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Chapter Twenty
Elsie
"So, Oliver is the one who found it?" I sighed as I shrugged my robe onto my shoulders. It was bound to happen, but why so soon?
"That's what Carl said. It's a shame it had to be him who found it." Shirley leaned over my small vanity in my compartment and reapplied her lipstick. "At least it wasn't his blood, though."
"Yeah, at least it wasn't him." I sighed as I fell backward onto my bed. "Who was it?"
"A townee."
"Of course it was."
"You know that means we will be leaving as soon as possible, so if you want to get any fresh air, I say do it sooner rather than later." Shirley walked to the door, letting her hand fell to the frame as she looked at me.
"I might."
"I think you should. Maybe even check on Oliver." Shirley winked before shutting my door with a snap.
I lay in silence for a few minutes. Why did this always have to happen? Why couldn't we just not have this lingering over us? Could we never escap
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Cirque du Lune Chapter Twenty-one
Oliver After finding the blood, Grady sent me off back to the train. He called over some roustabouts, and they handled the situation. I don’t think Elsie would ever understand how much I appreciated her coming to check on me. Even though we rarely spoke, I felt strangely connected to her. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was so enamored by her looks or the fact that she was the one that showed me the secret of the circus. Whenever I spent time with Elsie, it was like a warm comfort enveloped my heart. There was something about her that brought me a sense of peace. Maybe it was the way her blue eyes were pools of stars the first night we met. Perhaps the way I could feel the fire in her soul. She really was indescribable. Knock. Knock. Knock.
Cirque du Lune Chapter Twenty-two
OliverIt had been a quiet few days. We had a couple of shows at several stops, and thankfully there was no evidence of violence or any bodily harm. I was grateful for that. After seeing the blood in Philadelphia, it thrilled me to know it was back to regular business.The day was going by quickly; we had done two main performances in the afternoon and one earlier in the evening. This show was the final one before we began to pack up. The stars were waking up, and the last rays of light were vanishing behind the tents.The plan was to finish up and immediately pack up to leave tonight. We wanted to make it to a larger city before the weekend so the circus could make more of a profit.I had only found three grifters trying to sneak a peek at Shirley’s performance. I
Cirque du Lune Chapter Twenty-three
Elsie The evening had faded into deep velvet darkness with only flakes of light from the stars and moon. I sighed as I pulled the curtain down over my window and glanced over to the little bit of floor space between my bed and door. Oliver was passed out with drool dripping down his chin. This passed-out human was my babysitter. I rolled onto my stomach and buried my face in my quilt. I was trying to figure out what had happened tonight. When I checked my rig, it was safe. I never forget to check it even when we have back-to-back shows. There was no damage to the fabric; not even one thread had been frayed. My mind was wandering to the worst-case scenario. Did someone sabotage me? Who would do that, though? The only person who really disliked me that I was aware of was
Cirque du Lune Chapter Twenty-four
Oliver Elsie’s lips were so soft, smooth as silk as they caressed mine. I never expected her to kiss me, and I didn’t want it to stop when it happened. As our lips moved in time, it was incredible. The warmth of her skin, mouth on mine, lit my whole body on fire. Elsie tasted like honey and figs. So sweet and tender. It was a taste I wanted to savor for the rest of my life. I had only kissed one dame before Elsie. The dame was a soggy newspaper compared to Elsie. I couldn’t imagine ever locking lips with anyone else ever again at this point. “Oliver, get your head out of your ass,” August grumbled as we set up the main tent. I had gotten lost in the memories of the train roof. “Sorry.” I shoved the stake into the ground before August smashed his mallet on it. I hastily moved my hands out of the way. It wouldn’t surprise me if August were purposely trying to maim me. He was one of the troupe members who wasn’t thrilled with my existence. I couldn’t cou
Cirque du Lune Chapter Twenty-five
OliverA familiar sickening sensation hit me as a thick metallic odor consumed me. I cupped my nose and mouth with my hand, trying to block some of the foul stench as I slowly crept towards August’s body. I crouched down beside him and nudged his arm with the toe of my boot.“August? Are you still with me?” I asked; even though I knew the answer, he was as dead as a doorknob. Here I was talking to the corpse of a man who hated me.Of course, he didn’t answer me. I watched his chest in silence, searching for any trace of breathing. I blew out a ragged breath into my palm before reaching up to his face with my other hand and pushing his eyelids closed. I stayed there by his side for a few moments before I got back to my feet.I grabbed a burlap sack from the ground and was able to partially cover August’s body with it. It wasn’t much, but it would obscure the view if some poor, unsuspecting person were to stumble upon his
Cirque du Lune Chapter Twenty-six
Elsie I knew this day was eventually going to come, and I had dreaded the thought of it. Today was the day that I would have to shed an unfortunate light on Oliver’s life. “So, who is the killer?” Oliver’s eyes found mine, scouring my soul for answers. “Which one?” I dropped my gaze from his and looked at the damp grass underneath our feet. Many murderers were lingering in the shadows of the troupe. Look at Jules’s favorites; innocent blood was practically dripping off them with each step. Not everyone who had killed someone was a cold-blooded murderer; some had done it to save themselves or to survive. “What do you mean?” Oliver’s finger slipped underneath my chin and pried my face back up to his. I couldn’t blame him; he wanted answers. “I know of a few killers in the troupe.” “What? How is there more than one, and why are killers allowed to wander free around here?” A bead of sweat appeared at his temple and slowly dripped down to h
Cirque du Lune Chapter Twenty Seven
Elsie Jules never came back to my room; I had never been so relieved in my life. His presence had tainted my night; he always had that effect whenever he popped up. My brain wouldn’t stop reeling as the hours faded into the darkness, and it became a sleepless night. I had been staring at the ceiling for a few hours when I heard a faint knock on my door. A grin spread across my face; I knew who it was. I scrambled off of my bed and opened the door; there he was. His soft, innocent eyes were drawing me in like a magnet. I reached out and grabbed his shirt, yanking him into my compartment. Oliver barely caught the door behind him. Before he had a chance to say anything, I stamped my lips on top of his. At first
Cirque du Lune Chapter Twenty-eight
OliverI never knew waking up with someone in my arms could be so fantastic—the warmth of her skin, her hypnotic breathing, and her rose-scented hair. I never wanted to wake up any other way.Ever since Elsie and I made love in her compartment, I kept finding myself desperate to taste her again. It didn’t matter where we were, as long as no one was around. In a tent, behind the train, her compartment, in the woods, in the storage cart, our lips kept finding each other.Elsie was making me drunk off of her. I wanted to be with her constantly, but it was a dangerous addiction. I never let my eyes linger too long on Elsie. It was torture to know I couldn’t openly give her all of my time and affection.
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