Panem Et Circenses

Twenty-Two

Twenty Two.

Things became quiet. A little too quiet if you ask me. For the next couple of months, we heard nothing. Red occasionally stopped by only to harass us like before but we heard nothing about the Blasics. Things seemed to die down and I was left wondering if they had been caught. Red wouldn’t answer any of my questions, which was odd. Bernard wouldn’t answer any either, but he was normally too drunk to even realize what was going on. Alexander was rarely at home, he had gotten a decent job at the dockyards. From what I heard he tallyed up the different shipments and made sure each were correct. I had a tendency to wander Boston on days that it weren’t too unbearably cold or snowing. Soon it was spring and I overheard Bernard and Red talking about plans to keep the cirque going. It was then that I heard the first thing about what the Blasics were up to.

I was in the kitchen, cleaning up and making sure everything was in a place when I heard Red and Bernard enter the house. I hadn’t seen Bernard since before he left last night. I knew where he was going, as did Alexander. Without anything to do, he drank heavily it didn’t bother either of us, we just let it go. When I overheard the conversation between the two, his voice was completely normal. I continued cleaning as I secretly eavesdropped on their conversation.

“I don’t see a problem in that,” Bernard's deep voice was heard.

“Yes, you don’t see a problem in that because it isn’t quite a large problem yet. Note that I used the word yet.” Red's more higher voice said back.

“Well then we can deal with it then. I don’t see the point in trying to go after her if we don’t even know her exact location. You must think these things through before acting. All you have gotten were a couple 'sightings' and a few mysterious deaths. These things happen every day. How many innocent lives are you planning on taking before this becomes a larger problem? Prove to me that this is an actual problem and then maybe I’ll be more open to helping you,” Bernard said back.

I stopped what I was doing, making sure I heard what Bernard had said right. I set down the plate I had been washing and poked my head into the other room. Sure enough, Red stood with his arms crossed, glaring at Bernard who looked quite smug. Red didn’t say anything back to that, he knew he had been bested. So he tried a different approach.

“I'm telling you, I saw a dark figure with a couple witches from the cirque!” Red told Bernard, sounding not like himself. Maybe like a younger kid, but definitely not the immortal ruler. The thing that puzzled me was why he needed Bernard's help so badly.

“Did anybody else see?”

“No.”

“Did you get a chance to talk to any of the witches?”

“Well, no.”

Bernard seemed to think this over for a split second before putting a cigarette into his mouth and lighting it. He walked around Red, inspecting his stance and the way he was breathing. Or that was what it looked like he was doing. Alexander walked into the house at that time and walked directly over to me. Finally coming to something, Bernard stopped.

“So, you say that you came directly here after you saw this?” he questioned Red in a very court-like manner.

“What does it matter?” Red spat back to him.

“Answer the question.”

“Yes!”

“Why did you need my help? Why couldn’t you handle it on your own?”

“Because....Stop acting as though this is a courtroom!”

“I have no solid proof that you even saw this. Josephine,” He suddenly said, looking directly at me. I slightly jumped, startled that he was talking to me. “From that little bit you have heard right there, does it sound to you that Red actually saw the woman Blasic with a few witches?”