Chapter Fifty

Your Past, Your Future, Your Misery

The relief that Juliet had felt upon meeting Mr. Tall had been short lived, since the man was avoiding her like the plague. In the three days since they'd joined the travelling circus, Juliet and Mika hadn't seen the man once. He'd given them directions to where they'd be setting up next, and the couple had returned to their hotel, packed their bags and hopped a bus to get to the location in time. Why the ringmaster had been hanging around that lot was beyond her, his cryptic words -'Fifty years late'- unsettled her.

Mika and Juliet had been offered Larten's old trailer. Well, Mika had, Juliet had been offered to stay with the Bearded Lady, Truska, but upon investigating her…. Colorful home, Juliet opted to stay with her Vampire Prince.

Mika had told her to be patient, but Juliet was having a hard time. She helped cook meals at night while Mika had been asked to participate in the show. It was aggravating. The people of the Cirque were pleasant enough. Juliet actually had a hard time calling them 'freaks', but they all embraced the title.

One man, Cormac Limbs, approached her on their first night travelling with the circus and asked "What makes you a freak?"

Not knowing how to respond, Juliet simply shrugged, but there must have been something in her eyes, because the man backed away slowly and said "Fair enough."

Though they hadn't met everybody in the cirque, Juliet felt comfortable enough with the people. They were friendly and didn't ask a lot of questions, some of them having more questionable backgrounds than herself. This night she was warming up beans over a campfire when a young man approached her.

"Hey. Are you the girl with the Vampire?" he called.

Juliet turned and tried not to stare. The guy had scales, like real life people scales. "Let me guess," she said recovering. "The human dragon?"

He laughed and extended his hand. "Wow, I wish. Snake man. My names Evra Von."

"Evra Von Snake Man." Juliet nodded, accepting his hand. "I'm Juliet Andères. And yes, I'm with the Vampire. Or rather he's with me."

"Can I help you?" he asked, motioning to her work.

"Really? No. It kind of takes care of itself." She sat in one of the folding chairs that circled the fire. "But thanks for asking."

Evra sat next to her considering her. "Did you really come from Vampire Mountain?"

"It's complicated…" Juliet replied.

"Do you know Darren Shan?" he asked hopefully.

Juliet sat up. Nobody had asked her that. "Yeah, I do. I'm actually his Master- eh, sparring coach."

Evra smiled broadly. "Oh wow, really? How's he doing? We used to be best friends…" he trailed off, memories flashing in his eyes.

"He's great. Vampire Prince, actually."

"No way." Evra said.

"Oh yeah. He's the runt up there telling everyone else what to do." Juliet smiled. "He's actually pretty good at it too."

Evra laughed, leaning his elbows on his knees. "Wow. I'm kinda proud of him. Is that weird?"

Juliet shook her head. "I know how you feel. He's… actually my best friend right now too."

Evra and Juliet shared a look and he nodded, big smile still covering his face. "Man, I hope I can see him again soon. Has he grown at all?"

Juliet groaned. "Pssh. Like fifteen year old that barely hit puberty. He's bald too."

Evra snorted. "What? How'd that happen?"

"He doesn't talk about it much, but I'm gonna go ahead and say fire."

Evra winced and Juliet nodded sympathetically. Mika arrived then, fresh from practicing his act, he looked at the exchange between Juliet and Evra.

"Hey Mika, have you met Evra Von?" Juliet called, motioning for Mika to join them. The black-clad Prince strode over all pride and masculinity.

Evra cringed.

"Yeah we've met. He's actually taking my spot in the show starting tonight." The snake man said, smiling at Mika. "My wife is pregnant and it's about time I step out to help her."

Juliet gasped dramatically. "Mika you never told me you were a SNAKE MAN!"

Both men chuckled at her theatrics. "I'm sorry to break it to you, Juliet, but I'm not. I'm simply a Vampire." He smiled and bared his teeth at her. Juliet inspected the fake porcelain fangs. "I will seduce a patron, probably a female, knock them out and drink from them. The wounds will magically heal. It will be idiotic." He sighed.

"The crowd is gonna love it." Evra said. "Seriously. He's lethal. He's only been working on this performance for two nights, but you should see him practice. "

'You have no idea.' They both thought.

You're going to rock them tonight, sir." Evra smiled. Mika cleared his throat at being called 'sir' by someone who was not a Vampire. "So are you guys ever going to tell me why you're here?" Evra said after a few minutes of awkward silence.

Juliet sighed. "I came to talk to Mr. Tall. I hear he can see the future."

Evra nodded. "Something like that. You want me to get him for you?"

Juliet wanted to tell him yes, but she knew it wouldn't work. She'd asked every single person she'd encountered at the Cirque to tell Mr. Tall she wanted to speak with him, to no avail. She shrugged. "If you don't mind…"

Evra stood then. "I'll catch him on his rounds. Gotta go, now. Pregnant wives don't feed themselves!" he smiled. "It was nice meeting you Juliet."

"You too Snake Man." Juliet waved him off.

Mika watched Juliet as she sighed and leaned back into her chair. "He's not avoiding you." He stated. Juliet rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"He could be. I don't fucking know." She growled, crossing her arms in a huff. "How hard is it to walk up to a person and say 'Hey wanna talk? Sure let's go!' IT'S NOT."

Mika shook his head. A few of the technical assistants for the Cirque's set up came and looked at the simmering pot over the fire. Some brought plates or cups and grabbed some of its contents. "You know, I'm gonna walk around." She sighed and stood, stretching her arms up above her head and baring her midriff before tugging her shirt back down. "Maybe I'll run into Mr. Tall."

Juliet walked away before Mika could respond. He watched as she scanned the area and then walked towards the trailers at the back of the lot.

Juliet was wringing her hands and grumbling under her breath as she walked, taking in the sights of the Cirque. The performer's trailers were closer to the abandoned building being used for the show. Juliet had helped set up a few of the souvenir booths that lined the hallway leading to the stage. Right now she stood a good purchase away, toward the non-performers trailers. This was where the set-up and clean-up crews could be found. A few of the men and women sitting in front of their trailers waved at Juliet as she passed, people she had worked with during the set-up. She smiled amicably and continued walking.

Evra had said something about Mr. Tall being on rounds, maybe Juliet could track him down and confront him about how he's been avoiding her, but she didn't know where to begin. She contented herself with walking, clearing her head and trying to calm herself. Before she knew it, Juliet's feet had carried her to the outskirts of the camp. She knew the performance was about to start, and she knew she should probably watch it. Tonight was Mika's first performance, but she couldn't manage to drag herself to the building in the distance.

'I can't believe I thought this would be easy…' she thought with a sigh.

"I must apologize for my actions."

Juliet turned around abruptly and came face to- well waist- with Mr. Tall. "I-uh.. Wh-w-yeah?" she stuttered.

"I have been avoiding you." He said, shaking his head in shame. He was holding his top hat in his hands, his dusty hair falling over his dark eyes with every movement.

Juliet wanted to blow up with her anger and irritation, but she couldn't when she looked at this giant staring down at her sadly. "I- uh… I figured." She mumbled, averting her gaze.

"I know why you have sought me out." He said. Juliet remained silent. "I want to help you, but I a query for you."

"What." Juliet said stonily.

"Do you truly believe that learning your past will quell the storm within you?"

Juliet frowned, feeling pinpricks behind her eyes. "I don't know." She sighed, hand to her forehead. "But it's a start. We all want to know who our parents are, right?"

"You know who your father is." Mr. Tall said, eyeing her with twinkling eyes.

"Lord Highland was a good man, and he raised me well…" Juliet nodded. "He was a wonderful father… when he was around." She chuckled, and felt the tears begin rolling down her cheeks. "But he… he wanted to know too. He always asked me if I remembered anything. I think it was his goal to see me back with my real family…" she sniffed and wiped at her eyes angrily. "Doesn't matter, he's long dead. My parents probably are too, but that's not what this is really about.

"I need to know what I am. I can't pretend I'm human anymore- I've done it for fifty plus years and it's just been a Band-Aid on a bigger wound. Spending time with the Vampires has just made me realize that. I need to know where I belong. That's all…" Juliet continued to rub her eyes angrily, trying to force the tears to stop.

Mr. Tall regarded Juliet with an impassive stare. She couldn't tell, but he had tightened his grip imperceptibly on his hat. "Come." He said. "I have a show to see to, and afterwards we shall talk."

Juliet blinked up at him. "Alright."

Juliet followed closely behind as Mr. Tall weaved his way through the trailers expertly. He held the door open for her as they entered the building, then ushered her up some stairs. "I will collect you after the show. Please enjoy."

Juliet stared blankly as Mr. Tall walked away, leaving her on a small balcony overlooking what she could only call a courtyard. They had erected a large, raised stage in the middle of the brown grass. Juliet looked below and saw a number of patrons taking their seats. There were over three hundred folding chairs set up. With tickets sold at over forty dollars apiece… 'What a racket…' Juliet thought, suddenly unsure of the company she was keeping. As she thought, though, she realized that the people in the Cirque deserved the best lives they could achieve, and Mr. Tall simply utilized their skills to make that happen. Juliet crossed her fingers inwardly, hoping that she wasn't just making excuses.

She remembered helping set up the large spotlights. The techs that controlled them were incredibly skilled. Most of them were family of the performers, a small number were outsiders who happened upon the Cirque and joined to help change their lives. The seats were filling, and Juliet knew the performers were making their way 'backstage', a term that didn't really apply to their current location.

A hush fell over the crowd as the lights dimmed.

Mr. Tall appeared in the center of the stage, spotlight shining on him. "Welcome to the Cirque du Freak." His voice boomed over the crowd. "Please bear in mind that these performances you are about to witness are as real as you or I. DO NOT TAKE THIS EXPERIENCE LIGHTLY. YOUR LIVES ARE AT STAKE."

Juliet's eyes widened at the octave Mr. Tall reached. She pulled a rusty metal chair over to her as silently as she could and rested in it, interested in what was to come. "Lives at stake…" she muttered.

Mr. Tall continued his safety speech, eventually exiting the stage in the blink of an eye. Juliet turned to find him standing next to her on the balcony. She couldn't even feign shock, since the first time she met him he'd shown some sort of super-speed. 'Guess he's a freak in more ways than one.' She gave a small smile. Mr. Tall pointed to the stage, and Juliet turned her attention back.

Truska was the opening act. The bearded lady sauntered out onto the stage, donned in a colorful belly-dancer's outfit, face clear and eyes bright, looking simply like a beautiful woman. Mr. Tall called out from the balcony beside Juliet. "Truska is a beauty from a foreign land with a rare gift." At his words, Truska's eyes narrowed, and she gestured to her chin. Instantly hairs sprouted from the spot she pointed to, a full beard beginning to grow. Juliet's eyes widened and she leaned forward, like many in the audience. Juliet had met Truska, and she'd just thought that she was a woman who needed to shave constantly, not that she grew a beard on command.

"Truska's beard can grow as long as she wills it." Mr. Tall continued. "But it is also nearly impervious to cutting."

An attendant appeared on stage in a colorful outfit matching Truskas'. He held a large pair of scissors. Truska's beard was down to her waist, and she lifted it to the attendant. He hefted the scissors to her beard and snipped. The crowd looked up expectantly, but the beard was intact. The attendant continued his cutting attempts on different parts of the beard, eventually throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"Does anyone here have a pocket knife?" Mr. Tall asked the crowd. A few hands went up. "You sir in the third row, brown sweater." A man stood. "Please, attempt to cut Truska's beard." The man approached and pulled out his knife. He looked at Truska unsure, but she beckoned him closer with her fingers, swaying her hips. She held a section of beard out to him. "Go ahead." Mr. Tall called.

The man extended his arm and swiped at the beard, attempting to slice it. His arm simply bounced off of the beard. Truska caught his arm and stroked it, smiling at him. He smiled back shakily.

"Now sir, would you please touch, Miss Truska's beard, and tell us how it feels?" Mr. Tall instructed.

The man extended his hand and stroked Truska's beard. She smiled happily while he did so. "It's so soft!" he called. Juliet snickered at the awe in his voice. Truska's hand wrapped around the man's turning it into a fist. She then tugged hard and fast, pulling the entirety of her beard out of her face. The crowd gasped, Juliet's eyes widened.

"That's fucking impressive." She gasped. Mr. Tall smiled down at her.

"Thank you sir and thank you Truska!" Mr. Tall called. Truska bowed and escorted the man back to his seat before exiting the state. "I have to ask now that anyone who has a fear of the dark, or creatures that dwell in it to leave the premises."

Juliet looked up at him. "Is this Mika's act?" she whispered. He didn't respond, instead he continued.

"Many do not believe in the things that go bump in the night, instead reserving them to childish fears and fantasies. Tonight we shall show those of you who believe this how wrong you are."

The lights dimmed and a slight fog began filling the stage. Suddenly Mika appeared, dressed head to toe in black. To Juliet's surprise, he was wearing a black cape with blood red embroidery on the interior. It looked like dripping blood. 'Fantastic.' Juliet smiled, waiting to see this act Mika had been obsessing over. A spotlight shined on him, and he stepped forward from the shadows of the fog.

"The Vampire Prince." Mr. Tall bellowed from beside Juliet.

Juliet had to cover her mouth to keep from cracking up. Mika's face was done up with make-up to accentuate his already perfect features. He walked to the edge of the stage, eyes wide. The crowd started laughing at the theatrical display.

"Vampire's aren't real!" one person screamed.

And that was all he needed. It seemed that was the 'go' phrase for Mika's act. As soon as the man finished his words Mika was upon him, gazing into the man's eyes with an eerie intensity. "Come to me." He commanded. The man straightened immediately, under the slight thrall that Mika could produce. The man found himself standing on the stage next to Mika, who was glaring down on him with a furious heat.

"What the hell?" The man shouted, looking around. He locked eyes with Mika again, and the tall Vampire loomed over him. Mika breathed out in one deep motion, and the man fell to his knees.

A woman in the crowd jumped up. "Dean!" She shouted. Juliet looked at her, then back to the stage, intrigued by the scene. Juliet was unsure if this was staged or not, but she couldn't tear her eyes away.

"And now." Mika's husky voice came out, filling the enclosure. "To feast." He bent over the man, his cape obscuring his face for a split second, long enough for Mika to insert the porcelain caps on his teeth. He shook the cape out with a flutter, arm under the man- Dean's back, he hoisted the man. Mika bared his teeth to the crowd, a few people gasped, most murmured. Without warning, Mika sank his fangs into the man's neck. Blood trickled down Dean's neck to his shirt and Mika pretended to drink greedily, though Juliet knew the Vampire probably didn't need to feed at all, having fed from her three nights ago.

Many people began standing and shouting at the stage. Mika gave a hard and loud hiss at the crowd and this time just about every person gasped. A few women screamed, the sight of Mika's bloody fangs enticing them into a frenzy. Juliet's eyes were sparkling, a smile spread across her face. Bloody, disturbed, horrifying, Juliet didn't care. She found the entire display hilarious, simply because she knew the person acting.

Mika lapped at the piercing holes on the man's neck and the woman in the crowd who had shouted jumped up to the stage. "Get away from him!" she screamed, beating her hands against Mika's back. Mika hissed at her, and she backed up, tears streaming down her face. "Please let him go…"he sobbed.

Mika looked back at the woman, hiding his concern as she sobbed for her… husband, by the band on the man's finger. "Watch, woman." He hissed, baring his false fangs once again.

The woman was silent, staring at her man's prone body. Mika dropped the man, moving backwards fluidly whilst he wiped the blood from his chin. The crowd was still shouting, crying out and demanding answers. Slowly, Dean began to rouse, looking up at the sky from his prone position in the courtyard. He looked around, sitting up on his elbows. "Shauna?" he called. The woman screamed, and all eyes were drawn to her. She rushed him, tackling him on the floor. "Shauna, what's happened?" He looked from his wife to Mika, confused.

Mika bristled and straightened, lengthening himself above the crowd. "REEMBER MORTALS." He cried, causing the crowd to quiet. "My kind need not kill to feed, but we will- if we must."

He disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Juliet knew it was the trap door opening beneath his feet. The crowd was 'ooh'-ing and 'ahh'-ing and Mr. Tall began booming again, this time about weakness of stomach. Cormac Limbs and Gertha Teeth were next, and Juliet was as rapt with attention during their performances as her own, making a mental note to talk to and compliment each of the performers when she was next able to talk to them.

The Cirque du Freak was amazing.

The performances were over before Juliet could even realize it. She stared raptly at the stage, watching as the seats emptied just as she had watched them fill. "That was amazing!" She said breathily, turning to where Mr. Tall had been standing, only to find him gone. Juliet looked at her surroundings, confused, before finding Mr. Tall engaging patrons as they exited. She debated leaving the balcony and finding Mr. Tall, but remembered his words 'I will collect you after the show'. Instead she leaned into her seat, eyeing the crowd as is dissipated.

Mr. Tall collected her sooner than she imagined.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting." He said, offering her his had to help her from her chair. Juliet accepted out of politeness, letting him help her to her feet. "Follow me, please." He said.

Juliet and Mr. Tall weaved their way through the crowds that surrounded the souvenir booths. Juliet paused when she saw small, squeezable Vampire toys that would ooze blood with every squeeze. "I need to tell Mika where I am." She said under her breath. Mr. Tall turned to her, surprising Juliet.

"I will inform him, do not worry." He locked his dark eyes with hers and Juliet could only nod, unable to find words to refute him. "Please, stay close. My trailer is hard to find."

Juliet stuck to Mr. Tall as best she could, and soon enough they arrived at a small trailer towards the back of the compound. "Please, come in." Mr. Tall said, opening the door to Juliet. "Let us continue our conversation."