A/N Well bloody hell, I am so sorry for the lack of updates on this fic and now that it's rated quite a bit I feel I have to finish it – it would be wrong of me not too! So I hope everyone can get back into it easily. My main authors note is always apologies for the grammar – I am shit at spelling and my computer is shit too! So this chapter is trying to get my momentum back so bare with me! I'd like to say I would really like to say thank you to all the reviewers of this story, I've forgotten how awesome it is for feedback so any views and ideas send 'em to Cherry and let's kick ass with this fic!!
Quick note – this is purely for entertainment value I don't own anything and I mean not to offend anyone with the content of the story.
And so it begins and we carry on…
Enjoy
Chapter 8 : Moving on
Edward had ran and ran. The air had gone from cold and chilling, to thick and heated. He was disorientated, that was for sure. A melancholy gloom was his state of mind.
Time had passed, that was for sure. For once he felt dirty and tired. He now had a reason to live – Kim, he promised her, and he promised her he'd care for her, love her.
So if someone was to actually look at the situation where Edward was occupied in, they would have been possibly frightened - if naïve, or curiously interested as many who looked upon the company Edward was with, would.
Edward blinked his eyes open, though he was not asleep. Would he go to heaven? Was that the name they called it? But who created heaven? Silly trivial questions that linked with morality swam through his brain for many reasons. Every new thing he learnt about living in such a short space of time was disturbing. Why exactly the inventor had given him life, he didn't know?
He'd looked at the detailed plans time and time again. It just didn't make sense. How was he, HIM, how was he this man made man? The plans were there on the board, page after page of drawings. Something didn't fit the puzzle. And so his short life in Suburbia had brought him love, the most powerful thing on earth, but with it brought him the taunting he'd received as well…..and that was the moment he blinked into life at the crowds who were starring at him like a freak.
"And that's what they like Edward, to be, ok, well not frightened but you know curious, you're a medical oddity as far as they're concerned and yes, yes, I know we're in the 21st century – yadda, yadda. But, and this is the 'but', people don't forget about the root of the freak show you know, they love to see the spirit of the show, creepiness, weirdness and sexiness. You my boy tick each box! You'll be a hit, a star!!"
Edward had sat still looking at the man with his jaded gaze. Though the look wasn't cynical, in fact Edward was listening very carefully and trying his best to sieve through his mind at what exactly a freak show was. The only recollection he could muster was Kevin once googling him the word 'freak' to prove to Edward that he was a freak of nature, though nothing with scissors for hand appeared on the electronic encyclopaedia, some of the people in the room reminded him of the pages.
As the hushed whispers around him seized. He took the opportunity to look in the caravan, its contents and inhabitants, for a small group stood in the space eyeing the dangerous stranger from a distance.
"Edward, can I have a word please."
Edward turned to the kind voice of a woman taller than Kim and at an age between her and Peg. What set her apart Edward had decided, was the most beautiful brunette locks he'd ever seen on a woman, not the fact her hands were small and disfigured. Her kind smile persuaded him to stand and walk to her, away from the prying eyes.
"Alone." The woman spoke still calmly in the direction of the people.
"But honey, this is meant to be a group meeting". Frank spoke.
The group piped up at this point and all sounded their opinion.
"Frank – I want to stop you there, this man or thing-"A heavily tattooed woman spoke but then she sighed. "Well, the camp has told us all he was on the run!?"
"Here we go, don't you read Mary Shelley? The boy has been outcast by his village… I mean town." Another voice spoke laughing to himself.
"This is a side show, a safe side show – what's he gonna do?"
"Please, everyone." The brunette woman spoke again.
"Well, durh, the man's got a frikkin butcher's paradise on his frikkin' fingers."
"Yeh, blades like swords, hey, hey he could shove them down your throat seen as you're the blade eater Dominic."
"That's not funny, Pete, not at all."
"Here with us, you safe boy, I tell yeh, we're the one side show that caters for our own kind's needs. We're not your average freak show, well in fact we're not a 'freak show', 'side show' if you wanna be politically correct but I like the term."
"The people before us were treated as freaks, so why aren't we? Just because the scientists and doctors have had their hands on us – well maybe I want to be a freak!"
"Pete, my boy…" Frank spoke "That is so true and those words were spoken like a professional."
"I like knowing I'm different to all those sad bastards who pity us!"
A cheer arose from the crowd.
Frank who had been smiling to himself and with the uproar of his troupe finally caught his wife's gaze and he coughed taking Edward by the elbow and out of the caravan.
The evening sunset was drawing in and the place which once was filled with a crowd during the day had dispersed.
Edward was glad; he felt the room to be stuffy and foreboding. This day had been tough and the people who were in charge had been busy all day.
The three walked a little, passing the caravans and the show tent.
"Frank can I have a word first, please?"
Frank smiled at Edward. "Take five for some fresh air Edward, I'll be back!" And headed to his wife who walked away.
Edward sighed and looked around a few of the troup were outside smoking.
"Is it true you are a cannibal?"
Edward just looked at them and then shook his head, the small group actually looked dissapointed.
"What maded you say that anyway?" He asked growing a little confident.
The smoker turned to Edward and gestured at his blades. "Well those things – I mean…all you proably can do with them is attack, kill and then cook your food on them, meat I mean. And if you did kill anyone I guess you have to eat them up because you can't exactly pick up a spade and drive the victim to a remote location."
Edward looked at the man in his 30's and wondered what his place in the show's line up was. He looked 'normal' but then again 'normal' around here wasn't just that.
And then he laughed to himself and smiled. "I have to eat, a little, but I don't have an appertite."
"How can you do anything?" The second person, a woman in her 20's asked, full of curiousty and a hint of pity. "Kris can use her freaky hands but you, you'd be in danger all the time to break, main and destroy."
"I had a bit of help, Peg."
"I'm not trying to be harsh, its just you're odd and dangerous to us I guess. I mean, no offence, actually…." She laughed. "You're the perfect freak – you bring fear and curiousty and the old age pity back to the freak scene..its great."
Edward smiled.
At that point Frank and Kris came over.
"Now my boy would you come with us and we'll talk properly." Frank bellowing voice came.
The three made it to the couple's peronal caravan and sat down.
"Why did you stumble into our world Edward….."
Edward was about to answer but then realised that Frank was talking to himself.
"Do you remember much of last night?" Kris asked.
Edward shook his head.
"Jimmy found you a couple of miles off this place." Kris started. "One of our drivers."
"He drives around and he loves the ladies, you know what I mean?" Frank winked.
Edward recalled when he woke up, the dark haired man who looked like any normal man except half of his face had a mark over. Being Edward, he didn't ask the questions the man had thought he'd asked and so instead to try and get the man to speak, told Edward of his constant bullying in his life for the dark purple birth mark. It meant nothing to Edward.
"He noticed you were collapsed on the road, he thought you were dead. Saw your scissors – would have left you if he hadn't told us that he believed they were your hands. Then he looked under you cuffs, you were unconcious."
For once Edward had questions.
"Is there a God?"
Both Frank and Kris looked to each other and Edward awkwardly.
"Why do you ask Edward?" Kris answered.
"Because, I'm here. I ran away to find money and now I'm here in safety. While I ran I thought I should go to my mansion instead but I couldn't."
"Mansion?" Frank asked very interested.
"The inventor left me, he died before he gave me hands. Then Peg found me, cared for me."
"Edward if you're here with us do you… no……. you will need someone to care for you we'll supplu the assistance, are you happy with that?"
"You'd do that?"
"Son who took care of you in mansion, who else was there?"
"Myself."
"Christ Kris he's been a lucky bastard, not chopping his dick off while having slash or wiping his ass."
"I try not to touch…myself."
Kris gave Frank a look but dismissed it and felt a wave of pity and caring overcome her for Edward.
"Edward this is personal but how 'did' you care for yourself, your personal needs – I'm only asking because, well, we want to let you join us, I think I'd feel happy if you did join us Edward." She finished her sentence Edward noted with a motherly tone.
"I wasn't up in the mansion long, a couple of months. I wasn't in a bad state. Don't ask me how. I know from what I've learn't, I know it isn't proper to say but I needed perosnal hygine from Peg, she took care of me but I managed."
"What you eat up there Edward?"
"What was easy and what wouldn't hurt myself."
All the while Kris had been writing something with her hand in a fashion tailored to herself. Edward watched and envied every second of it.
"Ok, ok so Edward, we want you to stay here. If you can get an act we can pay you. You can earn, its what you want isn't? You won't really be on the books but, hey nobody cares about the tax man and what not , yeah?"
Edward nodded and for once, things seemed to be going ok.
"Edward for now, as you don't really have an act, I'd just like to showcase your appearance, your freaky gift, your scissorhands." Frank spoke caculating a plan in his head.
Edward's hands twitched and Frank very carefully took one of the bladed fingers and raised them closer to himself and Kris.
"Show us how they move, are you happy with rolling your sleeves up to show that it isn't a hoax – it isn't a hoax is it??Jimmy wasn't lying??" Frank finished worriedlly for himself.
Edward looked to Kirs and then Frank and then back to Kris.
Kris knew what he was saying with his head indication and his eyes.
"Carefully unzip one of his sleeves from his wrist." She asked Frank.
Frank felt like the moment was going a little slow. He looked to his wife and then to Edward's arm. It was like a small child knowing that there were presents downstairs under the tree, good ones.
It felt odd that this man's single touch made him think so much of Kim and her love. God he missed her already.
Carefully the zip went up and both Kris and Frank lent in a little further to see. The air hit the tightly bound wrist and Edward slightly hissed. Their jaws fell open. His scissors were embedded by flesh. Stitches that reminded Kris all too much of Frankestein flooded her mind.
"Well I'll be boy…" Frank whispered to himself. "It ain't no hoax…but how the fuck does metal and flesh live like that?" He asked dumbfounded. Frown lines on his face
At this point Edward became slighty uncomfortable.
Kris noticed and spoke only after she rubbed her small hands together almost in a frightend way. Not birth defect?...Mutilation?... She thought
"Do you feel pain….you've been….infused…..?"
Edward nodded his head. "I feel starnge sensations all the time, like burning, my wrists burn but the pain is always there. It doesn't matter."
"Edward this is serious you have to tell us if your ok. Have you ever had a medical."
Kris was starting to believe that the fictional world of Edward was very much real. Cases of child abuse and neglect for Edward flooded her mind, but more so the creation of Edward and his past, but these questions would have to be answered another day, she could see his own emotions through his eyes, mainly worry. It was then that he almost pleaded.
"Can I join you all?" Edward asked. "I have nowhere else at all, I must get money to Kim, for her baby."
Both Kris and Frank looked up and noted to bring this topic up at later date. Instead Kris made the proposition.
"With advances in medicine and political changes the freak show died. There are a few side shows and there are plenty of circus' showcasing acrobatical talents and skills but there is only really one other real freak show travelling the county with medical abnormalities, like myself. I believe they call her 'Lobster girl' as well." She smiled. "As previously mysterious anomalies were scientifically explained as genetic mutations or diseases, we became the objects of pity rather than fear or disdain. The eugenics movement saw human irregularity as unfortunate mistakes of nature."
Frank then took over.
"You wouldn't be subjected to being displayed in a full sense, you'd have to produce and act to keep the folks off our backs who don't appriciate exploitation." He laughed. Edward actually smiled. "You ain't no John Merrick but you have got ahell of a celebrity look about you if I do say so myself. I want you to join us Edward."
Kris spoke. "You'd have to be subjected to a medical Edward, but we have enough leyway to let you make your own descisions about banking or anything persona – paper workl. We will need to know a bit more about you but for now I think you should rest tonight and then tomorrorow we can start afresh and show you the ropes, get to know whose who."
Edward had then solely looked at his hands.
"Edward, would you join us? Be in a freak show?" She asked sincerely.
A slight smile laced itself on his lips.