No Happily Ever After

Chapter 25

Josh'ssituation had worsened far more than he'd ever anticipated. He neverthought he'd be wishing to return to his father's beatings and thecruel treatment of his brothers and sisters. He found himselfweaving through the streets of Faraway, looking for a remote locationto hide. From his crummy foster family. From the social workerwho'd ultimately take him to an orphanage. From the police. Andworst of all, from a family of whackos. Josh was convinced he'dnarrowly missed being murdered and placed inside the cave of doom. He was a realist, and in such, he knew it made perfect sense to pickhim to be a murder victim. Who would miss him? Except, he wasn'tparticularly interested in being anybody's death experiment.

It was past twoa.m. when Josh gained entry into a vacant house. The place was dirtyand dilapidated looking as though it hadn't known the presence of ahuman in decades. But it was full of the life of the abandoned. Skittering spiders inhabiting dusty webbed corners. Rats racingbetween the shadows along the floor. And the whisper of storiesuntold. Josh shivered as he crept up the creaking flight of stairs,feeling forlorn that a place like this would be the only place hecould feel safe.

He found a room offa long dark hallway that contained peeling paper and an old stripedmattress propped against the wall. He pulled it down to the floorand dropped exhausted onto it. A cloud of dust rose up around himand he coughed and fanned it out of his face. Once the dust settled,he too settled back onto the musty mattress, his hands propped behindhis head. He lay staring up at the cracked and stained ceiling,thing of so many things that he essentially thought of nothing atall. In no time, his eyes drifted closed and he fell into a deep anddreamless sleep.

He woke withsunlight streaming across him and sat bolt upright on the bed, wideawake. His sleeping mind had revealed the answer to him. It was thelast day that Carnaval de le Nuit would be in Faraway. He would makehis way to the carnival and throw himself on the mercy of thecarnies. He would beg them to take him away with them. This was it. This was his last shot at fleeing his awful existence and building areal life worth living.

And if theyrefused, he would simply end his own life.

***

Josh found his wayinto the carnival once again under the blazing heat of the summersun. He stuck to the shadows cast by the tents, trying to staysomewhat cool, and also avoid being seen. He wasn't really worriedanybody would notice him, but on the off chance any of the Bar familywas there, he wanted to remain as hidden as possible.

He once againobserved the magical carnival performers. When he caught sight of abeautiful fortune teller, perched in a red and white striped booth,he stopped to watch her for a while.

She wore aprovocative silky purple gown. Long shining black hair flowed downto her waist and swished prettily against her olive skinned face asshe moved, speaking and smiling at her querients as they took theirseats in front of her. She had kind eyes.

When the line ofpeople looking for her advisement finally cleared, Josh took the seatbefore the beautiful gypsy. She gave him a smile.

"I need help,"Josh said quietly.

She smiled widerand extended her palm. "Five dollars, child, I will help you."

Josh dropped hiseyes, blushing furiously. "Uh, that's... Not what I mean. Idon't have any money."

The woman's smilefaded but she pondered Josh for a long time. "What is it? What's the matter?"

"I... I wantto join the Carnaval. I want to come with you when you leave."

She sighed andreached across the table to pat Josh's hand. "Oh dear one, youcan't do that."

"Please!"Josh said, his voice rising slightly. "Listen, no one will missme. No one will come looking for me." The woman gave him alook of concern, but said nothing. He continued. "My wholelife, I've been beaten and tormented. Nobody loves me. No one onthis planet. I'm not safe here." The woman's face revealedthat her heart was breaking for him. He began to think perhaps shewas an authentic fortune teller. Perhaps she really could feel hissorrow. He pressed on. "If I stay here, they'll just continueto hurt me. Please, please, I beg of you. Take me away from here."

After anothermoment the woman rose. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

Josh waitedanxiously fidgeting in his seat. His eyes darted around nervouslyexpecting to see Mrs. Bar at any moment. Finally she returned with agigantic muscular man who wore an epic handlebar mustache in tow. Josh's heart sped up and his hopes crashed, assuming he was about tobe tossed out of the carnival.

"I'm Boss,"the man said gruffly. "What can you do?"

Once again Joshblushed and his eyes dropped to his lap. "Well, I... Um..." He didn't really know what to say. He mustered as much courage ashe could and returned his gaze to meet Boss's eyes. "I canlearn."

Boss grinned,revealing a row of silver teeth. "That's a good answer son,follow me."

***

Carnaval de le Nuitand its members transformed Josh into exactly what he'd alwaysenvisioned for himself. They trained him, gave him strength and hewas soon in perfect physical condition just like the rest of them,with rippling biceps and six pack abdominals. He got tattooed andpierced by the carnival's incredible artists. He was given a stylishhaircut and an outrageous new wardrobe. And, fittingly, he wastaught the art of escape for entertaining crowds.

His new familyaccepted him warmly and lovingly. They gave him all that he'd everlacked and he finally found a place to flourish. He had an excitingand happy life, traveling all over the country.

Which brought himto his present conundrum, sitting in the library and staring at thecomputer screen. Faraway represented his old family. He hadinformation that could help them, and he struggled to decide whetheror not he should go forward, or just go on living his Faraway freelife.

After muchconsideration, he logged off the Internet and resolved to forget allabout it.