DEAD CIRCUS

The Incident

"Is this her Jack?" Tilly ran over to me and held my right hand. "Hi I'm Tilly Taffy!" Her pink skin was like porcelain, smooth and delicate but also tough. She was much shorter than Jack and looked much sweeter, literally. "Hello Tilly, I'm Y/n." Tilly tilted my head with her free hand to get a better look at me. "Oh my goodness she's stunning! But um... She's unnaturally pale for a mortal. Have they been feeding you properly?"

I couldn't help but laugh, it felt good to laugh again after so long. "Yes Tilly, I just ate dinner actually. Meatloaf and Potatoes are a great go-to meal." Her Golden irises shimmered in happiness. "Good. Well I am here to help you get back on your feet. Jack is the plumbing still working?" He yawned and fell back over my lap, "Yeah but everything in here is crusty and dusty.

Besides, we all know you love cleaning and decorating."

Tilly's face screamed 'You know me so well!'

"Give me 3 hours and I'll have this place spotleeeess!" She sang, disappearing in a flash of pink. The stuffy silence that followed her departure was broken by EJ coming to stand in front of Jack and I. "I've kept an eye on Y/n like we agreed, however the results aren't looking to be good." I feel like I knew something was off. "I was able to find definitive information on her accident. Please don't interrupt me while I explain my findings." He took in a deep breath and began.

"There are some holes that I will try to fill in, so listen closely. With Y/n being 23 her coma began 2 years ago, however according to her medical records she was in a healing state for at most three months. My reasoning behind this will be explained momentarily. I needed to clear up these dates first before getting Into my hypothesized retelling of Y/n's incident, if I get anything wrong then by all means correct me. Now let's begin.

Y/n Wyndon grew up loving Amusement Parks and yearly Fair Festivities, she had a sweet tooth and a love for thrilling rides that were available to her. Whenever her birthday would arrive, Y/n's only desire was to have an adventure in either of these activities. Her wish was granted every year, including her 21st. However her Father had passed away two years prior to her 21st birthday, this lead to her Mother re marrying George Salder.

He wasn't as kind and loving as her Father was, but in the presence of Diana Wyndon Salder he put up the facade of a caring Father. On her 21st birthday all three of them went to their usual Amusement Park to celebrate. Halfway through the day they decided to ride Y/n's favorite ride, The Golden Crown. Somehow even after the attendant checked each seat for safety, including her own that was working fine, her harness broke loose and sent her flying out of the attraction.

Y/n M/n Wyndon died **/**/22"

"Hey wake up" a hand lightly tapped my cheek to wake me up. I think it Jack's? I mean it's massive.

"Huh....Jack? EJ? What happened?" "You fainted, LJ had to stop your head from tipping and hitting the night stand." I cringe at the migraine that started up. "I suggest holding onto LJ for a bit longer, because I'm not done yet." I did exactly that, gripping onto Jack's monochromatic stripped sleeve.

"You did die, but that didn't last long. If I'm correct then everything I just said triggered locked away memories to resurface a little. And before you do don't both pushing it to remember. Amidst the chaos an outside source brought you back, but not fully alive. You can eat, sleep, drink, even fake living human cells in your body. I've already run countless tests and figured that out. I'm also sure of the fact that you know what that outside source of life is, don't worry about me pressuring you to tell. As for your immobility that is an easy explanation. It'll also explain why you are here and why you're unharmed, partly.

The thing you know as George is actually a being know as a rouge Shifter. It takes the form of an unmarried adult and integrates itself into it's target's family, since it is genderless it can take the form of a woman as well as a man. It feeds on the souls of dead children... Well, 'George' specifically does. Shifters don't usually feed as often as this one does, the don't even prefer human souls at that. Waste case scenario for times like these... If a Shifter that feeds on human souls is interrupted at any point the soul will return to its body on its own. The soul becomes rotten and changes the body over time. There have been few cases of this happening, all of them stay with LJ now. You were lucky to an extent. In any case you are no longer mortal, how you want to go forward with your soul is your choice and no one else's. As for the unfortunate ones... That's their story to tell."

My head is spinning from all the information.

"Now that I've explained what Shifters are I can tell you why you're here. LJ and his people are tasked with removing the rouge Shifter. Since it is currently 'George' right now we can keep an eye on him with your aid. I at first thought your coma was from a poison, but further data had me thinking it was your soul re fusing with your body. That's next to impossible except through special conditions. I have concluded it was both re fusing and Shifter saliva laced IV tubes. As crazy as it sounds the saliva from a Shifter can easily induce Comatose on a human, it has to be small amounts though. Simply removing you from the source has had a positive result on your physical capabilities." EJ let out a sigh of relief after talking.

"I've said enough for the evening, I'll be heading back now." Now it was Jack and I.

"Still have a migraine?" "Yeah, I feel too drained to do anything else tonight." Jack laid me on the bed, turning the light off and leaving as well.

Fun Fact:  Eyeless Jack was absolutely knocked out when he went to bed.  This hasn't been his first Shifter study,  he has been at this since the very first rouge Shifter incident.  I have already introduced one victim but not the other two yet.  Any guesses as to who it is?