Simon

While Sylvia, a.k.a Fire Catcher, was performing in France, I had to stay at her house in Italy and do some dirty work with one of her sideshow performers, Lady Dream, watching me. It wasn't easy to keep up with since my body felt completely numb and sore...

Ever since I arrived to confront Sylvia, she seemed to only be concerned about Nicole.

How is she? What's her hair color now? How tall is she? Does she look just like mommy?

I told her and told her countless times that I wasn't going to tell her anything about my little girl but, every single day, she comes back to me with the same questions and much more. It was either that, or she would get frustrated and attack me with those sharp claws of hers whenever I refused to answer.

She would never really do any serious damage to me because I always had to manhandle her but when she carried a weapon, it was much harder to avoid that. Despite that, I'm still doing all I can to keep Fire away from Nicole.

I sighed, dipping the brush back into the bucket of pink wall paint.

I wonder how she's doing. I've never felt so homesick before and I miss Nicole so much that it hurts... Sometimes I feel like she's somehow watching me from home. I don't know if I'm just being paranoid that she'll disobey me and butt in or maybe I keep thinking about her and my agency too much.

"Could you go any slower?" Dream sighed as she sat on, what was supposed to be, Nicole's new bed, while filing her nails.

"She hates pink..." I sighed to myself.

"What did you say?" she yawned.

I wiped the sweat off of my forehead with the bottom of my stained tank top saying, "Nothing. I'll be faster."

As I continued working, she walked up next to me and silently watched me paint the wall for a moment. I kept my eyes away from her and only focused on the wall until I noticed that she bent down to grab a paintbrush.

"If Fire Catcher comes back and you're not done, you will have to take the whip in the ass again..." she sighed and dipped​ her brush in the paint before going to find an empty spot on the wall to paint on. "We both don't want to go through that again. Hearing it gives me nightmares."

Does it really?

I glanced over at her, wondering, "Then why are you working with her?"

She smiled softly before telling me, "I need the money... Desperately. Being a silly little performer doesn't take care of my student loan debt, bank loan debt, rent, food, my eight siblings who live with me, my car, water... You know where this is going."

I nodded silently.

"If it wasn't for Fire, I would've probably stayed on the streets, selling stolen makeup and cell phones to this day. She saved me from losing this job and now she's paying me extra for doing this favor for her."

I would be shocked but it's no surprise that Sylvia would take advantage of someone who's in desperate need.

I pursed my lips curiously and asked her, "How did she save your job?"

She let out a soft huff of laughter, "Funny story, I was supposed to be fired long gone ago, don't ask me how. Anyway, she knew how bad I needed to be here so she prevented that from happening and I've been doing things for her since then. You know, to pay her back. Since I couldn't bribe her with the scarce amount of money I had, she allowed me to help her with these tasks instead."

I kept my eyes on the wall I painted, "Don't you think helping me will change that?"

She scoffed, "I'm helping myself more than I am helping you... I've seen her do some unspeakable things that will forever traumatize me and haunt me in my sleep. I'm just trying to keep from witnessing another one."

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Whatever, it's no big deal... What are you doing with her daughter anyway? This would be a lot easier if you just brought her back to her mother. Maybe Fire would be normal again if you do."

My eye slightly twitched at that, "She's... Not her daughter..."

She winced, "What are you talking about..."

"Nicole is not her daughter! She's mine and we don't want anything to do with Sylvia." I snapped.

"So, she has your DNA?"

"I- I... No... She doesn't. I adopted her." I stuttered.

She nodded, "With the original mother involved?"

"I... I mean... What does this have to do with the original question?"

She giggled, "Alright, dude, don't yell at me. I'll just show you the truth behind all this." she tossed the brush back in the bucket, "Follow me."

"What about the wall?"

She winded it off, "Fire's show doesn't end for another hour. It can wait..."

I looked back at the wall uncertainly before saying, "Okay... No worries. Right?"

She nodded, "Right. Come on."

She led me out of the bedroom and down the hall, to a different room. When she turned the lights on, I noticed that it was just another bedroom decorated with dark, black and red colors and a bunch of stuffed animals on the drawers, in the closets and floors, and a few on the bed.

"What's with her and all these animals?" I asked quietly.

Lady Dream kicked one of the bears off to the side as she walked through, "She buys them every time she brings a new kid home. It's a weird habit of hers... After they die or, should I say 'go missing', she just keeps them here."

Chills ran up my spine. Sylvia is nothing like she was before. Even during her crazier days, I've never seen her so psychotic.

I watched as Lady Dream moved one of Sylvia's drawers and reached behind it. She pulled out a dusty old book that was fat with many pages. I wanted to ask her what it was but I'm pretty sure she was going to show me.

She blew some dust off of the cover, "Don't be shy, sit." she patted the spot next to her on the bed.

I took a seat and looked at the book as she opened it to the first page.

A photo album?

"I don't remember what page it's on but I saw her in here somewhere..." she flipped through the pages quickly.

I noticed that a lot of the pictures were of Sylvia at old shows and events, some even at clubs and bars. The ones that kind of surprised me were the few photos of her in a small cabin with some family and friends. I almost assumed it was her former home until I read the little wooden sign near the entrance.

Auntie Angie's Antiques...

This wasn't just any cabin... This was a little shop...

When Nicole told me about the cabin they lived in, she told me that her parents were hardly ever around and it's no wonder why. They never brought Nicole to their actual home, they kept her away in that little shop.

"Here's one..." she pointed to a picture of Sylvia and her family eating at a picnic bench by the woods that made up the majority of the background in their back yard. "You can see little Sasha right there. By that bush."

I looked closer and suddenly saw her. She was smaller than when I found her. Younger. She was sitting in the grass by the dying, yellow bush, playing with a stick. She didn't look happy. Her clothes were torn, her shoes were missing, and she was isolated far away from the rest of the family.

"Are you sure that's her?" I asked.

"I'm sure... This was when she was 4. I'll show you a picture of when she was older." she began to flip through page after page. Nicole was barely included in family pictures and when she was, she was always somewhere in the background.

"Wait..." I quickly stopped her from flipping another page, "Who's that?"

"Johnie? That's her husband. I don't know what happened to him."

I stared at his face. He had a huge pipe in his mouth with an expressionless look. Something about him seemed familiar... Too familiar.

"Johnie... I caught her having an affair with him while she was with me."

I can't believe she cheated on me with a broke bum! I am rather offended...

She darted her eyes to me, "You've dated Fire Catcher?"

I nodded in disappointment, "It wasn't serious at first. I was just hanging around by myself in Vegas and ran into her after watching her show."

"Really...? What happened after that?"

I sighed, "Well... She seemed nice and she was gorgeous too so I bought her a drink and... Asked her out... I liked her at first, she cared about me a lot. Very clingy... She got jealous every time I talked with one of my coworkers, or friends, or even family. Basically, any girl that existed."

"And that didn't give you a small hint that she was cuckoo?" she narrowed her eyes.

I only shrugged, "I didn't think of it that way. I saw it as her being scared to lose me. She was always at my side and always a bit protective of our relationship... It wasn't until later that I found out she only did all of that to soften me up so she could take from me to support her own needs."

"Wasn't she already rich in her showgirl days? Why would she take money from you?"

I rubbed the nape of my neck with a small shrug, "She was a newbie in the business. She was more of an opening act or an assistant at some shows."

"Like me..." she giggled softly. "Hope I could make it as big as her one day."

I watched as she slowly flipped through more pictures. Her smile seemed to fade away into sadness as she observed each photo.

"One day..." I whispered to her.

She raked her fingers through her short, blonde and pink hair with a small smile, "Look, there's little Sasha here too." she almost whispered. "She's a bit older in this one, does it look familiar now?"

I looked closely at the brownish photo inside of Sylvia's home. I didn't have to do much of a Where's Waldo search on this one because I could see the girl through the open door, sharpening a large stick with a rusted knife, sitting with her legs crisscrossed on the ground. She looked a lot dirtier than the other picture and she definitely looked older. Much more familiar now.

"That's her..." I gasped, feeling a heart ache.

"Told you." she shook her head at the photo, "She always tells me how much she loves and misses this girl but it really doesn't look that way."

"That's because she doesn't..." I groaned. "She neglected her. So did the rest of her family... That's why she ran away..." I gently ran my finger over the image of her, "She needed a real family."

"She ran away? On her own?"

I nodded, "She snuck on trains and buses just to get to the city. She didn't even know what the city was so everything just overwhelmed her. I only found her on accident. And coincidentally enough... She's the child of the one woman I needed out of my life for good." I let out a shaky sigh, "I can't believe she actually belongs to Sylvia... No wonder she's so obsessed with Nicole."

It was all starting to come together now. Sylvia probably already knew about Nicole before the circus mission. If she could hack into the FBI's files to clear her own name, I'm sure she's hacked into my system and found Nicole's name on my roster. The question is, how did she know Nicole was with me the whole time when I've been avoiding Sylvia for more than a decade?

Lady Dream shrugged, "I think she wants her back because you've become so successful. But that's just my opinion."

I looked at her with narrowed eyes and listened as she continued.

"It wouldn't make sense if she neglected a child since birth, forgets about her for a few years, then suddenly wants her back after the man she dated so long ago adopts her child, and it just so happens that you have a truckload of money just sitting in your pockets. And now she's going through all of this trouble just because she loves her daughter so much... It doesn't add up."

I sighed deeply, "Then why won't she take my damned money when I offered it to her!"

"Do you really think I know all of that? This is just a theory. I don't know for sure if it's true, it just seems right to me."

I nodded, "I'm sorry for raising my voice. I know you're only trying to help."

She stood up from the bed and closed the album book, "It's fine, I know this is frustrating for you."

Before she could place the book back where she got it, I asked, "Hey, erm... Can I hold on to that book?"

She shrugged and tossed it to me, "Sure, it's not doing anything but collecting dust and cobwebs anyway... Just don't get caught with it."

I smiled, "I won't, thank you."

"No problem, but we need to go finish the room before Fire comes back."

I nodded in agreement, "Of course, just give me a minute." I grabbed the book and headed to the garage Sylvia made me sleep in.

It was one of the places in her home that she ignored so it was all cluttered with boxes of old things that were randomly thrown inside and it was really dark because she didn't bother to get the light bulb changed. I ended up having to use a lamp I had found for that. I also had to move some boxes around to get my mattress in the most comfortable position I could get it in when I began sleeping here.

I headed to my lumpy mattress and tossed the book under it so I could look over it later on tonight or whenever I get the chance. After that, I quickly made my way out of the garage and headed back to the small bedroom to finish the wall.

When I walked into the room, Lady Dream was already starting on the wall again. I smiled a little then went ahead and started painting with her.

It was quiet for a moment and I knew both of us had a lot on our minds. I kept thinking back to those pictures and trying to wrap my head around the fact that Nicole actually belonged to Sylvia all these years. That fact made me very uncomfortable. It disturbed me. I've been trying to erase every evidence of Sylvia ever being in my life and now I find out that I've been holding on to a huge piece of her for a very long time.

"Do you really think I'll make it big?" Dream broke the silence and interrupted my thoughts.

I glanced over at her then gave her a slight nod, "Of course... I think you can make it without Sylvia. She's no good for you."

She giggled, "She's all the hope I have."

"Not necessarily. She's just your easy way out. If you want to truly succeed, you have to have a plan and trust the road you choose to take... I used to tell Nicole all the time that, 'your dreams and desires will only come true if you work hard for it.' Nothing comes easy and there will always be a bump in the road to slow you down whether it was purposely put there by man or coincidentally made by nature. You have to learn to overcome those challenges and keep going. Following someone else's path will only make their dreams and desires met and after they get what they want, they leave those who helped them behind... It's reality."

She slowed her brush down, silently pondering on what I told her. I let out a soft sigh and lifted my bucket to head to a different wall after I finished where I was.

She spoke after a moment, "You're a cool guy, Simon... You don't deserve to be here."

I don't want to be here... I'm only doing it for Nicole.

The bells on the front door rang as it opened, "Stop squirming, you little rat... Ugh, Lady Dream! Is Simon done in there!?" I could hear a few small children crying from the living room as Sylvia called.

Dream quickly tossed her brush in the bucket and straightened herself up, giving me a brief grimace, "No! This absent-minded dumbass still has a whole wall left!" she mouthed 'I'm sorry' to me before heading out of the room, "You want to go take care of him? I'm tired of seeing that piece of shit excuse of a man."

I leaned my forehead against the dry spot on the wall. An hour here flies by faster than I would ever imagine...

"Actually, bring him over here to me. I want to talk to him." Sylvia responded.

I listened as footsteps made their way back to the room I was working in. Lady Dream came back into the room with a worried look on her face and gestured me out, "I'll be out on the front porch if anything."

I gave her a slight glare as I brushed passed her without a word and went to see Sylvia. When I made it there, I noticed that she had two kids with her. One was in her arm, crying softly and the other was screaming, trying to pull away from her.

"Oh, Simon... Will you take this bad one to your room and put him down for me? I have a massive headache."

I widened my eyes, "What do you mean by 'put him down'?"

She kissed the child she had in her arm on the forehead, "I mean... I don't want him anymore. All he does is scream. I like this one."

She let go of the boy and he ran blindly into me, stumbling to get up on his feet. I helped him up but he kept hitting my legs and screaming.

"Hurry up and do it, darling. We'll dispose of him later since Freak Show isn't here to eat it..." she mumbled.

I almost gagged, "Excuse me?" my voice cracked.

"Nothing, honey. Just go do it so we can talk."

I nodded, feeling my heart ache. This is what she does with those missing kids? She used to have Freak Show eat the "bad ones"?

What if that sandwich she gave me earlier was a... Gah, nevermind! It's chicken, just chicken.

I took the screaming boy to the garage and tried to quiet him down, "Listen to me..."

"NO!" he screamed. "LET ME OUT!"

I raised my finger up to my lips, "Shh... Please... I'm only trying to help."

He looked terrified but he tried to quiet down, "I just want to go home, that's all." he whimpered.

"I'm afraid that your home is pretty far from here... You live in France right?"

He nodded.

"Well, now you're in Italy. But don't worry." I said quickly before he started to freak out again. "I'm guessing you're old enough to know how busses and subways work."

He nodded.

"Are you done yet?" Sylvia called.

"Uh, almost!" I called back then quickly turned back to the boy while reaching into my pocket for a roll of money. "Here. Take this to get home. Come." I quickly walked over some boxes with the boy following behind. When I got to the garage door, I bent down and lifted it up high enough for him to fit through.

"You should have enough to make it and maybe get some food on the way. Run as far as you can from here... Now, now..." I whispered and gently pushed him out before beginning to close the door.

"Thank you, mister," he whispered before I saw his little feet run off. I hope he makes it back safely...

After that, I quickly grabbed an old party balloon from one of the boxes and filled it up with some red paint. I rested it on the ground and grabbed a mallet then smashed it over the balloon. Red paint splattered everywhere on the wall, floor, and some getting on my clothes and face.

"What's taking you so... SIMON!" Sylvia exclaimed with her eyes wide in shock, making the girl in her arms scream.

She tried to calm her down as she told me through gritted teeth, "I only wanted you to strangle him and shake him up a little! Go clean all of this up before someone notices." she quickly walked away, hushing the girl and telling her that she would buy her ice cream if she's good.

My next goal would be to save that little girl after I clean up. I just need to find a way to have Sylvia let her down.