Chapter Six

They were going to run away. Miku, Rin, Len, Kaito, and Meiko. Blind Miku held Meiko's hand as she hastened behind the twins Rin and Len, who had gotten used to the rhythm of each other's steps. Kaito was an all-fours, his dog-mind taking over his actions. Guards were sprinting after them, guns in hands, screaming "STOP!" Nothing would stop these fleeing performers, though; they were going to get out of there, approval or not. A large area of red tent fabric blocked their way from freedom.

"Quick!" Len yelled, "the guards are approaching!"

The guard's footsteps grew louder, the sounds of guns loading. Kaito padded ahead and grabbed the canvas, growling as he tore apart the red fabric that had encapsulated the performers. As the five performers jumped through, shots were fired. Miku cried in pain as she let go of Meiko's hand to shield her bloody arm.

"Miku!" Meiko cried, stopping in place.

The guards in the distance climbed through the hole that Kaito tore out, approaching Miku. Miku's visors gazed at Meiko's red orbs; somehow, Meiko knew that Miku could see her friend. She smiled. "I'm d-done, Meiko," Miku breathed. "Save yourself, you're still in good shape." Gunfire came from behind; Miku collapsed. "Run," she said, the last breaths escaping from her glossy lips.

Tears rolled down Meiko's cheeks as she continued running behind the group. Her throat swelled, making it hard for her to breathe. Meiko's legs began shaking every time one contacted the forest floor. Dirt was flying everywhere from the bullets shot at her. As she fought her way through thick brushes, the sound of elegant cloth tearing. Half of the pastel dress that the circus had provided Meiko was clung onto the thorns.

Moonlight began to pour through the brushes as Meiko continued. The rest of the group was out of sight by now and the only thing that Meiko could do was run straight ahead. She reached her hand into the clearing, followed by the other. She kept springing forward, but the ocean of thorns held her back from reaching her destination. Bullets whizzed past her face, her eyes widening as they were only centimeters away from inflicting damage.

"There she is!" a man's voice called from behind. More guns were loaded.

"This really is the end," Meiko whispered to herself, closing her eyes. Bullets began flying through her body; her heart stopped beating as a pool of blood dripped from below Meiko. "This is the end…"

"We've lost Meiko and Miku!" Rin cried.

"We can't go back, Rin! We'll get killed too!" Len yelled, panting. His face was coated in sweat; the moonlight cast down upon him, giving him a sparkling effect.

A shot rang out, hitting Rin in the shoulder. She screamed in pain, her half of the body collapsing into the ground as Len's half following. The bullet stung worse than acid; bones were shattered. Len's hand reached for his sister's shoulder and covered it, the blood escaping through the gaps between his fingers. "Come on, Rin, we have to go!" Len insisted, attempting to stand up. His sister, on the other hand, would not move. "Rin, we'll be dead!"

"Len…" Rin cried. "It's no use. You said it from the day we became a part of the circus. We'll never get our own bodies back. If we go out, people will realize that we are part of the circus and turn us in for profit." The blonde girl removed the boy's hand from her wound. "It's going to be okay, Len. We won't be the only ones not leaving this circus. Miku and Meiko are already dead."

Kaito dashed back to where the twins were, resting his head on Rin's lap and whimpering. He could sense this feeling too. As the guard's approached, his eyes began to develop tears.

"I love you, Rin. You're the best sister ever."

"And you too, Len. You're the best brother ever."

Kaito scrambled to all fours as the weapons were raised. He growled, exposing his teeth like a dog. He shifted back, ready to lunge. As shots were fired, Kaito charged towards the guards, dodging bullets. He jumped, tackling down one of the heavy-armored adults, scratching through the gear. Kaito finally killed that guard and attacked the other two. Assaulting one of them, the other guard pointed his gone at Kaito, who had pinned down the other guard. As the standing guard began shooting at Kaito, the blue-haired boy jumped out of the way, making a guard shoot one of their allies. He finally killed the last one; Kaito stood in place, shaking for a bit, and then collapsed to the ground.

"Kaito!" Len yelled, forcing him and Rin up. He walked to Kaito, who was flinching as they stepped closer. "Kaito, are you okay?" he asked, worried.

Kaito's eyes opened, his blue orbs growing watery. He glanced at Rin and Len, a small smile spreading across his face. "You – you can never trust anyone at the circus…" he snarled, grabbing blades of grass and forcing them out of the ground. "Don't be stupid like the others. They know we're out here." Kaito's eyes closed, sighing. "Run."

Receiving his message, Len began to turn around without Rin's approval and hastened ahead. Rin screamed as her weak legs could barely support her. With this, Len slowed down, continuously pacing through the forest. We're next, he thought. We have to survive; something is telling me that we will. The tall trees blocked out the sky now and the thick fog was numbing the twins' feet.

"Len," Rin mewed.

Len's eyes looked at his sister; her arms had scratches from the tent. Her face was damaged from the acid dumped on her face for not cooperating with the employees of the circus. Her blonde hair was tangled and knotted from the thorns and part of her elegant uniform had green stains. They had finally survived the circus. "What is it?" Len asked, sighing.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

"Seems that you twins have escaped," a voice cackled. A cold chill was sent down the twins' spine as their eyes widened in fear. "I won't allow it."

Rin turned around, shocked. "Len, it's the chairman!" she yelled, pointing at the dark, tall figure. Both were quivering now.

"Why, yes it is," the chairman snickered, pointing to himself by his address. He stepped forward and towered above the twins. "Now, you have betrayed your friends, haven't you, Rin and Len?" the chairman howled. "Your circus friends have died only so you could live on. Such a shame if they were alive now. How disappointed they would be…" The chairman circled them with his hands perched on his back. "I can't just let you go…"

"Why not?" Len screamed, "You've ruined us enough!"

"You see, Len, Miku, the supposed star of the show, is dead. Kaito, the starter or the show, is also gone. Not to mention Meiko, whose talent is yet unknown, has been murdered. You two are left. There is a problem, however…" the chairman smirked. "You two were smart enough to figure out how to unlock those cages. You know how to escape now, don't you? I have said this many times, but… what happens in the circus stays in the circus. And with you two possibly escaping again, I can't risk it."

Len's heart skipped a beat. "No…you can't…"

The chairman pulled a pistol from his pocket and fired straight at the twins. Rin and Len collapsed, blood oozing from their wounds as they lay motionless. The chairman spun around and smiled. "They really dissapoint me."

A blonde boy ran after a blonde girl in a field of daisies. The girl flopped onto her back and pressed the flowers to her face, the boy copying her movements. A giggle could be heard in the distance; the blonde boy poked his head back up to spot a brunette and a teal-haired girl placing flowers in each other's hair. On the far side, a navy-blue haired boy experimentally ran his fingers down the stem of a flower and plucked it, holding the petals up to his nose and sniffing the fragrance.

All this time, we were just friends.

The End