There she was, the love of his life. Just lying there after having committed suicide. It finally caught up to her. Admittedly Barnaby was a bit in a state of shock. He wanted to start weeping uncontrollably, but the tears weren't coming. He knelt down to touch her, but in that instant Lura sprang alive and kicked him right in the face, sending him backwards. The glass shard that she so perfectly positioned at her chest fell to the ground and she picked it up, holding it right at Barnaby's throat.
Barnaby looked up at her. Madness was in her eyes. She really was going to kill him if he didn't give her answers. "Lura, I'll tell you everything I know. Please. There's no sense in killing the only one who knows the whole story." Maintaining her death glare, she slowly peeled the sharp piece of glass away from his neck and hopped off of him.
"I don't even know what to say to you. I've been in this closet for what, a week, probably? I've had so much time to figure out what I would say, memorize a complete speech or an ultimatum. But I can't. I don't know what to say to you." Barnaby meanwhile took the opportunity to prop himself up against the wall, rubbing his neck. Lura took a seat on the floor opposite him. "Tell me everything."
"You were with us for quite some time. And you weren't reacting, you weren't obeying…"
"Maybe because I'm not a lap dog or a slave. I'm a human being, Barnaby, a woman with a child. And you took that away from me." Lura didn't want to look at him while her emotions were showing. She turned her head to the side to wipe away the wetness in her eyes.
"I know that now. All you cared about in the beginning was getting your baby back. But business was doing so well since you joined, just as I knew it would. I didn't want your time with us to end. So I… contacted Raul."
Lura's heart started racing as she heard the name of her abusive ex and baby daddy. Shocked and stunned, she glared at Barnaby. "W—what?"
A few months after Barnaby recruited Lura, Raul came barging onto the train, demanding to know where Lura was. Raul claimed had the baby and insisted on taking Lura back so they could be a family together. Barnaby tried to restrain the man but failed, and Raul stole Lura away. Barnaby hunted Raul down and shot up the place, killing him to save her. In the process, however, little baby David died as well, taking a stray bullet to the head.
Lura mourned the loss of her baby, but also felt incredibly grateful to Barnaby for saving her. She decided to stay with the circus, and wound up falling in love with Barnaby.
"That whole night was a lie? You fabricated that whole situation?"
"Yes. Sanguine had just taken a new victim a few nights before. The parents were killed so no one would come asking for their child, and we discovered that they also had a baby, about David's age. We gave Raul the baby, convincing him it was his son. Raul then took you, and I pretended to come to the rescue. Raul is certainly dead. We both know that. But the baby that died that night wasn't David."
"And you knew that after killing Raul I would start to fall for you. Like some sick case of Stockholm syndrome."
"Well, I didn't expect you to fall in love with me. That was all your doing. And I couldn't just give you your baby, or else you would leave. I had to think of a way that would put some closure to the David thing. You know how creative I get…" Barnaby snarled into a smile, trying to bring some levity to the situation.
"You're making jokes but I'm not laughing," Lura said, pointing the glass shard at him. "Okay, so now I know how you tricked me into thinking my baby is dead. So, he's alive. Where is he?"
"That much I honestly don't know, sweetheart."
"You don't get to call me sweetheart anymore!" she erupted, raising to her feet and slashing the glass in front of his face. She broke down suddenly, dropping her makeshift weapon and putting her head in her hands. Then she fell to her knees, and Barnaby slowly wrapped her arms around her. Lura swatted him away at first, but he gained control and held her while she wept.
"I'm so sorry, Lura. You have to forgive me. I love you more than anything in the world. You know that I love you. We love each other. Yes, we've been through quite a lot, but that's what makes us stronger. We can move past this. We can find David, and we can live a happy life together. The three of us."
Lura continued to cry and soil Barnaby's coat with her tears. "Can I have something to eat? I'm starving."
Barnaby couldn't help but chuckle. "We actually have dinner plans in a couple of hours."
Sanguine twiddled his thumbs after properly placing his napkin on his lap. He felt very underdressed, wearing only a nice shirt and khakis. He was used to his red get-up and his face paint. But he couldn't wear that out in public, not at a nice restaurant like this certainly.
He looked to his right and saw a family of four sitting at a booth, two mothers, a boy about 7, and a girl about 4. The girl caught him looking at them. He waved to her, and she responded by shaking her mother's arm to tell her that the man over there was staring at them. Sanguine quickly diverted his attention elsewhere and fumbled with the menu. He then realized he had looked at it about seven times and he already knew what he was planning on ordering.
Finally Barnaby walked into the restaurant. "Ah, there you are. Oh, and you brought a guest!" Sanguine's face lit up as he saw Lura walk in behind his son, wearing a sequined dress.
"Aw, happy birthday, Marty." Lura hugged the old man and he welcomed it happily. Only a handful of people addressed him by his real name anymore.
"Thanks, doll. So glad you could come out tonight…" Sanguine suddenly remembered where she had been all this time, but quickly put it aside and just focused on the girl in front of him. "You look ravishing tonight, my dear. Has anyone told you that?" Sanguine side-eyed his boy.
"Barnaby and I are… working through some stuff at the moment. I'm not here for him, I'm here for you."
"Well isn't that sweet?"
"Uh, excuse me, ma'am," Barnaby said, grazing the hostess' arm. "We're actually going to need a table for four tonight."
"Four? What four?" Sanguine felt insulted that Barnaby was inviting someone else unannounced.
Then she entered the restaurant. "Well, if it isn't the old man's birthday," said Athena, waltzing in like a queen.
"You invited your mother?" Sanguine asked Barnaby, a bit upset at this evening's surprising turn of events.
"Yes, I did. And you will both be on your best behavior, are we clear?"
"Crystal," replied Sanguine, tapping Charles on the cheek a few times. The hostess conjoined two smaller tables together so they could all be seated. Sanguine very appropriately opened Lura's seat for her, and he sat beside her. "I figured you wouldn't want to be sitting next to him," he whispered into her ear.
"I appreciate that tremendously," she whispered back, rubbing his hand. She truly did care so much for Sanguine; he was the closest thing she ever had to a father figure. Besides the fact that she was practically his daughter-in-law, he was always very kind to her and always treated her with utmost respect. Barnaby saw the two whispering away and rolled his eyes while pulling open his mother's chair.
"Thank you, my sweet boy. I must say, Martin, you've fucked up quite a few times in your life. But the best thing you ever did was help me make Charles." All four of them appreciated the sweet tender moment of those few seconds. After that it all started to go downhill, and fast.
"You look ghastly tonight, Athena. Did you borrow my face paint?" Sanguine licked his bottom lip as he handed Lura her menu.
"Just be aware that I'm not here to celebrate your birthday, I'm here to celebrate how young I am. Knowing you've gone on to see 70 makes me revel in my youth, even if it is just a five-year difference. I've never felt more alive!" Some of the other guests at the restaurant turned their heads as Athena shouted.
"Please don't cause a scene, Athena. You'll frighten the children with your hideous… well, everything." He took a sip of his water as a means of congratulating himself on that. "Be honest, why did you come tonight?"
"Barnaby didn't want to leave me alone on the train while you two were out."
"I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if that killer got to any one of you three," Barnaby said sweetly. "You all mean the world to me, and if my mother died while I was out feasting with my father—"
"Sounds like a win-win to me!" exclaimed Sanguine.
"Martin," Athena said, "I hear the veal is exquisite. Perhaps you'll choke on it."
"I'll give you something to choke on, you hag."
"Hey now!" Lura said, feeling very uncomfortable in this situation. She couldn't remember the last time that she was in the same room with just Barnaby and his parents. The circus life was much different; Athena and Sanguine lived on entire opposite ends of the train, and they made sure to never cross each other's paths. "Let's not get too hasty and say anything we might regret later on." She glared at Barnaby while she said that, and she noticed him gulp.
"Speaking of saying things we won't regret, I have a bit of an announcement. I know this is your night, dad, but while I have you all here, I'd like to get something off my chest." He cleared his throat. "Lura, I am madly in love with you. And we've been through so much together, the ups and the downs, and we're still here together right now. Forget how we met. Forget all the things that happened in the past. I want to think about the future, and I want you to be a part of it for the rest of my life."
"Barnaby, please don't do this," growled Lura from behind clenched teeth.
"Lura, will you marry me?" Athena's face lit up and she looked at the girl sitting across from her, anxiously awaiting her response.
She didn't have to wait too long for one, however. "Absolutely not," Lura stated blatantly. Athena reeled back in shock. Sanguine did nothing but grin.
"Oh, but Lura, my darling, I thought you and Barnaby were madly in love!" Athena hollered, outraged at what was happening before her.
"That's where you're wrong, Athena. I don't love Barnaby. I don't think I ever loved him. If anything I just liked his thick dick. I don't, never have, and never will love you, Charles."
Athena covered her mouth with her hands, still stuck on the part about Barnaby's genitals. Barnaby looked at her disapprovingly. He was almost confident that she would say no. Unlike his mother, he wasn't surprised in the least.
"Excuse me, I think I just need to go back to the train." Lura plopped her napkin down on her plate and scooted out of her chair.
"Lura, my dear. I'll walk you. It's too dangerous out there." Sanguine hurriedly followed after her and extended his elbow for her to loop her arm through.
"Alright, mother. Let's go. I ruined tonight."
"So what? I really wanted to try that veal!"
"Let's go, mother. We have a show to prepare for anyway. Dinner was a mistake." He helped Athena out of her chair and placed a ten-dollar bill on the table. Then he realized that they never even got a waiter or waitress, and quickly jogged back to stuff the money back into his pocket.
The show was minutes from beginning. Barnaby was getting more and more nervous with every passing second. Never before had his life been in shambles like this. Ever since he was a young boy, he always made sure that everything was in order. Now almost nothing was. Lura hated him. She rejected his marriage proposal. That was it. She truly didn't love him at all, and probably never will. His performers were dropping like flies, literally. He wasn't even sure their new mermaid reveal would be enough to make up for the loss in Sanguine's clown troupe and his sword swallowing act. And he still had that pesky Ruuxa to pay, which to be completely honest he didn't want to do, but he was sure she would be back soon to collect her salary.
The lights dimmed inside the tent: his cue. Barnaby tiptoed through the dark into the center ring, and the spotlight shown on him. He adjusted the microphone on his lapel and began to announce the show.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Presenting… the Barnaby Traveling Circus!" The crowd applauded and the kids hollered with excitement. "I am your host and ringmaster, Charles Barnaby. And guess what, everyone? You all came on a very good night. Do you know why?" He looked around the ring and saw all the youngsters' faces light up with curiosity. "The Barnaby Traveling Circus has acquired a new guest. She's very special, you see. She's not… entirely human, you might say. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the only living organism known to exist that is half man, half fish… Cassandra!"
The spotlight shifted to the back of the ring, and Julius ran onto it. Behind him was a large pillar-shaped cylinder cloaked in a curtain. Julius made a show out of presenting the cylinder with his arms, and then in a flash he removed the curtain, exposing the cylindrical tank underneath. It was filled about halfway with water, and Cassandra bobbed up and down inside.
The audience went crazy. Parents and the more rational, older kids had facial expressions that were a mix of horrified and stunned. Half of the younger children yelled with excitement, mostly the girls that knew all the commercial mermaids on TV, and the other half screamed of fear. A couple of the more conservative parents even shielded their kids' eyes, not wanting them to witness the natural abomination that they were being shown.
All of these reactions got to Cassandra. She had never been in a room with more than three people since her revival. And now here she was, smack dab in the middle of a circus ring, surrounded by dozens and dozens of people. Every one of them was focused on her. The spotlight reflected oddly on the glass tank, and it started to hurt her eyes, not to mention the fact that it was very hot in there. She spun around in the already-cramped cylindrical tank and realized that everyone was either horrified or at least somewhat concerned at the sight in front of them. She started to panic, but she didn't know what exactly to do. She could barely even flop her arms or kick her tail.
Then Julius looked at her, and it was as if everyone else disappeared. "Julius," she whispered. "Get mmm—me o—out!"
Julius saw the terror in her face and knew she wasn't comfortable in this situation. But instead of immediately reacting, he just stood there and stared at her. To be honest he didn't entirely know what to do. He completely understood that Cassandra wasn't entirely ready for this, but at the same time he couldn't bail and let the show down. She pressed her hand against the glass, hoping he would put his on the other side to mirror hers. But he didn't. "Julius," she murmured, the anxiety more noticeable in her inflection. "Julius!" Now she was screaming, and both her hands were banging against the glass.
The audience didn't quite know how to react either. The more mature half of them knew that something was going wrong, while the younger half just sat and watched, totally perplexed.
"Julius!" she hollered, worrying that the tank was somehow soundproof. She flailed her tail around so it too began to thump hard against the glass. At this point the parents could tell that the creature was unsettled and potentially violent, and some of them stood up and started to throw popcorn and other treats at Julius' head.
"Get her out of here!" one of them yelled at the lion tamer.
"She's going to break the glass!" another shouted.
"This is inhumane!"
"Someone call PETA!"
"Do something, you asshole!" said a more colorful patron in the crowd.
But Julius, just stood there, stuck in some bizarre trance. Fortunately Barnaby was right outside the tent, and the minute he heard the audience booing and shouting profanities, he ran inside to assess the issue.
He grabbed a hold of his lion tamer and shook him. "Julius! What are you doing?"
"I—I can't, Barnaby." And like that, he ran out of the tent. Barnaby rubbed his temples before turning on his microphone and getting the crowd to settle down.
"I apologize, ladies and gentlemen. We had a bit of technical difficulties with our animal training team earlier today. Give it up for Cassandra, everyone!" Only a couple of kids clapped in response to that. Barnaby turned the mic off and walked up to the glass. "Are you alright, dear?" he asked the mermaid. She was still heavily breathing, but managed to nod her head. "Let's get you out of here, okay?" Cassandra nodded again, and Barnaby wheeled the tank out of the tent. The second they got out of there, she took a deep sigh, relieved that the nightmare was over.
Parker finished stuffing the rest of his clothes in the bag that he brought with him. He leaned most of his body weight against the top of the suitcase so he could zip it up all the way. "Ah!" he winced, feeling a sharp pinch on his finger; he caught the skin of his forefinger in the zipper. Biting on it to ease the pain, Parker slowly walked over to the sink to run it under some cold water. Once the throbbing subsided, he continued to let the water flow, put his two hands beneath the faucet, and cupped a large amount of water to his face. The water was extremely cold, and it perked him right up. With his eyes still closed, he reached out and felt around for a towel to dry off with.
He looked at himself in the small mirror above the sink. "This is it. One last show. One last hurrah." He turned off the light and headed to the tent to see the last few minutes of the show.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is a tradition in our company to have the clowns perform for one last great show," said Barnaby, more optimistic than he ever was before. He caught the eye of Parker as he snuck into the tent and leaned against the back of it. Barnaby gave him a brief smile, assuring him it was okay for him to stay for this. "It is with great honor that I present to you, the one… the only… Sanguine the Clown!"
The drum roll music started to play, and the spotlight shown down on the entrance to the tent, but no one came through. Barnaby immediately started to sweat. "I present to you," he restated, "Sanguine the Clown!" Still nothing. Barnaby turned away from the entrance and stared back at the audience. So many disappointed faces in the crowd.
Then, just like that, Sanguine emerged. Only it wasn't from the entrance.
His appearance made Barnaby jump back and land on the ground. The kids started to scream, parents scrambled to get their children.
Someone had rigged a noose to hang from the tightrope, and Sanguine was caught inside it. As if he was responding to his cue, either he or someone else had him plummet down towards the ground so he could be hanged. When his body stopped falling, he was mere inches from Barnaby's face.
Sanguine was still seemingly alive, but he was struggling and squirming like a fish out of water, clinging onto the last strips of life that remained inside of him. The audience went into chaos mode, and everyone tried to get out, fearing for the kids' and their own lives.
Fortunately, Parker came to the rescue. From his vantage point, he saw the body begin to fall and quickly reacted by leaving the circus tent. He pulled a torch out of the ground and brought it back inside with him. Careful not to burn any of the young boys and girls scrambling around, Parker made his way towards the middle of the tent and set the rope that Sanguine dangled from on fire. In a mere few seconds the rope singed to nothing and it snapped. Sanguine fell the few inches to the ground, and Barnaby quickly shuffled over to loosen the rope from his father's neck.
While Parker and some of the other circus performers helped ease the crowd out of the tent in an orderly fashion, Barnaby crouched over his father. Sanguine's breathing was very faint, but it was there. There was nothing Barnaby felt like doing other than hugging his father and not letting go. And so that's exactly what he did.