Freak Show

sixteen

At dinner, Grayson sneaks one of the steak knives into his pocket nonchalantly, and it makes me wonder what this kid has done to make him so good at stealing, but I don't care, because we're one step closer to safety.

That night, Grayson and I sit on the bed together, talking. He leans in closer, kissing me softly and we're interrupted by a voice.

"Oh," Manson swoons adoringly. When he notices that we heard him, he laughs. "Well, by all means, don't let me stop you. Maybe an Angel child would be nice, although Aphrodite will be jealous, I'm sure." He rambles on.

"What do you want?" Grayson barks, and Manson pauses, staring at him.

"My boy, I would watch yourself. You're not my star. You're only another of her playthings who I made look nicer." Manson snorts, laughing at Grayson. I cringe as Grayson stiffens and I mentally beg him not to do something stupid to ruin our plan.

"No. I'm not." Grayson says. "I'm a human being."

"If you say so," Manson chuckles.

Grayson is on his feet within seconds, and he towers over Manson, but Manson doesn't look the least bit intimidated.

"Boy, I think you forget who has all of the power here, don't you?" Manson says, pulling the knife out of his black boots. He spins it in his hands and I recognize it immediately. It's the one with the star carved into the hilt. The one I stole in the basement and hid in the crevice of the walls, but now he has it back...

"Oh, my darling. You look so startled. What, recognize this?" He laughs pointing the knife at me limply. "You must mistake me for a fool to honestly think I didn't notice when you took it from me. But I let you because you were finally showing some backbone, and I liked it. But I wasn't worried. I knew you were too naive to use it. And what do you know? I was right. That whole time you were in that cell you had a knife and didn't even attempt to use it. It was pathetic, really." He chuckles again, bringing his attention back to Grayson.

"I would watch your back, or you might end up out back in a ditch." Manson said as if he were discussing the game last night. He giggles and flashes Grayson a wicked smile. His eyes search for my face and he stares at me for a few seconds, his expression somber. He nods and whispers something inaudibly to himself and turns, leaving the tent. 

I flash Grayson a warning glare. I want to ask him how he could've been so careless or so foolish. Why would be attempt to make Manson angry just before our attempted escape? He was going to give us away and get us killed. Couldn't he see that?

He stares back at me with no expression and turns and disappears into the night for what feels like the millionth time this week. 

I curl into the bed, desperate for the warm escape of sleep. My mind drifts and ricochets back and forth between the thousands of possibilities of what comes next when an image fills my mind of my brothers face. He's looking at me as if I will disappear any second. His jaw is slack and my ears are ringing so loudly and then I realize. He's screaming. Over and over he's shouting the word no. NONONONONONO. Or maybe it's me that's screaming. But I can't wake up. 

I'm trapped in this bleak darkness and the world begins to tilt and spin until I'm finally lost in unconsciousness.