Episode 14 Continued - The Freak Show
"Yes! Yes!" the crazed lunatic said, clapping his hands excitedly. "I did go by that Taylor name, you're so smart! That's why I always admired you, my lord!" He gazed down, still smiling. "But my real name is Charles! Charles Vanity the third!"
"And your arms and legs?" I said then, lashes lowering. "They look absolutely normal. How did you hide your prosthetics so well?"
"Why, clothes, of course! And it's cold at night, so it worked out for me in the end!" He raised his hands that had small, thin gloves on them, and long, white sleeves that went all the way up his arm. His pant legs also went down, covering the top half of his shoe.
He was a good actor, I'd say.
"What happened with the teenagers?" I demanded then, voice growing stern. "Where are they?"
"Oh, you want to see them?" he said, clapping his hands excitedly again. "Sure, sure! We can discuss my plans during dinner! Such great plans, indeed! I have it all prepared for you, my lord!"
I gritted my teeth.
This man... was insane.
"Come, come!" he said, spinning around and skipping down the halls. "It's all prepared. Come, now!"
Clarice and James went after him, and Sam just remained silent, turning and beckoning for us to follow.
I started forward first, and Sebastian followed after me, and Scarlet as well as Maddox after him.
We went up the stairs, continuing down the main hallway to the dining room.
"What part do you have in this?" I questioned Sam then, glare sharpening. "You people sicken me. They're just children."
He was quiet for a moment, but he finally responded, "My father was so broken after my mother died, and he broke even more when my little sister died. He's not well, I just want to make him happy."
"By kidnapping innocent teenagers and modifying them to look like zombies?"
Sam just gritted his teeth. "I just want to do whatever my father wants. Teens are so cruel to their parents... even when all their parents want is the best for them. My father just wants to fix that. You'll never understand. He loved Saige so much, and she died from such horrific circumstances... it broke him. He just wants her back. I just want to help him."
I glared sharply. "You are sick."
He remained silent, continuing forward until we stopped next to the place Charles and the other two waited, and Sam pushed open the doors, revealing the dining hall.
"You know," Charles said then, giggling uncontrollably, "I have been so excited to meet you. Last time I saw you, you were a little child! So small compared to now! But, now you're all grown up. Such a small body, but such confidence like your father! Phatomhives were the best families with such intelligence and confidence." He continued gazing at me, and I drew back in disgust when his crazed eyes shook with excitement. "And look at you! Such thick, black hair! Such beautiful eyes! But that eye patch, of course! You're just like me! All injured!"
I glared. "I'm nothing like you."
"You're everything like me!" he said, laughing. "We are the same! But you, you have such confidence. Just like your father! I was an acquaintance of him, you know. I worked little jobs for him and kept him in hiding. He was the perfect man!" He continued laughing crazily. "You remind me of him so much! Your hair especially!"
He reached out to touch it, but Sebastian caught his arm.
He looked over at Sebastian then, eyes widening in curiosity, but Sebastian's lashes just lowered. "My master does not like being touched. Please, keep your hands to yourself."
Charles drew back when his arm was released, and he gazed down at me. "I apologize, my lord! I'm just so very excited, that's all! My daughter, Saige, was just like you! I wish I had you as a daughter! That would be such an amazing sight! A child so famous like you with such intelligence!"
I just stared at him in disgust, but he never seemed to notice.
This man was a lunatic.
"Father," Sam said then, holding the dining hall door open, "dinner is ready."
Charles rushed in, as if suddenly impatient, and made his way to the far end to the table.
Clarice pulled open his chair, and he collapsed down onto it, shaking with excitement as he waited for me.
I just gritted my teeth, finding the table made freshly with a white tablecloth, and plates for me and one other were settled across from each other—at the ends of the table—ignoring the cold feeling swarming inside, I stepped forward.
My servants followed after me.
Sebastian pulled my chair open, and I sat onto it, and he pushed it in seconds later.
"I made your favorite, father," Sam said then, placing a plate with a freshly grilled steak and some mashed potatoes in front of me, then in front of Charles after. "It's grilled steak and mashed potato. Made especially with cheese and some batter. I hope you enjoy."
Charles tore into the food then, eating it like some animal, and I just remained in place, nose wrinkling in disgust.
Sebastian stepped around me as Scarlet and Maddox remained at each side, and he leaned down to lightly peel of a bit of the steak, taking a bite.
After chewing he tried the mashed potatoes.
He then pulled back, cleaning off the fork with a napkin and pulled another out from his jacket, setting it next to my plate. "No need to fear, master. It is not poisoned or drugged."
"It doesn't matter," I said then, lashes lowering. "I'm not hungry anyway. This place reeks of death, and I would never eat something from this disgusting monster."
Charles finished his food in less than a second, gazing up. "My lord? Is it not to your liking?"
"I'm not eating anything thing from a pig such as yourself," I said then, glaring.
Sam and his two siblings just lowered their lashes in annoyance.
I then stood, slamming my hands down on the table. "Where are the teenagers? You will tell me THIS INSTANT!"
He suddenly looked grim and set his fork and knife down. "Those children were never really what I wanted them to be, so I'm ridding of them."
I just gritted my teeth, stepping over to him menacingly as my servants followed. "Show me to them!"
"My lord, it isn't the best idea," he argued, "because my buyers need complete silence in order to—"
I pulled a gun, aiming directly to his head as his eyes widened.
It all happened in seconds.
Sam, Clarice, and James pulled pistols and aimed it to me, but my servants moved quicker.
By the time they had their weapons drawn, Clarice was held at gun point by Maddox, James having a dagger aimed directly to his heart by Scarlet...
And Sam had the tip of a knife touching the front of his throat, held by Sebastian.
Sam looked at Sebastian in horror.
Sebastian just smiled at him, before his expression darkened, showing a menacing, demonic grin.
"Hey, hey!" Charles said then, standing straight up and glancing at his children. "What are you doing?! This is a guest! She is our guest of honor! Don't threaten her!" He then looked over at me, smiling kindly despite the insanity still shaking his irises. "If you want to see them so badly, I can take you to them! You are a very loyal guest, indeed. My buyers will be fine!"
My lashes lowered.
"Put the weapons down!" he yelled to his children.
Sam kept staring at Sebastian in concern, but Sebastian's grin only deepened.
He dropped his weapon first, but Sebastian didn't dare remove the knife from his throat.
Clarice and James followed, dropping their guns, but were still threatened by Scarlet and Maddox.
Charles just smiled despite my gun still trained to his head. "See? That wasn't hard! Come, now!" he said, skipping forward to the end of the room. "They're in the basement. Hurry! I'm super excited for you to see my masterpiece!"
Seconds later, we were in the basement, stepping down an oddly remodeled hallway to some room at the end.
Sebastian had an arm wrapped around Sam's waist, the knife pressed to his throat, and Scarlet's blade still touched against James's back, threatening to pierce his heart.
And Maddox still had his gun trained to Clarice's head.
We walked for about thirty more seconds until we met the room, and Charles pushed open the doors.
I immediately froze.
