate inside. He grinned smugly. Mr Snively grinned also. " Clever little boy. "
Roosevelt punched Sally hard in the face the made her go skidding across the ground and dangerously near the flames. They chuckled in glee and grabbed hands dancing. Sally got up wiping the blood from her face panting shaking not knowing what to do. She was trapped. She had to help Tails but she had to get through them first and how can she beat something that feels no pain? But then she got an idea. She looked at the flames and smirked.
" Hey clowns! Over here! "
They charged after her like two crazed bulls grinning with their fat tongues hanging off to the sides of their mouths like dogs. At the last second she charged in under their gaurd and put out her arms and clotheslined both of them at their legs and they fell face first into the flames. They slowly picked themselves up with the fires burning their greasy white painted flesh and hair. Their faces melted and the flesh smeared with paint, dripping down off their heads exposing the rotten meat stitched together underneath. Boink's eye was burnt out revealing a hollow socket but their grins still did not falter. They didn't even seem to know they were on fire, much less feel it.
" Oh shoot, what am I gonna do now? "
Meanwhile Mr Snively was running after Tails taking shots at him. He collapsed from exhaustion and blood loss on the ground shaking in fear. But then the circus freaks and everyone that resided within the tent stepped out of hiding in the shadows and gathered around Tails shielding him. They gave him a sad look and turned towards their cruel master.
" Get away from the fox child, freaks! "
" No " one said.
" What was that!? "
" We said no " another voice said in the growing crowd. He looked at their faces. They no longer were filled with fear but now with a burning fire of revenge. He picked up his top hat and grinned.
" Looks like we don't learn too quickly. I guess I'll have to make an example out of all of you! " He turned on his electric whip and cracked it but they did not budge or cringe.
" W-what...? "
" You cant scare us anymore. We're no longer afraid of death or pain. Because the pain of standing by and watching you sin and twist innocent souls into the freaks that we are now is greater than any form of punishment you can give us. Kill us if you can. You'll only be freeing us from this hell. "
Mr Snively was tooken back in surprise. They circled in around him as he cracked his whip off more.
" Get back! Back I said! "
" Get him! "
They all roared holding up shovels, hatchets and anything else they could get their hands on as a weapon and charged him.
" Fools. "
He jumped over top of all of them with a sense of grace and weightlessness as he drifted through the air. He sliced at a hanging rope as a large sandbag fell. They quickly got out of the way scattering. He cackled and pulled out his gun and began shooting his prisoners. The clowns charged at Sally again but she jumped on top of one and jumped over the fire ring. The clowns clothes charged through the fire relentless in pursuit. Sally couldn't outrun them for long. Her head was spinning and her stamina was beginning to fail her. She reached for the ladder against the pole and began to climb up and up till she reached the top. She threw it down to the ground preventing their ascent, but like two big apes they climbed rapidly up the pole. She jumped and grabbed onto the dangling rope and became a temporary trapeze artist. Although there was no net under her and she had never done this before she seemed somewhat instinctive in how to keep her body weight balanced. The big clowns had reached the top and snarled at her. She was trapped, there was no way out now. But she could still climb and so she did.
She grabbed onto the support beam and began to climb up outside of the giant tent to the highest point. She could jump down onto the tent and slide down and hope to survive a 3 story fall and escape but she couldn't escape now. The clowns had caught up with her and were grabbing at her feet pulling her down. She kicked away and made a leap of faith, jumping off. The fabric wasn't as strong as she thought, ripping through the thin tent cover and falling in. At the last second she caught a dangling rope to catch herself. The braces snapped and she went flying downwards on it like Tarzan. Mr Snively turned in surprise and got a hard kick to the face and was sent flying airborne. She spun around again and released the rope and skidded to the ground. She then eyed a bed of spikes that was pushed off to the side that was no doubt another trap for the shows. She grinned and pulled it out into the open just as the clowns jumped down through the tent. She shoved it out and Roosevelt screamed in anger and fear as he came crashing down on the spikes getting impaled. Then Boink landed ontop of his partner pushing him deeper into the spikes. The clown shook violently and then ceased. Boink opened up his jaws wide to show a third eye inside his mouth. It winked at her, followed by a gargled laugh. Snively picked himself up and pointed his gun at Sally and fired but she ducked behind the dim witted clown as it took the shot to its heart. It seemed utterly shocked and confused as to what just happened. It looked down at the bleeding hole in its chest,simply shrugging it off and turned around at her ready to kill but then shuddered and dropped to the ground dead.
" You lose Snovley! " she said, insulting him.
His face twisted into utter hate. He raised his gun at her again but there were no more bullets left in the chamber. Angrily, he cast the gun aside and tightened his fists. Then voices from the circus people cried out.
" He did this to us! "
" He turned us all into freaks! "
" He captured us and experimented on us, locked us in cages, beat on us, even ate some of us when we would rebel! He's destroyed our lives and were not going to let him destroy another!"
" SHADDUP YOU PEASENTS! " he roared.
" Why don't you pick on someone your own size you coward! " Sally said.
" Fine. I'll kill you myself. "
" You can try! " she dared.
" I wouldn't be in a position to be feeling bold. You got lucky. Plus you can barely even stand! " he said, pointing to her bullet wound. Sally had lost some blood and was feeling dizzy. " Doesn't matter what you do to me. I will not die here. Not today. I still have to find my friends... " she said.
" Feh. Friends...what a distasteful word. Makes me sick just hearing the word. Same with love. "
" How would you know? Your just an ugly monster. Nobody could love you. " That hit close to home for him. He jumped up and down screaming in a tantrum. Sally let out a dry laugh. He shaked in hate and anger.
" You make a fool out of me. I am the great Snively! You shall fear me! "
" Make your move little man unless you need your little toys to help you out. "
His eye twitched and he threw his cane and whip aside. He then grinned, as if he knew something she didn't.
" You should have let them kill you, child. Now...you shall see a sight worse than death itself! "
He slouched over and hung his head going into deep concentration. A sickening crunch of bones popping was heard and eight gigantic hairy sticky black legs sprouted out of his back. He exhaled deeply grinning slowly walking towards her. Veins pulsed all along his face as the color seemed to drain from his skin.
" I'm every nightmare you ever had. I am your worst dream come true. I am EVERYTHING you EVER were afraid of. I have been called many things. Grownups call me the devil one but children call me the boogyman! "
Sally cringed at those gigantic legs that twitched and moved. He got down on his stomach and let the legs pick himself up and slowly he began to change. His face slid inside of his body that was sprouting black wiry hair. His arms changed into long feelers with razor sharp hooks on the of his skin tore like tissue paper and were shedded and melted once it touched the ground. Sally now found herself confronting a gigantic spider. She could feel its evil aura it emitted. It was ice cold to the bones and she felt it slowly strangle her. Being near it made her struggle to breathe, feeling the harsh constriction press against her body. Even the ground around her began to frost over and turn to a slick ice. She had to back up but its eyes flashed and skidded to the side around her watching her fiercly dripping heavy saliva and its seven blood red eyes on her.
Sally turned to run but almost instantaneously, the spider leaped overtop of her and blocked the exit. It let out a muffled laugh rubbing its two front feelers together with its cheliceras slapping together. Sally then spotted its great stinger drooping lazily off its fat end. It was an onyx black and was about half as long as her body. Black thick syrupy poison dripped slowly off the tip. When Sally looked at the spiders eyes she suddenly felt paralyzed with fear. She couldn't move or breathe except stare locked gazing into its eyes that seemed to see through into her very naked soul. But then her trance was suddenly broken by Tails jumping into the fray and slamming a metal stick into one of its eyes. It shrieked and howled in pain and anger and jerked its head around scratching and rubbing its face going crazy.
" W-what happened...? " Sally said snapping out of it.
" We gotta run and hide! " said Tails.
" No! We gotta get out her but he's blocking the exit. So we're gonna have to go through him! "
Tails looks surprised and scared when she said that. " B-but he's real angry now! "
The spider latched onto the stick and ripped it out and tossed it aside wiping away the black oozing blood leaking out of its socket. Its hair stood up and turned hard like steel. It let out a terrifying roar and that sickening feeling got worse. Sally and Tails collapsed as their legs gave way. It delighted and reveled in their fear. Their fear made it's aura grow bigger and then it began to weave it into a web. It moved quickly and made a spiderweb around the gate behind them.
" Now your trapped " it spoke.
It moved closer towards them. Tears rolled down Tails face and he was shaking uncontrollably. He had already wet himself a few moments ago. Sally shut her eyes trying to get a grip on herself to shake this fear. She could feel his evil reach into her soul and strangle her it was so awful.
" I always did prefer the flesh of children. Like sweet pork. "
A spray of webbing shot out from its hind end and it quickly wrapped up Tails in a quick drying sticky webbing. Sally forced herself out of his spell and grabbed the metal stick he chucked aside and ducked under his guard and smacked him across his mouth. It growled and clamped onto the stick. Sally tugged hard trying to pry it away. It scurried about pulling trying to yank the thing out of her hands.
" You want it?! Then have it! "
She then jammed the rod deep into its mouth and gave a swift kick stabbing it deeper into the side. Blood gushed out of its mouth like a fountain. While it was distracted she rushed to Tails. He was slipping in and out of being awake and sleeping. Sally tugged hard on the webbing. It was tough to pull off and extremely sticky and gross to touch. Made a 'shhhhhhlloook' sound when she began to peel it off.
" Hang in there Tails! I'm getting you out of here. "
He groggily looked over her shoulder and his eyes widened. " Be-beh-behind you! "
Sally turned and jumped out of the way at the last second avoiding his sharp stinger from impaling her skull. It jabbed at her quickly with black poison gushing off the ends. She grabbed Tails and ran with it tearing after her. It raised its front leg and pinned her down to the floor. It was alot more stronger than what it appeared to be.
" N-no! "
But then suddenly an arrow shot into the side of its head. It stopped and looked over and received a wave of arrows that pierced its side but only broke skin. Nothing fatal. The circus folk were all carrying bows and arrows lined up like soldiers ready to overthrow their evil master. Others were pouring gasoline all over the tent and on the ground. Then a child gave the spider a grimacing look and lit the arrows. They all fired before it had time to leap away. It got 3 burning arrows in the face taking out a couple of its eyes and got a bunch more in its large abdomen. It screamed as the fires burned away on its face and body and released Sally and came after them. They turned and ran and spread out like ants. It grabbed 3 of them at once and tore them apart in its jaws and spat out the bodies and went after the others. The fires began to catch to the gasoline and it spread up the tent walls.
" We've got to get out or else we'll all be cooked alive! "
She freed Tails and put him over her shoulder and went to run to the exit. She grabbed ahold of the web and began ripping and tearing at it but it was too strong to take down. Quickly she grabbed a piece of wood and put it near the flames catching it on fire and then proceeded to burn away the webbing.
" Hurry, Aunt Sally! " Tails said.
Sally paused for a moment. " Did you call me...aunt...? "
A warm feeling came over her. The Tails she knew had returned to her.
" Look out behind you! " a voice cried out.
Sally turned and saw the spider looming over them. Time seemed to slow down at this very moment as it raised its claw and came down and spiked Tails in the back impaling him. His face cried out but no sound was heard. It snatched Tails away and stuffed him inside his mouth and began chewing on him with the sickening sounds of his muffled screams as his bones being snapped and broke into pulp. His arm hung out of its mouth reaching for her but it sucked it up like a noodle. Sally stood there as the world around her ceased to exist. Tails was gone. Tails was gone. She finally found someone in this crazy world whom she knew and was very special to her. At that moment when he called her Aunt Sally the Tails she knew was with her but now she saw him being tooken and suffer a cruel and horrible death. At that moment everything seemed to just break out of her. Sally let out a scream from the depths of her very soul charged with every ounce of pure hate and energy in her being. The big spider shivvered and took a step back. She came running at it like a mad man and jumped on one of its legs and climbed up onto of the spider and began ripping its eyes out with her bare hands one by one. It screamed and tried shaking her off but she held onto it with a death grip. She pulled out the arrows and began stabbing it repeatedly in the face splashing herself in its blood.
" GIVE HIM BACK! "
She skidded down its back and pulled out more of the arrows and stabbed away on its big fat body. The circus people were stunned at her sudden rage and bloodlust. She grabbed the gaping wound she made and with great strength tore it open exposing its internal organs, crawling inside.
" Is that woman mad?! " one of them said shocked.
It collapsed and writhed around kicking its legs up squeeling as she was ripping it apart from the inside. She ignored the stench and the blood and held her breath. She grabbed ahold of its large liver and tore it open like it was nothing and then wiggled her way inside of its rib cage and clawed at tore at its gooey intestines. Then she grabbed ahold of the walls of its ribcage and with all her might bent them so she could make her escape but not before she took one last thing. She grabbed a hand full of slippery cords and pulled and broke them and grabbed a big meaty object about half the size of her. She kicked away at the ribs cracking them causing one to break and them slammed the jagged edge through the muscle and skin making a way out of there for her. As she emerged from the spider she pulled out its great black evil heart and threw it into the flames. She huffed and puffed with fatigue setting in. Everyone was shocked and horrified at what she had done. She was covered head to toe in its blood. She wiped some blood off her face. She then blacked out.
" That...was for Tails. "
We're all mad here.I'm mad. You're mad.
How do you know I'm mad?
You must be,or else you wouldn't have come here.
