Circus Save Me, page 12
When I reach the outskirts of the town, I can hear the hustle and bustle of people coming and going about their daily life. It’s so much louder than camp, leaving the peace behind. My old insecurities and worries return making me hesitate before I straighten my back and stride through the gate with purpose. I am not someone's property or slave anymore, it means they can’t touch me. Plus, most of the town came to see us perform last night so they will know I am part of the circus.
The big wooden gate opens up right into the main street of town. Shops and stalls line the stone road, with houses poking up behind them. Laughter and music reach me, making me relax even more. Cinders was the complete opposite, if you heard laughing it was because of the rich men hurting a slave. Here children run happily through the street, men watch and smile as they work. I take my time looking at everything, trying to decide where to go for what I want.
Spotting a stall with trinkets and treasures, I hurry across the road, smiling at a child who runs past me. I offer the old man behind the stall a small smile before looking over his wares. From jewelry to books, this stall seems to have everything.
I debate what to buy Alcide, I need something he can decorate his tent with.
“Looking for something in particular, miss?” The man croaks. I look up at him.
“Ah-yes. I need something for a man. A present of sorts, something he can put in his room.”
He coughs then struggles to his feet and looks over the options. “Brother, father, or master?”
“None. Friend.”
He blinks at me incredulously before looking down again. “How about a good book?”
Frowning, I scan again until my eyes land on a beautiful hand carved frame. Animals of all shapes and sizes dot around the rectangular frame and my heart jumps. It’s perfect. Now I just need something to fill it. Nibbling on my lip I look around. It needs to be personal, something for his family. I know! I could get Rex to draw something. Grinning, happy with myself I gently grab it.
“How much is this?”
“Thirty-five coins.”
Nodding, I grab my purse and count them out before handing them over.
“Thank you, it's beautiful,” I gush, he smiles at me before offering me a brown wrapping. I gently wrap it and then frown, damn why didn't I bring anything to carry it.
“Here, miss. My son carved that, you have a good eye. He is one lucky friend.” He passes me a bag and I smile gratefully. I safely put the frame away before looking at the man.
“Thank you, tell your son he is as talented as his father is kind.”
The man ducks his head. “Thank you, miss, have a good day.”
I smile before wandering away. I look through the shops and stalls for a while, and my eye catches on one filled with paper and paints. Hurrying over, I pick some out for Rex before paying. As I am putting them in my bag, I spot a large man looking at me from the next stall. Frowning, I nod at the man who served me and walk away. At the stall a couple of doors down I find a necklace for Jesse. I also find Nixon some leather gloves to protect his hands when performing.
I spot the same man again and start to get paranoid. I go inside the next shop and watch to see if he follows. When he doesn't, I breathe easier.
Silly girl, I chastise. Looking around the shop I spot a fluffy teddy section. I pick up a little bear and an evil thought of giving it to Rumple/Bubbles has me giggling as I look around again. I don’t need to get Tiny anything to cuddle with as I seem to be his cuddle buddy. I go to pay for it when next to the desk I see a magnificent knife. The handle is gold with beautiful carvings on it and the blade itself has words written on it. I must stare at it for too long.
“Do you like it?” The man behind the desk asks.
“It's amazing,” I say softly.
He nods and stands, pulling it down he offers it to me. I put the teddy down on the desk and hold it delicately. Trying to make out the words I run my fingers along them.
Carpe Noctem
“What does it mean?” I ask curiously
“Seize the night,” he answers.
Debating whether or not to buy it for Blain I give in. “I'll take it and the teddy please.”
He nods and adds them up before handing them over. I pay with the money Alcide gave me and leave the store. Wandering down the road I try to think if I need anything else.
I stop. I can feel someone watching me. An itch burning my back where I feel their gaze. Dropping my head, I hurry my steps. Looking up I frown, when I realise that I have turned into an alley next to a shop. Groaning at my own stupidity, I turn around.
The man from before stands at the end of the alley watching me, hunger on his large face. I look behind him spotting the main road. He steps further into the alley and I panic and try to slip past him. He grabs my cape and yanks me back.
“Not so fast. I think it’s time you learnt your place,” he rumbles.
I don't even have time to raise my power as lights flash before my eyes and something hits the side of my head. The world tilts sideways as I fall and my vision edges in black. I can only blink as he crouches down next to me.
“Oh yes, you will do perfectly.”
I try to cry out, but the black overtakes my eyes and I pass out.
I push through the darkness clinging to me, trying to drag me back under. Flickering my eyes open I groan and slam them shut. Allowing myself time to adjust, I squint before opening them fully. Blinking at the unfamiliar ceiling I try to remember what happened, where I am. When everything rushes back I gasp and sit up. My eyes search the barren bedroom I am in. A wooden door sits shut at the end of the single bed I am on. Other than that, no other furniture graces the room. I scoot to the side of the bed, stumbling to my feet and start toward walk to check if the door is locked. Crying out, I fall back on the bed as something pulls at my leg.
Looking down, I stare at the chain around my ankle. My eyes follow it to the corner of the bed where it is anchored with a large lock. Panic and terror claw at my throat as I try to control my breathing. Flashbacks of the man who took me start to come back to me, making me panic even more. Frantically, I pull at the chain. The rusted metal links don’t creak, and the bed doesn’t even move. Dejected, I collapse on the bed out of breath. Tears escape my eyes as I look around the room I am trapped in. Dashing them uselessly, I try to think of a way out of this mess.
Think, Rhea, think! I look around the room again for any clue or hint of where I am. My memory is still fuzzy, and my brain starts playing tricks on me, the room blurring and losing focus. I climb off the bed and inspect it, looking for any loose pieces I could use to escape, or if I needed to, as a weapon. I curse under my breath when I find it intact. I walk around the room as far as my chain will allow me. I can take four steps until it pulls me back, which is about halfway to the door. I scour the room for anything else I could use. It is meticulously clean, not even dust litters the floor. There is a pink blanket and a pillow on the bed which looks like it has seen better days. I sit back on the end of the bed and put my head in my hands.
I can’t help but think about all the horror stories Frederick and his men used to tell me, about women that were less fortunate than me. I used to think they were just made up to keep me in line, but now I can’t help but wonder if this is what fate has in store for me. Stories about women that are used and sold like cattle, beaten until they were mindless, just empty shells to be used as their owner wished. Frederick once told me of a girl he found out in the barren wilderness when he had been visiting another settlement for a trade deal. She had been like a zombie, and ‘defective’ had been carved into her skin. She had been stolen from her settlement and taken to a commune in the middle of the barren lands. The commune was run by a group of breeders who believed that it was their mission from God to repopulate the earth. Part of the process would be to make the girls obedient, this would often involve ‘breaking in’ the girls.
Meaning they would brainwash them and beat them until they would do as commanded. This girl, who was only about sixteen, had been unable to bear children so they had no use for her. They marked her, beat her within an inch of her life, and dumped her in the barren lands to die. Frederick had found her and decided it was kinder to kill her and end her suffering. I had always been horrified by this story, not understanding why he would not help her or bring her back. But I think I can understand now.
There is a noise outside of the room and I can hear voices as they move past. I freeze on the bed, hardly breathing as I try to make out what they are saying. However, they are too quiet, and I clench my fists in frustration. I stand up, wanting to pace the room but I start seeing double as dizziness overcomes me and I sit back down on the bed with a thud. I feel like I’m going to vomit. Clutching my stomach, I roll onto the bed; I’ll lay down for a bit until I feel better. I can't escape if I can’t see properly.
I close my eyes and wonder how everything has come to this. This might be all I know, but the world didn’t used to be like this. Women were classed as equals and fought for their place next to men. The cook at my first Master’s household had been from before the blasts. She used to whisper stories to me, about marches that women used to do to demand equal rights. She would tell me of the government, who were once in control of the countries, and how they made bad decisions which lead to a world war. Advancements in technology had led to weapons of mass destruction which were unleashed upon each other, which left us with the wastelands we live in now. She explained to me that the nuclear blasts destroyed the ozone, which caused the planet to heat up, so any plants that survived the blasts died in the drought. The world became a brutal place after the blasts, with the government collapsing leaving no one to rule them, people became unruly and crime rates rose. Then the plague hit and decimated the remaining population, unfortunately, women suffered worse than men. Apparently, after that, the world was such a harsh place to survive only the strongest or most resourceful were left. Which left us with about one female to a hundred males.
Fertility rates dropped due to all the excess radiation and women became something to possess, to own. I don’t remember my mother, she dumped me outside of the settlement at Cinders when I was only a baby. I have no idea who my father was. Which was how I came to live in Cinders. I lived with my first Master until I was twelve, and then I was bought by Frederick. I once tried to visit the cook who used to tell me of a better time, but I found her body strung up outside the property with a sign nailed to her body which read ‘traitor.’ I never spoke of her again for fear of the repercussions.
A loud bang has my eyes shooting open and I jerk to a sitting position. Standing in the doorway is the same man from the market who cornered me in the alley. He stands still, his disgusting, beady eyes running over my body. My breathing speeds up and I contemplate what might happen next. He stalks towards me, his eyes never leaving me as he licks his lips. I scoot back on the bed, trying to get as far away from him as I can.
“Who are you? Where am I? You have to let me go,” I demand, wishing my voice didn’t sound so weak.
The man laughs like what I have said is hilarious. “I don’t have to do anything, girl. You have forgotten your place, which we will remind you of.”
I bite my lip from saying anything that will get me into more trouble than I am already in, although I struggle to push the anger away. I glare at the man, meeting his gaze so he knows I am not some meek girl who will be pushed around.
“My, my, you are a pretty one. We were lucky to find you. If it wasn’t for the tip-off from that freak, we might have missed you. You are too well protected at the circus. But we got a message saying you had come to the market, alone. And lo and behold, there you were! Walking around like you belong here, practically begging to be taken.”
My blood turns to ice as he confirms my fears, someone in the circus has betrayed me. But who? Sure, Esme hates me, but would she really betray a fellow woman? I didn’t really know anyone else in the circus except for the guys and they wouldn’t do this to me, would they?
“Why am I here?” I ask, dreading the answer that I know is coming.
“You are here to answer your calling,” he tells me with a smile I’m sure he thinks is charming, but actually comes across as creepy. “Our population is dying, and you will help us save it. If you’re a good girl then this can be beneficial to you, but you have no choice in this,” he tells me and horror fills me as he walks towards me, adjusting the bulge in his crotch as he nears.
I’ve been caught by the breeders. Stupid Rhea. I had felt safe in this town, so I had ignored Alcide’s advice and came out on my own, and walked straight into their hands.
The man crawls onto the bed and grabs my shoulders. I try to twist to get away from him, but he is too strong, tearing at my clothes. I cry out as they rip. I kick my legs and try to claw at his arms.
“You’re feisty! I like my girls with a bit of fight to them,” he says and laughs as he backhands my cheek. I cry out, thinking I can hear sounds of fighting in another room, but my full focus is on trying to keep the man on top of me as far away as possible.
He tears at my loose trousers and I can’t stop the angry tears that roll down my cheeks.
“Get off me!” I scream, using all of my energy to try and fight this man off me.
“Rhea!” I hear a deep booming voice bellow.
I manage to push the man's face away from mine and turn my head. In the doorway, like an avenging angel, is Nixon.
“Nixon!” I cry out, never more glad to see someone in all my life.
Except the gentle giant that I have come to care for isn’t there. A rage that I have never seen before clouds his face and I know that he has been triggered. I need to get up so I can calm him down.
The weight of the man above me disappears, as he is thrown from me with a yell. I prop myself up and watch as the man goes to fight Nixon before realising how big he is.
“Hey now, this girl is my property. Go get your own,” he says angrily, gesturing towards me chained to the bed.
I can see the exact moment that he realises that he made a mistake by saying those words. His eyes widen as Nixon roars at him, sounding more beast than man. Grabbing the man by his shirt, Nixon lifts him up and looks him dead in the eye.
“Rhea belongs to no one but herself,” he utters, his words coming out clipped like he is struggling to speak.
I am shocked, this is the most I have heard him speak since I have met him. If I wasn’t chained to a bed I would have wrapped my arms around him at his statement. I have always been owned, someone’s property, but no longer.
Nixon moves before I have a chance to shout out, his hands going to the man’s neck, snapping it like a twig. He then throws the man’s lifeless body to the floor. His breathing is still rapid and he stares at the body like it might jump from the ground and attack me.
“Nixon,” I call, but he doesn’t move, it’s like he can’t hear me.
“Nix,” I call gently, walking slowly towards him as far as my chain allows.
I place my hand gently on his arm and he spins, hand raised as if to hit me. I flinch, eyes wide, but I know that he wouldn’t hurt me.
“Nixon, it’s me,” I keep my voice quiet and my tone soft.
I can see he is still deep in his trigger, but the Nixon that I know is starting to come back.
“You think you could help me, big guy?” I ask, pointing to the chain attached to my ankle.
He growls as he sees that I am chained to a bed and notices the state of my clothing. Removing his shirt, he passes it to me, and I gratefully put it on. Crouching down he looks at my ankle, before grasping the chain and ripping it from the band around my leg. The cuff is still firmly in place, but I am no longer bound. I take another step towards him but my knees buckle, the events of the day taking their toll on me. Nixon immediately catches me and picks me up, cradling me in his big arms. He begins to leave the room, walking through the dimly lit building. I have a thought as we leave.
“Wait. Are there other girls here?” I ask with horror.
We can’t leave anyone here, I refuse to. I won’t let anyone else be treated the same way. Nixon shakes his head and I feel relieved.
“They killed them,” he tells me, bursting my bubble of relief.
“Why would they do that?!” I ask, horrified.
They were stealing girls to breed because there wasn’t enough women, so why would they kill them? It makes no sense to me. It apparently doesn’t to Nixon either as he shakes his head.
“Something about them being ‘defective’.” His voice is layered with rage and I’m worried he is going to go after them again. I am horrified by what he says, and I fall silent, remembering what Frederick had told me about ‘defective’ girls who weren't able to fall pregnant.
I look up at the big man and see his eyes have returned back to normal, my Nixon is back. I feel safe in his arms and as he wanders back to the circus I feel my eyelids begin to droop, his hand stroking my back reassuringly. A thought comes to me which has me trying to sit up in his arms.
“Wait, how did you find me?” The question feels really important.
He just meets my eyes and shrugs.
“I just knew,” he tells me, and I know he is telling the truth. “Rest now, Rhea.”
I close my eyes and fall asleep in my protector's arms.
I awaken as I hear the noises of the circus around me, the general hustle and bustle of people working in the camp. I open my eyes and see Nixon peering down at me as he walks through the camp, towards what looks like my tent. I hear several people call out, but none of them are my guys and I wonder where they are.
Pushing through the entrance to my tent, Nixon stops dead and swears under his breath. All of a sudden he drops me, his hands going to his neck, making choking noises as he struggles. I look up from my position on the floor, wondering what the hell is going on. I cry out as I see a person dressed in black hanging off of Nixon’s back, a black cord wrapped around his throat.
