FREAK SHOW

Chapter 28: The Grand Escape to Reality

                

Chapter 28: The Grand Escape to Reality

WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER (lol ur gonna hate me)

~"The beauty of words is that when the story has ended, much like this one, it can still live on in the hearts and minds of readers for generations to come." ~ unknown

         The foundation did a poor job at hiding the ugly marks of abuse on her face. Her cheek was not as puffy as it was the day after the incident, but her eye endured the worse. Slightly swollen, her eyelid was a dramatic shade of purple, tinged black around the edges. It was a black eye that was slowly receding, nevertheless, it was still a horrid thing to look at and remind her of her "crimes".  And yet, Charlie still managed to look at her like she was the prettiest thing in the world.

         Charlie and Scarlett now had to use extreme caution with all of their actions. If their beating the other day was any indication, Axel was making it his utmost obligation to prevent them from interacting with each other. This meant secrecy. For Scarlett, never had she ever had to act like a criminal, to constantly feel her heart beating in anticipation of getting caught, having to sneak around and talk in whispers to Charlie. They could only meet in the morning, at the crack of dawn, once the caravans were so kindly unlocked by Felicity on her way to make breakfast. It was dangerous, risky. They knew the repercussions of their actions if they were ever to be caught. And it sent a strange thrill down Scarlett's back, excitement that was simultaneously fear. Because for once, she was doing something.

         Scarlett would roll out of her bed, furiously rubbing sleep from her eyes and bundled up in her winter coat and furry boots before shuffling through the snow to their designated meeting place. They always met inside the tiger and lion cage, partly because it was warm in there, but also because of the lack of visitors it had. Charlie was reluctant to have Scarlett meet him there at first, scared for her and the baby's safety around the felines, but eventually he gave in. They only had a week after all. A week they spent conspiring against the downfall of his family.

They would not tell anyone about their escape either. They tried once; it failed. This was too important to them to risk letting others know. Scarlett was bitter about it as well, why should they reap the benefits if they have been nasty to her the past months?

         From that day and every day since the abuse Axel gave them, the two met there to discuss what they were to do when the week ended.

It was now early Friday morning. Exactly two days before she would be married to Axel. Sunday was the death sentence. Scarlett spent an hour each day staring at the date on the calendar with a growing sense of dread. What if it all fails? They would be killed, undoubtedly. The more she gazed at the calendar on her wall, the closer she was to confirming her suspicion that something terrible was going to happen on that day. Someone was going to die, she knew that much. The freaks wouldn't let them go without a fight. She prayed every night that the victim on Sunday would be Axel.

         Sunday was going to be a forbidding day.

         "Charlie," Scarlett whispered, their Friday morning meeting already in session, "I'm scared."

         Charlie stopped what he was writing on a slip of paper. It was the crumbled ball of notebook paper that they scribbled their plan of escape on. It's home resided at the bottom of Charlie's pocket. Scarlett was still wary of the idea of the paper managing to fall out. If it were found...they would die. There were so many possibilities of failure that her anxiety was endlessly mounting.

         He balled it up and stuffed it into his pocket. Immediately after he was wrapping his arms around her and bringing her small frame into his side. Scarlett refrained herself from sobbing, training her watery eyes on the sleeping tigers at the other end of the cage. It was too early in the morning to annoy them with her wailing and tears. "I know Letty', I am too," he softly murmured into her ear. It wasn't very reassuring to hear he was scared too, but his tone of voice managed to settle her uneasy stomach. "But, we don't have a choice. Whatever happens, happens for a reason."