The changes in the story are mildly evident at this point, but as the plot develops so will the changes. There will be new characters. There will be subplots. Also, if you hate what I've done to Evra please let me know. Keep hanging in there you guys!

Ciao

Disclaimer: I own the oc's, plot twists, and the like. Other than that it's Mr. Shan's property. I'm just borrowing.

P.s happy valentine's day!:D

WC:2287

The small, blue hooded people came around once more after Mr. Crepsley and Madame Octa. This time they were selling spider webs like the ones the Mr. Crepsley had eaten. My curiosity soon got the better of me, and using the last of my money I bought a few. They tasted like cotton candy!

I tried to get Steve to tell me more about the man, but all he did was shake his head and mutter: "I have to think through this carefully." Then he started to ignore me, looking far off into crowd of people that were preparing to leave.

I felt a small twinge of disappointed once I realized the show was over. But I suppose even the mystical and frightening members of the Cirque Du Freak needed to catch some shut-eye.

I got to my feet, picking up the stuff I'd bought and stuffing it into minimal free space in my purse which was filled with all sorts of makeup, hairclips, loose change, and gum.

"You can't go on ignoring me for-" I tried to say, but my voice caught in my throat. He was looking up behind me, up at the balcony. Steve's eyes looked ready to pop out of his head. I heaved a big, aggravated sigh and turned around to see what he was gaping at, as I did, people began screaming. I looked up, squinting, and saw why.

A huge snake, with dark green scales was sliding down the balcony towards us. Its tongue flicked hungrily as it slithered around with a faint "hiss" sound. Like earlier people began freaking out, me being one of them, some even fainted on the spot. I'd seen a girl faint before, during choir class when it was really hot out and she evidently hadn't eaten or had a drink all day. She just kind of flopped to the ground, chairs breaking her fall. It wasn't anything like the dramatic, graceful fall of starlets in old movies that Jen and I made a habit of watching. With a yelp I narrowly avoided getting stepped on by a burly man and his equally big wife. Steve grabbed my arm with vice grip and pulled me near the wall, his body hovering protectively. The uncomfortable closeness reminded me of the scene in the alley and I squirmed away from him. His dark eyes shown with a glossy look of anger; whether it was directed at my stubbornness, or the situation it was hard to tell.

"Why must you be so difficult?" His harshly whispered question remained unanswered as a bright spotlight trained itself on the snake. People stopped running, a few picked themselves up off the ground where they had fallen, and miraculously no one seemed to be badly injured.

A girl of around 15 on the stage. Her eyes where oddly shaped, narrow like the snakes. She was very thin, with yellow-y green hair and dressed in a white robe. The girl made a hissing sound and raised her arms above her head, the robe fell away and we all gasped. She was covered from head to toe in scales.

They shined brilliantly under the lights; gold and blue, yellow and green. She wasn't wearing anything; save for a pair of shorts and a sports bra. She turned around and showed us her back; it was the same except maybe a couple shades darker. She slid off the stage on her stomach just like a snake! When the girl reached the floor she stood and walked over the balcony, as she passed by me I saw the areas between her fingers where connected by thin sheets of skin. My skin crawled, but unlike with the spider this was in a good way. I was intrigued by the serpent girl and her snake; I was completely enraptured by their skin.

"Wow," I breathed excitedly as she pasted us. It seemed like everyone at the cirque was amazing in their own right!

Well, maybe not everyone. I wasn't going to invite the wolf-man over for tea anytime soon.

When she was a few feet away from the pillar the lights blinding the snake snapped off. The snake girl hissed lowly, and the shuffled around to her left and right. The snake followed along happily, not even attempting to strike at her. Then the snake girl did something unexpected; she bent down and tickled the snakes chin, then kissed it on the nose. The scene itself was freaky, but I thought it kind of cute. It reminded me of how I affectionately cuddle up with stuffed rabbit, Floppy.

The girl wrapped the serpent around her neck, just like a scarf. She walked back toward the stage, not bothering to let us pet her snake. Setting her prized reptilian on the ground she preceded to tickle its chin once again. The snake opened its mouth wide and the girl put her head between two sets of glistening fangs.

My stomach was a flipping nervously, I wanted to yell at her to knock it off and get her head out of the snake's mouth. It was dangerous! But Mr. Tall had warned us about making sudden loud noises, so I remained silent. The girl removed her head and wrapped her snake around her once more. This time only her face was exposed; and with a grin she hopped around the stage.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Tall said from the stage, "really is the end." He smiled and leaped off the stage vanishing midair in a puff of smoke. When the smoke finally cleared he was by the exit, considerately holding open the curtain with his big hands as the crowd filed out, whispering excitedly to one another. Grabbing my purse and also Steve's things, he was so deep in thought he would surely have left them behind, we made our way toward the exit. The pretty gymnasts Sive and Seersa were standing with the blue hooded people arms full of silver trays of goodies. And two new girls, both of which shared the same ash brown hair as each other, were dressed in black dresses and selling cirque merchandise.

"Hello!" one of them greeted me, her heart shape face lit up with a gap toothed smile.

"Hi," I softly, but not unkindly.

"Would you like to buy anything else?" She held out the tray, full of tempting trinkets. But I declined,

"Sorry, already spent all my money. Maybe next time?" I offered. Maybe next time? This was probably the first, and last time I would ever see the Cirque Du Freak.

"Oh," The girl pouted. The other girl suddenly, they must be sisters. Even being on the same level as me I could tell she was younger, maybe eleven.

"What about your boyfriend?" she asked shyly.

If I had been drinking anything, I would have spit it out all over the two of them. Fortunately I wasn't, and yet it took everything for me to force out a respond.

"H-he is not my boyfriend." I said hotly. "I think I better be going." As I turned to leave, they both called 'farewell' eerily in unison.

As we approached the exit, Mr. Tall's grin widened. Showing us his blackened teeth, as he addressed us both.

"Well," he said. "Did you kids enjoy the show?"

"It was wonderful!" I said in earnest.

"Were you scared?" he asked.

"Just a tiny bit, but only of the wolf-man…and the spider." I answered truthfully; something about Mr. Tall made me not want to lie to him. I felt like even if I did, he could see through me anyway. Best not to tempt fate.

"You're one tough young lady," he laughed which cause me to turn bright red.

There were a bunch of people still trying to leave behind us, so with a small nod in Mr. Tall's direction we hurried off and entered the sort corridor between the two sets of curtains. I was smiling to myself until Steve's rough voice broke through the happy fog clouding my brain.

"Go back by yourself."

"What?" Mr. Tall was preoccupied by a few people that had stopped to talk to him; there was no rush to leave.

"You heard me." He sounded irritated.

"Why should I? You can't just order me around Steve! I'm getting really sick and tired of you bossing me around." My voice was rising and I was trying to keep my head. I wasn't nearly as explosive as Steve, but it was late; I am tired, hot, sweaty, hungry, and irritated!

"Listen." He said dangerously low. "I'm not coming, I'm staying. And I don't know how things will turn out, but I have to stay. I'll meet you back at Jen's later, after I've…." His voice trailed off, he then pulled me past the second set of curtains into a corridor with a table. The people ahead of us had their backs turned. Steve made sure no one was watching he dived beneath the table and hid behind the cloth!

"Steve, you look ridiculous!" I hissed; my cheeks flushed in embarrassment. My best friend, yes he was still my best friend even after everything that had happened; was acting like he completely lost his marbles.

"Go on!" he hissed back.

"No, I'm not leaving you-," I began.

"Do what I say! Hurry up before you get me caught!" he snapped.

In an angry huff I stormed down the corridor, but gradually my pace slowed down. Could I really just stand back and let Steve get himself into trouble? What kind of friend would I be if I just let him get into trouble? I sighed, the people in front of me had disappeared and no one was behind me.

I'm as bad as Steve is, I thought. Perhaps I was even worse. Because I knew that if we were caught my parents would be furious! They would ground me forever, but seeing as the only place I really went was to Jen's house I guess I could handle that. But they would be so disappointed in me; I bit my lip, and hopped from left to right like a toddler doing the potty dance. Screw it! I need to watch out for Steve. I spotted a door and vaguely recalled passing it on the way in, it lead up to the balcony. I hesitated when reaching for the knob; I was still alone. Before I lost my nerve I threw open the door and quietly shut it behind me. I could hear members of the audience chatting it up, and as I waited for them to finish up and leave I allowed my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Soon enough the voices dissipated and I felt brave enough to test the strength of the stairs with my foot. I was deathly afraid it would break under my weight, but it only creaked and groaned. I continued with caution until I reached the top of the stairs and found myself in the middle of the balcony. It was dusty and dirty, only slightly cooler than the auditorium had been. I moved forward slowly, as I neared the edge I crouched down, and peered over the railing.

I had a wonderful view of the stage; the lights were on but the entire place was deserted. I waited impatiently for something to happen; being alone up here was giving me the creeps! Five minutes had passed when a shadowy figure creep toward the stage. I couldn't make out any features as it pulled itself up and walked to the center. Then it stopped and turned around,

"Steve," I whispered. His name hung in the air like a weight pressing down on my shoulders.

Steve checked the left wing first, then the right. He stopped between the two, trying to decide which to check first. Then a voice spoke from high above him,

"Looking for me?" a figure swooped down onto the stage, cape floating behind it like wings. Steve nearly jumped out of his skin, and I stumbled backward; terrified.

When I rose to my knees again, I saw a flash of orange hair.

Mr. Crepsley!

Steve didn't say a word. He just stared at the tall, pale man as he spoke, "I saw you watching me," Mr. Crepsley said. "You gasped aloud when you first saw me. Why?

"I know who you are," Steve's lips curled in a smile.

"I am Larten Crepsley." The creepy man stated.

"No," Steve said, amused. "I know who you really are."

"Oh really?" Mr. Crepsley smiled coldly. "Tell me little boy," he sneered. "Tell me who I am, really?"

"You're Vur Horston," Steve proclaimed. Mr. Crepsley's jaw dropped in astonishment. "You are a vampire."

At that point it was my turn to be shocked. As I sat there gaping at them, wide eyed and a bundle of nerves, the silence was drawn out. And terrifying to the core…