Freaks {AMERICAN HORROR STORY}

Chapter 7

Last night was my first night of work. The few people that came to the show stopped by tent to see the new "attraction". I read about 8 people's souls and I was exhausted. Luckily, the majority of them weren't orphans or outcasts. Regardless, I felt too many emotions I didn't want to.

Paul was reading the newspaper. The rest of us were eating breakfast, except Jimmy. I didn't know where he was this morning.

"This is madness." Paul said while he was reading the newspaper.

"What?" I asked as I sat down.

Everyone turned to look at me.

"You haven't heard?" Eve asked.

"There is a serial killer on the loose. They've been abducting children and killing their families." Paul elaborated.

"Christ." I muttered.

"Even more the papers have been talking about these twins." Paul continued, "They are connected together."

"Connected together?" I asked, "How is that possible?"

"Beats me." Paul said.

"Elsa is trying to recruit them." Legless Suzi spoke up.

"Who said that?" Eve asked Suzi.

"I heard Ethel talking about it to Jimmy." Suzi said nonchalantly.

"Where is Jimmy?" I asked.

They all kind of looked at me but didn't say anything. I felt strange for a moment. They definitely weren't telling me something.

"He's out." Eve said, but I could tell she was lying. I didn't say anything though.

I sat in my tent for a long while. I didn't have anything to do. Now that Roy was gone, it's not like I needed to practice any sort of act anymore.

I missed him.

I sometimes pretended like I hated him, but it was never true. He's been right by my side since birth and I have never been away from his more than an hour or two. Now he's been gone almost a day. He can't disappear on me. Not like my grandma. I wouldn't be able to handle it.

My mind was running in circles in my tent and I couldn't take it anymore. I decided to go walk around. Might as well. There was not much else I could do.

I started my walk. I went out to the edge of the property of the freak show and just started to kick my feet at the ground and drag my steps through the grass.  It was calming. I could put my hands down and touch the grass. I would find those plants where you would grab the bottom of them and then pull your hands up to the top. As you went you would pull off all the little strands on the grass. Then I could hold it in my hand for a moment before I threw it all back into the grass like confetti for the ants.

I looked out into the woods and swamps. They were so thick you couldn't see far into them. I was starting to get an awful feeling when I looked out into them. I suddenly wasn't so calm anymore. I felt sick to my stomach.

I felt like someone was watching me.

I could feel their soul and their presence. I could feel it staring at me. I started to become anxious when I couldn't see any souls anywhere in the dark woods. Living or dead.

My mind said I was being ridiculous but I could feel it. I now hated being alone in the grass. I looked out once more into the woods before I ran back to camp. I didn't want to be alone anymore.

As I was running I felt myself become more and more freaked out. When I turned my back to the woods it didn't make me feel safe. I ran faster as my adrenaline was pumping and my breathing quickening. I got to the dirt road that lead to the freakshow and turned to look back once more at the woods.

My heart jumped out of my throat when I ran into something. I jumped and screamed before I realized it was just Jimmy.

I was breathing so heavily and my heart was coursing in my chest as I calmed down.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I- I" I felt like an idiot. I didn't know what I was supposed to say. It's like I was a spooked child scared of a monster in a closet. I tried to come up with something anyways but Jimmy spoke up before I could.

"You are breathing real heavy." He remarked.

"I was just- I was running is why." I said. My cheeks still pretty red from when I screamed.

"Running?" He seemed confused.

I decided to just say the truth. It's not like he would judge me. "I was walking around by the woods and I freaked myself out. It's kind of stupid. I think it was because they were talking about that serial killer on the loose earlier."

"Don't worry about any serial killers." Jimmy laughed.

"I'll protect you from the killers in the woods." He teased me.

Even though he was joking and teasing, I still felt my cheeks burn.

"Where were you today?" I asked Jimmy later when we were back in camp.

I could immediately see some panic in his eyes. It was the same as when I asked the others where he was this morning.

"I was just out." He said.

"I got that part figured out already." I laughed, wanting him to elaborate but not wanting to be pushy about it.

"I just went to the local diner for a bit." Jimmy said, but yet again I could tell he was lying. He had been gone for quite a while and no one goes just to a diner for that time. However, I didn't want to keep pushing him to tell me so I dropped it. A part of me told myself to reach out and touch him. Then I would be able to find out the truth, but I wasn't going to violate him like that.

~

A/N

Who did you think was watching her from the woods? Where was Jimmy all day actually? I'm curious if anyone can guess.

Thank you for reading. :)