Author's Note: We check in on France this time. How has the Dark Circus affected him and his home. I have him talking to another neighbor. This of this as a precursor to the Halloween special. Tomorrow, I will be posting the Halloween special. Tomorrow is going to be packed. After that, I don't know what I am doing for next week just yet. You are just going to have to wait and see. For now, enjoy this week's match.
Match Nineteen: Cirque Sombre:
Francis is starting to experience visions of the Dark Circus as well. He's tried to ignore it up to this point. It all started with an invitation in the mail. Francis stared at the black envelope in his hand. There was no return address. The French men frowned at it.
"What is this?" he asked. A red wax skull held it closed. Francis shivered as he looked at it. Something told him to throw it away. But he couldn't stop staring at it. This envelope seemed so wrong.
"Francis?" someone asked. The Frenchman turned his head. His neighbor walked over to him from across the street.
"Oh," he said. "Hey there, Olivia." He noticed something in her hand. His stomach dropped when he saw what it was.
"You got one too?" Olivia asked. Francis stared at her, blankly.
"What are these?" she asked.
"I don't know," the Frenchman said. He broke open the seal. Olivia did the same. They took out the contents of the envelope. They read what was inside and looked confused.
"We're invited to a carnival tomorrow night?" Olivia asked. She looked up at her neighbor. Francis had a pale look on his face.
The rumors reached France too. The disappearances followed as well. French police don't know what to do. It started with a fifteen-year-old girl. She disappeared in the middle of the night. Her mother reported her missing. The girl who we shall not name in the story was a good kid. She never sneaked out of the house. But her bedroom window was wide open. She hadn't packed anything to take with her. Her mother was convinced that her daughter hadn't run away.
"My little girl was kidnapped!" she said on the news. Everyone in her neighborhood believed her.
The girl wasn't the only one.
In the course of one week, fifteen teenagers went missing. They didn't have anything in common. They all came from different backgrounds. They would all disappear in the middle of the night. The police didn't know what to do.
Francis changed away from the news. It's turned into just listing who all was missing.
"How are you holding up?" Francis asked. Olivia shook her head. Their invitations sat on the table.
"How is Maris?" Francis asked.
"Good," his neighbor said.
"Has she said anything about…?" he began to ask. Olivia shook her head. She mumbled something more to herself.
"Hm?" Francis asked.
"Are we going to that carnival?" Olivia asked. The Frenchman panicked as he grabbed her by the shoulders. The woman jerked her head upward.
"Listen to me!" he said. "Don't go to that carnival! No matter what you hear. Please… Don't go. Please!" Olivia pressed her lips together.
"Okay," she said. He pressed his forehead against hers.
"Thank you," he said in a whisper. Olivia looked ready to cry.
"What's the matter?" Francis asked. His neighbor shook her head.
"What about Marie?" she asked.
"I'll think of something," the Frenchman said. "In the meantime, keep your windows and doors locked. Do you understand me?"
"Yes," she said in a quiet voice. Francis let go of her face.
"Good," he said. "Why don't you and Marie stay with me tonight?" The woman had a confused look on her face.
"What?" she asked.
"I mean… it's better to have safety in numbers, isn't it?" he asked. "We can keep watch over each other for a night. And then… And then…"
"And then?" Olivia asked.
"I don't know," the Frenchman admitted. He lowered his hands from her face.
Soon, the adults disappeared too. They too got spirited away to the Dark Circus. At least that is what the rumors are saying. At first, they were mostly women going missing. The story went the same. The police couldn't keep up. Maybe it was time for some international help. The police might not have choice in that matter.
"Why do we have to stay with him, mama?" Marie asked as she walked across the street with her mother.
"Marie, please," Olivia whispered. Her daughter frowned. Her teachers were already acting weird. She didn't need her mother to do the same.
"It's just going to be for a couple of nights," Olivia said. "We'll go home in the morning." Marie cocked her head to the side.
"What's going on?" she asked. Her mother looked at her with wide eyes.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Is this about the Dark Circus?" her daughter asked. Olivia's eyes widened.
"What?!" she asked. "Who told you that? Where did you hear that?"
"At school," Marie said. "Mama, tell me the truth. What is happening to us?" Olivia didn't know how to answer. By that time, they were at Francis' front door. The mother had already rang the doorbell. Francis greeted them silently. He moved from the door to let them in.
Dinner was quiet and uncomfortable. Francis cooked them a simple meal. Marie wanted to say something, but nothing came out. In the end, she lowered her gaze. What was the point of this? Francis and Olivia couldn't look at each other. Outside sounded so quiet. There weren't any cars and animals in the neighborhood. No one was walking around on the street. The three people at the table barely ate at all.
Everyone went to bed that night. Nobody said a word. Marie didn't get on the internet or her phone. Francis set up the guest bedroom across the hall. He made sure all of the doors and windows were locked. Francis and Olivia agreed that they would not answer the door for anyone at all. The latter drilled the information into her daughter's head. Usually, Marie would roll her eyes and brush her off. But this time felt different. Olivia didn't have to explain what was going to happen. They all just needed to hold out for one more night.
They all knew what was coming. The Dark Carnival was on its way.
