I've decided to just post everything I have written for this story so far! So here we go!

CHAPTER 3

Without warning she swiveled and made her way to the exit, and on an impulse I decided to follow her.

When she had passed through the curtains I peered through the crack when Lynne appeared out of nowhere and stepped in front of her.

"Who's the new kid?" He asked.

"Nobody," she said, stepping to the side, but Lynne blocked her way.

"Then why did you stop me from killing him?" Lynne questioned, edging closer.

I could see the dangerous glint in his eyes and was just about to spring out when Marisa replied, "Just because our business is killing people doesn't mean we can go all willy-nilly. And besides," she added. "I think he may be one of us."

Lynne's eyes widened and Marisa pushed past him.

She started down the stairs and I shadowed her movements. My foot slipped and I jumped up a flight of stairs before Marisa could spot me. When she started moving again, I did too, but suddenly she whipped around and saw me. I froze, and I was positive I looked like a small child who just got himself caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Are you following me?" she asked suspiciously.

I shook my head vigorously like said small child and I noticed the twitch of a smile on her lips. But it soon disappeared when I asked, "What do you mean I may be one of you?"

She paused, irritation flooding her every pore.

"You were spying on me?" She accused.

I took a step down.

"No! Well… I was coming to find you and I thought Mermaid-Boy was going to hurt you so I hid but he didn't but I heard everything you two said…" Everything came out in a rush then trickled to a stop.

She sighed.

"Fine," She said. "Follow me."

She brushed past me and back up into the theatre. Taking a sharp right, she lead me to a dark door with gold lettering that read "Level 4" and up yet another flight of stairs. It was pitch black but she seemed to know her way. When we reached the curtain, she pushed it aside and we walked out onto the highest balcony in the theatre. The view was breath-taking: every seat was visible, for we were at least 40 feet off the ground. She settled in a seat by the railing and I took the one next to her.

"Do you want to know how I became the ringmaster?" she suddenly splurted.

I nodded. I certainly was curious.

"Well, it all started about 6 months ago. I loved this circus so much, and I wanted it to be mine. I'll admit I'm pretty selfish because I've lived my whole life getting what I want. So I approached the previous ringmaster, Tom Dhotre. Now he was a kind man, but could be strikingly harsh at times. One day I finally mustered up the courage to ask him for the Cirque, but he declined. He said the day I could pay him a million dollars was the day I would be the new ringmaster.

"I hurried to the bank and got the money.

'Mr. Dhotre!' I had called to him. 'Come to the orchestra pit!'

He did so and once I had coaxed him inside, I shut and locked the door behind him. He banged and banged on the doors, but I didn't hesitate.

"Days previously, I had built a false roof. In the space between the fake roof and the real roof, were 100 million pennies. I ran out onto the stage and pulled the rope that was attached to the trapdoor. The sound of pennies raining down soon entered my ears and the sound of Mr. Dhotre's screams grew more and more desperate."

Marisa paused here, and I gaped at her in horror.

"I don't know whether he was suffocated or crushed by the pennies, but either way he died. Quite the mess to clean up, really. Anyway, so I became the new ringmaster, and everyone was, of course, fine with it.

"Until one day his son found out. His son is Thomas Dhotre the 2nd, or Tommy as we call him. And ever since that day, he has loathed me. He has promised to kill me, but never has. Now take in mind, this kid is only 8 years old. But he's as cruel as a viper."

Her voice had been unemotional while telling the story, like she was recalling a tale of a picnic on a windy summer day.

"What is this?" I whispered.

"It's a killing business, really. Usually the audience is our victims. The victims are rich people that other richer people have hired us to kill."

"How come no one has found out or reported you?" I questioned.

"Anyone who comes snooping gets a nice talking to from me." She answered simply.

For about the 4th time, I studied Marisa's soft face and gorgeous eyes.

"You don't seem very intimidating." I instantly regretted my words, though. Suddenly Marisa's face was only an inch from my own, and I could almost physically feel the iciness of her gaze.

"And you don't seem like you could hurt a fly." She replied nastily.

Anger swelled up inside me.

"Punch yourself in the face." Marisa said.

What?! No way was I going to do that! Not with my vampire strength!

"Punch yourself in the face." Marisa repeated.

"No!"

"Oh come on," she said, leaving back casually. "It's just a punch. It'll heal. It's not like I'm asking you to jump off the balcony."

Yeah, I thought. She's right! It won't be that bad!

Suddenly I punched my own cheek.

It was like being hit with a 90 mph baseball pitch.

"Fuck!" I cried before I could stop myself. Bringing a hand up to the already bright red flesh, I caressed it gently. Marisa stayed silent, watching me like she was watching paint dry.

Eventually the pain dulled into a throb, but I knew there would be an ugly bruise soon enough.

Marisa leaned forward again. Gently stroking my stinging cheek, she said, "Still think I'm not intimidating?"

I growled lightly.

She smiled.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?" she asked innocently, but the smile still graced her soft pink lips. She stood up from the chair.

"You know damn well," I replied, also getting to my feet.

"Do I?" she said with the same fake innocence.

Ok. Enough of this.

I scooped her up in my arms and leapt over the railing. Her scream nearly broke my eardrum, but it stopped when we landed with a loud thud 40 feet below. I placed Marisa on her feet but before she could recover I slammed her up against the nearest wall, holding her arms in place to keep her from escaping.

She struggled for a few seconds, before deciding it was completely useless.

Leaning forward until my mouth was right next to her ear, I whispered, "Still think I couldn't hurt you?"

She shivered as my freezing breath flowed over her neck.

I pulled back to look at her face. Her lips were slightly parted and her chest rose up and down quickly, but I didn't see any fear in her eyes.

In fact, she brought her leg up and slammed her heel into my shin.

I recoiled, releasing her.

"Marisa!"

We turned our heads to the main entrance. Lynne was sprinting toward us. A white fog was rolling in. I grabbed Marisa and held her tightly in front of me, recalling what Mary had said about Lynne wanting to protect her. He hesitated, but didn't stop. Soon I could only see a few feet in front of me. Then Lynne appeared. With a swipe of his hand, the mist forced itself into my lungs. Instinctively, I reached for the knife in my belt and pressed it to Marisa's throat.

She gasped slightly and pushed closer to me, trying to get away from the fatal weapon. Butterflies burst in my stomach at the contact, but I ignored it.

It was getting harder to breathe.

"Stop," I gasped. "Or I'll slice her throat."

I felt Marisa's pulse quicken, and I knew she was scared.

The fog didn't let up.

I pressed the blade harder into her flesh, drawing a few drops of blood. My hunger suddenly enveloped me as I breathed in the aroma. It was delicious. Like vanilla and lavender…

I shook my head and tried to clear my thoughts.

"Lynne?" The voice was so soft and frightened it took me a second to realize it had come from the girl before me.

Lynne had had his eyes focused on me, but now they flicked to Marisa.

All of a sudden the fog disappeared, and I could breathe easily again.

"Release her." Lynne snarled.

Not because he told me to, but because I felt I would suck her dry if I remained close to her any longer, I did so, shoving her away from me. She stumbled but Lynne caught her, pushing her behind him protectively. Lynne and I glared at each other for a moment. Then I looked at Marisa. She wasn't scared. She wasn't sad. She wasn't angry. I couldn't describe it but she seemed…amused?

Before I could figure it out Lynne said, "Get out of here."

I sprinted past them and out of the theatre, but I didn't leave altogether. I heard footsteps and hid behind the curtain. Marisa and Lynne strode by, making their way down the stairs.

On some weird impulse I decided to follow them.

As quietly as I could, I shadowed them all the way down the steps and to the far end of the hallway, where they turned into a doorway, shutting the door behind them. I hurried forward and crouched in front of the door, aware that at any moment someone could come round the corner and catch me.

"Are you alright?" Lynne's voice suddenly filtered into my ear.

"Yes." Marisa answered.

"Let me help you…"

I heard footsteps, then the sound of water running, and more footsteps.

"Sit here…" Lynne said softly.

There was a creaking of springs and a sharp inhale of breath.

"Sorry, I don't get any warm water in here."

"It's OK," Marisa replied.

"Do you think he really would have killed you?"

There was a pause.

"No." Marisa responded.

Footsteps again. A door closing.

"You only need this on for an hour or so," Lynne instructed.

"Thank you for stopping though."

"Huh?" Another pause. "Oh…yeah you're welcome."

The creaking noise again. More footsteps, this time two pairs. I slipped away from the doorway and ducked around the corner just as the door opened.

"Thank you," Marisa said.

"Anytime."

Alright. This was a long chapter! Better be happy! :P