FicWad

"Gerard, are you sure about this?" I asked as we stood in front of the pointed tent. The signs around us said FREAK SHOW in bold black ad red.

"Of course! What can happen?" He smiled, grabbing my hand. And to think my plans for told was to finish my English paper and practice my bass.

But my life will never be that normal, now will it? He dragged me into the tent, where we handed over ten dollars for the both of us.

It was bigger than what it looked like from the outside. There were rows and rows of fold out chairs line around, leaving two gaps for people to come in and the talent to come out.

Gerard forced me into a seat close to where the freaks would come out and sat next to, on the very edge of the seat.

"Wow, aren't you just bouncing?" I mocked him slightly.

"Oh shut up. For once, we're not the weirdest people in one place." He looked at me. My face grew hot.

He was right, at least. The sound of foreign music silenced my thoughts. A few people came out, playing flutes and something else I couldn't tell.

A tall man stepped out, a huge top hat on his head. "These are my countrymen, this is my clan! We travel the world in my old caravan! We like to invite you to stay for a while! We'll entertain you in particular style!" Girls in long dresses danced out of the opening and spun around the band.

"With magic and mystery to show you my friend. With music and dancing and family men. Amusement....." the song tuned out of my ears as gypsies danced around the crowd. Gerard grabbed my arm as one touched his cheek, bringing his face forward.

Suddenly, all the dancing women circled around the band and the ring master threw his hand at the ground. There was a huge puff if smoke and the stage was clear of everyone but him. "Welcome, little humans, to my Freak Show." he didn't use a microphone, but his voice was projected around the room.

"I hope my family will amuse you, for this is our job." He spun around, flipping his cape off. It flew into the air and slowly floated to the ground beside him, laying flat. "First in our show, my daughter, Adriana, my little one, the Reader."

He lifted his cape and there sat a young girl with and a table. "I see a boy. He feels alone. Lonely Boy, come to me." My legs made me stand against my will. Gerard looked up at me with huge eyes.

I couldn't stop myself as I was pulled to the girl. She smiled up at me. "Lonely Boy, sit." She gestured to the other side of her little table.

My legs bent without me telling them to. I sat in front of the table. She rested her hand on mine and closed her eyes.

The deck of cards to her left fluttered, six cards sliding out of the pile. They floated around her head. "Your future is bright. Do not worry. He enjoys your presence as much as you enjoy his." she said, not opening her eyes. "Your Hyper One loves you." My face burnt as I looked at the cards.

I had no idea what the pictures meant aside from one. Two connected hearts. "Thank you?" I breathed, standing up.

"What does she mean you're lonely?" Gerard whispered as I sat next to him. I shook my head.

"She is a beauty, is she not?" the ringmaster smiled at us. He threw his cape back over his daughter and we all watched as her tan, smiling face was shrouded and covered.

The cape went flat, making everyone gasp. "And no my youngest son, Tudor, the Ice Breather." he picked up the cape and backed out of the spot light as it faded into darkness.

A short, dark shape stood in his place. The lights flickered back on and glistened against the shirtless boy's body. He looked about my age.

His skin was pale as snow and covered in ice that crackled as he moved. The light danced off of the ice and lit the tent like a disco ball. "I would like a lady volunteer." he spoke in a clear, calm voice, his breath fogging the air.

A woman stood behind us, a light zeroing in on her. She walked smoothly to Tudor's side. He took her hand and held it palm up. "What is your favorite flower?" he asked, stroking her skin.

"Orchids." she shivered. He cupped his hands together and blew into them. When he opened them again, there was a loud crack and there, in his palm, set an orchid made of ice.

The woman gaped at him. "For you, beauty." He set it in her hand. She looked close to tears as she returned to her seat.

He tipped his head up and blew into the air, snow shooting out of his mouth. I watched wide eyed as he blew into his hands again and formed a small dagger.

In one fluid movement, he threw it up, through the roof of the tent. He held his arm out surely to his left while a few screams filled the space.

The knife came back through the fabric and landed blade down in his hand. He bowed and disappeared in a puff of snow. "Whoa." Gerard breathed.

"And now, for our second to last, my eldest son, Serban, the Blood Drinker." A shadow quivered next to Gerard. A tall man stepped out, towering his father.

He opened his mouth and there were tow huge fangs. My face paled. "If you doubt me, raise." Half of the crowd stood. I was locked in his bright red eyes.

"I order you all to bow to my power." I found myself looking at the ground. "Sit!" he said simply. Chairs creaked behind me. "Straighten." I heard the smile in his accented voice.

As we watched, he leaped to the high look out of the tent, not even bending his knees. The light flew to him where he leaned causally against the wooden banister, his short sleeves still fluttering in the wind he'd made.

"Brilliant!" the ringmaster laughed. The light moved back on him. He led a bottle of water in his hand. "And now, for our final act, my precious daughter, Marina, the Magical One." he poured the water onto the ground.

The room fell silent. A lilting giggle sounded, making the water puddle move. A louder laugh made me jump.

As we all watched, the puddle rose up in the middle, not leaving the floor. It broke, water drops hanging in the air, as a girl formed out of the water.

She sat on the ground, half in the water, half not. Gasps filled the air at her beauty.

Her hair was long and black, dripping with the water she'd just come out of. She wore a dark red top that stopped above her muscled stomach and dipping sleeves. As she smiled, her bright teeth flashed in the light.

She had skin the color of cream and ocean blue eyes. "Hello. If that didn't convince you of my ability." she paused, stepping out of the water. "Allow me to demonstrate more for you." her accent wasn't nearly as thick as her family's. She held her hand out to Gerard.

"Come, human boy. Allow me to show you." he gaped up at her before taking her hand. I watched nervously as she led him over to her puddle. "Watch carefully." she smiled at him, stroking his cheek.

She cupped her hand and dipped it into the water, all the way to her elbow where the puddle should have only covered her little finger. Gerard gasped as she held her hand out and spread her fingers.

The crowd copied his sound as the water formed a little ball in her palm. She took Gerard's hand in hers and set the ball there. Her eyes seemed to be glowing they were so blue. "Walk around, boy. Show them." She waved her hand at us.

Gerard stepped cautiously, holding the ball like it was a full glass of acid. People poked their fingers into it, others were too scared to do anything but stare.

He stopped in front of me. I looked at it closely.

I could see the water spinning around on itself, holding the tight ball shape. Gerard stepped away and back up to Marina.

Her chest was hardly moving. She tucked her long hair behind her ear and cupped Gerard's hand in hers. The ball lifted and hung in the air.

Gerard stared at it, his eyes wide. The lights turned off and I realized instantly that her eyes WERE glowing blue.

It reflected in the ball. My heart seemed to freeze in that moment in time. Suddenly, the ball froze over.

Tudor. The blue light was still glowing in her eyes and shining through the ice, touching Tudor's ice bitten body. Blood dripped over the ball from above.

Serban still hung around above us. A card floated under and around the ball, showing us it really was floating. Adriana wasn't about to let her siblings have all the fun, it seemed.

Gerard was surrounded by them now, which made me worry. Suddenly, Gerard was next to me, his body shaking in his seat.

The blue glow was gone and the tent was pitch black. Then the lights rose on the empty stage. "You okay? I asked him, touching his arm.

He jumped and looked at me. His hands closed over my shoulders. "I'm in love." he gasped.





Part two coming next! R+R and all that.

Hugs and Hot Fries,
-Lala