Chapter 6

Two Years ago…

Curled up in a ball on the hard, dusty floor, I shiver in nothing but a thin white nightie. The freezing cold bites my skin, and I gaze through a small crack in the boarded-up window, staring at the bright moon peeking through, the ray of light beaming down on me at a distance. In a daze, I slowly draw the tip of my finger on the wooden floor, quietly humming a song my mom used to sing to me when I was little. When she was alive. My body shudders, slowly shutting down from days without water and a week without food. A tear attempts to slip from my dry, sore eyes as I try to think about other things, but all my memories have been replaced with darkness.

Hearing heavy footsteps approaching from down the hall, I start to sit up, the shackle on my ankle rattling as I get onto my knees. I keep my head lowered, stars forming in my vision from the sudden elevation. The door creaks open, but I don't meet his gaze, his presence is so vile that it makes me want to puke. His heavy footsteps inch toward me, each step calculated, my heart pounding in my chest. He stops not far from me and suddenly pours water onto the floor, a lot of it. On instinct, I scurry forward on my hands and knees, desperate for moisture.

Just as I reach the puddle, he steps in it, his shoes caked in mud, mixing with the water. I halt, my body trembling, eyes wide. I shake my head frantically, tears struggling to fall, they want to, but they're unable too. I start hyperventilating, anger swirling inside me, and I stand quickly, my mind almost going blank. I scream, attacking him with my frail fists, hammering down on his suit-covered chest, each strike doing nothing against his solid frame.

He pulls his hand back and smacks me across the face with a hard blow. I spin and fall to the floor frontally, drifting in and out of consciousness. He flips me onto my back, kneeling between my legs. As I faintly hear his zipper drag down, his harsh words reach my ears, "Just like your cunt mother, a dirty filthy bitch that never learns."

I hear another pair of footsteps entering the room, stopping beside my head. "She wants water so bad?" Kai sneers above me.

Suddenly a dust bag is thrusted over my head, the string tightening around my throat. Panic seizes me, and I instinctively try to tear it off, but Kyro wraps the string around his hand, trapping me. Water starts to pour slowly on my face, seeping through the bag and suffocating me. I choke and cough, my body convulsing as I struggle for air. Kyro's presence looms between my thighs, a dark promise of what's to come, as he prepares to take full advantage of my helplessness.

My vision fades, the weight of their words pressing down as heavily as his body, and I slip into darkness, clinging to the memory of my mother's lullaby, the only light in this consuming abyss.

Present time…

It's the next morning and it's our first day working here. As I hastily throw my hair into a messy bun, I steal glances at myself in the mirror on the wall of the bedroom and Eli moves behind me, pulling a white vest over his toned physique.

My mind drifts back to the past few nights, to Hellion's confusing ways and intrusion. I try not to dwell on it, but the unease lingers like a shadow. His unpredictability is a threat, one that could put Eli in danger, and I refuse to let him become collateral damage in Hellion's games. I can't keep letting him get away with it. I need to face him and shut whatever the fuck this is down.

Once I have finished with my hair, a knock on the door interrupts our morning routine. Eli and I exchange a brief glance as I turn to face him before he walks away to answer it and I follow behind him. When he has swung the door open, Blush stands there with two big bags in her hands, wearing a smile that stretches from ear to ear.

"Hey!" she says cheerfully.

I return Blush's smile, but when she moves to enter, Eli holds out his hand, blocking her path and her face falls.

"Do we know you?" He asks her sternly.

Her eyes flicker to mine, silently seeking guidance, and I gently shake my head for her not to tell him we've already met. She turns back to Eli, her brow arching inquisitively. "I'm Blush. I am here for Noir; to show her some costumes for Madame."

She raises the bags of clothing, but before Eli can respond, Billy appears, his gaze fixed on Eli and with the subtle gesture with his head, he speaks. "Come with me, kid."

Eli's eyes linger on mine for moment, and I offer him a reassuring smile before he moves past Blush. Once he's out of sight, I motion for her to come inside the trailer, but she shakes her head once. "Oh no, Noir. We're going to Madame's Chamber. She wants to see you."

I nod in response before stepping outside and locking the trailer behind me. As we make our way toward the circus, I take a glance around now that it's daytime. The air feels cold, and the sky is shrouded in cloudy, grey hues. I'm grateful for the warmth of my black tracksuit on a day like this.

"You didn't tell your boyfriend that you were out the other night, did you?"

I look at Blush beside me when she asks the question, reaching out to take one of the heavy bags from her hands. With a roll of my eyes, I turn my gaze forward, slinging it over my shoulder as I respond, "It's complicated and he isn't my boyfriend. We're just—"

As I trail off, I see her silently observing me from the corner of my eye, but I choose not to meet her stare and when I continue to stay silent, she changes the subject, "Hell followed you the other night. Did he say anything to you?"

Our eyes lock, my lips tightening into a thin line as I think about what he has been doing.

Her eyes widen, "Oh, fuck. What did he do?" she blurts out, a gasp escaping her lips.

I let out a tense breath before biting on my words with irritation. "That weirdo decided to casually watch me in the shower that night, then proceeded to watch me through my living room window two nights in a row."

A small giggle escapes her lips and I glance at her puzzled before her face falls again, an apologetic look in her eyes.

My brows pinch as I scan her. "You know that's not normal behaviour don't you, Blush?" I ask, confusion twisted on my face.

She raises an eyebrow with a playful smirk, "Babe, you will learn that absolutely nothing or anybody is ‘normal' here. This is Oddity Carnival and Cirque after all. Reputed as the most terrifying spectacle in the states."

The sight of a massive, glossy black double-story trailer catches my attention, not far from the circus. Bold red letters splatter across the surface, "The Hollow's," and beside it is a sinister white skull with spiralling eyes. The size could serve as a small mansion on wheels.

"Is that where they live?" I query, curiosity tingling in my voice.

She follows my gaze and nods before responding. "Yeah, all of them."

"Is there only three of them?"

"There were four, but Hollow Haze—" She pauses, glances at me, and searches my eyes for trust. When she seems satisfied, she leans in. "He was killed a while back. He was Hell's cousin," she states, her voice barely audible. My brows arch in surprise as she continues. "We don't talk about it. It's a sensitive subject for the guys."

I pause for a moment, curiosity piqued by the thought of delving further into knowing more about the psycho that's now stalking me. "Tell me about Hellion. What am I dealing with here?"

She takes a deep breath before beginning. "Well, Hell is cold, strangely calm, calculated, yet still not entirely sane, but it's Hellion you should be worried about. You've only met Hell."

A puzzled expression crosses over my face as I look at her.

"Did you just refer to him as two people?."

With a faint smirk playing at her lips, barely noticeable but enough to suggest a hint of devilish amusement, she answers, "That is exactly what I did. He has a character, and you need to know what you're being faced with. God help you when you finally meet Hellion. Lock your fucking doors and windows."

"Well, how the fuck am I supposed to know when he is Hellion?" I shoot back.

"Oh, you'll know. The entire atmosphere in this place is charged."

The unsettling revelations twist my gut, leaving me uncertain about what to make of it all, and I shift my gaze forward, allowing her to continue. "Luckily, Hellion, doesn't come out as much as you would think, it's mostly on Dark Night that he lets loose, but even then, Hell is going to terrorize the fuck out of you. You have been warned, Noir."

I draw a deep shaky breath, "And do you guys move around?" I ask, hoping that the answer is yes, but unfortunately she shakes her head. "Not often. We sometimes do small private shows in different states if requested at the right price, but most of the time we stay in this location because our Dark Night amusements are built here, and we own this land. It's protected."

I'm about to ask what Dark Night is, but we suddenly arrive at the circus with music blasting from the main tent, blurring out my lingering questions and Blush strides ahead, leading the way to Madame's chamber.