Categories > Celebrities > Motley Crue > I'm On My Way, Just Set Me Free...
I stick the key in the ignition and twist it with some hesitation. As I pull out of the parking lot I watch the freak show through my rearview mirror. Once it’s just a speck in the distance I turn my full attention to the road. It takes every ounce of my strength not to turn around and go get Nikki right now. I guess it wouldn’t do any good anyway. I have no supplies or even a general understanding of how I could get him out. I need to figure something out before tomorrow night rolls around. My thoughts are interrupted when I here Vince vomit. “You’d better be doing that out the window.” I grumble angrily without turning my head. The blonde laughs before spilling the contents of his stomach again. I turn on the radio in a vain attempt to drown him out. ‘Tonight’ by the Raspberries starts playing. I hum along for a while until I decide to turn off the radio. After an hour of driving I pull up in front of our shitty apartment. It’s literally falling apart, but it does its job. We’ve got a roof over our heads and a place to sleep, eat, party, and fuck chicks. I take the key out of the ignition and put my key ring into my back pocket. I open the door and climb out of the truck, still feeling heavy. I start walking to the stairs that lead to our floor when I realize that Vince isn’t with me. I turn to see that he is passed out in the passenger’s seat and hanging out of the window. The passenger door is covered in vomit, but it's no big deal. I'll just hose it off tomorrow. I sigh and walk over to the passenger side of the truck. I pick up his head and push him into the seat before opening the door. I quickly drape him over my shoulder and kick the door closed. I haul him up the stairs and to our door. I don’t have a free hand to find my keys, so I kick the door in. It’s a piece of shit anyway. Damn thing keeps falling off the hinges. Once inside I kick the door closed and walk into our bedroom. I drop the blonde on his dirty old mattress and sigh. "Lightweight." I chuckle softly. He never could handle his alcohol.
I walk over to the other side of the bedroom where my bed is and kick off my boots. They stick to my feet a little due to my lack of socks, but I don’t really give a shit right now. I also strip out of my t-shirt before turning out the lights and exiting the room. Once I’m in the narrow hallway I pad over to the bathroom. I turn on the lights and look into the mirror. My freshly dyed hair is tousled in every direction from the wind and its natural curliness. My cheeks are flushed a deep red from wind exposure and so are my arms. I hug myself as I inspect my makeup. My eyeliner is still intact so I leave it alone. After looking myself over I turn out the lights and walk into the tiny kitchen. I shiver a little when my feet hit the cold linoleum. I make my way over to the refrigerator and open the freezer. I take out the only thing that’s in it. A gallon of Rocky Road. I grab a spoon from the utensil drawer and sit at the small, dingy table that rests in the middle of the kitchen. I pop the lid off of the ice cream and spoon some into my mouth. It’s cold and sweet on my tongue. I look around the small apartment and let my mind wander. How is it that the kitchen always seems to be in order while the rest of our place is a wreck? I really need to get my own place. A few more gigs and I’ll have enough money to get my own shitty apartment. Having Vince for a roommate is hell. My thoughts come to a halt when my eyes land on my drum set. It sits in the corner of the living room across from the television. I spoon more ice cream into my mouth and contemplate whether or not I can play my drums right now. I look over my shoulder at the wall clock. It’s past one in the morning so I probably shouldn’t. If the neighbors down stairs hear me they’ll have me and Vince evicted for sure. I sigh and eat more ice cream.
Once I’ve satisfied my sweet tooth I get up from the table and put the ice cream back into the freezer. I walk over to the sink and drop my spoon in. It makes a clinking sound as it hits the base of the metal sink. I walk into the living room and plop myself onto the couch. I quickly get up and start to pace the floor. A million thoughts are going through my head. Is Nikki okay? How am I going to get him out of that cage? How will we get past the Teller? Why do I even care so fucking much about this guy?! I shake my head and stop pacing. I need to calm down. I inhale deeply and quickly go back into the kitchen. I open up the drawer that’s right next to the fridge and I take out a few pens. I turn out all of the lights and make my way back into the bedroom. I stumble through the room to my bed and sit down. I take my keys out of my pocket and drop them on the bedside table along with the pens. I open the table’s drawer and pull out a small notebook. Nikki’s going to have to write down some instructions for me because I have no fucking idea how I’m going to get him out. I quickly situate myself in my bed and close my eyes. I’m going to need rest and a clear head if I’m going to get anything done tomorrow. Soon everything starts to fade to black.
I open my eyes and see someone in my arms. I shift a little and see that I’m lying down with Nikki and he’s sound asleep in my arms. I run a hand through his jet black hair and smile. I look around and see that the room is empty and it has gotten smaller. The walls have changed as well. Instead of the usual off white I see black and red stripes. The walls seem close enough to touch on all sides of me. My eyebrows furrow as I extend my right arm carefully. I stop when Nikki moves in my arms and continue when he’s comfortable again. When my hand reaches the wall I gasp. It’s not a wall. The next thing I know a red curtain drops from around us and I see where we are. We are in a cage and the Teller is standing about a foot from us laughing with the crowd. Nikki and I sit up and stare at the faces around us. One face in the crowd stands out at me. It’s Vince. “Vince, get us out of here!” I scream at the top of my lungs. He doesn’t hear me and continues to point and laugh. I go to reach for the bars, but they disintegrate under my touch. I turn to face Nikki but he’s gone. I search frantically for him but everything is fading to black again.
When I open my eyes I’m back in my bed. My breathing is heavy and my heart sounds like a fucking jackhammer. I feel sweat run down the side of my face from my hairline. I inhale deeply and try to calm down. Nikki’s not here. The Teller’s not here. There’s no crowd. Vince is here, but he’s not laughing. He’s still passed out. I look at the clock and see that it’s already three in the afternoon. “Shit.” I mutter to myself as I get out of bed. I walk over to the pile of clothes in the middle of the room and pull out a clean smelling outfit. I pick up a worn out Sex Pistols t-shirt and a pair of tight leather pants. Once I have my clothes together I stumble past empty bottles and cigarette butts to the door. I walk into the bathroom and drop my clothes on the counter. I don’t stop to look into the mirror; instead I just strip out of my clothes and hop into the shower. I turn the shower on and cringe as the cold water hits my bare skin. I turn on the hot water and grab a bar of soap. I lather my entire body with it and submerse myself in the water. I grab a bottle of shampoo and squirt some into my hand. I massage it into my hair and tip my head back into the water. Some of my color bleeds out and runs down the drain. While washing my hair I start to think. Why the hell am I so drawn to Nikki? I don’t even know the guy, but I feel like I want to. He makes me feel so weird I just can’t understand it. And what was with that dream I had last night? We were sleeping together and I was holding him. I was holding another guy and the weirdest part is that I wish it wasn’t just a dream. I want to hold him. I want to be with him. I want to taste him. I shake my head as a deep blush creeps onto my cheeks. I wonder if he feels the same way. When I’m done I rinse myself off completely and turn off the water. I step out of the small shower into the steamy bathroom. I grab a towel and quickly dry myself off. I grab my pants and quickly slither into them. I don’t bother with underwear. It's not like I wear underwear all that often anyway. I grab my t-shirt and put it on as I walk into the hallway. I go back to my bed and grab my makeup bag from the floor. I don’t care how gay it is for me to wear makeup. I think it looks hot. I exit the room again and go back into the bathroom. The mirror is still fogged up so I use my forearm to wipe it off. I open my makeup bag and pull out a thin stick of black eyeliner and some mascara. I quickly apply both and put them back into the bag. Next I pull out a stick of lipstick. It’s called “Spice is Nice”. I apply a thin coat of it to my lips and throw it back into the bag. My hair is almost completely air dried and it looks a little flat. I grab the industrial sized can of hairspray off of the counter and begin to fluff and tease my hair. Once I’m happy with my appearance I grab my toothbrush. I get toothpaste out of the medicine cabinet and put some on my brush. I pop it into my mouth and quickly brush my teeth. I rinse and spit and go into the kitchen. I look at the wall clock. It says it’s just after five o’clock.
I need to get out of here soon. I head back into the bedroom and grab my keys, my notebook, and the pens. I look over at Vince to make sure that he’s still breathing. He’s been passed out for almost an entire day. Once I’m sure he’s not dead I exit the room and walk into the kitchen. I drop the pens, keys, and notebook onto the kitchen table and grab myself a half eaten bag of Doritos out of the cabinet. I open the fridge and grab a can of coke before picking up my keys, notebook, and pens. I attempt to open the door but it falls right off the hinges. I climb over the door and don’t bother to pick it up. Piece of shit. I struggle to hold my things as I make my way down the stairs. Once I’m to my truck I place everything on the roof and I unlock the passenger door. I open it while trying to avoid the dried vomit, courtesy of Vince, and throw everything onto the seat. I close the door and run around to the other side with my keys. I unlock the door and climb into the driver’s seat. I stick the key in the ignition and twist it. My truck roars to life and within seconds I’m pulling out onto the road. I try as hard as possible not to go over the speed limit. I really can’t afford a ticket right now. I grip the steering wheel and look around for a smoke. I need something to take the edge off right now. I feel like I’m about to spontaneously combust. I know I keep smokes and an extra lighter in my glove compartment, but I can’t reach it so I turn on the radio. Music usually helps calm my nerves. “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” by Brownsville Station is on. Fucking perfect. I turn off the music and try to concentrate on driving.
When I finally reach the circus the sun has dipped below the hills and the moon is bright in the sky. It took me forever to get here. Why the fuck is there always traffic to screw up your day? I check my watch and it says it’s after seven o’clock already. Wait a second, when the hell did I start wearing a watch? I shake my head and realize that that’s the least of my concerns right now. I climb out of my truck and leave the key in the ignition. I figure it’ll be easier if we have to make a run for it. I’ll also keep the doors unlocked. It’s not like anyone would want to steal this piece of shit anyway. I walk around the side of the car to the passenger’s seat and grab my stuff. I put the pens and notebook on the roof while I eat. Sleeping all day really builds up an appetite. I hop onto the hood of my truck and open up my coke. The foam bubbles over the top so I let it sit while I grab a handful of chips. I keep eating by the handful until the bag is completely empty. I hop down off the truck and throw the bag into a nearby garbage can. When I get back to my truck I take the pens and stick them into my front pockets. I take the notebook and stick it in my back pocket. I adjust my shirt carefully so that nothing in my pockets is visible. I walk back to the front of my truck and grab my coke before turning to face the circus.
I take a deep breath and start to walk. I take a sip of my soda and close my eyes as I pass through what I consider to be the gates of hell. That’s exactly what this place is after all. Hell. When I open my eyes I am forced to stare at the poor unfortunate souls that I saw yesterday. They all look so scared and angry. Their dirty faces are flushed red from the wind and their scowls seem to be permanent. I swallow thickly and take another sip of my coke. I shiver a little when the wind blows. I probably should have taken Vince’s jacket before I left. It’s not like he’s going anywhere anytime soon. I wonder if he woke up yet. I turn my attention back to the cages and my frown deepens. Toward the front of the circus I pass by the freak labeled as ‘The Caged Bird’. I can feel her eyes burning holes in me as I pass by and I flinch when one of the crows begins to caw. I take another sip from my drink and keep going. I pass by ‘The Man From Mars’ but he doesn’t see me. He’s got his head down and he’s playing his guitar. I almost stop to see him, but there’s no time for that. I need to get to Nikki. I continue to walk until I reach the very back of the freak show. When I reach the back of the audience I throw my now empty soda can in the general direction of a trash can. I look around me and see that the crowd in front of the stage has roughly doubled since last night. When the curtain drops the sadistic redhead is center stage with the devil’s smile twisting his lips. I scowl deeply when I notice that he’s wearing my jacket. The same jacket that I gave to Nikki for warmth last night. Once again the Teller introduces himself before beginning his tale. Since it’s already fresh in my mind I don’t bother to listen to the story again. I keep my eyes locked on Nikki’s cage the entire time. When the curtains finally drop my jaw drops with it. Nikki’s tattooed arms and chest are covered in bruises. When the Teller hands him his pen and notebook Nikki lifts his head a little. My heart wrenches when I see that he has a black eye to match his torso. I turn to glower at the Teller who is laughing with some guys at the front of the crowd. That fucking prick must have done it. I clench my fists until my knuckles turn white. It takes all of my will power not to walk over there and beat the shit out of him. I close my eyes and try to compose myself but I keep my teeth clenched. When I open my eyes again I notice that the crowd is dispersing.
I stay where I am and pretend to look around until everyone is gone. Through my peripherals I see the Teller walking in the direction of the bar. I stay focused on him until he’s out of sight. When he’s gone I sprint over to the back of Nikki’s cage. He’s got his head down and his back is to me. I feel like I can’t speak so instead of calling his name I reach my hand through the bars and stroke his back. He turns his face slightly before wheeling around to face me. The bruises are darker and more profound close up. My eyes start to well up with tears but I quickly blink them away. I need to stay strong right now. I move my hand to stroke Nikki’s cheek and he shifts closer to the bars. Once he is as close as he can get he presses his forehead against the bars and closes his eyes. I open my mouth to say something but I bite my lip when a deep sobs begin to rip from his throat, shaking his entire body. I move my hand from his face to the back of his neck. The cage is about four feet off the ground and even though Nikki is on his knees I still have to get on my toes to be close to him. I move my face as close as possible to his as I rub the back of his neck. I press my head against the bars about four inches below where Nikki’s head is. I feel him shift into an almost lying position. He props himself up on his elbows and keeps his head against the bars, but he moves down so that his forehead is pressed where mine is. I keep my eyes open and watch him as he cries. When he finally opens his eyes he bites his lip in an attempt to silence his sobs. I stare into his green eyes and bring my free hand up to his cheek. We stay like that for a while but soon I realize that I need to get him out before it’s too late. I gingerly lean back and take my hands out of the cage. I reach into my pockets and grab a pen and the notebook. I keep our eyes locked as I hand them to him. “I need to know how to get you out of here.” I say in a small, nervous voice. My body starts to tremble when Nikki starts to write. What if I can’t save him? What if we get caught? What if something goes wrong? My thoughts come to a screeching halt when Nikki hands me the notebook. I take it from him with shaking fingers and read his instructions. “You need to wait until the Teller is asleep. He has a small trailer about thirty feet from the stage that he shares with some of the other people who have their freaks in this show. That’s where he sleeps or passes out to be more precise. Once he’s there there’s almost no chance he’ll catch us. There’s a small hatch underneath this cage that has a pad lock on it. The key is buried underneath the cage. I’m not sure how deep but I know that it’s directly below the padlock on the hatch. Oh and I’m sorry about your jacket.” I look up from the paper and smile sadly at him. “Don’t worry about the jacket. You’re my main concern right now.” My voice cracks a little but I keep myself composed. I put the notebook and pen back into my pockets and re-adjust my shirt so that nothing is showing. I reach my hand through the bars one more time to caress his cheek. He turns his face into my palm and presses a soft kiss there. When he leans away from me he mouths the words ‘Thank You’. I feel tears starting to build up in my eyes again but I suppress them and nod. “I’ll be back, Nikki…. I love you.”
To Be Continued...
I walk over to the other side of the bedroom where my bed is and kick off my boots. They stick to my feet a little due to my lack of socks, but I don’t really give a shit right now. I also strip out of my t-shirt before turning out the lights and exiting the room. Once I’m in the narrow hallway I pad over to the bathroom. I turn on the lights and look into the mirror. My freshly dyed hair is tousled in every direction from the wind and its natural curliness. My cheeks are flushed a deep red from wind exposure and so are my arms. I hug myself as I inspect my makeup. My eyeliner is still intact so I leave it alone. After looking myself over I turn out the lights and walk into the tiny kitchen. I shiver a little when my feet hit the cold linoleum. I make my way over to the refrigerator and open the freezer. I take out the only thing that’s in it. A gallon of Rocky Road. I grab a spoon from the utensil drawer and sit at the small, dingy table that rests in the middle of the kitchen. I pop the lid off of the ice cream and spoon some into my mouth. It’s cold and sweet on my tongue. I look around the small apartment and let my mind wander. How is it that the kitchen always seems to be in order while the rest of our place is a wreck? I really need to get my own place. A few more gigs and I’ll have enough money to get my own shitty apartment. Having Vince for a roommate is hell. My thoughts come to a halt when my eyes land on my drum set. It sits in the corner of the living room across from the television. I spoon more ice cream into my mouth and contemplate whether or not I can play my drums right now. I look over my shoulder at the wall clock. It’s past one in the morning so I probably shouldn’t. If the neighbors down stairs hear me they’ll have me and Vince evicted for sure. I sigh and eat more ice cream.
Once I’ve satisfied my sweet tooth I get up from the table and put the ice cream back into the freezer. I walk over to the sink and drop my spoon in. It makes a clinking sound as it hits the base of the metal sink. I walk into the living room and plop myself onto the couch. I quickly get up and start to pace the floor. A million thoughts are going through my head. Is Nikki okay? How am I going to get him out of that cage? How will we get past the Teller? Why do I even care so fucking much about this guy?! I shake my head and stop pacing. I need to calm down. I inhale deeply and quickly go back into the kitchen. I open up the drawer that’s right next to the fridge and I take out a few pens. I turn out all of the lights and make my way back into the bedroom. I stumble through the room to my bed and sit down. I take my keys out of my pocket and drop them on the bedside table along with the pens. I open the table’s drawer and pull out a small notebook. Nikki’s going to have to write down some instructions for me because I have no fucking idea how I’m going to get him out. I quickly situate myself in my bed and close my eyes. I’m going to need rest and a clear head if I’m going to get anything done tomorrow. Soon everything starts to fade to black.
I open my eyes and see someone in my arms. I shift a little and see that I’m lying down with Nikki and he’s sound asleep in my arms. I run a hand through his jet black hair and smile. I look around and see that the room is empty and it has gotten smaller. The walls have changed as well. Instead of the usual off white I see black and red stripes. The walls seem close enough to touch on all sides of me. My eyebrows furrow as I extend my right arm carefully. I stop when Nikki moves in my arms and continue when he’s comfortable again. When my hand reaches the wall I gasp. It’s not a wall. The next thing I know a red curtain drops from around us and I see where we are. We are in a cage and the Teller is standing about a foot from us laughing with the crowd. Nikki and I sit up and stare at the faces around us. One face in the crowd stands out at me. It’s Vince. “Vince, get us out of here!” I scream at the top of my lungs. He doesn’t hear me and continues to point and laugh. I go to reach for the bars, but they disintegrate under my touch. I turn to face Nikki but he’s gone. I search frantically for him but everything is fading to black again.
When I open my eyes I’m back in my bed. My breathing is heavy and my heart sounds like a fucking jackhammer. I feel sweat run down the side of my face from my hairline. I inhale deeply and try to calm down. Nikki’s not here. The Teller’s not here. There’s no crowd. Vince is here, but he’s not laughing. He’s still passed out. I look at the clock and see that it’s already three in the afternoon. “Shit.” I mutter to myself as I get out of bed. I walk over to the pile of clothes in the middle of the room and pull out a clean smelling outfit. I pick up a worn out Sex Pistols t-shirt and a pair of tight leather pants. Once I have my clothes together I stumble past empty bottles and cigarette butts to the door. I walk into the bathroom and drop my clothes on the counter. I don’t stop to look into the mirror; instead I just strip out of my clothes and hop into the shower. I turn the shower on and cringe as the cold water hits my bare skin. I turn on the hot water and grab a bar of soap. I lather my entire body with it and submerse myself in the water. I grab a bottle of shampoo and squirt some into my hand. I massage it into my hair and tip my head back into the water. Some of my color bleeds out and runs down the drain. While washing my hair I start to think. Why the hell am I so drawn to Nikki? I don’t even know the guy, but I feel like I want to. He makes me feel so weird I just can’t understand it. And what was with that dream I had last night? We were sleeping together and I was holding him. I was holding another guy and the weirdest part is that I wish it wasn’t just a dream. I want to hold him. I want to be with him. I want to taste him. I shake my head as a deep blush creeps onto my cheeks. I wonder if he feels the same way. When I’m done I rinse myself off completely and turn off the water. I step out of the small shower into the steamy bathroom. I grab a towel and quickly dry myself off. I grab my pants and quickly slither into them. I don’t bother with underwear. It's not like I wear underwear all that often anyway. I grab my t-shirt and put it on as I walk into the hallway. I go back to my bed and grab my makeup bag from the floor. I don’t care how gay it is for me to wear makeup. I think it looks hot. I exit the room again and go back into the bathroom. The mirror is still fogged up so I use my forearm to wipe it off. I open my makeup bag and pull out a thin stick of black eyeliner and some mascara. I quickly apply both and put them back into the bag. Next I pull out a stick of lipstick. It’s called “Spice is Nice”. I apply a thin coat of it to my lips and throw it back into the bag. My hair is almost completely air dried and it looks a little flat. I grab the industrial sized can of hairspray off of the counter and begin to fluff and tease my hair. Once I’m happy with my appearance I grab my toothbrush. I get toothpaste out of the medicine cabinet and put some on my brush. I pop it into my mouth and quickly brush my teeth. I rinse and spit and go into the kitchen. I look at the wall clock. It says it’s just after five o’clock.
I need to get out of here soon. I head back into the bedroom and grab my keys, my notebook, and the pens. I look over at Vince to make sure that he’s still breathing. He’s been passed out for almost an entire day. Once I’m sure he’s not dead I exit the room and walk into the kitchen. I drop the pens, keys, and notebook onto the kitchen table and grab myself a half eaten bag of Doritos out of the cabinet. I open the fridge and grab a can of coke before picking up my keys, notebook, and pens. I attempt to open the door but it falls right off the hinges. I climb over the door and don’t bother to pick it up. Piece of shit. I struggle to hold my things as I make my way down the stairs. Once I’m to my truck I place everything on the roof and I unlock the passenger door. I open it while trying to avoid the dried vomit, courtesy of Vince, and throw everything onto the seat. I close the door and run around to the other side with my keys. I unlock the door and climb into the driver’s seat. I stick the key in the ignition and twist it. My truck roars to life and within seconds I’m pulling out onto the road. I try as hard as possible not to go over the speed limit. I really can’t afford a ticket right now. I grip the steering wheel and look around for a smoke. I need something to take the edge off right now. I feel like I’m about to spontaneously combust. I know I keep smokes and an extra lighter in my glove compartment, but I can’t reach it so I turn on the radio. Music usually helps calm my nerves. “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” by Brownsville Station is on. Fucking perfect. I turn off the music and try to concentrate on driving.
When I finally reach the circus the sun has dipped below the hills and the moon is bright in the sky. It took me forever to get here. Why the fuck is there always traffic to screw up your day? I check my watch and it says it’s after seven o’clock already. Wait a second, when the hell did I start wearing a watch? I shake my head and realize that that’s the least of my concerns right now. I climb out of my truck and leave the key in the ignition. I figure it’ll be easier if we have to make a run for it. I’ll also keep the doors unlocked. It’s not like anyone would want to steal this piece of shit anyway. I walk around the side of the car to the passenger’s seat and grab my stuff. I put the pens and notebook on the roof while I eat. Sleeping all day really builds up an appetite. I hop onto the hood of my truck and open up my coke. The foam bubbles over the top so I let it sit while I grab a handful of chips. I keep eating by the handful until the bag is completely empty. I hop down off the truck and throw the bag into a nearby garbage can. When I get back to my truck I take the pens and stick them into my front pockets. I take the notebook and stick it in my back pocket. I adjust my shirt carefully so that nothing in my pockets is visible. I walk back to the front of my truck and grab my coke before turning to face the circus.
I take a deep breath and start to walk. I take a sip of my soda and close my eyes as I pass through what I consider to be the gates of hell. That’s exactly what this place is after all. Hell. When I open my eyes I am forced to stare at the poor unfortunate souls that I saw yesterday. They all look so scared and angry. Their dirty faces are flushed red from the wind and their scowls seem to be permanent. I swallow thickly and take another sip of my coke. I shiver a little when the wind blows. I probably should have taken Vince’s jacket before I left. It’s not like he’s going anywhere anytime soon. I wonder if he woke up yet. I turn my attention back to the cages and my frown deepens. Toward the front of the circus I pass by the freak labeled as ‘The Caged Bird’. I can feel her eyes burning holes in me as I pass by and I flinch when one of the crows begins to caw. I take another sip from my drink and keep going. I pass by ‘The Man From Mars’ but he doesn’t see me. He’s got his head down and he’s playing his guitar. I almost stop to see him, but there’s no time for that. I need to get to Nikki. I continue to walk until I reach the very back of the freak show. When I reach the back of the audience I throw my now empty soda can in the general direction of a trash can. I look around me and see that the crowd in front of the stage has roughly doubled since last night. When the curtain drops the sadistic redhead is center stage with the devil’s smile twisting his lips. I scowl deeply when I notice that he’s wearing my jacket. The same jacket that I gave to Nikki for warmth last night. Once again the Teller introduces himself before beginning his tale. Since it’s already fresh in my mind I don’t bother to listen to the story again. I keep my eyes locked on Nikki’s cage the entire time. When the curtains finally drop my jaw drops with it. Nikki’s tattooed arms and chest are covered in bruises. When the Teller hands him his pen and notebook Nikki lifts his head a little. My heart wrenches when I see that he has a black eye to match his torso. I turn to glower at the Teller who is laughing with some guys at the front of the crowd. That fucking prick must have done it. I clench my fists until my knuckles turn white. It takes all of my will power not to walk over there and beat the shit out of him. I close my eyes and try to compose myself but I keep my teeth clenched. When I open my eyes again I notice that the crowd is dispersing.
I stay where I am and pretend to look around until everyone is gone. Through my peripherals I see the Teller walking in the direction of the bar. I stay focused on him until he’s out of sight. When he’s gone I sprint over to the back of Nikki’s cage. He’s got his head down and his back is to me. I feel like I can’t speak so instead of calling his name I reach my hand through the bars and stroke his back. He turns his face slightly before wheeling around to face me. The bruises are darker and more profound close up. My eyes start to well up with tears but I quickly blink them away. I need to stay strong right now. I move my hand to stroke Nikki’s cheek and he shifts closer to the bars. Once he is as close as he can get he presses his forehead against the bars and closes his eyes. I open my mouth to say something but I bite my lip when a deep sobs begin to rip from his throat, shaking his entire body. I move my hand from his face to the back of his neck. The cage is about four feet off the ground and even though Nikki is on his knees I still have to get on my toes to be close to him. I move my face as close as possible to his as I rub the back of his neck. I press my head against the bars about four inches below where Nikki’s head is. I feel him shift into an almost lying position. He props himself up on his elbows and keeps his head against the bars, but he moves down so that his forehead is pressed where mine is. I keep my eyes open and watch him as he cries. When he finally opens his eyes he bites his lip in an attempt to silence his sobs. I stare into his green eyes and bring my free hand up to his cheek. We stay like that for a while but soon I realize that I need to get him out before it’s too late. I gingerly lean back and take my hands out of the cage. I reach into my pockets and grab a pen and the notebook. I keep our eyes locked as I hand them to him. “I need to know how to get you out of here.” I say in a small, nervous voice. My body starts to tremble when Nikki starts to write. What if I can’t save him? What if we get caught? What if something goes wrong? My thoughts come to a screeching halt when Nikki hands me the notebook. I take it from him with shaking fingers and read his instructions. “You need to wait until the Teller is asleep. He has a small trailer about thirty feet from the stage that he shares with some of the other people who have their freaks in this show. That’s where he sleeps or passes out to be more precise. Once he’s there there’s almost no chance he’ll catch us. There’s a small hatch underneath this cage that has a pad lock on it. The key is buried underneath the cage. I’m not sure how deep but I know that it’s directly below the padlock on the hatch. Oh and I’m sorry about your jacket.” I look up from the paper and smile sadly at him. “Don’t worry about the jacket. You’re my main concern right now.” My voice cracks a little but I keep myself composed. I put the notebook and pen back into my pockets and re-adjust my shirt so that nothing is showing. I reach my hand through the bars one more time to caress his cheek. He turns his face into my palm and presses a soft kiss there. When he leans away from me he mouths the words ‘Thank You’. I feel tears starting to build up in my eyes again but I suppress them and nod. “I’ll be back, Nikki…. I love you.”
To Be Continued...
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