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

Chapter XIII 🎪TopHat's Inner Chamber

After the show, I disappeared behind a cloud of red smoke just like before, and I found myself back in my inner chamber where Madison had fallen asleep.

With her head and face to the pillows propped against the wall, there was something peaceful about my child sleeping. Whether the case was that she was finally safe and I took comfort in knowing that, or the fact that I took a wild guess that she was dreaming of The Carnival Of Ink and The Carnival Of Glass. Madison was dreaming of me -I had to see her in her dreams as well as outside of her dreams.

I smiled.

Madison's dream:

"And when I was very young, he got sick, and then he died. Poor and destitute... he left behind only one possession-this... a gold coin, this one... this one here. I came to this country with one goal, to become the man my father knew I could be! I wanted to grab the American dream with both hands, and never let it go. And then, I remembered a story my father told me about his one good memory as a child." Satan's soul! She was dreaming about that day! -I would be livid if when she awoke, she remembered the dream... maybe that day would be more clearer now seeing as she was far too young to remember before.

Madison's fingers were twitching- "The day the carnival came to town." I said that in her dream. I said that in 1944. My hands started sweating as I noticed Madison flinching, but she was most certainly asleep. -'Should I wake her?'

"I knew what would lie ahead- I would dedicate it to bringing you the show you will see- All of my labor."

I spoke in her dream. Her dream was not a dream I had created in the present, no. This particular one was about events that were real... a day that actually existed and this was no ordinary dream, it was a memory.

"I–" The dream was quickly progressing. "Mr. Cochran!"

No. No! NO! NO! Stop, I have to wake her up!

Bartholomew came to the side of me pouring some wine while little Madison was with my contortionist out of sight... out of sight and out of mind.

"Madison! Kiddo, wake up. Madison wake up. Please Tiger- Wa– M–"

"Mr. Cochran! Mr. Cochran! Mr. Cochran!"

The camera's shuttered as their flashes filled the room.

"What was your inspiration for your carnival?"

Yelled a reporter.

"My father–" I spoke in the dream.

"Please wake up."

I said to Madison rubbing her shoulder and arm gently in a difficult attempt to wake her.

"--That your carnival may not be ready for paying customers? That you are behind schedule yet refusing to delay the opening?"

Shouted another towards me as Bartholamew came to rest his hand on my shoulder to keep me from pressing on more about the subjects dancing on the reporter's tongues.

I gently waved him off though... "Those reports are nonsense! This carnival is my legacy, I would not jeopardize my good name–"

"MADISON!"

I tried to wake her once more. -My attempts were useless. I was about to grab my cane to try to wake her or at least stop the scouring dream but I was too slow.

A loud creaking noise came and my merry-go-round collapsed. Madison was spooked by the commotion as I looked at Bartholomew. I lifted Madison into my arms as Bartholamew snatched my hat from the gravel and the cloud of dust and smoke that covered the surrounding area. Hidden amidst the wall of flames, smoke, and the dust, myself, Madison and my business partner slipped away from the accident.