AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He won’t like that. He doesn’t like stains, I think idly as he struggles.
He tries to work his mouth and spit the apple out, his eyes landing on me. His struggles only seem to increase as he yells something at me. The words are muffled, so I can’t make out what he’s saying. The chair bangs with his efforts, his perfect suit askew and splattered with blood. It looks like there’s a lump forming on his forehead, the raised portion casting a shadow as he moves about.
I suppose I should be scared, but I just relax into the masked man’s arms as he holds me. I feel safe in his embrace, and either way, I’m not strong enough to move. My body is numb, most of the pain beginning to fade in favor of a blissful high that makes my head start to loll to the side. That’s probably a bad sign, but as I stare at a terrified Roger, I can’t seem to care.
I drink in his fear and memorize it. He fed on mine for so many years, so seeing my abuser, my tormentor so weak and scared makes me giddy. The feeling flutters in my chest, warming me.
The first masked man from the attic strolls past, swinging a red and black circus hammer in one hand. In the other, he holds up the joker card like a declaration for the others to see before handing it over to the diamond-masked man.
I’m guessing he’s in charge then.
I can’t tell what he looks like, but he’s taller than Roger and wider too, though he is covered from head to toe in black. His hands are big, one perched on a black whip coiled at his hip. The other takes the card and holds it up to the light, inspecting it, and I see diamonds inked across his hands.
“You called,” he says behind the mask.
His voice is dark and smooth, almost lyrical, like a song, and it echoes the beating of my heart, seemingly bringing it back to life.
“I did?” I ask, my hoarse voice barely loud enough to hear in the silence.
“You didn’t?” he responds, tilting his head. The one with the hammer giggles at the gesture, the sound slightly manic. Roger looks between us, but I can’t draw my eyes away from the diamond man.
“I-I wanted to live,” I whisper, but he hears me.
“Is that all?” The silky question reaches inside of me to the dark place I hide. It rips apart my defenses, exposing my secrets and my darkest wishes.
“I-I wanted to live,” I repeat, my eyes going to Roger. “And I wanted revenge.”
Diamond man’s fingers twist, and I watch in awe as the card suddenly disappears like a magic trick. “Then welcome to cirque.” He straightens. “Shall we begin?”
“Begin?” I ask, confused as they move closer to Roger.
“To feed the call and seek your revenge,” he tells me, the words wrapping around my soul. “Your eyes are bruised. Club, will you do the honor?”
The one with the hammer, the one from the attic, turns his attention to Roger before stepping closer. I watch, open-mouthed and alarmed but also a little bit happy, as the masked man slams his fist into Roger’s face twice, aiming for each eye. Roger screams behind the apple, the force rocking the chair back. When Club moves away, I see Roger’s eyes are already beginning to bruise.
“Your ribs. You’re struggling to breathe,” Diamond comments and then nods. This time, the one with the heart-shaped mask moves closer, plucking a knife from somewhere, and then he plunges it into Roger’s side. I gasp, watching as he pulls the bloody blade free and twirls, almost dancing around the back of the chair before slamming it into his other side. He pulls it out, and when he does, Roger gasps, struggling to breathe, pain making his face pale as he screams behind the apple.
“Your neck is bruised. He choked you, did he not?” Diamond asks, though he doesn’t seem to need confirmation.
His whip lashes out, and my eyes widen, watching the spiked black leather snap through the air and wrap around Roger’s throat, cutting off his screams. The chair crashes against the hardwood, and then with an effortless flick of his wrist, the masked man yanks him across the floor until Roger stops at his feet.
Diamond crouches, tugging the apple from his mouth and throwing it toward the others. Club catches it, rubs it on his shirt, and lifts his mask to take a bite. I see blood in his mouth from where the razors cut him, the mask high enough to make out pouty lips and a clean-shaven face before he drops it again.
“What else, hmm?” Diamond calls.
“Her leg,” the one holding me points out.
Diamond looks up, eyeing me as if to double check, and then he nods as he straightens. Without a word, he stomps his booted foot right down onto Roger’s leg twice. I hear the bone snap as his scream rings out, loud now that he isn’t muffled. It shouldn’t give me satisfaction, but it does.
It all does.
Watching them reenact every vile, twisted thing my husband put me through only seems to make me happy. I guess I’m as broken as he said. Under it all, though, I do start to feel a little bad—not enough to stop this or to care when Club shoves the apple back into Roger’s mouth, splitting his lips, but maybe enough to feel bad later.
He hurt me so many times, but part of me once loved this man. I guess that’s hard to let go of, especially when he’s being tortured before my very eyes.
Diamond straightens, looking at me. “I would offer for you to satisfy your revenge, but you’re hurt. Shall I kill him quickly or slowly for you?”
I just stare, and when he speaks again, I swear I hear a grin in his voice. “We were called by you, for you. We’re here for you. Your orders are ours to obey this evening. We’re your wild dogs to command. This is your show. What you say goes.”
