“Join me and you can have everything you could ever want. Anything. Jjust say the word and it's yours. In this life of crime, the king can’t be denied.” I’ve said these words a million times to a million people and have had a million responses. Mainly the average desires of greedy people: money, fame, a fancy house, a fancy car, a fancy job. Occasionally I would get the interesting request of something like an online store with the world's best prostitutes and whores offered at the best prices. Ever heard of The Body Carnival? No? Then I did my job right. These greedy, selfish wants are what I expect. Which is why his answer terrifies me.
“I don’t want everything. I just want you.”
For just a heartbeat I’m thrown off my game. But I quickly recover with a cocky smile and a cruel tone, “Too bad I’m not for sale. If you are looking for a male entertainer to satisfy your needs, I can direct you to the nearest club, just down the street. Or if you want to be more discreet, you could go online and visit The Body Carnival. Only the world’s best whores.”
Unfazed by my sarcastic snarkiness, the boy — who can’t be much older than 20 — is bold enough to laugh. A quick chuckle, really, but a laugh nonetheless. “I’ve known you since before you became this giant ‘crime king’. All these walls you have up, I’ll tear them down.”
I grin, hiding my annoyance behind that fake smile. “If you’ve known me since before I became this– this infamous crime boss, you’ve had plenty of time to tear these walls down. You won’t, because you can’t.”
“Watch me.”
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Three hours later I’m in a room full of the criminals and freaks that work for me. Everyone is looking at me with faces full of hope, indifference, admiration, or even infatuation. I swirl my fancy cane around before placing it in front of my feet and leaning against it.
Someone sneezes in the crowd.
“Alright you pathetic human beings, here’s what I want you to do. Kill. If you want to join my circus you have to prove you’re the biggest and the baddest. So let’s play a little game. I’m the King. You all are my peasants. In order to move up a rank and become an act in the circus ring, you need to kill somebody. A somebody you have a history with. A somebody that will be dearly missed. The more important this somebody is, the more points you receive. And the more gruesome the murder, the more points you will receive. You have a week to get your person killed. If you’re caught, you’re dead. If you’re sloppy, you’re dead. If you miss the deadline, you’re dead. And if you annoy me in any other way, you’re dead. So, “ I pause for effect, reveling in their silence. “Let the games begin.”
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