Do not own Cirque du Freak. Though I wish I did.
Mr. Crepsley gave a creepy smile. "So I have been found out."
Steve was silent.
"How do you know?"
"I-I saw a painting of you in one of my vampire books."
"Why would you come alone to talk with someone you knew was a vampire?"
"Because you won't hurt me." Steve said confidently.
"And why wouldn't eye?" Mr. Crepsley said with a sickening smirk.
"Because I told my friends about you, they'll go to the police."
"Liar." Elena muttered. Darren elbowed her in the side and she let out a squeak of pain.
Mr. Crepsley looked in their direction but just ignored it. "The police won't believe them."
"No, but if I turn up dead, they'll have to investigate won't they? In daylight."
"I hate children." Mr. Crepsley said holding the bridge of his nose. "What is it you want then?"
Steve took a deep breath, "I want you to make me a vampire."
"You stupid-" Elena's hiss was cut short by a kick in the shin from Darren.
"You are crazy!" Mr. Crepsley roared.
"No, I'm not." Steve said. "I hate my life. My dad doesn't live with us, and my mother hates me. I doubt she'll even notice I'm gone."
A chair flew suddenly out of the first row. Mr. Crepsley sat down. "And your friends? The two you came with tonight they won't miss you?"
"Darren and Elena? Yeah I'll miss them. But I want to be a vampire more than I care about them."
Mr. Crepsley seemed to consider it. " Alright, he said, "I'll let you become my assistant, a half-vampire. But first we must test your blood."
Mr. Crepsley made a small cut on Steve's hand and then drank some of his blood. He spat it out almost as soon as he had it in his mouth. "What's wrong?" Steve asked.
"You have bad blood." Mr. Crepsley screeched. "You are evil, you will never be a vampire."
"Take that back!" Steve roared.
"Go home boy, forget this ever happened."
"No!" Steve yelled, "I won't forget this! I swear I will track you down and kill you one day Vur Horston. One day." He gave a maniac laugh and raced out the door.
"Children!" Mr. Crepsley snorted then stormed off the stage.
Darren and Elena quietly snuck out the door and raced off towards Darren's house. Too scared of Steve to go to his. After all what kind of person actually wants to be a vampire.
They didn't talk to Steve all weekend. They didn't see him again until Monday.
"Where did you two go after the show?"
Elena smiled sheepishly, "We kind of got lost on the way back. By the time we found out where we were we were closer to Darren's house then yours." At that moment, Darren was thankful for his best friend's talented lying skills.
"You must have got in serious trouble." Steve said raising an eyebrow.
"Tell me about it." Darren said, "No pocket money, and grounded for a month."
"Rough." Steve said.
They went inside, all three on good terms for now.
The following week Elena noticed Darren acting weird. "What's up with you?"
"Nothing."
"Really?"
"No." Darren sighed.
"So what's up?"
Darren leant against his locker and beckoned her to come closer. "I stole Madam Octa."
"You did what!" She screeched.
"Shhhh! I went back in the morning and took her."
"Can I see her?" Elena asked excited now, she liked spiders, wolves were more her thing.
"Just come over after school." Steve came by then so the two stopped talking about it.
After school Darren showed Elena all the tricks he had taught Madam Octa. She swung around on her webs like a little acrobat, terrifyingly graceful.
Elena laughed. "Can I try?" Darren was about to tell her no way until he saw her puppy dog eyes. It was hard not to give in to those big watery eyes.
"Oh, Alright."
Elena jumped up and kissed Darren's cheek. She took the flute from him. Madam Octa followed her every command just as she obeyed Darren. Almost everyday afterschool from then on, Elena would come over and her and Darren would play with the spider.
It took a few days to be confident enough to let the spider crawl over them but eventually it happened. They were playing with her when Steve made a surprise visit to Darren's house.
"You've been avoiding me all week." Steve accused.
Darren sighed. "Alright we didn't get lost."
"I knew it, how much did you hear?"
"Everything." Elena said softly.
Steve's head dropped. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Darren asked.
"For saying I wanted to be a vampire more than I cared about you. I care about you guys more than that."
"We forgive you." Elena said putting her arms around Steve.
"What else have you been hiding?"
"Can you keep a secret?" Darren said slyly.
"Of course."
Elena went to Darren's closet and got Madam Octa.
"Hells Bells!" Steve exclaimed when Elena pulled the cloth off the cage.
"She's awesome! She looks just like the one Mr. Crepsley had. But where did you get her?"
"I got her at the Cirque Du Freak." Darren said softly.
"They were selling live spiders?" Steve asked bewildered. "How come I never-"
"Steve, " Elena cut in. "It's not a similar spider, it's the same spider."
"You mean you stole-"
"Yep." Darren said proudly.
"You stole from a vampire."
"Relax Steve, he's had two whole weeks to come after me and he hasn't yet."
"If you say so." Steve leaned down in front of the cage. "So have you let her out yet?"
"You bet!" Darren said.
"Well show me! Come ON!"
Elena reached down and unlocked her cage. Darren and Elena traded the flute back and forth while Steve played with the spider. Darren decided to try the web thing at that moment. Madam Octa crawled up Steve's arm and onto his shoulder. Unfortunately, when she got to his neck Annie barged in breaking Darren's control of the spider. She sunk her fangs into Steve's neck and he dropped to the ground.
Elena and Darren dropped next to Steve after forcing Madam Octa into her cage. Annie had run to get Darren's parents. "Steve." Elena croaked stroking his face. Darren's parents burst into the room, Darren's father on the phone with the paramedics.
They carried Steve to the hospital, Elena and Darren stayed at the house for now after answering questions. (They had already told Annie not to mention Madam Octa.) Elena had received permission from Ms. Beck to stay with Darren for a while.
She was curled in a ball on the edge of his bed tears streaming down her cheeks. Darren paced back and forth angrily. The guilt was crushing both of them. As Darren neared the wardrobe, he let out a howl. He grabbed the wooden cage and flung it out of the open window.
As the cage neared the ground, a pale hand shot out and snatched it! The person attached to the hand stepped out from the trees. It was Mr. Crepsley. He smiled up at the two children in the window and then vanished.
Not too long after, Darren's mom came to take the two kids to see Steve. They stared at their comatose friend in silence. There were tubes keeping him alive all over his body. A nurse came by and sympathetically told them they had to leave so that Steve could rest.
Rest, thought Darren, he can't rest if he's dead on the table.
"Darren, we have to do something." Elena said desperately.
"What can we do?" He asked.
She took a deep breath, "We have to talk to Crepsley."
"Okay."
They walked to the theatre; a light was on at the end of the corridor. Slowly they walked toward it knowing there was a vampire waiting for them at the end of it. Elena had a pile of papers in her hands. Darren didn't want to ask what they were.
At the end of the tunnel, the vampire sat with a pack of cards, playing by himself.
"Good morning Master Shan, and Miss Crepsley."
"It's not morning," Darren said. "It's night."
"To me that is morning." Mr. Crepsley said simply.
"You've been waiting for us haven't you?" Elena asked shakily.
"Yes." He nodded.
"How long have you known where Madam Octa was?" Darren asked.
"Since you stole her."
"Why didn't you take her back then?" Darren asked.
"I was going to until I thought about it. What sort of boy would dare steal from a vampire so I decided to study you."
"Why?" Elena asked softly.
"Why indeed." He hummed and stacked the cards up on the table, in a perfect pile. Or rather, the cards put themselves into a perfect pile. Mr. Crepsley just snapped his fingers.
"Why have you come here? Do you desire Madam Octa?
Darren shook his head violently. " I never want to see that monster again."
"She will be so sad to hear."
"Stop it." Elena said clenching her fist.
"What will you do if I don't?"
"I'll strike with these!" Darren roared whipping out a cross and a bottle of holy water. The vampire just laughed and snapped his fingers. The items flew into his hands.
"They can't hurt you?" Elena said in disbelief.
"Why should they?" Mr. Crepsley said.
"Because you're evil." She said.
"Am I? I have never killed unless in self -defense, I simply take a little blood to fill my rumbling belly. Vampires are not at all like they are in movies and books you know."
The children stood silent, wondering what would happen now that they were utterly defenseless in the clutches of a vampire.
"Well I will cut the speech short shall I?" Mr. Crepsley said. "What is it you want if not my spider Master Shan?"
"She, she bit Steve."
"Ah, a nasty business. Still children who play with things they do not understand can hardly complain if-"
"You have to fix him!" Elena said desperately.
"I? Ho could I fix him?"
"You must have a cure."
"Maybe I do. But maybe there is only a little of the antidote left. Maybe I wish to save it in case Madam Octa ever bites me. Maybe I do not want to waste it on an evil little boy."
"But he'll die!" Darren cried out.
"So? Why should I care? He said he was going to become a vampire hunter when he grew up if you recall."
"He didn't mean it!" Darren insisted. "He was angry."
"Still, why should I save him? The serum is expensive and irreplaceable.'
"We'll pay for it." Darren said.
"Please," Mr. Crepsley laughed. You can't possibly have enough money to pay for it. Money as it is hold no interest for me."
"Then what does interest you?" Elena asked softly.
Mr. Crepsley gave a nasty laugh, and then became serious. "You are both clever children so tell me, do you remember what Steve and I talked about?"
"He wanted to be a vampire and you agreed to let him be your assistant, but then you found out he was evil and said no." Elena said.
"Very good Miss Crepsley. Although you will also recall I was not too keen on having an assistant at the time. I had long since thought about the matter and decided that an assistant may not be so bad after all."
"You want one of us to be your assistant." Darren said.
"No Master Shan." He said. "I want both of you to become my assistants."
"Two lives for one hardly seams fair." Elena said.
"No," Mr. Crepsley agreed. "But it is the only choice I offer. Either take it or Steve Leonard dies."
Darren sighed. "I guess we have no choice."
Mr. Crepsley grinned wolfishly.
"Just so you know, if I ever get a chance to kill you, I will take it." Elena said angrily.
"I know. That's why I want you, you have spirit."
"How do we do it?" Elena asked.
Mr. Crepsley beckoned her forward and indicated for her to lift her hands. Darren noticed the papers still there. Mr. Crepsley did too.
"What are holding?" He asked.
Elena looked surprised. 'I forgot I had those."
"Yes but what are they?"
She looked down. "The letters my mother left for me and my brother at the orphanage." She muttered. "And my brother's adoption papers."
"How did you get the adoption papers?" Darren asked bewildered.
"I stole them." She said quietly.
"It seems you both need a lesson in taking things that do not belong to you." Mr. Crepsley mused. "Still, why did you bring them here?"
"Because-" Elena hesitated.
"Because?"
"You're mentioned in the letters."
"What?" Mr. Crepsley asked looking thrown off for the first time tonight.
"She mentioned you in them."
"Perhaps you should read the letters out loud."
"You can read them yourself!" She snapped.
"The longer you argue with me, the less time Steve has."
Elena sighed. "Alright. You win."
"Dear Sir/Madam,
I leave my daughter, Elena Crepsley, in your care. I cannot look after her myself, as it would surely mean torment for myself and my daughter. I warn you that she may be different from the other children they may not. Either way I trust you will take care of them all the same. I also give my full permission for her to be placed in the care of her father, Larten Crepsley if he ever finds her. He is not aware that he has a child. Please make sure she knows I only gave her up for her sake, and that I still love her.
Arra Sails."
Mr. Crepsley looked shocked. "Arra is your mother?"
"That's what it says on the letter." Elena said. "You know her then?"
Mr. Crepsley nodded. "She was my mate. What does the other letter say?"
"What do you mean was?" Darren demanded.
"We broke it off, what does the other letter say? And the adoption papers, now that it comes to mind."
"Was she a vampire too?" Darren asked.
"Yes," Mr. Crepsley said exasperated. "Elena, what does the other letter say?"
"It says the same thing." Elena said. "But with a different name. " She paused. "His name is Darren."
Darren was surprised at having the same name as Elena's brother.
"And the adoption papers?"
"They say-" She stopped eyes wide.
"What?" Crepsley snapped.
Instead of answering him, she shoved the papers at Darren's face, refusing to look at him.
"They say that her brother was adopted by Angela and Dermot Shan." Darren froze after the realization hit him His entire life had all been a lie. He wasn't normal, both his parents were vampires, his sister wasn't really his sister. His best friend was really his sister. Darren felt dizzy trying to process all the information.
"This is impossible." Mr. Crepsley said.
"Why?" Elena asked.
"Vampires cannot have children."
"Then how the hell are we here!" Elena demanded.
"There's an old legend that may explain it. But now is not the time if you wish to save Steve." He punched holes in the tips if his fingers and grabbed Elena's hands, punching identical holes in her hands.
"Hey!" She yelled.
"Calm down, " Mr. Crepsley told her. "You'll endure worse than that living a vampires' life."
He swiped one of he cuts with a finger and stuck it in his mouth. "You're blood is good, we can continue."
He lined his wounds up with hers and pressed their hands together. Elena cried out, shaking. Darren moved forward to stop it but Mr. Crepsley pulled his hands away from hers before he could. "There." He said."
"I don't feel different." She said confused.
"You won't." Mr. Crepsley said taking her hands and placing them into his mouth. When he let them go, Darren was amazed to see the cuts healing.
"It will take a few days for the changes to settle in. Darren come here."
Darren approached and Mr. Crepsley repeated the process. Darren realized that his blood was flowing into Mr. Crepsley through one hand while Mr. Crepsley's blood flowed into his own body through the other. When the pain was nearly unbearable, Mr. Crepsley took his hands away.
"So what powers will we have now?" Darren asked.
"If we are going to save your friend we must leave now. We have plenty of time to discuss you're powers later." He scratched his scar and smiled. "You may say we have all the time in the world."