Circus Freakâs Files: Jeremy Woods
Jeffery Woods, ironic as the name was, grew up in a rather shitty family. His family wasnât abusive, per se- no, they didnât physically hit him outside a slap or two when he did something that severely upset his mother. Rather, his father was barely around, always busy with work until late in the night. That left him, his mother and his younger brother home alone- well, unless they were at school.
Jefferyâs mother was severely neglective of the two, too busy drowning herself with a bottle of wine and sobbing over her slowly failing marriage to pay attention to her two sons lives. This, sadly, lead a band of school bullies to get away with interfering in Jeffâs life- each day he woke up like it was a chore, exhausted and on the verge of already passing out. Really, he couldnât even call this living- more or less he was just⊠existing.
Some days, he was left alone- but the days where he wasnât were always the worse. It started off small, like it always does- making him drop books in the hallway, tripping him on his way to class, tying his shoelaces together when he got too distracted.
Of course, bullies never really had a reason to bully someone- they just did it because they could, because it was easy to pick on someone so quiet and reclusive. Thatâs what Jeffery was, the quiet kid who sat miserably in the back of the class- just hoping to get out quickly and get back home where he could actually enjoy life a little, of course, after the bullying worsened that hope became a mere afterthought to just⊠surviving the trip home without them trying to interrupt his exit.
It was a gang of three boys, nothing special. They werenât some popular athletes in school or entirely strong in a way, but compared to them Jeffery was still considered smaller. The bullying severely annoyed Jeffery- he wasnât afraid of them, but rather the thought of getting in trouble. The last slap he received from his mother for nearly getting expelled was enough for him, he dreaded the thought of starting another fight.
His life remained okay for the first part until secondary school rolled around. The town he lived in was a relatively small town in the United Kingdom, so unlucky for him- that meant he graduated primary with those same bullies, and of course, it got worse from there.
One of the bullies did become a jock, while the other kind of just hung around- but rumor after rumor and suddenly Jeffery was being avoided like the plague. Bullying wasnât like it was in the movies Jeff had seen as a child- he thought thatâd be terrible, but this was much- much worse. He knew they were talking of him, afraid of him, even- but for what reason? He had no clues. It took him a while to realize who was behind it, and he felt stupid for not figuring out sooner.
Sick and tired, Jeff finally approached them when he found a good opportunity- âWhy wonât you just leave me alone, huh?! What did I ever do to you, grow up, man!â His bully just grinned in his face and let out a exasperated laugh, âIâm sorry? Just looking at you and your stupid pale face is enough to piss me off every day, itâs bad enough I have to be embarrassed to be in the same school as a whiny freak like you, but for you to have the balls to approach me? Who do you think you are, Jeffy?â The kid mocked, glaring down at him in amusement, âThe fuck did you just say to me?!â âI said youâre a-â with a rough shove, the bully was cut off- and severely pissed.
A fight broke out between the two males while the others watched. One pulled out his phone and began laughing at the spat the two hat, but it wasnât long until all three of them were kicking him on the cold concrete.
It
wasnât the first time Jeff had been hurt by his bullies, but it was the first time he was beaten this badly- not once did they gang up on him aside from mockery and a rough shove or two off of a playground back in primary. It seemed secondary school brought new territory, after all. Once they finally left him alone, Jeff made a point to get to his house and patch himself up without stirring as much attention as possible.
It was throughout his last year of secondary school that things took a turn for the worse- with all the standing up for himself Jeffery had done, he managed to piss his bullies off to their damn breaking point. Unbeknownst to him, theyâd come up with a plan to fuck his life up for good- but none of them expected it to take the turn it ended up in.
It was summer, and Jeffâs brother had been invited to a birthday party by some of his classmates. He was in the same school, but was in a lower grade than Jeff- heâd just started a few months ago, so it concerned Jeff that his brother got an invite so quick- Jeff was suspicious and concerned. Confronting Liu about his choice to go, him and his brother had the first big argument in years. One that ended in guilt on Jeffâs side and anger on Liuâs- with a slam of the door, Jeff was left alone, ghosted for a few days. His brother never passing him a glance- it stung, reminded him of their mother.
His father wasnât around anymore, after the divorce his mother experienced she was mostly in her room miserable and trying to live off child support and disability funds, but Jeff knew they were losing money fast. He had a part time job to attempt and raise money to make his and Liuâs life better, leading him to be exhausted nearly constantly.
The day arrived that Liu went to said party, it was packed to the brim with loud music and bright lights- a classic house party by a bunch of âbad kids.â Drugs, alcohol, teenagers screaming- it was a mess, and Liu was beginning to regret his decision to go. After a while, Liu awkwardly left the house- heading out the backdoor to avoid a crowd of people, however his exit was interrupted by Jefferyâs bullies.
âHey there, Liu, howâs mommy?â One of them laughed, Liu stared at them in nervous confusion, âWhat..?â âAre you dense? I said howâs your fucking mom feeling, dipshit!â Liu flinched at the sudden hostility⊠he felt terrified all of a sudden- this guy seemed⊠severely unstable at the moment- maybe even a little drunk with how he wobbled a bit on his two legs. âSheâs⊠sheâs doing fineâŠ..â he mumbled, before attempting to shuffle quickly past the male and avoid asking the dreaded question of 'who are you? how do you know my name?â in fear of making him more angry. âI-.. I should go, now..â
Liu yelped when his arm was gripped tightly, enough to cause pain- suddenly, he was thrown back- but instead of landing on the ground, he landed in a pair of arms. His heartbeat stopped in his chest- âWhere are you tryin to go, huh? The funs just getting started, donât you want to chat a little?â âWhat?! Let me go, man! I donât even know you, why are you doing this?!â âHereâs the fucking deal, you brat-â Liu attempted to cut him off with a plea, but was kicked roughly in the stomach, âSHUT UP!! I DIDNâT FUCKING SAY YOU COULD TALK, GODDAMN IT!â Clearing his throat to calm down, he continued, âHereâs the deal. Your brotherâs done a lot of shit to fuck up our lives lately, and you know what the best way to get to a loving brothers heart is?â He asked, gripping Liuâs shirt collar and getting into his face with a look of pure rage.
For the first time in years, Liu swore heâd piss his pants like a child wetting the bed- the look in this mans eyes fucked up every single one of the poor kids red flags, that wasnât the look of a sane human. Liu couldnât bring himself to speak up, words caught in his throat- so, instead, the bully pushed him back. âTake him to the woods, and make it quick. Donât want to alert all these people, huh?â With a look towards each other, the bullies skeptical friends dragged off the struggling Liu who screamed for
help- but it didnât carry far over the ear bleeding music that blared through the night.
Jeffery sat at home, watching the hours go by in blistered paranoia- what was taking his brother so long? It was getting late- it was 1AM for fucks sake- he knew he shouldâve went with him. With a grit of his teeth, Jeff threw his hoodie on and hopped out the window to avoid a confrontation with his mother who was most-likely drowning in more booze on the living room sofa.
After a while of searching for the damn house said to host the party, he finally found it thanks to all the stupid lights they put up- and after roaming the crowd for what felt like hours, his heart dropped and he began to panic when he couldnât spot sight of his little brother. He began shoving through the crowd, annoying a few drunks here and there as he struggled to find the brown haired teenager.
Pushing his way into the backyard, he peered around- a few people here and there, but mostly empty. The ones there either too drunk to even register their own breathing or making out by the tree line. Thatâs when he saw it, on the ground laid a shoe- a shoe he instantly recognized as his brothers. Instantly, he began running through the forest, shouting out Liuâs name. He was panting heavily and it all felt hopeless, until he heard it- a scream from Liu.
âNo- no! Wait! Donât-â the rest was muffled, sprinting full force towards the voice and nearly breaking his damn leg on a tree route out of carelessness, Jeff stumbled upon a forest opening- in the middle laid Liu, alone and trembling⊠in blind hope, Jeffery ran towards him, Liu screaming the whole time for him to stop but it was muffled by the heavy ringing in his ears.
Then he saw it, blood- oh fuck, he felt nauseous. Blood, everywhere. He crouched down by Liu, panting like a fucking dog- âWh- whatâŠ. what th-the hell...â he gasped out, scared to even touch Liu as he laid there sobbing and sniffling, his leg⊠completely severed in two, hanging on only by the flesh surrounding it.
âWhat.. W-What the fuck happened here, Liu?! I told.. I told you not to come here you fucking idiot- we- we have to get you-â âG-Get out of here you moron! I said not to come, are you stupid?!â His brother sobbed, cutting him off, âWhy would I just leave you here to die?!â âBecause-â Liu was cut off by a heavy throbbing in his throat as he stared up in terror at something behind Jeffery.
Confused, Jeff shuffled to turn back- only for a head splitting pain to cripple him over as his vision blurred and ears rung- the last thing he registered was his brother screaming his name as a shaded figure hovered over him. And that damn⊠shit eating grin.
Jeff awoke to the sound of water dripping, it took him a while to even get the strength to lift his head- and even longer to clear his vision. Panic was quick to strike him as he remembered the moments prior, but upon attempting to get up- he quickly noticed he was strapped to a pole with layers and layers of thick tape around his wrists.
He was in a basement⊠the entire thing was soaked- wait a fucking minute... this was his basement! Jeffery instantly recognized all the boxes and old untouched family furniture surrounding the place, as well as the barely used washer and dryer in the corner, abandoned for the newer ones upstairs.
Why the fuck was he down here?! How did he even.... wait- perking up, he heard a small whimper in the distance, attempting to adjust his eyes to the dark, they widened as he saw the quivering form of his brother tied up by a few boxes in front of him.
Jeffery felt his eyes tear up a little- his brother was gagged and blindfolded- these sick fucks! Heâd fucking kill them! His face scrunched up in rage at the sight of his defenseless brother, but it only got worse as he heard footsteps coming down- with a stumble of what sounded like heels, he was in shock as his mother fell down.
âM.. Mom..?â He meekly called out- she didnât move, she didnât even flinch she just.. laid there. Fear began to trickle throughout him, âMom?.. It's not fucking funny right
now, get up!â His heartbeat was racing in his chest- but it felt like it would burst when his bully finally stepped down beside her. He silently gazed at Jeffery, â⊠things.. took a bad turnâŠ. and she ended up getting herself a bit⊠hurt.. you donât mind, right?.. I mean, itâs not like you had a good relationship anyway,â he spoke as he rolled her head over.
He felt his face run cold and pale at what he saw. His mothers unconscious eyelids hung partly open- her face was framed in a sickening layer of gooey, impaled glass- as if her head had been smashed into it, but the worst part was the glass lodged down her throat- her blood caked mouth, as if a bottle of wine had been crushed in her jaw. He didnât even want to think about what happened to her⊠but, she was still breathing.
âWh⊠What the fuck is wrong with you?! Youâre fucking crazy!â He lashed out in the restraints, pole rattling behind him- his brothers breathing and whimpering picked up.
The last few hours were torturous and slow- so terrible to the point where Jeffery was begging them to stop, pleading and sobbing as he watched his brother being beat mercilessly into the ground.
However, one of the bullies slipped on the liquid coating the floor- and with a deafening crack, Liuâs head had been stomped on. Blood pooled beneath him as the bullies stumbled back, shock on their faces- âWhat the fuck did you do, man?!â âI-I didnât mean to, it was an accident!â âWe were supposed to teach the freak a lesson on what the hell happens when he fucks with us! Shit- I think you fucking killed him-â They stumbled away from the body, which convulsed lightly, most likely due to brain damage.
Jeffery, however, couldnât register anything. His vision zeroed in on his unconscious brother, bleeding out. Dying. His face pale and his eyes suffering heavy bags as he stared in complete shock- he couldnât believe what was fucking happening- no- no this had to be a fucking nightmare. Liu was all he had left, he promised heâd look after his little brother and now- now heâs... now he's fucking dying.
Jeffery tensed up as he struggled harder than ever before against the restraints, but his bullies thought fast. Slipping on the ground, they began to sprint up the stairs- and before Jeff could snap the tape to beat the fuck out of those bastards- mind blinded by too much rage to think straight- he heard a clattering noise and the sound of a flame being lit. His eyes widened as he thrashed against the restraints- holy shit, the flame was spreading fast- thisâŠ. this liquidâŠ
He paled in horror at the realization that the wet shit soaking the basement floor wasn't water at all.. it was gasoline... gasoline to light a fire in case things went terribly wrong- a way for his bullies to attempt to rid âevidenceâ of their crimes if they fucked up, and that they did.
No matter how hard he tried, Jeffery couldnât escape in time of the flames- they burnt his family alive, and reduced the house he barely called home to soot, ash and char. He barely managed to make it out alive when the flames burnt the tape to liquid, using that relief to crawl out the basement window- it was a tight but the worst part was the exhaustion and excruciating pain he felt.
The house burnt to the ground around him as fire sirens blared in the background of his hazy mind- he was losing blood fast... he could barely recognize his own hands past the melting holes of burnt, oozing flesh the fire had left behind.
Yet, the only thing Jeffery felt⊠was empty.
He awoke that night in the hospital after passing out, his entire body wrapped limb to limb in bandages with messy strands of black hair sticking out here and there. He could barely see an inch in front of him- but after a while a doctor came to explain the situation. As 'hardâ as they tried, the house was unable to be saved and collapsed in on itself. Due to that, he had lost his family to the wreckage, and they were unable to be saved- he was recovering, barely. His eyes would be nonfunctional due to the flames severely injuring his eyelids, rendering
his eyes damaged from smoke and heat- he was reassured that his vision would return after some healing, but he wouldnât look how he used toâŠ
It took a few months for Jeffery to recover enough to move around, it hurt at first to learn to walk on his feet the way they were, but he managed. A year or two later of being held hospitalized, he was finally released with funds left over from his mother to give himself a better life- however, Jeffery spent that money on a crappy apartment near a shady part of town, living his life as an emotionless being, stumbling around, constantly covered in bandages- drugs could only cure the emptiness he felt, and the booze that killed his kidneys slowly made days feel like a blur.
For the first time in his life, Jeffery was able to unbandage himself for once- heâd refused to see what he looked like in his stay at the hospital, heâd been to terrified, so the nurses had to change his bandages in his sleep as he insisted to keep them on with a violent outburst that made them compliant to his wishes. It took months for him to finally decide to face what was beneath it⊠and what he did... it ruined him.
What he saw in the mirror barely looked like⊠him.. anymore. He was burnt, his skin a slight reddish hue past the disturbingly pale looks, his eyes bloodshot and still a bit damaged. Parts of his skin had melted together as they healed poorly, and his hair⊠his once greasy yet full head of black locks was reduced to a rough patch of hair that had a few parts missing here and there, areas too damaged to properly grow back.
He looked like an absolute mess- and the thoughts of the names his bullies would cause him echoed in his head. Now⊠now he truly was a freak, wasnât he?
What started as a few mindless chuckles became a slurry of unstable laughter, tears streamed down his face as he struggled to contain the unhinged fury that filled his soul. And with a final snap, Jeffery was sent into a fit of unhinged, dellusional manic as he suffered the worst panic attack heâd ever had in his waking life.
He smashed the mirror to pieces, unable to register the blistering pain of his now severed open hands through the tears blurring his vision and the numbness that ran through his body- heâd mutter words of insane slurs, unable to even finish a coherent sentence before stumbling to the kitchen and throwing things around in search of a knife.
Plates were smashed across the floor by the time he finally found what he was looking for, stepping over the glass and cutting his feet as he made his way back to the bathroom. He stood in the shower, breathing heavily and fighting a war in his own head to regain sanity- he was losing it- he knew he was fucking losing it. The knife was clutched so tightly in his own hand that his knuckles blistered and his arm trembled violently. The voices grew louder and louder until Jeffery was smashing his face onto the bathroom tiles beside him, screaming for them to âSHUT THE FUCK UP!!â as he tore the bathroom curtain from its hangers.
In a huge tantrum of self hate, he thrust the knife into his cheeks, grunting like a deranged wild animal as he tore bits and pieces of melted skin from his face- tears coated his burnt skin as he laughed and sobbed loudly, barely able to breathe properly past the searing pain of his body being shred apart.
Perhaps it was deliria that caused him to continue going despite how treacherous it was, regardless.. by the time he was finished the only thing left of his face were chunks of stringy meat and torn flesh. Torn up all the way into a menacing, disgusting bloody grin that stretched and tore worse with each movement of his jaw. Limping over to the barely taped together mirror- which he taped back up earlier in a failed attempt to clear his own head from hysteria, he gazed into the parts of himself he could see.
He hated this, he hated how he looked- he hated his bullies, he hated that they got away, that he couldnât save Liu- that he fucked failed. Everything was gone, pointless- everything!! If he could go back he would, but
this was his punishment, wasnât it? He cackled weakly with his hoarse, raspy voice from all the screaming and crying he did earlier- this was the ironic karma he deserved for wishing his bullies to burn alive in the past.
What he looked at could barely be considered human anymore, much less him. He felt like a stranger in his own body⊠what was once a normal, healthy body was reduced to a pale, skinny, boney corpse that stared back. So skinny you could see the shape of his bones through his pelvis and arms⊠he wanted to cry once more, but his eyes lacked the moisture necessary for that task.
A drought of anger rushed through him once more, furious at the sick freak that stared back at him. "Stop looking at me with those goddamn eyes...â âIâm⊠Iâm not a freak, Iâm not..â he mumbled to himself, feeling dizzy from the loss of blood- time like this continued until he was sawing his own eyelids off with a knife, screaming about how hideous the thing that looked back at him was, claiming he didnât want to see it any longer- not even referring to what stared back as him, but rather some creature trapped in the mirror⊠mocking him.
His own delusions filled his head until he could no longer see past his blood soaked eyes, and after stumbling around in his shabby apartment in search of his messy bedroom, he woke up hours laterâŠ
How he was still alive.. he didnât know- all he knew was his vision was faded⊠his eyes hurt like hell, his body, his cheeks- all the harm he inflicted onto himself took a tole on his poor form, he was starving, but he couldnât bring himself to move.
The rage still fluttered in his chest like a growing vine- he felt so hateful, so spiteful, so envious and jealous towards those that got to live such a carefree fucking life. They all deserved to rot- all of them.
But first, he had some karma of his own to serveâŠ
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Thank you to Elsie for convincing me to start writing on my own on Tumblr.
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