CARNIES! Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

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Urm, what question?
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PART ONE. Kenna’s POV.
The next day came way faster than I thought it would. I could tell it was a new day because of the bright light filtering through the tent. Nick rolled over beside me, taking the blanket with him.
"Nick," I complained, "do we have to go through this every morning? You keep stealing the blanket."
"Unnghn." He said into the pillow.
"Shut up." I said, laughing. His body got relaxed as he started to fall asleep again. I yawned and got up, stretching.
My stomach growled and I slipped on Nick’s house shoes to make my way to Rosa’s tent… and her refrigerator. She’d bought a new tent yesterday and consolidated it all; it was as good as new. Maybe even better.

"Hey, Kenna!! You’re up early for a change." Rosa said from inside her tent.
"You sound pretty chipper for someone who started a fire last week."I said, going into her tent, taken aback by the mini kitchen she must have had installed when she rebuilt her haven.
"Yeah, I know. I have no clue why." She said, and my eyes widened when I saw a guy lying face down in her bed near the back, fire man suit lying on a chair beside him, a pair of jeans on top of that.
"Rosa!!" I gasped.
"What?" she asked, and looked at him. "I know, isn’t he just adorable?"
"What have you been doing?" I asked, trying my best to keep from laughing. She’d totally redone her tent, and now it looked like a (mini) home straight out of Good Housekeeping. She waved a plate of brownies in front of my face, and I was pulled to them.
"Did those just come out of the oven?"
"Uh-huh." She said.

I took one and bit into the soft, warm, delicious… "Wait a minute," I said around brownie. "When did you get an oven in here?"
"I invented one." She said nonchalantly.
"Invented? What are you talking about?"
"What, no one told you?"
"No. Told me what?"
"Well, I might have majored in chemistry, and graduated the top of my class, but I minored in technology development, and invented this mini oven that I can legally keep in a small place like this." She said, cheerfully.
"Wow." I said, laughing a little. "You’re different when you get laid."
She smiled and took a bite of one of the brownies, and I heard Malachi exclaim from behind me, "What!? Laid? Rosa!!"
"What?" she asked innocently around her mouthful of brownie, and Malachi came around me, face red.
"I cannot believe you. How old is he, anyway? Isn’t that illegal?"
"No. He’s 19."

"And you’re 16. That’s just…wrong."
"No it’s not. I consented. So there." She said, and pushed him out of her tent.
"Wow. I’m surprised you did that."
"Yeah, I know." She said, laughter in her voice. She looked over at the guy asleep in her bed. "I think Kevin’s gonna stick around for a while." She said, tone wistful.
"I hope so. Well," I said, getting an apple out of the fridge, "I guess I’ll go wake Nick up."
"Here, take him some coffee."
"When’d you get a coffee maker?"
"Kevin brought it with him. Here. He likes it with just a drop of sugar and milk."
"Ok. Thanks." I said, and picked up the warm coffee cup. I made my way to the opening of the tent when I heard Rosa say my name.
"Yeah?" I asked.
"Could you tell me why you’re wearing Nick’s pajama pants? And his shoes?"
"What?" I asked, looking down. The pants were dark blue with green plaid stripes. The shoes were black. I was wearing an old black tank I stole from Rosa, even though she was smaller than me.

She laughed, shaking her head, and went back to whatever she was cooking in the pan.
I made my way back to my tent (it was mine as much as it was his, I thought, a warm feeling making its way into my stomach), going through the center square where most of the people were bustling around. The sun was bright, but not too much so, and everyone was busy doing damage control.
"Nick, wake up." I said when I walked into the tent.
"No! I wanna sleep." He unmistakably said into his pillow.
"I have coffee." I said with a singsong voice. He looked at me when I said that, eyes wide.
"Where did you get that?" he asked, moving towards me, arm outstretched. I gave him the cup.
"Rosa’s new…boyfriend brought it with him before spending the night."
"Are you serious?" he asked, eyes wide, sitting Indian style, cup cradled in his hands.
"Completely."
"Damn. Malachi’s gonna be a mess."
"Oh, he already is." I said, laughter seeping out, and sat on the bed beside him. "It’s actually kind-of funny."

He studied my face, and looked down. "I’m sure it was." He said. I pulled the blanket from his side over to mine and laid down. "I did it again, didn’t I?" he asked.
"Yup. Pretty soon, we’re either going to need a bigger blanket, or I’m gonna need to get one of my own."
He took a sip of the coffee and put it on the table beside the bed.
"I think we should get a bigger one." He whispered over me, arms resting by my shoulders, trapping me in.
"Why?" I asked, heart beating a bit faster.
"Because," he said, face coming close to mine, "I like you being close to me." He pecked me on the lips, and sat up. "I don’t like the idea of being separated, confined."
"That’s fine." I said, and pulled him down, arm on his shoulder. He pulled the blanket up and slid under it with me.

"Good. As long as we’re in agreement." He said, hugging me close. I kissed his bare chest where his heart was and rested my head on it, drifting off to sleep.
PART TWO. Nick’s POV.
I looked down at Kenna, sleeping in my arms. She seemed so small, so fragile. And completely at peace resting in my arms.
I was surprised, to say the least. We hadn’t known each other very long, but the way we acted with one another suggested otherwise. It was like we were made for each other. Her with her fiery passion, obscured by shy overtones. We’d reached a level few people were able to together, and it was because of our pasts. Hers was just as complicated as mine, both of our fathers casting stains across our pasts.
Yet, thinking back, there were things, moments, that I didn’t remember. It made me scared. What had I forgotten? Was it something important, or was it just so horrible that I’d blocked it out?

Kenna moved around restlessly, as if she could feel the tension that had seeped its way into my body and heart. She blinked her eyes open and saw me looking down at her. Saw the pain in my eyes. Reaching to sooth it, she hugged me close and kissed that place over my heart again. I felt peace spread its way through me from that place, and smiled at her. She smiled and stretched, from head to toe like a cat. My little lioness.
"Are you going to finish your coffee? I think it’s cold by now."
"Let’s not worry about it. I’m going to get dressed. Isn’t it your turn for a shower?"
"Yeah," she said, yawning. "I’ll go over to Rosa’s and see if I can use hers. Didja know she has a kitchen installed there, now? With an oven and everything."
She got up, stretching again when she stood, my pajama pants sinking low on her hips. I resisted the urge to kiss the exposed skin, and handed her a clean green beach towel. She smiled her thanks and grabbed a pile of clothes from the clean pile before making her way to Rosa’s tent.
When I got up and tried to leave the tent myself, I realized that I couldn’t unless I wanted to put on my sneakers, or go through a box of old stuff for my flip flops. Kenna’d stolen my house shoes. I grinned at that, and made my way to the community kitchen to warm up the coffee in the microwave.

PART THREE Rosa’s POV

THE NIGHT BEFORE
I was busy installing my mini oven when I heard an attempted knock on my tent. I took off my gloves, put them on the counter, and went to the zipped up door. Reaching up, I grabbed the zipper and pulled it down. The sight I saw was unforgettable. It was the fireman from last week. He was still in his uniform.
"Hi." I said, wondering why he was here.
"Hey. Um, I wanted to talk with you." He said, voice gruff.
yeah, talk I thought.
"Ok, yeah, come in."
"My name’s Kevin, by the way." He said as he bent down a little, coming into my little tent. I gave him my name, and he looked around. "Wow." He said, taking in my mini-home. I was so proud of it. I grinned.
"Thanks. I just did it today."
"Today? Wow."
"So, you wanted to talk?" I said, sitting in the recliner, leaving the couch for him.
"Yeah. Well, after last week, I wanted…" he said, stopping, at a loss for words, searching my face hopefully, hoping I’d know what he was thinking.
"Yeah, I know. It came out of nowhere, was completely weird, but I think there was…something there."
"Exactly." He said, nodding.

"So…" I said, not knowing what to say.
"So, how old are you?" he asked, wanting to get to know me.
"16." I said, grinning at his expression.
"What?" he said, eyes huge. "Whoa. Wow. This is weird."
"What?" I asked, teasing tone still in my voice. "How old are you?"
"19." He said, and I said, "oops."
"Exactly."
"Well, I’m at the age of consent, though." I said, wincing a little.
"It’s still so… My little sister’s your age."
I sighed and got up to look at my little oven. "You can hardly compare me to her. I’ve already gotten out of college. Malachi, my brother, worked his ass off so I could. Plus, I had tons of scholarships. I’m smarter than someone my age, and I think you should treat me like how I think."
"Hell, you’re smarter than me."
"Thank you."

"But it’s still so weird, thinking about the ages. Don’t you think so?"The oven had a loose bolt keeping it from setting right, and I asked Kevin for the tool bag lying beside him. He lifted it with a grunt, and handed me the tool I needed.
"Thanks." I said absently, and the oven fell into place. I stood, hands on my hips, and looked at my baby. "Perfect." I turned around to address Kevin, and he was standing closer than I thought. Way closer.
"You were saying…?" I whispered, looking at his smoldering eyes, his lips. I stepped a little closer, and that was all it took.
His hand went behind my neck, pulling my face close to his. Our lips met, and we groaned in unison. His tongue invaded my mouth almost immediately, hungry. I pulled at the buttons and snaps on the suit he was wearing, the extra clothing bothering me. I groaned in aggravation, the suit not cooperating, and he broke away, pulling the suit off in less than a minute. Sadly, that left him still wearing a white t-shirt and jeans.

He came back to me, kissing my lips and down my neck. I pulled at his neck, and he lifted me up, hands on my thighs, pulling me close to him. My legs pulled tight at his waist, and my hands pulled at the stretchy t, hungering for skin on skin contact. He put me on the counter, and did the same. Soon, both of us were shirtless, his hands sliding softly on the soft skin he’d exposed. His lips slid across my collar bone, then lower. I moaned, and he pulled me close to him, carrying me to the bed I had in the corner.
I hit the bed, and he followed not two seconds later, pulling off my bra and paying my breasts special attention. He groaned, and kissed me down to my stomach, till he reached the waist band of my pants. He looked up at me, into my eyes, and soon we were fumbling with buttons and zippers to get rid of our clothes all together.
When he slid into me, I felt complete.

Kenna’s POV
I finished showering in Rosa’s revamped bathroom (she’d remade it, too.) and got dressed in a flash. There was tons of room in here, and I could have sworn her tent was too small for that, but, knowing her, anything was possible.
I looked in the mirror at my reflection: clad in tight, dark wash jeans, and a green long sleeved shirt. I brushed my hair out with the brush that both Rosa and I shared, and left it there to dry on its own. It was already starting to curl.
I slipped on my black flats and left the bathroom, a cloud of steam accompanying me on my exit.
I tried not to pay too much attention to the couple making out on the couch, and said as I made my exit, "Bye, Rosa!"
"OK, Kenna," I heard her say faintly back before squealing.

I walked through the center part of our grouping of tents again, but it was eerily silent, a rare occurrence at any time of the day, much less in the busiest part. No one was about. I heard someone coming up behind me, and felt someone’s hand clasp itself over my mouth. The aggression and strength I felt in that grip sent ice through my bones. I froze, frigid in the man’s grasp.
"Be quiet, ya hear? I don’t want anyone to hear you." He said, and I mentally groaned. It was my dad, and I distinctly smelt whiskey on his breath.
I nodded, and he let go, turning me around by the shoulders to get a look at me. "You’re lookin good." He said gruffly.
"Yeah, dad. What are ya doing here?"
"Well, I saw you and that boy Tony on the TV. I thought I told you to stay away from him!"
"Yeah, dad, well, ya see," I started, and dad interrupted me.
"Well, speak of the devil." He said, and made his way to him. He shook the sawed off shotgun in his hand, and I saw that he’d gotten his break-action .11 out of the closet again. Looking down, he seemed satisfied, and it took a few seconds for reality to take hold. He had ammo in that. And he was planning on killing Tony.
"No, dad! You don’t understand!" I yelled, a few seconds too late. A shot rang out, and Tony went down.

Carnival members were attracted to the scene because of the shot. I saw Nick in the crowd and motioned for him to come closer to me, while I was behind my dad so he couldn’t see.
Do you have any weapons? I mouthed to him.
In my dad’s trailer.he mouthed back. I nodded, and he took off. Two seconds later, I remembered the videos. But I knew it was too late when I saw dad turn to me, fire in his eyes, and make his way towards me.
"Dad, talk to me." I said, soothingly.
"I ain’t gonna talk to you and you know it. You left me there all alone when you knew your mom wasn’t gonna come back. You ran off with that good for nothin’ boy like I told you not to."
"No, dad, I didn’t."
He looked confused. When I tried to explain it to him, he just got mad, and attacked me again. So I had to fight.
I wondered, in the back of my mind, why the carnies around me weren’t doing anything. I saw Kevin from the corner of my eye working with Rosa to try and get Tony out of there so he could have some medical attention.
I saw the spark of rage in dad’s eyes, and knew that it would be harder this time to stop him.

PART FOUR. Nick’s POV
I ran to dad’s trailer. No one was around it, and I wondered where he was when I opened the door without his yell of aggravation at me disturbing him. I’d seen a rifle somewhere in here last year, and wondered if it was still in here. I automatically went to the cabinet near the floor. It was underneath the TV but I knew he wasn’t a movie watcher, and the size was just right for a rifle. I opened it, and a movie fell out.
I stared into the cabinet. It had to be about as big, if not bigger than, a small bookcase. And the movies were overflowing. On each one I saw a date and last name. I popped the one that had fallen out into the VCR, and turned the TV on.
The sight I saw left me feeling a feeling of absolute horror.

It was me when I was little. I knew because of a picture dad had of me and mom when I was a bit younger than that. It was dark, and I was sitting in the middle of a bed, legs pulled close to my chest, naked and cold. I was shivering. I couldn’t be more than seven. The lens zoomed out a little, and I saw a man come into the frame. He was of tall stature, maybe about six five. But that wasn’t the first thing I noticed.
He was naked.
I stopped the tape before I saw what happened. I knew what happened. Now I knew!! I remembered all of the occurrences. All of the sick men and women who had taken advantage of me at such a young age.
Of dad putting me out there, selling me so that his business would thrive and he could afford his gambling. I felt the rage seeping through to my soul by the gallons. How could someone be so sick? Keeping the tapes? I felt the rage overflow, and a blood-curdling scream expressing it exploded out.
Tears of rage pricked my eyes as I went on a mad search of the whole trailer for the rifle. I found it, and left the trailer, running smack into Marla.

Marla’s POV
I heard a scream coming from Joseph’s trailer. It expressed such hurt and rage, my heart ached. I was running there before I realized it.
I was running blindly, and when I caught sight of the trailer, I was stopped by what felt like a brick wall. Everything flashed black for a second, and I foggily came to, Nick looking down at me. I saw the blind rage in his eyes, and a rifle in his hand. Eyes wide, I jumped up, trying to calm him and get him to give it to me.
"Nick, this won’t do anything. Come on. Put it down."
"You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about." He said and stalked off. I ran after him and tried to stop him. He kept walking, and I pulled at his shoulder. He didn’t budge, or begin to slow down. It was useless. I followed him as he went on, though, just in case I could help later.

Nick’s POV
I saw my dad. He was sawing a 2x4 in half, for some unknown reason. He saw me coming at him with his rifle, and glared at me. Then, looking at my face, his expression changed.
"How could you?!" I asked him when I was a yard away from him. "How the fuck could you?"
"How could I what?" he asked innocently.
"You know the fuck what."
"No, I honestly don’t." he said, shifting his position slightly.
"Come on." I said, and moved the rifle up, almost aiming it at him. His eyes darkened.
"Son, you don’t want to do this." He said. He came at me so fast, I couldn’t do anything. I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I looked down, and saw a knife sticking out of it. I looked up at him, and his eyes expressed almost happiness. I kept to my feet, pulled the rifle up to my shoulder, and fired twice.

PART FIVE. Kenna’s POV
I heard a shot not far from where I was standing. It was shortly followed by another. One thought filled my mind: Nick. I looked at my dad, still crazily attacking me, and I snapped. I came at him, leapt, and kicked him several times in the chest. He stood there, impervious to my attempts to get him down. I fought at him continuously, not giving him a chance to strike back. Finally, with a short, sharp kick to his temple, he fell.
I looked up at the dazed onlookers and yelled, "Get the hell outta my way!" I ran towards where the shot came from.
I came up on where Joseph had been building something, and saw Marla bent over a lump that was definitely Joseph. I looked, and saw Nick lying there, hands to his stomach. I ran up to him, kneeling by his side. Blood coated everything. A rifle was lying to his left, and I looked to Joseph, the scene passing clearly in my head.

"Nick. What did you do?" I asked him, tears streaming out of my eyes. I put my hands on his stomach, around the knife, to help with the bleeding. Blood pushed through my fingers, coating my hands. "Help! Somebody! Kevin! Rosa!! Come here now!!"I yelled through my sobs. His blood was pulsing out, heart still beating, but he was out cold.
Kevin and Rosa came running what felt like hours later. Kevin took one look at Nick and went to work. Rosa pulled me away and gave me to Marla, then went to help Kevin. Marla brought me to her tent, and had to work hard at keeping me there.
OK, this is it! HA! Comment and tell me how you thought it was. Don’t panic, though, this isn’t the end of the story. But I won’t post it unless I get at least 15 comments, if not more.

Love ya’ll! -Lina