No one spoke as we were being transported. It felt like we were struggling to breathe for hours, but it felt like we couldn't have arrived sooner as the before I knew it my hands were tied again.
This place felt like a maze. Different freaks where guided to different sections, each matching to whatever the room looked like, and the further in we went, the darker it got. Soon, Mathew, Lovino, and I were separated from the group along with a few others and led behind blood red curtains. The room was dark and it gave off a sinister feel with the few glowing red lights and the chains on the walls. Lovino was separated from us and chained to a dark corner where he could be out of sight. Mathew was thrown inside a glass cage that was centered at front where the shadows fell heavily and could be seen from all sides. He stayed perfectly still…The only movements where the small anxious twitched of his muscles. I was left inside a giant metal bird cage at the other side of the room.
Soon, doors could be heard along with the footsteps and chatter of the Pures and everyone in the room went still.
"Step right up ladies and gentlemen!" the voice of an Artist echoed faintly through the walls. "We bring to you the finest entertainment. My name is Francis and I am very pleased to be your humble servant."
The voices turned into faint echoes as they moved from room to room; occasionally, gasps and screams of surprise could be heard followed by laughs. It made me feel sick. I don't know what was going on in the other rooms, but the thought of what could be going on was enough. The voices kept getting louder and louder the closer they approached and eventually the Artist glided into the room followed by the group of Pures.
"Now, now there's no need to hide!" the Artist sang as the Pures surrounded the glass cage. "Oh that's right…if you didn't we wouldn't have our shadow boy!"
"Honestly what's this entire ruckus about? I don't see anything!" a woman said angrily to which someone replied "try knocking on the glass dear."
"Oh I see now! This is truly incredible!"
"If it wasn't for the earring, I'd consider taking him home with me."
I couldn't believe it. I knew we were only here for their entertainment, but they were talking about Mathew as if he couldn't understand a word they were saying! As if he was an animal! With every comment, every knock on the glass, every explanation given by the blonde Artist, an almost inaudible yelp escaped from his lips as he tried to hide further into the shadows.
This went on with every freak in the room.
"They seem a bit inhumane."
"I can't believe anyone could actually look like that!"
"Don't get to close, love; you don't know what they can be thinking!"
"Do they even think? How big are their brains, sir?"
"She looks absolutely mad!"
"Now you should be careful not to look this one too long in the eyes" the voice of the Artist caught my attention. The group was moving towards my bird cage so I moved back into the shadows until my back was pressed against the metal bars.
"…and why is that young man?"
"I don't think any of you would like to see into the eyes of the devil for too long!"
Eyes of the devil huh? If that's what they want to see there's no way I'll give them the satisfaction. I sat down and closed my eyes as I waited for them to come and go. I could hear the curious whispers and grunts of irritation when they didn't get what they wanted. Maybe if I keep this up they won't bring me to the next freak show.
"He's not opening his eyes!" whined a younger pure.
"Maybe he has decided to spare us. Really I don't think any of us would be able to handle it" the Artist said without hesitation "those horrible symbols on his body are the sign he has been touched by the devil and if you were to stare too long into his eyes you would join him."
The crowd gasped and I silently cursed. He was making them believe exactly what he wanted, with or without my help. I sat in silence thinking…if I could manage to terrify them, I could go back to the institute. I just needed an opening…
"Go ahead and get closer" That's it "he won't bite."
I waited until I heard them take a few steps forward before slamming my body against the metal bars and reaching between them, successfully tearing at the hat of a stuffy man as my eyes pierced into his. My laugh echoed manically trough the room as everyone moved back away from the cage ad held their loved ones close.
"Well he might…" was all the Artist said.
"MAGNIFICENT!" the stuffy man said and his laugh replaced mine "simply magnificent..ehh, don't look him in the eye dear!" my stomach dropped and my heart sank. I couldn't believe it….they were enjoying it.
"Move along every one, we still have much to see." The crowd walked away and I was left holding on to the cold metal bars. What had just happened?
I looked over at the glass cage and the faint outline of Mathew. How many times has he tried to escape? Had he ever tried what I did? How close has he come to breaking free? I grunted and rested my head against the bars. Now I knew that if I want to have a chance at escaping, I need to be away from cages as possible.
I would think of something…I wasn't going down without a fight!
oooooOOOOOooooo
"You really are a dumbass aren't you?"
"Shut up, Lovino, How was I supposed to know!?" The ride back was more than exhausting. Lovino was giving me a hard time about the stunt I pulled with the Pures, and I wasn't going to stay quiet.
"Guess you're no better than us. You're not getting out any sooner than we are."
"Fucking try me!"
"Guys please stop arguing…" Mathew finally said, bringing his hands to his head and rubbing his temples "You're giving me a headache…"
"Well make him stop bothering me!" I said pointing a finger at the boy.
"How old are you? Five? Deal with it like a man you bastard!"
"Oh you wanna go, little man? YOU WANNA FUCKING GO?!"
"YOU DON'T SCARE ME!"
And before we knew it, we were on the ground one second and back up again in a second with an arm around our throats.
"Alright, enough is enough…" said Mathew "now unless you want to get in trouble you better settle down because I don't know about you but I am not too eager to spend the rest of the week in the pit…" it took us a while, but eventually we both relaxed our muscles and Mathew unwrapped his arms from our necks.
"Sorry" i apologized and sat down against the wall with a huff. On the other side of the cage Lovino did the same. "Mathew?"
"Yea?"
"Can you tell me about your escape attempts?" I asked without getting an answer "I want to know what you did so I don't waste my time making the same mistakes….we could figure out a way to do it together…it be a lot easier than doing it alone."
He said nothing for a while. He sat down next to me. Then he spoke.
SUP PEOPLE DUCKLING HERE QUACK! sorry if this chapter is kinda short, finals got me going crazy! Anyways Prussia's personality is starting to shine though a bit YAY and also we got to see France as an Artist! Hmmm what else…oh yea! Some of the dialogue from the freak show is from lyrics form 'Girls, Girls, Girls' by Emilie Autumn and I really like how it turned out. ANYWAYS THAT'S IT FROM ME TODAY DUCKLING OUT QUACK!
