Madhouse

Room 1

"Sir, your niece is arriving this afternoon. Sir! Please wait. You can't leave yet, the offer hasn't been accepted."

Two cloaked men rushed down a spiral of dark stairs, letting their heels echoe down the long and empty hall. The cold grey walls reminded the smaller man of an infamous alley down in London.

"I accept the case, I'll be right on it." the man in the front escaped the situation and also his assistant after slamming the metal door shut and entering a wide garage.

After making sure the clackering of heels had stopped and Robinson was gone, the rumoured hypocrite took a deep breath.

He typed a number into the fittingly black phone.

+1

The rest of the numbers went down in mechanical beeps from the mobile.

A muffled voice spoke through the speaker while Sapnap did no more than kick a few rocks to the side of the garage.

The entrance gate opened and a dark sportscar shot a door open.

"This better not be lighthearted to you. I'm trying to have fun.". Beep. Call over. The car door slams shut.

It had been two hours when the rearview mirror showed the front of an impressive circus tent.

"Mr. S, we've arrived." the unnecessarily energetic driver signified.

Sapnap got out of the darkly shaded car. He looked around. The sky was completely grey and filled with dark clouds.

A similarly darkly and high-class dressed, ominous presence was staring into Sap's very soul.

"Cynthia!" the man shouted as he picked up his pace and walked towards the adoptive sibling.

She pushed her oversized clutch onto his chest, gave him a threatening look and turned to leave, picking up the front of her gothic dress.

"Hey wait! Hold on. Where's Coven?" the older brother held her back, receiving a look into the direction of a small sweet stand.

Raising a hand to wave goodbye, but deciding to disguise the attempt of comfort as a result of trying to block his nose, the enegmatic professional spy took his leave.

The sweet stand was painted with everyday house wall paint, but looked even worse. It varied the colours dark purple, a scarlet shade of red and a rusty...Old white.

Coven was standing in a row of three people, trying to get to the first spot.

"Coven!!"

"Uncle Sapp??.. Where's mom?"

"Gone."

A sarcastic sigh.

"About time. When do we go inside the cool tent?"

After grabbing a few snacks for the show, Sapnap and the little Coven trotted into the mysteriously decorated coliseum.

As soon as their eyes met the dim starlights that shone from the roof of the massive tent, Coven's smile grew by a dozen.

"'Col Sap look there's a smile!!" her eyes lit up at the flashing image.

Sapnap would have answered his amazed niece if he would be able to stop himself from thinking of all the strangers whose eyes were focused on him. He couldnt see them. He just felt them.

After finding a comfortable spot to sit in the exact middle of the top podium and getting the candy out, the hall started filling up.

Guests streamed into the building to watch the long awaited show. A spectacle truly, nothing normal. Something unexpected was being expected.