SOUR CANDY | P. MAXIMOFF [ DISCONTINUED ]

╰➝ ACT TWO: THE EMBER THAT CUTS THROUGH THE COLD

ACT TWO | THE EMBER THAT CUTS THROUGH THE COLD

CHARLOTTE SIGHED AS SHE STARTED REMOVING HER MAKEUP, ignoring the hollowness festering in the pit of her stomach–as if someone was emptying her guts.

She has always enjoyed being the center of the spotlight. She liked the feeling of everyone paying attention to her, as if she's the most important being in their entire existence or perhaps, the most beautiful person they'd ever seen. She craved applause–the cheers. She craved it like an addictive drug, she can't live without it but it's also ruining her life.

Charlotte knows the truth in working in a circus, especially for a freak like her. The audience only wants her when they can treat her peculiarity as a form of entertainment, to detach them from their misery, but if she's literally somewhere else, she's sure as hell that instead of their applause, she would've received their brutal hits and even more brutal kicks. Charlotte knows that she's being used and she's fine with it. Because isn't that how life works? You use others and they use you. The only difference in her situation is that she precisely chose who gets to use her as long as she can also gain something from it.

But sometimes, Charlotte hopes that she hasn't gotten herself in this kind of situation. Sure, she might be living a better life unlike other mutants, she doesn't get hate crime (well, not really) and she's also getting paid a good amount of cash and she's got a job. But there are also times that she gets too exhausted in her line of work. Like what she's feeling right now.

It's not easy to use your mutant ability, especially if you're not trained, it can get dangerous if you lose control and she's always on thin ice every time she uses hers. She could feel the pulsing of power in the tip of her fingers each time she made a flower bloom or just every time she used it. And even if she's been doing this for years and never once has she lost control, she's still fearful that one day, she might lose it and accidentally hurt someone. And she never wants that to happen. There's no way in hell she'll ever let that happen. This circus is the only thing she has in life and she can't lose it now that she's starting to gain some stability in her world.

A knock on her door caught her attention. Charlotte turns her head the same time the door creaks open. The face of a familiar colleague welcomes her. He's a man in his late forties and despite his old age, he is still physically fit for someone his age and judging on the expression of on his face, whatever the reason he's here, it certainly is important.

"Hey, Jim! Is the manager looking for me?" she asked, uncertainty and anxiety rising in her chest. Normally, he never visits her in her dressing room, he always finds someone else to tell her if he needs her to do something. He only goes here if the matter is really of utmost importance. Charlotte notices someone standing behind him, her brows furrows. She returns her gaze back at him. "Who's that behind you?"

He briefly looks back at the figure behind him before he turns at her. "Well, she says she personally knows you and wants to talk to you in person–alone." She frowned. But before she could even say something, he spoke up. "Also, she paid us a hefty sum of money, so be nice to her," he added, his last statement sounding more like a threat than a reminder.

Ah, that's it.

Jim eyed her a warning look, probably saying if she messes this up, he'll beat her up, Charlotte only smiles back at him before he steps out of the doorway and briefly talks to the figure before leaving. After a few seconds, the person looking for her enters her dressing room. And her breath caught in her throat.

The woman is beautiful. But not like the typical Hollywood beauty though. The lady has brown skin and an enchanting black eyes that seems to have the ability to compel people to only pay attention to her. There's this air of power around her as if she's some royalty ripped out of a fantasy book. But what scared Charlotte the most is the fact that the woman knows she's beautiful. And there is nothing more dangerous than a woman who knows her worth.

Finally, the lady looked at her and she nearly flinched. Her gaze was sharp and cold–calculated. And then she smiled and it sent cold shivers down her spine. "Hi, Charlotte, I have an offer for you."

ZEE SPEAKS

short ass update since i finally got some free time. not really sure when will be the next one but i do hope it'll be longer than this. but anyway, thank you for the votes <3333 really appreciate it. hope u keep reading and have a nice day or night.

ps. charlotte is an original character of mine and since i am re-writing this fic, her powers also changed. she originally has fire powers but as you can see, i also changed it. and changing her powers also means changing her back story and how she was introduced. hope u like her. she'll be having her own story soon.