It was the second time we had been alone together. The first being when he collared me when I was locking up alone at work, and now, in somewhere that I could only describe as an illusion. As we sat there opposite each other, I felt a burning in the pit of my stomach, the thrum of my pulse echoed in my ears and ricocheted through my veins. It was so silent around us that I started to worry that he could hear my heartbeat across the table, or hear the blood rushing through my veins. It felt like severe nerves. It had to be nerves.

      "Hold your left hand out," he whispered, even within this silent place, it was almost indecipherable. I didn't argue, I didn't fight it, I just did. I held my left hand out, trying hard to conceal the shaking of my fingertips. The Ringmaster took my hand within both of his as if to inspect it, facing my palm upwards. As his skin brushed against mine, I was momentarily paralysed. It was gentle, but electric. It felt like a surge went through my hand and straight into my stomach to accompany the fire that was already ignited. His hands were hot to the touch, unlike my own which were almost frozen from the crisp winter air. He held my hand in position for a moment, looking at my palm inquisitively and with soft eyes. It was the softest I had seen them. So far, when I had seen him, his eyes were almost on fire each time. They burned, with a hard, unrelenting gaze of such certainty. However, now, they were soft. I still made no movement, just observing as if I was watching the scene unfold from afar. For a split second I saw him as human. As a person, not some weird guy that gave me a tarot card or told Drew he wouldn't have love; but as a real person.

      "You see this line here?" He said whilst tracing one of the crinkled lines across my palm. I nodded. "Well, you see, a lot can be told about a person, and their future, through their palms," he paused before continuing, "and I was right."

      "Right about what?" My voice came out croaky. I looked up to him quizzically, to find he was already looking at me now, instead of my palm. His eyes were on fire again.

      "About you."