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“Not if I kill you first, baby.” I say, rushing forward, plunging the knife into his face, slashing and stabbing any skin I can reach. The knife is so sharp it doesn’t have any kind of resistance. I just keep slashing until he stops moving, then I stab a few more times for good measure.

Suddenly, I hear clapping not too far from me. I look around me, seeing Astra, along with her father.

“Impressive, girl.” He laughs. “Now, go quick to the ending, or you’ll never see your beloved Astra again.” He says, before suddenly vanishing into thin air. My vision is clearer now, but still not what it should be, or maybe I hit my head and just imagined him there. That must be it. I walk further, trying to find a way out, one back to her. The markings on the ground are getting bigger, and they’re starting to cover every inch of the grass. There’s arrows drawn beside them. I noticed one of them is the same as the one drawn on my stomach, so I follow that arrow connecting it to the one on the ground, and walk towards what seems to be another tent, one filled with bright yellow and red lights. I walk closer to the tent, following the arrow connected to my drawing, where the others seem to show other entrances to the tent.

I walk inside, hearing people laughing and chatting.

“And here she is, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s all give a warm applause to Penny!” There’s clapping and shouting all around. The lights inside have almost completely blinded me. I start to squint my eyes to try and see what's happening, while moving my hand above my eyes in an attempt to shield the light and make it less blinding. Then I see her. Astra. She is standing in a glass box, along with 5 others next to her, each having another mark on them. I notice Astra’s box has my symbol drawn on it.

“Do you want to save her, girl?” I hear a masculine voice say. Looking over, I see the same tall bald man from before. “If you don't, she'll drown, little girl.” He laughs, making me frown. I look at Astra, noticing the box is now starting to fill with water. OH MY GOD WHAT DO I DO?! I run to get to her, but the floor seems to melt beneath my feet, swallowing me. No matter how hard I move, I can’t get out, the ground just continues to swallow me whole. I look one last time at my beautiful Astra, seeing her gasp for air in the box, before the earth fully takes me under and everything goes black.

Chapter 13

Penny

Idon’t feel dead. No, I feel like I’m floating instead. I notice something wet start to rise up my skin. I open my eyes to see that I’m in the same box Astra was in before, only now Astra is standing outside of it in front of me, her hand touching the glass, fingers splayed out. Raising my own, I put my hand on my side of the glass, making it seem as if our hands are touching each other.

What the fuck is going on?

“ASTRA?!” I shout, but it doesn’t seem like she can hear me.

“Do you want her forever?” A deep voice fills the small space around me. I look around, trying to find where it’s coming from. Fear, like nothing I’ve felt before, fills me, and I am really trying not to cry. I look into Astra’s beautiful eyes.

"Yes, I do!" I tell the voice, and laughter fills the space. “And what do you have to offer us?” Water is starting to pass my navel, and I open my mouth a few times before speaking, “W-what do y-you mean?” I stutter out. “Quick girl, what can you offer me? What can you offer this Carnivale?” I frown. This Carnivale? Does he mean to let me work here? I’ve never had a job before. I don’t know anything I could do. What am I good at? “I-I am good with makeup.” I shout, as water starts to go past my breasts now.

“Hmm, makeup you say? I suppose we could find use for that. Tell me girl, do you pledge yourself to me, to this carnival?” The water is now starting to go past my mouth, and I barely get a raspy ‘yes!’, before the water is quickly past my mouth and above my head. I can’t breathe anymore, but then I hear something. It’s small, and when I open my eyes, I see a crack in the glass. Astra is no longer standing there, so I press my hand on the glass as hard as I can, and the pressure makes the whole thing shatter open. The water rushes out of the box, taking me with it, and I gasp for air, coughing out water. There’s suddenly big red shoes in front of me and I look up, trying to see who’s standing there, but the lights make it hard for me to see anything but his tall frame towering over me.

“What now?” I ask the man. He laughs, then there’s a sharp sting to my throat. I hold my hand over it, feeling my warm blood flood between my fingers. The room starts to spin, and my body starts to feel cold, while my eyes widen in shock from what’s happening.

“Now, you die, only to be born again.” He laughs maniacally.

My body collapses to the floor. I know I am dying, but all I can think of is my sweet Astra, and if I’ll ever get to see her again. The last thing I hear is his laughter, before everything goes to black.

Chapter 14

Astra

Iwash the paint and dried blood from her body, while she’s still laying unconscious on my bed. She seems so perfect like this, my sweet Penny. Her skin has healed perfectly too. Now she will forever travel with the Carnivale, with my family and I. Nothing has felt as right as it does at this moment.

Her chest starts to move, and I brush a freshly washed blonde streak to the side of her face. Her eyes fly open, showing a brighter blue than they were before, and her lips turn bright red once again. She’s breathing loud and erratic, as if she’s scared, but then she looks into my eyes, and her eyes soften, a smile playing across her lips.

“Astra, is that you?” She asks softly, like I might suddenly disappear.

“It is, my sweet.” I assure her, helping her to sit up. My sweet girl looks down, seeing her naked body, but then jumps to her legs and grabs me tightly for a hug, stronger than she would have been capable of before. She grabs my face, kissing me fiercely and I moan into her mouth, breathing her in. She tastes like heaven and love, something I had never tasted before.

She pulls back from me, and the need to claim her mouth again fills my head, but then she speaks.

“What happened? I feel different.” I laugh with joy, kissing her once more.

“You will never escape me now, my sweet.” I say against her full lips. She hums, “I could never, not even if I wanted.” And right she is.

She is mine after all, and no one can take that from me. Not even herself.