Descent

Chapter 39

Hailey's Circus was bustling. The lights of the rides, casting a beautiful kaleidoscope of color against the evening sky, had Harleen remembering trips to Coney Island.

Her dad had always taken her for her birthday. It was their special day, just the two of them. Once he passed away those trips had stopped, and her living nightmare had begun.

Sighing at the bittersweet memories she moved off into the crowd looking for the one man that had been with the circus long enough to have the information she needed. All of the records she had found said that Mr. Essurd would be the one she needed to speak to.

"Excuse me." Said a small boy who bumped into her, his cotton candy falling to the floor between them.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Harleen pulled him to his feet.

"So'k." He kicked the dirt with the toe of his shoe.

"Come on, I'll get you another." Harleen said as she patted him on the head.

He looked up at her with his deep green eyes and smiled. "Ok. You want me to show you round? I live here."

She found herself smiling. Who would have guessed that she would have bumped into a carnie, and such an adorable one to boot. Well, things were looking up.

He told her his name was Jack as he led her towards the cotton candy stand. Jack went on about all the things he loved about living with the circus. Harleen couldn't help but smile at the young boy's enthusiasm.

"Jack, you know you ain't allowed to have more than one a night." A burly man behind the counter said.

"Sorry sir, but I bumped into him and he dropped it. I'll take two. One for Jack and one for me."

Harleen fished some cash out if her wallet to pay the man. He eyed her for a moment and then pulled two giant cones of cotton candy off the rack. Passing them over the counter.

"Here, on the house."

She looked up from digging into her change purse. "I can't let you do that."

"Sure ya can. Anyone nice enough to buy the old fortune teller's grandson something is ok in my book."

"Well, thank you."

Before the man could answer Jack was leading her away. "Come on, I want to show you were I live."

Jack began pulling Harleen away from the noise and crowds. He was leading her back to the trailers.

She could not believe this was happening. Coming here to meet with Mr. Essurd and running into his grandson. She couldn't help but wonder what the odds of that were. Or if some greater force was trying to push her closer to J.

"I want ya to meet my grandpa."

Jack tugged her deeper into the darkness still. Harleen gazed about the parked trailers, trying to picture what it had looked like when J lived here.

The last trailer on the left had an older look to it. Instead of being made of metal like the rest, this one looked like a little wooden house on wheels. Before they were within ten feet of it the door opened and out came a slight man in his mid 70's.

"Jack what are you doing?" His gaze swept over Harleen. "Bothering pretty ladies is rude."

She giggled. "Actually, it just so happens I was looking for you and we," Harleen gestured between Jack and herself, "ran into each other."

"Well, I'm not working tonight, but I can make an exception for you." Mr. Essurd smiled at her.

"Umm...I'm not here to have my fortune told. My name is Harleen and I was wondering if you could tell me about Jason Todd."