It's All Part Of The Show 'The Carnival Of Glass'

Chapter VIII 🎪Is This Part Of The Show

Back inside my chamber, I wrapped my left leg behind my right leg twisting my legs into an interesting position.

Standing behind the coal-powered heater, the faulty lights both inside and out began to flicker. As the girl sat on the stool off to the side, the pulsating light from the bulbs around my mirror, the small lamps hanging from the chamber's inner walls, and the ones on either side of the outer door.

She looked around, turning her head in every which way and direction all at once. She tried to make sense of the unusual events.

"W-what do you mean? What's going on?"

Rainey asked a bit spooked.

"Ancient Carnival from 1944... Sometimes the lighting has its faults."

I said letting a string of air out from my lungs.

I followed my exhale with a grin.

I leaned my right shoulder against the chamber's walls as the whole skeleton of the room started shaking as if an earthquake had started.

"Now what's happening! Are there earthquakes in Ohio?"

She looked around afraid to take her eyes off the shaking four walls and afraid to take her eyes from me.

Maybe spooked wasn't strong enough to describe Rainey's nerves. Shall we say, bewildered and frightened? -I think those words suit her better.

"It's okay. It's okay –That was my fault."

I said closing my eyes with a smile.

"You did that? –Just now?"

She asked pointing at the lights that seemed like they would burn out any second now, but they were still glowing.

"Yes."

I was truthful.

I watched a black scorpion crawling across the floor following it with my eyes. R-a– Rainey had spotted it too. Again, I had to force that name out of me.

"Is this part of the show?"

Asked Rainey.

I fought to recoin my smile back in because I was so pleased with her remark.

"No –It's all real, very real Madison. Bruuuuhh!"The name had slipped! I had to make a sound effect with my mouth in order to manage my nerves. "I chose you." Too soon, Marcus.

I told her while imagining the question that would come next.

"Chose me for what? Wait– How do you know my name? MADISON? " Yeah, just like I had predicted.

"To be saved."

I was so caught up in the moment, and I wanted my dream so badly I unconsciously spoke the word: M-A-D-I-S-O-N

'She picked up on it too... Bloody hell!'

I thought.

"How do you know my name!?"

Said the girl.

"We've met before, Madison."

I told her.

"Is this,  p-part of the show!?"

She spoke.

She looked like she had seen a ghost.

I smiled proudly. -Maybe I wanted her to say that...

"You look like a ghost...Are you hungry?"

I said concerned with her state.

"I feel like something else."

And here it comes... So, it begins–

I wanted to just hug her and say: You're not a ghost, we're not what you'd call 'ghosts'... More like stuck souls. We belong to The Carnival (Of Glass And Light)I sold my soul to something- a word perhaps, I belong to my Carnival, and I cannot leave. I cannot die, but I'm not quite a ghost... an entity perhaps? So, what does that make Madison? –To be determined... But I may or may not already have a vague idea.

"I saved you from something no one else would."

I told her folding my curly hair backward on my head.

Madison was looking back in the direction of the crowd. -I could tell she had lots of various mixed emotions.

"From Alphie and Eia?"

She asked.

"Yes." And Kate and Dusty too. "I save kids like you, from bad situations."

I replied.

"Why should any of this make sense– Why should I believe you?"

Madison said thrusting her left index finger at me as she finished her sentence.

She's just like me! This is magical... Darn it, Marcus! You're doing this to yourself.

"Because I am the one and only Mister TopHat! -No, you're right. Why should you believe me?"

There was a cup of sarcasm dumped all over my words.

I wanted so so badly to just let the sentences out of my throat. I considered mentioning Kate and Dusty -They weren't worth mentioning because of what they did, but for this child's sake, mauve they were now worth mentioning. Kate and Dusty had abandoned Rainey just after she was born because she was different. -This child didn't know the name Rainey yet either, because I found her.

(770 words)