Chapter Fourteen-"What a Dreadful Town!..."/Welcome to the Cirque

Chapter Fourteen

"What a Dreadful Town!..."/Welcome to the Cirque

     Melanie's black dress was blowing in the breeze as the team stepped onto the soil of Coney Island. She walked ahead of the others, but she looked slow, tired, and each step appeared labored. Phillip tried to stay by Melanie's side, but she was to distant, not even really there. She was back in her thoughts back in nostalgia. Which left the team to wonder: What happened here?

     Coming to the iron gates, Melanie removed the blanket shawl, and Spencer noticed this was the first time he had ever seen Melanie's bare shoulders. She shook it for a moment until out fell a black, rusted key. Sticking it the mouth of the lion knocker, the gates opened.

     They walked a ways before seeing anything or anyone.

"The Cirque is still a few miles away. 2 or so. This road was designed for travelers by carriage."

"Well, for God's sake, didn't the police department send some one to receive us?!" Phillip howled.

"Hush," Melanie growled, her face in a sneer. Just then, a black carriage came creeping up the horizon. Melanie snuck a ways further, and they could finally see the amusement park. It wasn't busy. It amusement park wasn't large, either. They could only go so far before the carriage caught up to them.

     "Melanie?" Hotchner asked. "Should we let this carriage stop by us?"

Melanie laughed darkly. "Sir, with all due respect, you all shouldn't be on Coney at all."

The carriage pulled directly in front of Reid and Morgan, Melanie was toward the back.

     Three figures, all in black, stepped out. Coney, being near the ocean, was always peppered with fog and sea-salt air. This only helped their new add on's more intimidating.

A tall man, with a bald head and bulging muscles stepped out front. He had tattoos and piercings covering him.

   Stretching a hand out for Derek he began to sing:

"Are you ready to begin? Are you ready to get on? You're about to start on the journey of your life..."

Phillip was the first to react. And angrily. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No!" replied a woman standing near. "It's a publicity stunt for the freak show!"

The tall skinny man with the tall top hat came next, staring Garcia in the face.

"If you're ready, then get in. Once you're in, then we'll get gone. And who knows, once it goes, where we'll be when it arrives?" He smiled darkly, revealing his yellowed teeth.

     Garcia was shrinking fast, when Melanie stepped in the middle of the square, and none of the three freaks all clothed in black, noticed the other dark shadow join them.

"It's a fun house where the mirrors all reflect what's real," Melanie growled when the tall man joined her,"and reality's as twisted as the mirrors reveal. And the fun is finding out what the mirrors show."

The three freaks sneered at the blonde.

"Get in," Melanie said to her team, her eyes never leaving the performers. Melanie sang again. "Everything! and everyone! It's so just how I dreamed...all the freaks and all the fun! Exactly how I dreamed...and Dragostea still awaits...wonder what's behind it's gates?"
And Melanie accepted the hand of the black-haired girl, just like she did the first day.
***
The carriage ride was less than fun. The dark haired girl didn't start in immediately, but she did.
"Why are you here?" she sneered in her tinkling voice. "Did the master call you? Why did you bring these people?"
"The master didn't call on me. I see the Cirque rebuilt well after the fire," Melanie mused.
"Hush. This isn't the place or the time," the tall man said.
"Alianna-"
"I don't go by that anymore, Fleck. I honestly never went by it. It was a stage name."
"Why are you here!" the dark haired girl-Fleck, hissed again.
"I said hush, Fleck!" the tall man yelled.
"Now, Gangle, don't yell at the dear."
Gangle stared with slits at Melanie. "I've always wanted to put your ego in check."
"And what would the Master do if he finds out?" Melanie whimpered coyly. "He'd hang you by your eye lids...Squelch? You've been quite. How are you?"
"Fine, Alianna," the muscular man said.
"Grand," Melanie smiled, touching his hand. "Gangle? When can I see the Master?"
"Never if I had my way," he spat.
"Fine, I'll call upon him myself. And when he finds out his announcer didn't tell him..."
"Hush. I'll tell him tonight."
"You'll do no such thing! You wait until I'm ready and I'll go with you!"
"Why you were the favorite I'll never know..."
"Where are the others?" Melanie asked.
"In the dormitories. It's late."
Melly stared out her window. "Oh, so it is."
"Shall I have the Prima Donna suite ready for you, Madame?" Squelch asked sweetly.
"Thank you, Squelch, but I know the way. I just need the key," Melanie smiled again.
"Unfortunately," Gangle cried in his annoyingly shrill voice," we don't have enough rooms for all your friends." He glared.
"We have the hotel," Hotchner said.
"Oh, Hotch, it is alright for me to stay here, isn't it?"
"If you think you safe."
"Oh! I do! Philly? Do you want to?"
"Sure, Mel. Sure. If you're sure we're safe."
"This is Coney!" Melly laughed. "We're never safe!"
Phillip clenched his fist.
***
Hotchner, Rossi, JJ, Emily, and Garcia all had returned to the police station and the hotel. Derek and Reid agreed they needed to stay with Melly for as long as they could.
"If you know him, he might come after you," Derek had said when Melly laughed at their reason for staying.
"I know him. That's why I know I'm safe. It's Philly I'm worried about," she whispered. Phillip was across the room, downing liquor from the speakeasy piano across the room. Melanie had asked him to stop but he got angry.
"Phillip!" Melanie called,"I think it's time for bed."
"But the nights only begun! And I still have half a mind to go give those...those...freaks a piece of my mind! Could you believe it! What a dreadful town! What a vulgar place...what an awful mistake to have come here. To be on display in that shameless way for the crude, common, lower class scum. How do they dare to treat us so?"
"Phillip-"
"What a snub at most from our so-called-host. Did he think sending freaks would be funny? Could the fool have thought that our pride was bought by his filthy American money?  What a farce, what an outright slap in the face, it's an utter disgrace. I've got a mind to pack and go. Never you mind the debts you owe. Who'd have believed we've sunk this low?"
"Phillip, please. It's alright. Where...where are you going?"
"Out." He replied, shoving his coat on.
"Phillip, please-"
"Please what?!"
"...Nothing...Nothing, only...Phillip...don't drink anymore."
Phillip slammed the door on his way out, without a sparring glance for the woman who would be his bride.
"Does that happen a lot?" Morgan asked.
"Only when he's around alcohol. I try to put him in situations where he can't drink...but he always finds a way. Charlie's the same way, too. My father used to drink. A lot. I always remember him laughing when he was drunk. He get dizzy, and he held me and Mammy would yell at him to give me over before he passed out. He was never an angry drunk."
"Have you ever drank?" Morgan asked.
"Me? Oh, no. I don't ever intend to either. I see what it can do..."
"Charlie and Phillip...they sounded like good kids," Spencer mused.
"They were...and still are..." Melanie stretched out. She had changed her clothes. She was wearing a velvet red dress, with white lace design and brass buttons. She had a round rim hat with white feathers and a red ribbon under the chin. Her hair was up and from the bun she had it in fell three perfect curls. Throwing her hand over her face she sighed. Morgan hit Reid with his hip.
"Ow!" Morgan raised his eyebrows evilly at him. "Ohhhh...Melly?" Spencer came and sat by the young girl, and Melanie looked at Spencer hopefully through her sad eyes.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Do you need me to stay here? Just for tonight?"
"No...no, I don't think so. But, will you and Morgan excuse me just a moment? So I can change?"
     Minutes later Melanie was dressed in a white tulle dress. It was thicker than a sparring gown but thinner than a frock. The sleeves were pinched, again revealing Melanie's pale-and now freckle less-shoulders. Down the chest was a lace-up design with black ribbons and lace. The rest of the gown from her hips down was the pure white tulle dripping down her frame. She had two dirty little white ballet slippers on her feet. She smiled.
"I wore this last time I was here. It's a little snug, but it still fits. I believe I've gotten taller though." she frowned at her ankles, which were coated in the spandex tights. "Will you two come with me?" Melanie lead them lower and lower through the back of the...even Reid couldn't think of what to call this. It was really one huge theatre. The Prima Donna suite was nothing more than an over grown dressing room. A dressing room with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a living space. It got darker and dingier the lower they went.
"If it's the same as it was last time...this should be it..." Melanie stopped. They were in the wings of the stage, and the lights were on. A few people were gathered on stage, most were young, teenage or early twenties. Some mere children. Melanie smiled as she stared.
"Hey!" a boy's voice rang out and all Spencer saw was Melanie's skirt fly up. "Look what I got!" A red headed boy had sprung into the air and took Melanie with him. Spencer went to catch her fall, but Morgan caught his shoulder and they stared. The boy and Melanie weren't falling down.
"A girl!" a young girl with dark green hair and a blue mask covering her face exclaimed. She was dirty and her long dress was ripped. Reid wondered what was behind the mask.
"Should I drop her?" the boy asked.
"Peter, you genius! It's me!" Peter stared at Melanie as he lowered himself to Earth.
"Melanie?" he exclaimed. Melanie playfully slapped his head and his red hair blew from one side to another. "Melanie!" he screamed, throwing his arms around her. Melanie frowned.
"A lot of love I get. Try to kill me and I haven't been here but 15 seconds."
"Sorry, Mel."
"Melanie!" the girl with the mask cried. Melanie hugged the girl, who flinched at the touch.
"Hello, Kiko. How are you?"
"Good. How do you look?"
"I expect the same. Taller. Later, I'll show you."
"Good," Kiko smiled.
"Where's-" Just as Melanie opened her lips, she gasped. A snake had crawled onto the stage and was slithering under her dress and around her ankles. Melanie sighed.
"Dang it! Lind!" she cried. Spencer gaped as the boy back stage whistled and the serpent came slinking back, but that's not what made him stare.
     The boy was green. It was a forest green, the color of pine trees. He black hair even had a green tinge to it. He had scales. All over. He came up and Melanie reached for him, but he stuck out a hand.
"Shedding," he mumbled sheepishly.
"It's alright. I'll just have to hug you later." she smiled at the friend.
"So?" a blue haired said. "Melanie's back?"
"I'm not here to perform," Melanie said.
"Oh! But why?" A blonde girl with her lower waist in a tank sighed. She was very pretty, as was her voice.
"I'm here on business only guys. But I do think I'll be here quite some time."
"Who are you're friends?" Peter asked.
"Please don't pick them up," she sighed at him. Morgan pushed Reid onto the stage, and followed him out.
The blonde girl in the tank's eyes widened.
"Melly...what is this?" she asked.
"It's okay, Ceto. No one is going to hurt you. Any of you."
"Who are they?" the blue haired boy asked, Reid could see his hands and saw he only had three on each hand. A thumb and the pointer and middle. Known as the black scorpion.
"Scorp, calm down-"
"Quit telling us to calm down!" Kiko yelled, the fell back into the awkward heap on the floor.
Reid stepped forward. "I'm Dr. Reid and this is Agent Morgan. We work for the Behavioral Analysis unit of the FBI."
"FBI!" Ceto yelled, she sunk into her steel tank, only her eyes above the rim.
"You are here to shut us down!" The boy called Scorp yelled.
"No, I'm not, Scorpius. Now hush."
"You're here to investigate the master," the snake boy said.
"Yes. That's what they're here to do."
"Don't you mean you're here to do?" Peter asked.
"Yeah...Yeah, I guess so," Melanie's face looked long again, and she sighed.
"Well," Lind said,"It's your first night back! Let's not just sit here! Let's party!" Lind's up beat attitude did nothing for the room but make it more awkward.
"I'd love to Lind, but not tonight."
"...It's cool. Some other night?"
"I promise," said Melly, kissing his cheek. "Are you blushing?" she teased.
"I'm cold blooded and you kissed my cheek!" he yelled as Melly left. She threw her head back and laughed as Spencer and Derek ran ahead, hoping they knew the way to the room.
***
"So, you guys really saw the freaks?" Prentiss asked. Reid and Morgan nodded.
"Yeah," Morgan said. "I felt all...ehhh...ya know? Like there were bugs all over me. They were cool, but gross."
"I don't even understand how Melanie joined the freak show. There's nothing weird about her," Reid said.
"Except her lip color. And I don't understand, aren't freak shows illegal? Bad? Why would she-"
"Because I did, Emily," Melanie said behind her friends. They blushed, embarrassed. "How are we this morning all?" No one responded. "Now, if you're going to talk about me behind my back, you may as well do it to my face." She smiled. "Yes, they are illegal, but no one cares enough to stop them. No, the freaks here aren't mistreated. Do you think honestly some one like Lind could find a job in the normal world? What would he do? Accounting. Or Ceto, who can't step out of her tank because she has scales? Did you see Scorpius' hands? Did you think your eyes where playing tricks when Peter stayed in the air a few seconds too long? What about Kiko? Aren't you curious what's behind her mask? I can guarantee you, that you don't want to know. Gangle and Fleck are like me. They have no special talents besides the fact they were odd and outcast. Squelch is unbearable strong and tattooed, he was just there to look at. And my master...Oh, his mask. You'll not want to see it."
"Then how do you?" Emily asked.
"Because I can see all the Beauty Underneath. These are people, not attractions. I love them like my family. If you act weird enough, dress weird enough, talk weird enough. Put on a costume, it's easy enough to be a freak. But it takes more than you may think."
"Because of the people who make fun of you?"
"No, Emily," Melanie growled,"Unlike some, others have had that their whole life. Even my own friends...my team members...admit that I'm odd. But I don't care, because that's what I am."
"You're not thinking of joining them...?" Emily asked.
"They've asked me to perform. Maybe I will."
"Melanie," Hotchner said, coming up behind her. "You need an attitude check before you continue on this case."
"Hotch, I don't know if I can do this case!...My friends are freaks and the murderer is my master who I have sworn an oath to obey and serve....I can't do this, Hotch..."
"Then I can't let you work this case."
"From this point on...I am living inside the theatre."
Melanie smiled weakly as she left.




"Welcome to the Cirque. If you need help surviving, you know my number. Let's hope it works."