Chapter 3

Alone in the living room, I pass the time watching the small TV mounted on the wall. Eli has gone to bed as he said he would, without saying a single word to me when he returned from getting the truck.

Despite it being past midnight, my restless energy refuses to let me sleep. Starting to crave fresh air to clear my mind, I rise from the couch, throwing on my black hoodie, and slip into my black, high-top Converse. As soon as I am ready, I approach the door and gently pull it open, stepping out into the crisp night air, the coolness hitting the exposed skin on my legs.

After closing the door softly behind me, trying not to make a sound, I adjust my tattered, blue shorts, tugging them downward. I glance around, ready to explore the trailer park, then I start taking steps forward. I weave through the narrow spaces between the small homes, my eyes scanning the dark surroundings for any signs of life, until I suddenly spot a young woman appearing from one of the trailers.

My steps slow as our gazes meet, and there is a silent exchange between us. She is striking, with long, black hair with bright pink tips, and her curvaceous figure is outlined by her tight, all-in-one black jumpsuit.

After some time of staring, her expression transforms into a wide, cheerful smile, and she begins to skip toward me with a playfulness. As she comes closer, a sense of curiosity mingled with caution runs through me. When she stops in front of me with a leap, my gaze widens slightly, realizing she has pink eye contacts in.

"Hey! What are you doing here, beautiful? You shouldn't be here." She asks with a big grin.

I pull my hood over my head, letting my long blonde hair spill out in front of me as I respond. "I'm new here."

Her gasp is loud, filled with excitement as her smile spreads even more. "Holy fucking shit! Are you a new dancer?"

As soon as I nod, she snatches my arm, intertwining hers with mine, and I feel her vibrant energy pulsating through her touch. She pulls me forward, then she skips beside me merrily.

"You MUST meet everyone!"

I stumble, attempting to keep up with her long strides, "Everyone?" I respond.

"Yes! We all meet up at the campfire in the woods any time after midnight most nights." She leans in, suddenly being quiet but keeping her smile. "Well, the younger group. The elders are fucking boring."

As we start entering the dense woods that encircle the circus and carnival, I can't help but think about Eli back at the trailer, fast asleep and missing out on the opportunity to meet everyone, but I tell myself that there will be more chances for him to join us if this is a regular thing.

As we trek deeper into the darkness, the glow of a distant light catches my eye, drawing us closer and the girl beside me peppers me with questions. "So, what's your name and what dance do you do?"

"My name is Noir and I do just about everything dance wise." I reply.

I turn to look at her, and her curious gaze is already fixed on me, close to my face, a creepy wide smile still stretched across her lips. As we continue our conversation, I can't shake the feeling that there is something more to her demeanor and I begin to wonder if she might be fucking high, or if this could just be her bizarre personality.

"What's your name and what do you do?" I ask.

She appears ecstatic when I say the words and we both look forward, the campfire becoming closer. "I'm Blush. I am a fire breather and dancer." She answers with proudness.

I look at her with wide eyes, instantly admiring what she does. "Wow, I can't wait to see you at work. I would love to know how to do that."

She squeezes my arm a little tighter into her side. "Well, maybe I will teach you one day, Noir."

As we step into the clearing, the chatter among the group gradually fades to silence, all eyes turning towards us. The campfire casts a flickering glow across the faces of the young men and women, some still decorated with face paint, others bare like myself. Each one has a unique personality in their styles of outfits and their dark gazes lock on me, expressions ranging from confusion to intrigued.

Blush is seemingly unfazed by the sudden shift in the atmosphere and decides to announce my arrival to the group with a cheery attitude.

"Everyone, this is Noir. She's a new dancer here."

Just as I am about to speak, the distant sound of motorbikes cuts through the moment. Blush suddenly grabs my arm, yanking me around the campfire, where she pulls me down to sit beside her on a nearby tree trunk and the quickness in her actions leaves me feeling on edge about the approaching noise.

The thunderous roar grows louder as they get nearer, sending vibrations through the ground beneath us. I gaze ahead until all three dirt bikes soar through the air. When they land dangerously close to the campfire, I flinch but the riders rev their engines aggressively, their evil laughter echoing through the forest as they circle us at rapid speed. Mud and leaves are flung into the air, swirling around us in a chaotic dance. I attempt to see their faces, but their speed makes them into blurs, leaving their identities shrouded and my mind dizzy.

As the bikes finally come to a sudden stop with a skid of their tires, I take in the sight of them as soon as their engine's cut out, each bike a different colour. One gleams in vibrant red, another in a neon green, while the third is black and white. The riders remain hidden; their features concealed by shadows, but their presence looms heavy around us, radiating an aura of darkness, danger and unpredictability that sends a shiver down my spine. I keep my gaze on the trio until one of them steps off his bike and turns around.

"The Hollow's" Blush murmurs into my ear from behind.

With tousled blonde locks atop his head, his piercing green spiral contacts draw my attention, and he has a big mischievous smile on his lips. Colourful tattoos scatter across his exposed skin and since he is only wearing a black tank paired with sweatpants, I can easily see his toned physique. The eerie swirls that are on the sides of his face only add to his unsettling vibes.

"Hollow Soul has green eyes." Blush whispers.

The second biker turns around, lighting a cigarette. His spiral eyes are a bright red matched with his deep brown, wavy hair, partially hidden beneath his black hoodie. His face paint blackens around his eyes, and I notice the stitches criss-crossing over his lips and across his cheeks. A nose ring glints in the dim light, and his tattoos seem to cover his body from head to toe. He is nothing like Soul; there is something much darker about him, but they are both still oddly handsome in a strange way.

"Hollow Wrath has red eyes."

I observe the third figure between them, feeling drawn to his presence amongst the trio, despite his back turned to us. His tall, toned frame is clear even from this distance, dressed in black, tight, and tattered jeans, with the hood pulled up on his leather jacket.

I lean into whisper to Blush, my curiosity getting the better of me. "Who is the one in the middle?"

He turns to the side, retrieving a cigarette with calm movements and I take in the details of his side profile: the way his black, loosely curled hair shines in the moonlight, protruding from the front of his hood, almost covering his eyes and his jaw is sharp. Black face paint only highlights his cheekbones, covers his nose and darkens his eyes, streaking down his cheeks. He has a stitch design that stretches from the corners of his mouth to his cheek and a piercing on the bottom left side of his lip.

When he turns his head to take a brief glance in our direction, he double-takes as soon as he notices me, and I cannot stop my breath from hitching in my throat. His white and black, glowing spiral eyes seem to pierce through the darkness and me, locked with an almost hypnotic allure.

A shiver scurries through me, the hairs on my arms raising to attention as I find myself momentarily shook by his good looks, even if I can barely see them; I can only imagine how handsome he is beneath all the paints.

Blush hesitantly speaks into my ear, "That's Hollow Hellion; The ringleader of The Hollow's. They are what you would call the daredevils in other places."

Soul suddenly steps forward eagerly in my direction, catching my attention, "Fresh fucking pussy!" he chuckles, his approach predatory, and it causes tension to spike inside me.

Before I can fully process the situation and stand up for myself, he comes to a sudden stop as soon as a hand tightens on the scruff of his neck, yanking him back by force. My gaze follows the aggressive movement until Hellion comes into view, exuding dominance over him.

As Soul stumbles backward, hastily adjusting himself under Hellion's stern glare, I can still feel my pulse pounding, letting me know I must have some feelings inside me, after all.

Hellion suddenly turns his head swiftly, his glowing eyes flashing to mine in an unnerving manner. He comes toward me, every stride calculated, twigs snapping beneath his heavy boots, yet I hold his stare, refusing to let him see any of my vulnerabilities around his evil vibe. When he stops, he slowly crouches in front of me, and the silence hangs in the air, everyone falling quiet.

Despite the face paint obscuring some of his features and blackening his eyes, making them look hollow like a skull would, there is an undeniable magnetism about him, drawing me into his darkness involuntarily.

Now we're at eye level, we both analyse one another's features, a strange connection crackling in the small space between us. His spiralling contacts make it difficult for me to detect where he is looking, but mine boldly trace downward to the contours of his strong chest, noticing the ripple of muscles beneath his unzipped hoodie. The sight of his shirtless torso, decorated with swirling tattoos that wind their way across his tanned skin up to his sharp jaw, is both mesmerizing and menacing.

I become very aware of where his eyes are moving, when his head starts to tilt downward, tracing a heated path over my petite frame, tingling everywhere they move. His sight settles on my bare thighs, where the evidence of my pain is etched in slashes.

When I instinctively cover them with my hands so he cannot see me in any way as weak, his eyes flicker upward to meet mine. In a swift motion and without warning, he flips out a knife, positioning the sharp tip beneath my chin. I raise it slightly in response and even as adrenaline courses through my veins, pumping at an alarming rate, I narrow my eyes on his, ready to tell him to fuck off.

"Hell, please don't—" Blush's panicked voice cuts through the intensity, making me realize that there must be some kind of seriousness in this situation.

His eyes dart to Blush, and her words fade into the background as she looks away, obeying him without hesitation.

"Hell has found a toy." Soul's hyper tone comes from my left with an unbearable energy.

Fed up with their bullshit, I swipe Hellion's arm away with a forceful motion, causing the tip of his sharp blade to nip my skin, yet the pain does not faze me.

"I'm nobody's little toy." I scowl at him, gritting my teeth in frustration.

He meets my stern glare, his head tilting to the side expressionlessly. Then, he elevates his chin at my brave stance, clearly curious about me, before his eyes carefully follow the trickle of blood that trails down the front of my throat.

Amidst Soul's menacing laughter in the background, Hellion's hypnotic orbs swing to mine once again. "You'll be whatever the fuck I want you to be, Dolly." he states calmly, speaking for the first time.

His deep voice oozes threat, the words rolling off his pierced tongue like a powerful poison that is ready to kill me. My teeth grind together with irritation as he calmly rises, but I keep my gaze focused on the blistering flames of the campfire, refusing to look at him again.

From the corner of my eye, I see The Hollow's interacting among themselves, occasionally casting glances in my direction. Eventually, they settle down opposite us, on the other side of the campfire. Soul attempts to talk to Wrath, but my attention is drawn back to Hellion, whose intense eyes are already on mine, making me feel a variety of emotions. Fear, thrills, curiosity—yet they all seem to stir something inside me in the most deliciously fucked-up way and we hold each other's intense stare, the fire dancing between us.

"Hell is set on you, Noir." Blush says beside me, breaking the spell he has me under and finally drawing my focus away from him. I lift my chin, glancing at him again as he lights a cigarette. "Well, he can forget about it," I assert, my voice unwavering. "I'm not interested."

She shakes her head frantically beside me, "No, you don't understand. Hell doesn't do this and if he ever did, now is the time to be worried." I side-eye her, detecting fear in her voice, "He's fucking crazy."

I roll my eyes, knowing he is clearly insane; all of them are, I can feel it down to my bones, but I've dealt with much worse, I'm almost sure of it. He is nothing compared to the monsters I have faced.

"I am seeing someone, and he is here too," I murmur, using Eli as an excuse to escape the situation, even if he isn't technically my boyfriend.

She gasps loudly beside me, "Does he know how to fight? Kill?" she asks, her hand flying to her mouth in shock.

I notice the panic in her pink gaze, causing my brows to pinch with confusion before I chuckle, shaking my head, "Eli isn't like that."

"Well, he needs to be and quickly," she snaps back. My face falls from the seriousness of her words before my jaw sets tight, defensiveness seething through every fibre of my being and I look at Hellion, now knowing this is going to be a huge problem.

After some time of getting to know Blush, I stand from the log and cast one final glance down at her as she remains seated. "I'll see you in a few days?" I ask, ready to head back to my trailer.

"See you then, Noir." she responds with a big, warm smile.

I give a small nod, then I turn away, making my way around the campfire, eyes following me until I am in the darkened woods, heading back toward the warmth of our trailer.

The sound of distant laughter and chatter fades behind me, my thoughts swirling with everything that has happened tonight. You can do this, Noir. Do not let them get under your fucking skin and intimidate you now.

As I stride forward, the chilly night air causes me to wrap my arms around myself and with each step, the path beneath me seems to stretch endlessly. As soon as I reach the midway point, a sense of unease settles over me, but I try to keep my focus on the distant silhouette of the circus in the distance.

Suddenly, a sharp crack behind me pierces the stillness, causing me to halt abruptly. I spin around in my converses, eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. The forest is silent, except for the rustle of leaves above me stirring by the gentle breeze. A feeling twists my gut, feeling as if a presence is lurking among the trees, tracking my every move and I know it's him already. He's fucking following me.

"Stop following me creep!" I grit out.

When I get silence, I roll my eyes, tightening my grip on my upper arms and turn around to continue towards the trailer park. Each step quickens as I power ahead, a sense of urgency pushing me forward, eager to escape the unsettling sensation of being watched the entire time.

Once I am finally out of the woods, I quickly make my way through the trailers until I find mine. Pausing outside the door, I take a moment to scan the area behind me, searching for any signs of him. When I find none, I release a tense breath and open the door.