A.N:
Golly people seemed to really like this story! Also this chapter is rlly bad forgive me
Im really sorry about the whole "rusted lock" thing but this is waaay into the future so lets just pretend things work faster there aha a /nervous laughter pls forgive me
A few days after the grand opening of the circus, the four boys set their plan into action. Their plan was to escape the confines of the circus.
It was late, it had just gone past four in the morning when Arthur had broken out of his cage. He had been pouring his water from his bowl and onto the large lock of his cage for months, causing it to rust horribly then fall off. It would have made a loud bang, awakening the rest of the circus, if he had not managed to grab the lock as it was falling. The lock hit the palm of his hand and he smirked, pulling it back inside his cage with him and setting it down before carefully opening the cage door.
He slithered out of his cage and made his way over to Alfred. The taller blonde was curled into himself on the floor of his cage, pretending to be asleep. Although it was a pretty convincing act, the ragged breathing and constant moving told Arthur that he was only pretending.
It was 04:17am when Arthur managed to get Alfred out but it was 5:01 am when they finally managed to get Francis out of his cage. They took far too long and they needed to hurry or someone could find them.
Francis' cage had been hanging from the ceiling by a bit of very sturdy rope, and a few chains. Alfred had managed to find where they ended so he could slowly bring Francis back down to the floor with a soft thump as it touched the hay-covered ground.
It had taken fourty minutes to gather everything they needed and to head towards the tents entrance. They were stopped by a noise, it sounded like a muffled banging and water splashing.. But nothing appeared.
"Im so sorry.." Alfred had whispered to his half-brother who was still trapped in his tank. They couldn't bring him with them, it was impossible. They couldn't take him out of his tank or he would suffocate on the air. So they had to leave him. It was heartbreaking for Alfred, but he had promised that he would return for him. He would not just leave him there forever- he was his only family after all.
Matthew didn't seem to mind either, he just wanted the other's to be safe- he could hold off the rest of the circus for now.
They wouldn't part for long, he had promised.
The three boys ran for their lives ( Arthur was being held as he couldn't exactly run ) when they heard angry shouting and saw lights flashing, the circus' owners and a few of the performers had run after them but they were just too fast. Thankfully, there was no one outside guarding the tent as they fled so they had been able to just run and run until they couldn't run anymore.
It had been a couple of months since their escape. Apparently the circus had to shut down, they didn't have enough money to keep it going since they only had one attraction left. So they just packed up and left.
Matthew had been abandoned.
There was no way he could leave the tank and the circus' ringleader couldn't be asked to take him with them or at least give him away or maybe even put him back where they found him, in the sea. So they just left him. Alone.
So alone.
Alfred, Francis, and Arthur figured that if no one was at the circus anymore, they could go back with no hassle. The three boys made their way back to the abandoned circus, they were not met with angry people or any sign of life. Nothing at all. Most of the tent had collapsed and there were empty cages scattered about everywhere. But that was just from the outside. They went inside to see if they could try and find Matthew.
But they were too late.
They found the Canadian fish-boy out of his tank and laying on the ground, not a breath left in him. He seemed to be laying in a position that was near to the tent's entrance, he was trying to leave? Trying to escape maybe?
His skin was dry and his eyes were closed but glossed over. He was terribly skinny, his bones showing- he obviously had no food along with no water to survive in. It was such a sad sight.
"He suffocated trying to escape.." Francis had mumbled once he had checked his friend. Francis had gone next to the poor boy and pushed him onto his back, looking him over and skimming his hands along the dry skin until he found out what had happened. Arthur clasped a hand over his mouth to stop the Frenchman from talking anymore unless he were to upset Alfred.
Alfred was in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. He had told him he would come back. He promised.
He promised.
All the worst things happen to the best people.
But of course,
They were not aloud to complain.
