The Mother We Share || Shock & Barrel
Today was shaping up to be a really weird day. That wasn’t saying much, considering Shock worked for one of the weirdest people alive (probably) and her daily routine consisted of many weird and unsavory things. Today was a different weird, though. Shock felt like she was being watched. Maybe she was paranoid; the carnival was full of hundreds of people at any given moment, and she was dressed in her exceptionally creepy performance gear catching the attention of everyone she passed. Oogie insisted on his assistants fitting in with his act’s theme, and Shock honestly didn’t mind. Shock liked weird, but not today. She swore she’d seen the same woman at least four separate times in four different places, always facing away from her so Shock never could get a good look at her face.
Casting another look over her shoulder, Shock sighed and accepted that the coast was clear and that her mind was playing tricks on her. The fairgrounds were small, and all the tents were set up close together. It was most likely nothing. Shock ducked into the performance tent and did her job. She couldn’t help but let her nervous eyes scan the crowd during the act, even though it was useless. The crowd was a sea of indistinguishable faces.
Until it wasn’t.
Shock froze, eyes locked on two people midway up the bleachers. A couple, sitting with arms linked, watching the performance. At first glance, Shock was sure the man was Barrel, and for a moment she was angry with him for skipping out on a show. But, Barrel was on the other side of the arena, where he always was, assisting with Oogie’s act. Shock felt her stomach sink, dread and realization and panic hitting her at the same time.
It can’t be. There’s no way. It’s not them. Shock repeated in her head over and over, still unable to tear her eyes off the couple. She kept glancing back at them throughout the show, just to make sure her eyes hadn’t played tricks on her. They were still there. Toward the end of the final trick, Shock actually made eye contact with the woman, who looked as startled as Shock felt. The moment passed quickly, interrupted by applause as the show came to an end. Shock stood to take her bow as her name was announced along with her brothers’, completely distracted as she watched the woman drag the man out of the tent quickly, her eyes glued to the ground.
Shock took off after them the second the lights came on, signaling the end of the show. She knew she’d be in trouble later for ditching out on tear down, but her mind was one-track now. She shed her outer layer of performance costume before she left the tent, blending in with the crowd much more easily now. She spotted the couple and followed after them, trailing them for a good thirty minutes before she felt confident enough to make her move. Shock was an excellent pick-pocket, and even though her mind was scattered, they were easy marks.
She sat crouched behind a food tent now in a quiet alley between rows of tents where she wouldn’t be disturbed by the carnival-goers, two wallets in hand and paralyzed with the fear of what she would find when she opened them. Her brothers were likely already looking for her now, ready to get back at her for sticking them with her share of the act’s cleanup. If she was going to look, she had to do it now.
Shock started with the man’s wallet, setting the other down on the ground beside her. She held her breath as she opened the wallet, and with slightly shaking hands pulled the ID from the pocket. Anger bubbled in her stomach as she read the name, his location, date of birth… it all matched. And there was his stupid face looking up at her from the ID photo, like a mirror image of Barrel in twenty years. This man was her father. A quick peek into the woman’s wallet confirmed – the woman was her mother.
She snapped the wallet shut and tossed it away. Shock leaned forward, resting her head against her knees as her hands wound themselves in her hair. For years she had imagined what she would do if she ever came face-to-face with them again, but now presented the opportunity, she felt stuck.
So she sat. Still. Eyes squeezed shut. Pulling at her hair and trying to get herself together before someone found her there.
