Chapter 4 #2
The mother wouldn’t look away from me, staring with wide eyes and a look of disbelief.
My eyes locked with hers, hoping she’d just hurry up and order.
“Oh my.” She touched her chest. “Kids, are you sure this is where you want to eat?” she asked the two young children.
“I mean…pizza-serving clowns? I don’t really see the appeal.
” The kids argued and screamed at the top of their lungs, shouting how they weren’t leaving Big Top.
The father rolled his eyes, beaten down and unamused, doing nothing to defuse the situation. And my patience was running thin.
“No one is holding you hostage here, lady. And I’m just doing my job. Drinks?” I motioned around the table with my white gloved hand.
She scoffed. “Well, okay then.” The woman sat back in the red vinyl booth with a smug look on her face, looking at her kids, then back to me. “I’ll have water, she’ll have lemonade, and a root beer for my son.” She pressed her lips together. “Hun, what do you want?”
“What?” The husband clearly wasn’t paying attention to the conversation happening right in front of him. The woman glared at him and it must’ve clicked. “Oh, I’ll just have a Coke.”
I scribbled the drinks down, remembering what Tawny said. “Oh. We’re actually out of root beer right now.” Before the words could even fully leave my mouth, the little boy immediately started screaming and throwing a fit.
What the hell?!
His screaming was a sharp, shrill sound that made it feel like my ears were bleeding…
again. My hands covered my ears as I tried to block the sound, grinding my teeth as Zeth’s own groans filled my brain.
My rat friend panicked and scurried from my pocket, running toward the back of the pizzeria.
The mother’s screams followed as soon as she saw the rat, losing her shit.
They were both so loud and caused such a commotion, I couldn’t handle it.
Tawny came bursting from the back to find me now hunched over my knees while the family continued to scream, shouting that they saw a rat.
“A rat?!” Tawny huffed. “Bit Top Pizzeria doesn’t have rats! And we’ve never had a problem like this! I’m going to have to ask you all to leave. Now!” she demanded.
“With pleasure!” The mom scooped up her daughter and ushered her husband and son out of the booth. The family stomped away and stormed from the pizzeria while the rest of the customers whispered and murmured to themselves, watching.
Tawny eyed them all. “Everything’s fine!” The customers exchanged a few glances before eventually resuming their meals. My boss carefully helped me to my feet. “Come on, let’s go to the back. You look like you need a moment.” With her help, I climbed to my feet and followed her.
Tawny sat me in the back office. It was a small, dark room filled with static-ridden monitors stacked on top of one another and an entire wall made out of two-way glass.
The old security guard practically lived in the room, watching the monitors from his feeble chair.
Everyone knew of the old man, but he never spoke to any of the employees. Only Tawny.
I glanced at the tag he wore on his shirt, realizing I didn’t even know his name.
William A.
“Why don’t you take a walk, William.” The old man grunted, rising from the chair with a large stretch.
His eyes were puffy and red from staring at the monitors so long, and his face was wrinkled and pale from the lack of sunlight.
Tawny shook her head at his exhausted appearance.
“Yeah, take a walk and grab a coffee. You spend too much time in that damn chair. Surprised you haven’t keeled over yet.
” He blew her off and stumbled from the small security office.
Tawny sat me down in his chair and I squirmed from how warm it was.
She didn’t immediately drill me with questions.
She just stood there with a concerned look.
I felt embarrassed for being a part of such a headache, even if it wasn’t my fault.
“Kid,” she sighed, placing her hand on my shoulder.
“Why don’t you call it a night.” It was more a statement than a question.
“I know things have been a little rough recently, and honestly, I think some extra time off might help.” I didn’t argue with her.
“But Crissa, if things don’t get better soon, I’m afraid you’ll have to find somewhere else to work.
” I just nodded my head, stood up, and walked from the security office to my locker and grabbed my bag.
I slammed my locker shut and banged my forehead into it, clenching my jaw while biting back a loud groan.
There is no need to harm yourself over something so mundane, human.
“Shut up,” I hissed at Zeth’s voice in my head. “Just shut up!” My body spun and I stomped to the employee bathroom
I splashed cold water from the dirty sink and washed my clown make up off, doing an absolute shit job.
The employee bathroom was always a mess, but I didn’t care.
I just wanted to go home. And I wanted this fucking clown face gone.
I looked up in the mirror and I saw my reddened face from how rough I had scrubbed it.
My skin was swelling and ached, but what pissed me off most was the white grease paint, still smeared throughout my eyebrows.
There was a distinct ring of face paint still stuck around my hairline, and remnants of blue circled my eyes while the faintest tint of red caked around my dry, cracked lips.
Tears slowly swelled within my eyes as I glared at myself.
In all the months I’d spent working at Big Top, not once did I ever cause a problem at work.
Now, I was on the verge of losing the only thing I had that would get me out of this damn town.
“Fuck.” My head dropped over the edge of the sink.
“Good job, Crissa…keep it up and you’ll never get to leave.
” My palms rubbed against my sockets. “God, you’re such a fucking mess,” I cried.
Cris–sa.
Zeth’s voice returned.
Don’t cry, Cris–sa. Let me take your pain and turn it into something absolutely delicious.
My eyes raised to see his demonic presence in the dirty bathroom mirror. “How?” I asked.
Zeth smiled and stared straight into my soul with his solid black eyes.
“By letting me out to play.” I didn’t answer.
“You know, a demon can only remain locked away for so long before its evil bleeds into a host’s soul, forever tainting it.
” His head tilted until his ear nearly touched the top of his shoulder. “Is that what you want?”
My brows furrowed. “No.” The single word burned in my throat. “But I’m not giving you control…not yet.” I wiped my face and turned the faucet off.
Zeth growled at me. “Foolish human. What was the reason for summoning me if you refuse to let me devour your enemies!”
“Enemy or not, I’m not letting you devour anyone!”
Zeth’s grin returned. “Oh, but I shall. Did you forget the words you spoke that night?” I tried to remember.
“Use my body as a vessel and carry out your chaos as you see fit to ensure all those who have harmed me will bleed for their sins.” He licked his lips and my eyes widened in disbelief.
“You spoke those words, and your words are binding.”
The truth left me speechless.
“I will remain patient…for now. But one day, something will happen that will leave you begging for me to take control. And when that day comes, I plan to revel in it.” Zeth ruptured into a menacing laugh, scaring the hell out of me.
I grabbed my things and bolted from the bathroom, making my way out the backdoor.
I didn’t say goodbye to anyone…not even Tawny. I just left, too embarrassed and ashamed to even face them.
Once in the dark alley, I let out a large sigh. Sure, it smelled like shit, but being outside and away from everything inside was the reprieve I needed. Even Zeth was quiet.
One of my rat friends scampered over my shoe as I walked around the alley.
“Oh hey buddy.” Bending down, I picked him up.
“Sorry, I didn’t grab you a snack like I said.
” I walked away from the back of the pizzeria to a darkened corner.
“Things—well—yeah.” I leaned against the wall, setting the rat on my shoulder as I reached into my bag for a cigarette.
Hell, at this point I needed like seven to even calm myself before heading home.
By the time I lit up my third smoke, the temperature had dropped substantially, unlike my little gathering of rats.
They had slowly gathered around me and kept me company while I smoked.
“I should probably head home soon,” I mumbled to myself.
Just then, a sound on the opposite side of the dumpster caught my attention.
It was way too loud to be any of my rat friends.
“What the—” I stood up as a shadow of a man ducked down behind the hunk of blue metal.
“I can see you, you know.” He didn’t move or answer.
“I said I can see you, you piece of shit.” At my loud voice, the rats that had gathered around me scattered, leaving me alone.
“Either be a man and come out, or walk away.” As soon as he stepped out from the shadows, I recognized him.
I–I know him.
He brushed his messy blonde hair from his face and grinned. “Sup,” he said in an oily voice.
“Y-you,” I breathed. My body reacted, tensing almost instantly as he stepped closer. “What the hell are you doing here?” My back hit the wall and I realized I was now stuck in the corner of the alley with him.
The man reeked of alcohol and weed, stepping closer and closer with each passing second. “Your uh…friend mentioned I might find you here.” He licked his lips and stopped directly in front of me.
“What friend?” I breathed.
“The one with the black widow tattoo right...” His arm raised and he brushed my hair aside, gliding his fingertip along the side of my neck. “There.”