No Happily Ever After

Chapter 24

The carnivalperformers were like a group of glorious swans to Josh.

Josh wished beyondreason that he could leave with these people; join their show. Eachplayer he passed, he contemplated asking them. But he was stillseveral months shy of his eighteenth birthday, and besides that, hehad nothing to offer the outfit. No special skills, no exoticbeauty. At best he could hope to be a freak, but even in that regardhe considered himself unexceptional. Late in the evening, Joshdejectedly left the carnival and returned to the Dark residence.

That very nightthere was a tussle at the house. He saw the Dark twins abuse EllaCinder. Though Ella had never reciprocated any of his attempts atfriendship, seeing her be abused reared Josh's ugly temper and heexploded. Once the situation died down, Thelma informed him thathe'd be sent to an orphanage on the morrow.

When the housefinally rested for the night, Josh Cross snuck out a window. Hisfeet hit the ground and he took off running.

***

He ambled alongsidethe road and into Faraway city limits that night, ending up at asmall all-night diner. He ordered only water as he had not a cent tohis name. The waitress must've noted his disheveled and lostappearance and found some pity for him however, as she served himcoffee on the house.

Sitting alone atthe coffee counter, he stared at the multi colored Formica and sippedthe muddy drink, weighing his options. Actually, he had no options. So, he weighed his lack of options. And then a sweet voice snappedhim from his miserable reverie.

"Well, hellothere, Joshua!"

He snapped his headup to see his high school counselor taking a seat next to him on oneof the red vinyl swiveling stools. His heart sped up as he beheldher sparkling dark eyes and her slightly too wide smile. The womanwas greatly loved among his high school peers. But, something aboutMrs. Bar thoroughly unsettled Josh. She struck him as slightly toofriendly. Slightly too happy. Her smile was slightly too bright,her eyes slightly too lively. She was perfection; amplified... Slightly. It likely had a lot to do with the fact that he had prettyhard evidence that her son was an utter lunatic. But the thing wasthat he found it hard to believe Benjamin Bar acted alone and gotaway with what he did without his parents knowing.

He had no choicebut to believe that Mrs. Bar was a psychopath as well.

Nonetheless, he hadyet to give away Benjamin's dark secret, and he wasn't about to startthen. Nothing on earth frightened him more than the prospect of anyof the Bar's knowing that he knew. So he forced a small, politesmile.

"Hi, Mrs.Bar," Josh said meekly.

"What bringsyou out so late, son?" she asked kindly, concern furrowing herbrow.

His head began tohum. He was out well past curfew and Mrs. Bar was an authorityfigure. He was sure to end up at a foster home, or the policedepartment. Those prospects seemed equally horrible to him. Hedidn't know what to say.

"I... Uh, Ijust needed to get out of the house for a moment," he said.

She frowned. "Youlive at the Dark house don't you?"

His cheeksreddened. He couldn't believe he knew that much about him honestly. "Yeah, I sure do, Mrs. Bar."

"Listen, Josh... Is everything OK? Do you need my help?"

Seriously,Josh thought. Someone finally cares about me and it has to beHER?

"Oh, it's noproblem. I'll just finish my coffee here and head home, alright?"

She studied hisface, deeply staring into his eyes. Her concentration on him madehim crazy. He wanted her to go away. After a long tense moment shereached out and stroked his arm. "Josh, tell ya what, why don'tyou come on out to my house. I'll be honest, I'm not fond of ThelmaDark, and I'm sensing there's something going on here. We'll gohome, and I'll help you."

WORST IDEA EVER,Josh mentally screamed. His anxiety climbed to an alarming level. He suspected that nobody who went to the Bar house ever got any formof help. He glanced around, thinking of darting for the exit. She'dprobably think he was running away out of fear of Thelma Dark or theauthorities. She wouldn't suspect that he knew about her family'sdark secret.

Or would she?

He took a deepbreath, thinking quickly. "Sure Mrs. Bar, thank you so much. Ijust need to make a quick pit stop if it's OK?"

Her overly pleasantsmile returned. "Sure, I'll wait for you here."

Josh concentratedon keeping his gait leisurely as he strolled to the men's room. Onceinside, he locked the door quickly behind him and darted across thetiny water closet. He scurried onto the toilet and pushed out thescreen in the small open window that was situated several feet abovehis head. He hoisted himself up deftly and pulled himself out thewindow. He dropped to the dry dirt below then sprang instantly backto his feet.

And off he ran intothe night.