After Death (Completed)

匚卄卂卩ㄒ乇尺 ７(Extravaganza)

Chapter 7: Extravaganza

Ethan Warren

Estimated, April 2024

About 23 months after outbreak

California, The Circus

Season 3

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"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! As you heard before, my name is Thomas King, and yes, that is my true name. I am known as the ringmaster. For safety precautions, I'm going to have to kindly ask you to turn over your weapons. You will be able to check them out from our gunsmith whenever you deem necessary." He stood tall; his dark skin and long black hair complimented his deep red suit. He had a scar across his left eye and wore a black modern top hat. I didn't know how to react; my first impression of him was that I found him to be ridiculous. We handed our guns to a very tall man with a lengthy beard. He smiled as he set our weapons into a shopping cart. "That is Emilio, my most trusted friend. He was once our ventriloquist!" Emilio waved to us all, but none of us bothered to wave back. I think we were all just confused; this was a lot to process. We've only been in each other's company for so long that meeting new people was not easy.

"I do wish to get to know you all as well. If you plan on staying, there's definitely room for all of you. Heck, there's room for about four times as many of you. Meet me in the Big Top either alone, with a friend, or as a group. I'd be thrilled to answer any questions you may have. Emilio, Pamela, can you show them where they can stay for the night?" He asked, and the two nodded in response.

We followed them to a few regular small houses near the Big Top. I felt a bit out of place as we walked down the streets; everyone wore fancy costumes and appeared to not have even a scratch on them. It made me irritated because I had a feeling most of them were just like the others in Loveland; they'd been here since the start and hadn't left.

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Rudolph Alinsky

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"Lovely, isn't it? We used to have animals, but I freed them when this began. I simply would not have had the means to take care of them." Thomas informed. I was the first to join him in the big top. None of the others had any interest in doing so until tomorrow; I only did it because I didn't want to go to sleep.

Inside the tent was a massive room filled with wooden rows of seats. In the center was a desk, and the ringmaster sat behind it. The room smelled of artificial fragrances and was lit only by candles. They had proven that they possessed electricity, but they were smart enough not to overuse it.

"How many people are here?" I asked because I was genuinely curious. It seemed that most people in the city were nothing but old corpses, and Ethan had asked me to get as much information about this place as possible.

"We have about 34, though we did have more; a sickness went around about a month ago, we got the medication, and we are no longer infected, but not everyone was so fortunate to survive. It was tragic."

"Is that why there are dead people wearing outfits like yours outside of the walls?"

"Yes, when they died, there were too many; we would have been unable to bury them all, and burning is against my morals. We tried to get them to spread out further into the big cities, but they're stubborn, and they were good friends."

"Why are you so close to the cities? Isn't that dangerous?" I asked. He stood from his seat, adjusted his tie, and walked towards me.

"On the contrary, it keeps bad people from getting too close but leaves the strong ones rewarded, like yourself. Consider it good karma. You had to fight your way here; you deserve this. I invite you to sleep in a more private room here rather than in one of the houses, if you wish. Good night, Rudolph," he said, leaving without another word. I don't know how to describe it, but I was enchanted. I didn't stay there, though; I needed to be with the people who needed me the most. The people I loved the most

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Ethan Warren

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It was unfortunately a restless night for me; my head was filled with all the what-ifs and how's. We all slept in the same house that night, just as we had in Loveland. I was still unsure of this place, and I was not about to make any mistakes.

As soon as the sun rose, I made my way to the Big Top. I waited inside for over three hours to speak with this man, and when he finally arrived, he hadn't bothered to wear more than a robe.

"What's your background?" I asked, trying not to look him in the eyes.

"What's yours? I understand you have questions. Ethan, but I have people here that I must protect. I can't simply give out personal information when this is the only time we've spoken. But what I can tell you is that I've been here since the start, even before that. I was the ringmaster after my older brother passed. Quite pacing, Warren; it's unhealthy." I hadn't even realized that I was pacing. I stopped abruptly and stared him in the eyes. He stared back, but with a softer expression than he was receiving, and I kind of envied him for that.

"Breakfast is at seven, lunch at noon, and dinner when the sun fully sets. I do hope you and your people choose to stay; it's been so long since we've had anyone new," he said as he rested a hand on my shoulder. "I feel you have the potential to do good things here. You don't seem as intimidating as you originally presented; I see a softer side to you, Ethan. I hope in time I will earn your trust, but until then you are welcome to observe my every move. You can watch every citizen I execute," he said. I could tell he was joking by the way he smiled and laughed awkwardly when I didn't show any reaction other than annoyance. I left the tent because I didn't want to do something I might regret. In truth, he didn't seem all that bad, but I learned from Lucas that people can be deceiving.