Chapter 5 – A Girl Worth Fighting For
Now that you remember the legend of the tattooed woman, maybe you’ll remember the legend of the woman that men die for. No one knows her name or what she looks like. Some even say that this woman is a spirit that possesses a human woman until she no longer needs that human. She would seduce men and lead their lives into ruin. The men would then kill her, which would usually end in them going to jail for the rest of their life or their execution. Some say that she’s a succubus who failed to seduce an archangel and was cursed to seduce and die repeatedly until the day comes for her to be cast in hell for all eternity. The only advice people give to avoid this woman is by avoiding loose women and peculiar girls. Otherwise, you better hope that you picked the right girl to fall in love with.
“I’m from the east,” Tomiko explains to every one of the Circus of Misfortune, “I heard about Roger’s amazing circus and had to be part of it. I’ll be teaching everyone the techniques I learned and helping Roger with keeping everyone organized.”
Tomiko’s cute expression and voice keep everyone listening to her. Once practice starts, she firmly and caringly instructs people in the tricks and acrobatics that she knows. It takes about five hours of practice until everyone gets a feeling for the moves and do them on their own. While the performers practice, Tomiko helps manage Roger’s papers and contacts and gives him her opinion on what to do next, which are usually the best ones. In just one day, she improves the circus. She even makes friends with Ebony and plays with her. This new member appears to be a welcome addition to the family since everyone likes her. Ebony doesn’t sense any negativity in her, unlike some other people who have tried to infiltrate the circus to destroy it.
She sleeps in Roger’s tent in a bed separate from his since there’s no room for her anywhere else.
“I’d say you made a good first impression,” Roger says.
Tomiko wonders, “Did I? I thought your circus treated everyone this well.”
“They do but they like you a bit more in particular. You’re teaching them things new and fun things in an interesting way. They just love being with you.”
“Oh,” she says as she blushes, “Thank you. What about you? What do you think?”
“I think you’re a great person.”
“Really?”
“I’m an honest man who tells people exactly what I think about them to their face. You can trust me.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I’m just not used to receiving compliments.”
“Why’s that?”
“I uh. Have a history.”
“Who doesn’t? This is a place for people with long histories. You don’t have to explain it to me. I’ve heard it all.”
“Thank you for being so understanding.”
“It’s no problem. If you need something, don’t be afraid to ask anyone.”
“Ok, I will.”
“Alright, see you bright and early tomorrow.”
“Good night.”
Roger and Tomiko go to sleep for the night. During the night, Roger feels a hot feeling. A feeling of someone reaching for him until they have their hands on them. He wakes up as Tomiko is shaking him.
“Roger, you have to get up,” Tomiko quietly says.
“What’s going on?” he says as he groggily gets up.
“What I told you about last night. My past has caught up to me.”
Tomiko slightly opens the tent to show Roger two men and two women outside arguing with the circus workers and performers about Tomiko’s whereabouts. Everyone tells them the same story that Tomiko passed through here and that they deny interacting with her, but these people are set on getting as much information as possible.
Roger heads out and says in a calm voice, “Hello, is there something I can help you with?”
A woman says with a stern voice, “Yes, we’re looking for Tomiko. She has hell to pay for.”
“I’m sure you’re mistaken because that woman who passed through here was a very nice person. If she does have hell to pay for, it seems that she’s paying for it as we speak.”
“It’s not enough if God makes her pay for it. We want our fair share as well.”
“Now what was that one saying, “To shake off the dirt or whatever off your shoes and leave it behind?” You should probably do the same and let her go.”
“She deserves worse than what she’ll get!”
“Now who made you God?”
Roger starts beating on the four people. His experience on the streets has given him the skills he needs to beat them all by himself.
As they crawl back to their feet, he says, “Get out of here. Unless you want to be tiger food.”
His circus yells at the four as they run away. Tomiko claps for Roger and he tips his hat in response.
She says, “That was amazing, Roger!”
“It’s nothing. It happens all the time around here.”
“I…I bet you want to know my past now that you saw how angry those people were.”
“Tell me if you want to. The circus is a fresh start for people. If telling me your past helps you shed your old skin and break into your new one, then do it.”
“I uh. I don’t think I’ll need to tell you.”
“Then welcome to your new life.”
Tomiko smiles then hugs Roger. He smiles too and hugs her. Today, the circus is having a special event that is lead by Tomiko and Roger. They’re having the event not only to give Tomiko a real taste of her job but also because they just love entertaining people. This is just a performance for fun and nothing too serious. After Ebony’s part is done, she goes back to rest, but she suddenly senses something evil coming from Tomiko’s room. Ebony knows that Tomiko is heading to her room to change clothes for the next event, so she rushes there to find nothing.
Tomiko enters the room confused and asks Ebony, “What’s the matter Ebony?”
Ebony squeaks and looks around the room.
“Is there an intruder?”
A shadow in the room jumps from location to location. Ebony notices it and tries to get Tomiko out of the room.
“I need to get changed, Ebony. Unless…”
The shadow jumps to Tomiko’s body and takes control of it. The shadow thief is a legend about a thief who was cursed by a witch to be a shadow. He tried stealing from her, but when he was found, he hid in the shadows. The witch tried to find him in the shadows, but couldn’t, so she just cursed him to be a shadow. The thief can only move in the shadows and he can’t touch anything in the light unless he is possessing a body dead or alive. He can possess a body as long as he wants to, and he knows it.
The thief taunts Ebony by making Tomiko at his whim. He makes her hit herself and slam her head into the wall. He then physically twists her body parts. Tomiko cries out in pain as she can feel her bones breaking. Ebony has seen her friend suffer enough so she comes up with the idea of stepping into Tomiko’s shadow. Because Ebony casts no shadow at all because of her dark light, the shadow thief dissipates into nothing and his soul goes to receive its rightful punishment.
Tomiko hugs Ebony with tears in her eyes and says, “Thank you, oh thank you, so much Ebony! I would be dead without you.”
Roger and some other people come up to Tomiko’s room to see what’s happening.
“What happened?” Roger asks as he examines the bruises on Tomiko.
“This shadow monster attacked me and made me hurt myself, but Ebony saved me.”
“That’s my girl.”
Ebony squeaks with a smile. Tomiko receives some medical attention for her injuries and continues to finish the show. At the end of the show, the audiences gave their high praises to Tomiko and showered her with attention. In the mess, Riley notices that Roger is missing. He tracks him down by his scent and finds him with an unknown girl. Roger appears to be under her charms and the woman is giving Riley some really bad vibes. Fearing that, if he left to get Ebony, Roger would be gone, Riley jumps into action. He climbs the body of the woman and uses his strength to pull her gaze away from him. Riley has had a lot of experience dealing with humans, so his strength is extraordinary for a mouse. His strength is such that her head falls off in the process. A black mist is released from the body as if the soul of the woman is trying to escape.
Roger wakes up from his delusions to see a headless doll in front of him.
“Riley, you saved me!”
Riley gives him a thumbs up then points to a lantern then to the doll.
“You’re right. Let’s burn this hag.”
After burning the seductive doll, Roger and Riley return to find Tomiko resting on Roger’s bed.
“Are you okay, Tomiko?” Roger asks.
“Oh, of course I am! I just didn’t expect to be so popular and get so much attention in a single day.”
“I don’t see why not. You’re amazing, Tomiko. I told you, you would fit in with us misfits.”
“Hahaha, I guess you’re right.”
The two smile as they form a bond Riley hasn’t seen in a while. He leaves them, so they can privately be together.
“I wasn’t thinking anything like that, Riley!” Roger says, “Do you want to go for a walk along the river?”
“Sure.”
Roger takes Tomiko’s hand as they walk out of the tent together and to the river. Meanwhile, Riley went to Ebony and a couple of circus workers. Since Ebony taught Riley how to better communicate with humans, the workers understand the two animals and go with them to spy on Tomiko and Roger. The group of spies catches Roger and Tomiko just in time to see them holding hands as they look out at the town with lanterns lit up for the night. They appear to be talking to one another about something as their heads are touching one another, but the group can’t hear what they’re saying. They quietly move forward until Ebony senses something strange. It’s a dark presence but it’s cloaked and small. Ebony gets even closer to the two to see an almost invisible black mist coming out of Tomiko’s body.
“Riley, do you see this?” Ebony says.
“What is it?”
Riley goes up close and sees the same black mist he saw from the other woman.
“Oh no! Help me keep her away from Roger!”
Ebony pushes Tomiko away as Riley sits on Roger’s arm to protect him from further harm. Ebony’s light effects Tomiko as it expels the darkness from within her.
As the darkness within Tomiko fades away, she laughs then says, “Hahaha! You fools are too late! I finished what my sister failed to do and soon, your dear Roger will be my loyal servant even after I’m gone! Hahahaha!”
Riley sees that Roger’s left arm is coursing with darkness. The darkness within Tomiko disappears and leaves behind an unconscious normal woman. Ebony can’t purify his arm, so she gets the workers to cut it off. Once they do, they quickly take Roger and the unconscious woman to a nearby hospital. Thankfully, the doctors are able to save Roger. The unconscious woman, however, is different. She is unable to speak English and the hospital has to retrieve their translator in order to understand her. She says that she lost consciousness days ago and doesn’t know why she’s in the country. The clothes she’s wearing aren’t even hers nor does she know how to do any circus tricks. Her name isn’t even Tomiko.
Other people from the circus come to the hospital after they are informed about what happened.
Seeing the worry in their eyes, Roger reassures them, “Don’t worry about me. I guess I’m not allowed to fall in love again, but I don’t care about that. I have all of you with me. That’s all that matters. Besides, I get to have a wooden arm. How cool is that?”
His friends or rather his family laughs with him then help him to get better as he heals from physical and emotional wounds.
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