Midnight Circus

Chapter 8 - Rumors

Elliott Levington:

Elliott slowly lifted his lids, winced at the burning light.

God, am I in heaven? he thought as he drifted in and out of consciousness. The pulsating ache behind his eyes made it difficult for him to focus. Made it hard for him to know where he was. What his reality was. One moment he was up in the clouds by heaven's door, the next in a strange looking room with strange looking equipment that resembled torturing devices.

He tried to reach a hand up to his throbbing head but discovered that he couldn't. He couldn't move at all in fact. His sore naked limbs were strapped down tight to a stiff platform. Constrained. All he could do was lay there and try to make sense of it all. 

Through closed eyes, he dimly heard sounds of what seemed to be the rustling of paper, shuffling of feet. 

Someone was there with him. But who?

Minutes later, the busy body shifted towards him. He felt a hand glide up his leg, skimmed his hips. Then a tongue, soft and moist, slide up his bare stomach to his chest, eliciting a shiver.

"Let us begin."

Trembling, cold, and confused, Elliott tugged at the restraints.  

Where am I? Who is speaking? What is there to begin? He questioned. 

Questions that had surfaced to the forefront of his mind vaporized the moment a sharp jagged object plunged deep into him. His eyes went wide. The pain, the light, blinded him. Hands fisted, toes curled, he let a scream rip.

But the scream never made it out of his lips for a leather gag clamped his mouth brutally shut. His body shook under the restraints. Hot tears streamed down the side of his temples.

"Lovely. Simply lovely."

He felt the blade opening him, carving into him, and there was nothing that he could do to assuage the pain. Nothing at all. Beads of sweat wetted his skin. Even as black spots appeared in his vision of white, the vicious instrument kept cutting into his chest.

When the blade stopped carving, the mysterious figure praised him on a job well done. 

Cold lips pressed onto his forehead in what could have been a loving kiss, though he could barely feel it under the pain.

Before slipping back into darkness, he caught a glimpse of piercing green.

*****

Rosaline Levingtion:

She just finished her final sketch when the nurse came through the door.

"Ready?" she asked Rose.

"Hold on." Rose closed her sketched book and grabbed Lulu. "Ready." And followed the lady out.

When she reached her table, she was greeted by the crew. Something in her warmed.

"How does a game of chess sound?" Law asked, already setting up the game pieces on the board. 

"Sounds... nice." And it did. Rose never played with others before. Only Lulu. And on occasions. She took the open seat across from him. Others gathered around them to watch the match. "Who will be the first to move?"

"Ladies first." He folded the sleeves of his cotton uniform, hiding the tethered edge. 

"Very well." She moved a pawn forward. B2 to A3.

"Hmmm..." The scrawny boy rubbed his chin. His eyes darted here and there on the board. She could have sworn she heard the gears turning in his head for it was blatant. "Ahh... of course." With a whisper of a grin, he moved his pawn. Though his face lack emotion, his eyes, light brown in color, glittered and schemed. 

Was one move enough for him to determine the way of the game? she wondered. It wouldn't be a surprise given his sharp mind. The mess-haired-boy was a genius. And only thirteen. 

Rose studied the board, studied his lucid eyes then cautiously sliding another pawn to the front.

"Did you hear about the celebrity stalker?" Law suddenly brought up. There was no response so the boy continued. "There's a guy out there preying on professional performers. They say he started off stealing their undergarments. Now he's murdering them." Law moves his pawn without showing much contemplation now.

He already has it figured out, Rose thought.

"Officials uncovered the corpse of Madame Melody,"  He sighed when nobody showed recognition to the name. "You know, that famous singer from Paris. Anyways, they found her in an abandoned church south of London. Eyes gouged out, lips stitched shut and drained of blood. Not a single drop left in her body they say. The location of her partner, Piers, is still unknown."

"How do you know of this?" Angel asked then turned to Rose. "Move the knight there."

Rose absently followed Angel's instructions and moved the piece towards the front. Her mind on the story, not the game.

Law took his turn. "I heard the nurses gossiping about."

"It may be nothing more than a rumor." Angel surmised.

"Well, there must be some truth to it." Jack chimed in. "Move the knight, Rose, or it'll get eaten."

When it was her turn, she picked up her knight to eat black pawn.

"Sure about that?" Law asked, making her hesitate. She went with it anyhow and placed the piece where she originally intended, taking out one of his pawns.

In one quick sweep, Law took her knight and pawn with his rook.

Jack whistled, running his hand through his fiery locks. "I did not see that one coming."

In the end, she swindled all her pawns away.

"Sorry... but checkmate," Law said through that subtle grin of his.

After losing two games in a row, Rose gave up and passed her seat to one of the twins.

"Are you interested in hearing a rumor more fascinating?" Jack asked. 

"Who wouldn't be. Take it away." Angel gestured for him to begin.

Wide was his grin. He began. "So you must all already know the floors here are organized by the levels of 'sanity'. The top floor is for those nearest to normal." He said, enunciating the last word. "Or special individuals." His eyes flickered to Rose. 

Rose was on the top floor. It made her wonder what floors her new friends resided.

"The further the individual is from normal, the further down. Ground level is neutral. The basement—"

"Wait a moment. There's a basement?" Angel cut in.

"It appears so. That's where the most problematic people are kept. There are many horrid stories that I've heard, one that includes a patient ripping a monitor's arm off clean." He rubbed his shoulder, then begin again, "there rumored to be another level just underneath that one. One summer morning, a young nurse, recently employed, ventured down to the lowest level. Whatever she saw had her hightailing out of here. She died a brutal death the very next day," Jack whispered. "Can you imagine what might be kept there? A cursed beast I'd say."

A chill slivered up Rose's spine. How have I never heard of this? she wondered.

"Well..." She let out a nervous laugh, "rumors will be rumors right?"

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Author's note: Elliott's alive... ??? What? Σ('◉⌓◉')

Music: Alice Madness Returns - Dr. Bumby