The Black Snow Circus

Mask Of Emotions

Snap. I step on a branch, and hear the fluttering of the wings of the birds flying away. I look around. Where am I now? I should be close...I check my small tracker. A red dot flashed. It was a tracker I had on Jack. All siblings in the mafia had to wear one for each other, for an unknown reason. Maybe to keep them close or something, because well, if you're in the mafia, you have some past related to your family dying. Anyways, I walked along the supposed "path," also just the path I made. I wondered what I'd do first when I got back? It was a customary rule that after I take a leave, I don't do any missions for a while. The only people who knew why I took a long break were the leader, Eric, and Jack. I refused to tell anyone else, only the ones I trusted, despite me and Jack never talking. I hummed as I walked, and soon saw a red and white circus tent. I gleefully smiled, and exited the trees. I opened my mouth as I entered the area
"I'm back everyone"
Everyone froze. They all turned their heads in sync, stared at me, then just looked away. I then heard a familiar voice
"Heya Circe! So happy to see you!"
I turned and saw Eric, he was smiling like a puppy. I grinned, and hugged him. Once I pulled away, I saw his usually pale cheeks were bright red, and I tilted my head to the side.
"You ok Eric? You're looking a little red"
He pulled back and said
"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I ran here in a full sprint y'know"
He laughed like it was no big deal, and I did to, even though I couldn't come it funny since it was normally mentally impossible for me. "Well, I have to go get cleaned up, so I'll see you tonight after the show."
He nodded, and I smiled, skipping away, heading to my tent, which was already set up. Aw, how nice of whoever did it for me. I entered my tent, and looked in the mirror. Dang, I looked terrible. My normally white hair had sticks and mud in it, dying parts of it brown. My dress has tears in the arms and all. My eyes were red, and I had heavy eye bags under my eyes. Well, that was bound to happen since I didn't actually get to sleep. I sighed, and looked at a map in my room. Seems like there was a lake nearby. I'd wash up there. So, I exited the tent and headed to the lake.

A few hours passed, and I returned the camp, all clean again. I thought of what to do. Should I go talk to Jack? Of course he'd probably want to know that our childhood friend actually isn't dead like we had thought he was. I walked along, my steps a little quicker than normal. Then, I saw Eric, and he waved me over. I wonder what he wanted? I jogged over to him.
"Hey Circe!" He said. I smiled and returned the greeting, and he led me into his tent.
"So I know you really don't like me using my psychic abilities to peer into your mind, but can I pleeeease?"
He asked. I sighed. No way I let him. If he were some fake psychic like the rest, I would let him. But, since he could actually peer into other's emotions and occasionally their memories, I wouldn't let him. It was so weird that he could. We had met a few others like him before, it wasn't uncommon in this world to find people a little out of the ordinary. I had a psychotic little girl in my head that haunted me every time I slept, so I didn't fine it to strange. I spoke up
"Sorry, no can do Eric. There's somethings in there that are meant to stay locked away" I shrugged, and he sighed
"Worth a shot. Anyways, when you left, Jack was being weird. Muttering things like "why is she my sister" or " What is wrong with her?" He said. This didn't come as a shock to me. Jack always said things like that when he thought I wasn't listening. I know he actually hated having me as a sister due to my...personality. Eh, who cares about him? He's just known as my twin brother in the mafia, nothing more, nothing less. I shrugged my shoulders and said
"He's just being like how he always is. You know he doesn't like me." I giggled, and Eric laughed to, though I saw a flicker of saddness in his eyes. I knew it was pity. After all, who wouldn't feel bad for the young teenage girl whose brother hated her? But I didn't mind. He could hate me. I am pretty sure there is only 2 people in this world who actually truly like me and don't just pretend to like me. One of them is Eric. I still remember the day we met. I was 12, he was 13. We were assigned to be partners in a mission. Even when he saw my malicious grin while I killed the target, he only grinned and laughed with me. That's when I knew he was just a bit mad, like I am. Then again, if you're in the Top Five of the mafia, you have to be just a little bit insane. We laughed and talked that day as the place we had entered burned right behind us, or when we were running from the police chasing us. I remembered the day both he and I were promoted to the Top Five, as partners. I honestly saw him as more of a brother than Jack ever was. He laughed with me, not at me. He had my back in everything, whether I was being scolded by Tara, or the weeks I had to take a leave from the mafia. I snapped back to the present, smiling at Eric. He was my literal partner in crime, and we'd be like that till the day we died. I then poked him in the side. Though it was rare for me to feel anything at all, on rare occasions, I felt a strange feeling, like I was actually happy or something. I thought to myself, maybe I am not completly emotionless. After all, seeing Fin made me feel something I'd never felt before...nah, there was no way I felt anything at all. Right now, I feel nothing. But I have to pretend I am. After all, how does the saying go again? "Fake it till you make it?" Maybe it was true. Maybe I would feel again if I continued to wear this mask of emotions.