American Horror Story:Freak Show

(6)

Madeline's POV:

We were all sitting at the table, listening to music on the radio, when Jimmy turned it to a news report. Paul had his own protests, "Hey! I was listening to that."

The news reporter says, "The town of Jupiter is in the grips of terror for a second week from four unsolved murders and a child who remains missing. Schools stand like mausoleums, their attendance drastically declined as parents keep their children safely home."

The reporter continues, "And we have learned, through this report has not yet been confirmed, that one of their own, possibly a Jupiter police detective has himself been missing for two days."

Reporter, "Reliable sources in the police department have circulated the clarion cry that quote, "No stone will be left unturned. The boys in blue are out for blood."

I turn the radio off, "That's enough of that for now." Jimmy, "You took care of the body like we talked about?" We all looked to Jimmy as we knew exactly what he was talking about.

I often wondered if being apart of this show would turn me into a monster. I'm not saying a person like Jimmy, Evie, Paul, Pepper and Salt, Elsa or Ma Petite. I'm saying, a monster, who will kill people for entertainment.

That is not who I am, or who I want to be. We turn to face the two people from the police department, it is like they knew something about them. I would not say, even though I had no part of what happened to the detective.

"Jesus" says one of them as they look at us, "Who's the proprietor of this, uh, freak show?" Asks one of them. I stand and say, "That would be Elsa Mars." Jimmy, "That's her tent right there."

I'm going to be honest, when people look at me, I am not what they would consider to be a freak. I don't have the hands like Jimmy. I don't have the height of Ma Petite, I actually have the looks of a model.

This life that I am living, it is all by choice. After my parents died, my sisters and I chose our own paths in life-because we could. Caroline is now a professional ballerina-the most famous in our world.

Helen is a fantastic book author. Having written about our lives, and our parents. We tried to remain in contact with each other,and we have through letters, but it is not the same versus seeing them in front of me physically.

My sisters want to come and visit, but because of the murders happening here, I keep saying no, to keep them safe. I don't know what I would do without them, our parents have already passed away.

We sat at dinner. There were a bunch of shouts, "Kill the copper!" But I chose not to participate. Jimmy was like me that way, he threw his victory cup away, stood up and shouts, "Shut up!"

Everyone and everything went silent. The only thing to be heard was the sound of the music playing on the record player. Jimmy grabs my hand and we walk away from the table.

He brought me, Evie and Paul with him, once again to the sight. Where, I again, did not participate. Jimmy, "I'm sorry I snapped. I've never killed anyone before. What if he has a family? A couple of kids, wondering where he is?"

Jimmy, "I know what it's like to grow up without a father" Poor Jimmy, he was indeed right- but I am beginning to see how the guilt is starting to eat him alive.

Jimmy and I hug, as Amazon Eve asks, "Are we gonna return the body parts back to the family?" Jimmy, "No. We're gonna burn these body parts, and we're gonna scatter the ashes as far as we can."

I say, "Cops are already sniffing around." Jimmy, "I'm sorry, guys. I wanted to protect us, and instead, I created a whole shit storm of trouble."

Evie, "You had no other choice. He was gonna take the twins away. He called us "freaks." Paul, "I hate that word" I nod my head agreeing with him.

Jimmy, "They don't even know us. If they just got to know us, they would see we're just like them. No better, no worse, just regular people. That's what we gotta do... let them know us."

I wish I could tell Jimmy how wrong he is. He is right by saying this is not how we should be treated, but he is wrong in saying about how people will never want to get to know us, because we will never be seen as regular people.

Like my younger sister, Caroline, both Helen and I got teased a lot just by being associated with our father and the circus. I learned this lesson the hard way when I was young, but I don't want to ruin the innocence that Jimmy still clings to.