The Ringmaster's Keeper

Chapter 33: Challenge

We all stood there for a couple of seconds before any of us actually take in what he said. Then Oscar spoke,

"Yes, yes, we know, we did this last year. What's the challenge this year?"

"Now, now, time is in abundance my dear boy. You've been in here for many years and you still have the same attitude as you did the first time you came here." He raised his eyebrows at Oscar as if he was a father telling off his son. Oscar was blank faced.

"Get on with it." He snapped back. Claudius smirked.

"This year's challenge," Claudius said as the medieval bridge lowered behind him, "is them."

He took a step to the side and gestured towards him. Austin. But it wasn't just him, there were many people lined up. Were my eyes lying? Was that actually him. Nikki ran forward and it was too late to stop her. She was already past Claudius. She ran in to who I assume was her mum, and gave her a big hug around her torso, but her mum didn't respond. She just stood there. Staring forward. What was wrong with her?

"Nikki." Claudius coaxed in a childish voice. "Come here Nikki." Nikki looked at her mum's face then to Claudius. She let go of her mum then stormed over to Claudius pushing him in the chest.

"What did you do to my mum!" She practically screamed at Claudius. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" She may be small, but she could pack a punch. Claudius stumbled back in his stupid fancy suit and gave Nikki a disproved look. Tears trailed down her face as she fell onto her knees looking at her mum. She looked back up to Claudius.

"I. Hate. You." She said through a curtain of tears and gasps that escaped her lungs.

"We'll have none of that thankyou." Claudius said with a snap of his fingers as he looked down at Nikki. Suddenly Nikki stood next to me again, all signs of emotion gone and tears dried. Claudius made a 'Tsk' noise and shook his head.

"I hope you all learn from that. That I won't except that kind of behaviour." We were all gob smacked. What had just happened. I scanned my eyes over the crowd of people. Then I saw me. What? I looked back at me. Was this a mirror? I walked forward a couple of steps my hand holding out to me. What's going on?

"Beth, what are you doing?" Oscar whispered just loud enough so only I could hear and not Claudius. I ignored his question and asked my own.

"Who is she!" I said pointing to the girl that looked like me. He paused.

"That's my girlfriend." My thoughts cleared to make way for this. That's his girlfriend? That's Bethany? I looked at the girl again. I looked at Claudius. He was talking to a guard who'd just come out of the palace.

"Who's she?!" I shouted at Claudius. He stopped talking and looked at me.

"Now, what did I just say about this shouting business?" He sounded so patronising, it made me want to vomit, but I wasn't going to play his games.

"Who's she?!" I shouted even louder that time. I didn't care what people we're thinking. Oscar's strong arms wrapped around my torso and pulled me back in line. I screamed and kicked away at nothing. Who was she? Everyone was watching now, but I still didn't care, who was this girl?

"Stop it." Oscar whispered in my ear, and it was then, that I gave up. I stopped kicking and screaming, and let him line me up with the rest.

***

We were all seated around an enormous table in what I assume was dining hall. Claudius still hadn't told us what the challenge was. Asshole. Lili sat next to me, my hand gripped in hers under the table. All of us who were trapped here sat on one side of the table, and all of those who memories that were gone, were on the other side. I sat across from Austin. He looked the exact same as when he did when he forgot me. He got everything the same, all the way down to the clothes. Freak. I gazed at Austin, his face still a blank slate. When were they going to snap out of this trance like state?

"What are we waiting for?" I leaned over to Lili and whispered in her ear. She shrugged.

"It's probably just Claudius stalling because he isn't ready." She said with a smile. I appreciated her lightness of the situation, but I wasn't in the mood for jokes. I looked around the room. The high ceilings went up to the second storey and there was a little balcony-thing that lined the second storey. Probably so you could access the second storey doors. The ceiling itself was a wash of a minty green, and a large a, intricate chandelier hung from the middle. There weren't any windows, but paintings took the place of them. There was a vase of flowers in each corner of the room and there was another in the centre of the table. What was Claudius doing that would take so long? He liked taking his time. Of course his guards could be here, but not him. We waited what seemed like forever, before Claudius finally arrived. He slowly walked in, dragging it out.

"Take your time." Lili whispered under her breath.

"I will take as long as I like, Lilian." He said with a grin at Lili. She raised her eyebrows.

"It's Lili." She stated. Eventually, he got to his seat and sat down. We all looked at him.

"Your challenge this year, is to persuade them," He pointed to Austin's side of the table,"that they know you. Once you do, you can ask for the password that I told them and that password will unlock a door in this palace."

"Easy. When do we start?" Oscar asked confidently.

"Not so fast. When you start, you'll have until the end of Güvenli Hafta to persuade them and get the password. Also, one more thing. It is very important that you don't tell them that we are in my mind. Tell them what you want, but not that we are in my mind or that you are looking for they're memories. Otherwise, do what you want." He got up to leave and just as he was in the door frame, he turned around.

"Also, if you leave the castle, you can't return until next year and they don't know I exist." he snapped his fingers and left, just like that. I looked back over to Austin. He was looking at me.