Phillip watched, wide-eyed, as P.T. Barnum performed.

The man danced around the ring, smiling, beaming. The audience cheered, the shrieks of delighted children ringing throughout the tent. Phillip's death had been written up in all sorts of newspapers - how could it not be, with a name like Carlyle? - but the littlest members of the audience were far too young to know who Phillip was, or that he'd lived and died. For that, the man was grateful.

"It's everything you ever need—"

Barnum paused. He stood in the middle of his circus ring, looking out at the audience like a frightened deer. Phillip's smile - sad, proud, beautiful - wiped clean off his face and he watched the next moments in silence.

"It's everything you ever need," Barnum muttered. He dropped his head, stared down at his hands. Confused whispers erupted from within the audience.

When Barnum turned, just enough for Phillip to catch a quick glimpse of his face, the dead man felt his stomach drop. Tears streaked down the ringmaster's face.

He walked out of the ring.

Didn't run, didn't bolt.

Just - walked.

The circus troupe let of cries of confusion similar to the audience, but they had the show to think about - none of them paid attention to where Barnum disappeared to. Lettie ran into the ring to take over - the stage fright from her very first performance long since forgotten.

Phillip followed Barnum.

The man walked - stiffly, almost calmly - into the backstage arena and Phillip watched in silent horror as he took off his hat. The top hat rested on a table and Barnum sank to the floor.

"It's everything you ever need," he rasped in a voice quickly breaking. Phillip realized what this was - the man had shown the exact same signs following the days after his death. He was returning to his mute, catatonic state.

"P.T., no."

Phillip forced himself forward and dropped to his knees in front of Barnum, who also sat on the ground, silent, unblinking. The playwright's phantom hands shimmered see-through in front of him.

He grit his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. Energy flowed through his spirit to his hands... and he closed them around Barnum's wrists.

The older man cried out and jerked his hands away with such force that he almost knocked himself over. Phillip trembled as he opened his eyes.

Barnum stared at him, face as pale as his own, lips parted, eyes taking on a wide, wild look.

"Phillip," he croaked.