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Our story began in a little antique looking store at the corner of a densely populated street, beautiful dolls of all sizes and styles in a variety of dresses neatly lined up on window display. Different hues of red decorated the place, from walls to carpet to curtains. China teawares on display on shelves, and more dolls on display in glass cabinets. Upon closer inspection, the dolls appeared to be crafted with lots of love-hours spent on each detail added in with the gentlest strokes.
“Its vulgarity bothers me,”
“Don’t be like that, it’s not that bad,”
“It’s absolutely vile! Green is a horrendous colour that shouldn’t even exist!”
A loud crash could be heard, and a mannequin fell onto the floor. Standing in front of it was a tall, lanky young man in his early 20s with pale skin and messy, jet black hair. His crystal blue eyes had an air of frustration and his eyebrows furrowed down, he continued to spew out complaints on how awful the colour green was.
Seated at a table, a teacup in hand was a youthful looking woman. Her face was covered in makeup, but in a way that didn’t appear ‘too full’. Her other hand played with her long, platinum blonde hair kept neatly together with a hair clip. She simply sighed and took a sip of her tea, “Edward, you’re really overreacting. It’s just a colour.”
“Non!” Edward quickly whipped his head back at the woman, his arms flailing around. “Elizabeth, my dear! You don’t understand! Green is the colour of poison! Green and human skin should never come into contact! I tell you, arsenic is poison and yet nobody believes me!”
“...It’s a wonder that you’re able to get any income at all in this day and age,” Elizabeth took another go at her cup, “It’s empty.”
Edward squinted back at Elizabeth, displeased at her comment, “Shut up, Elizabeth my darling! I do have clients who appreciate my masterpieces!...friends too.”
“But I’m your only friend?” She picked up the floral kettle and poured herself another cup, Edward only stuttered and cursed as he accidentally stabbed himself with his needle. “You’d get a lot more attention if you weren’t such an arrogant piece of s-”
“Keep your vulgar language to yourself, old hag,”
“Keep your vulgar language to yourself, young man .”
The sounds of Edward’s frustrated wails brought a bit of amusement to Elizabeth, “If you’re here for tea and gossip, I suggest you join the other vulgarity called ‘society’ and have your little tea party over there.”
“You really like to use ‘vulgarity’, don’t you? Anyway, yes. I’m here for tea and gossip, but I also have something for you.”
“And...what is it?” He was intrigued now.
Elizabeth pointed over to one of the many velvet curtains in the store. One of them was more prominent than the other and if one looked down, a pair of leather shoes could be seen.
“Thomas, come over.” She waved her hand, gesturing to Thomas to come over.
Emerging from the curtains, a young child of no older than 10 years old walked towards Elizabeth. Examining his appearance, Edward noted Thomas’s (really) curly, ginger hair and emerald green eyes, his pale skin is decorated in freckles head-to-toe.
He immediately furrowed, what imperfection was in front of his eyes?, he felt his eye twitch.
“What is this, a gremlin ?”
“It’s obviously a child, you baboon . Don’t be rude, introduce yourself to him.”
Edward sighed and kneeled down to Thomas’s eye level.
“Hello child,”
“Edward, you have to say more than that.”
“Ugh, fine ,” He coughed, clearing up the phlegm in his throat, “Child, my name is Edward.”
Thomas looked at Edward with a big grin on his face, “Thomas’s name is Thomas! He likes trains!”
Edward stood up and looked at Elizabeth, a look of disgust on his face, “He can’t even speak proper English!
“Don’t be like that, he’s a darling little boy.”
“Where’re his parents? Do not tell me you just snatched him away from the streets.”
“Well…” She started off, looking down at the child who was currently playing with a toy train, “Okay, so I may have snatched-”
“You what ?”
“It’s rude to interrupt! Anyway, I just found him on the cold streets all alone. No parents in sight, poor Thomas was simply playing in the snow by himself. He himself doesn’t know where his Mummy is- said he hadn’t seen her in days.”
“I...see, well what do we do with this child then?”
“Well, I want you to care for him obviously. Just look at yourself Edward- You’re lonely, I’m your only friend and you get no clients because you’re rude-”
“-I’m not rude, society just doesn’t know what they’re missing out!”
“Just for a while, please. The orphanages are full and I can’t care for a child.” She pleaded, grasping his hands, “You’re my last option, I already asked everyone else and they’ve declined!”
Edward couldn’t decline a friend in need.
“I suppose I can take him in, but only for a while.” Elizabeth sobbed in relief, and she gave him a list of what he had to do, some supplies and greeted the two farewells.
Closing the door, Edward looked at Thomas and sighed. A lot of work had to be done.
___
“Non! Child, don’t touch that!” Thomas was currently trying to touch one of Edward’s recently crafted dolls; A doll with porcelain skin and platinum blonde hair and in a simple blue dress.
“Why can’t Thomas touch this? It’s very pretty!” Thomas gave him the puppy eyes, “It’s not a toy that you can freely touch. It’s a work of art, untouchable to the common masses! Only true connoisseurs can appreciate her beauty-”
Thomas wasn’t listening, he didn’t understand the grandiose language Edward spoke.
A week had past and Edward couldn’t take it anymore, Thomas was too wild for him. He debated on just leaving him on the streets, but he wasn't that cruel. A child should have a loving family, even if Edward himself lacked that sort of environment.
Trying to control Thomas, Edward grabbed hold of his arms in an attempt to restrain him, but Thomas continued to thrash around. It wasn’t until faint, jovial music could be heard and Thomas had stopped thrashing around. The music was so loud that the place shook and Edward could see his beloved dolls slightly shake with each sound. He was about to go off when he saw Thomas leaning against the window, a big grin on his face.
Thomas turned his head to face Edward, finger pointing at the window, “What’s this sound, Mister? Thomas finds it interesting!” Flabbergasted at the question, Edward wasn’t sure how to explain it to Thomas, “I don’t know Child, just ignore it.”
But that was a lie. The truth is, the circus was in town. Edward despised it, it only brought flocks of chickens to watch foolery. It didn’t match the perfection that Edward has spent his entire existence on, so he simply never bothered with it.
“If you don’t know, then we can find out!” Thomas was eager, he took Edward’s arm and dragged him to the door. “Non, non! Child, stop tugging at my sleeve! If you really want to go out, at least allow me to get my coats,” Edward obviously didn’t want to go, but Thomas looked really interested and it was rude to reject a child’s wish.
Edward sighed, he grabbed two coats and handed one to Thomas and opened the door. Cold air blasted through the gaps and he immediately wanted to slam it shut, but Thomas had already dashed off to the white wonderland. He had no choice but to chase after him.
___
Reaching Town Square, the source of the noise was apparent. The place was decorated in colourful flags, and in the center of it all was a large, obnoxiously red and white, round tent. A large line could be seen entering said tent and Edward already felt nausea- he really despised crowds.
“Welcome, welcome to the Spectacular Show of the Extraordinary! I’m your ringmaster Samuel, I hope you’ll enjoy today’s show- you wouldn’t want to miss it!”
Standing on a podium stood a youthful man most likely the same age as Edward, his build was sturdy and his hair was neatly parted in the middle. His hazelnut eyes and bright white smile had a particular charm that Edward simply cannot pinpoint.
Thomas was holding Edward’s hand (much to Edward’s dismay, but he couldn’t just allow the child to run off into the crowd), standing in awe. He appeared to be attentively listening to his words.
“Can we go in?” Thomas asked, looking up to Edward.
“No, we only came here to find the source of the noise, and we don’t even have enough money to enter.”
A white lie, Edward in fact did have enough money for the entrance fee, but he’d rather spend it on something more practical...like groceries.
“That won’t be a problem, young man!” Samuel had popped up behind Edward, the poor man shrilled and placed a hand on his chest.
“You-!” Edward pointed a finger at him, but Samuel grabbed hold of it, a smirk on his face.
“Shh, don’t tell anyone but…” He took out two tickets, and handed them out to them, “I’ll give them to you in exchange for a little chat after the show.”
Obviously Edward wanted to decline, but Thomas held the ticket up in the air like it was gold so Edward sighed, “...Fine, I’ll comply with your offer. Child, let’s go.”
Thomas ran in without a beat, dragging Edward along. Samuel followed shortly after, a malicious grin on his face.
___
As expected, the show had left a sour taste in his mouth and he currently had his hand over his mouth.
The show had a variety of acts. They were entertaining and the audience loved it, but it was the appearance of each performer that irked him. They weren’t normal , they all had some deformities that just wasn’t possible in human nature. Even thinking about it made Edward revolted, almost gagging at one point, but he somehow made it and Thomas was overjoyed with the show. Seeing the child smile had made Edward feel...warm? It was an odd feeling he’d never experienced before.
One of the staff had walked him into a tent, Thomas was forced to stay outside but was given a toy to keep himself entertained.
“I’m so glad you could make it!” Samuel popped up from Edward again, giving the man another fright.
‘ His voice is too boisterous’ , Edward thought.
Samuel extended a hand, and Edward reluctantly shook it, “You’re that one puppeteer, right? Edward, the one who makes those dolls?”
The fact Samuel knew who he was flattered him a bit, but the way he described his masterpieces as ‘ those dolls’ didn’t sit well with him, “That’s me. Get to the point, what business do you have with me?”
Samuel frowned for a moment, but quickly got back on his feet, “A curt person, are you? Anyway, I’ll get to the point.” He leaned close to Edward’s ear and whispered, “Sell me that child of yours.”
“Excuse me? Sell the child to you?”
“What it says on the box, I’ll give you a good price for him,” He nudged Edward’s side, the latter flinching. Was this man a human trafficker? “You’re not a fan of children, right? I can take him off from your hands and you can go back to your own little world~”
“How much are you even willing to pay? And why do you want him?”
Samuel gave him a glare and whispered, “How about a thousand pounds? You don’t have to answer me now, I’ll be around for a week so tell me then.” He didn’t elaborate on his reasoning.
Without waiting for a response, Samuel had escorted Edward out of the tent.
___
Mulling over his desk, Edward groaned. The offer was tempting, but the action involved was cruel. Thomas would be gone, but Edward would be a culprit of human trafficking. He was running out of time.
Feeling a pat on his back, Edward lifted his head and saw Thomas with a tray, “Maybe some tea and cake would make you happy again!”
This was the first time Thomas had offered anything to him,“...That sounds delightful,” He took the tray and placed it on his desk and waited for Thomas to leave, but he didn’t.
“Thomas doesn’t know where his Mummy is.” Thomas started off.
“This conversation has gone deep child, but go on,” Edward allowed Thomas to continue, giving him his cake.
“Scotland’s where I came from. My Pappy died in a carriage accident, so it was just me and Mummy. She brought me here one day, wanting to watch a performance. She left me in front of a building and said she would be back.” He took a bite out of the cake.
“...And I suppose your mother never came back?” Thomas nodded.
“That kind lady found Thomas and gave him food and warmth, and then brought him to you.”
Edward stayed silent, taking in the new information. With his father dead and his mother missing, he was the only parental figure left for Thomas.
“Child, let me tell you my story then,” Thomas was listening attentively.
“My household...wasn’t the best. My father was rarely home and if he was, he smelt like alcohol and my mother paid no attention to me. The only thing my mother gave me was a doll, and I remember fondly playing with her. See the doll on my desk?”
Thomas nodded, the doll was all battered up, but it wasn’t dirty, she was dressed up in a simple red dress.
“That’s my beloved doll, her name is Mademoiselle. It’s not a very creative name, but she’s my most prized possession.”
Hesitantly, Edward took Mademoiselle from his desk and handed it over to Thomas- a sign of a bond forming. He hadn’t even allowed Elizabeth to touch her yet, and here he is allowing a child to touch the most important thing in his life.
“Be really careful with her, I’ll behead you if you break her.”
Taking Mademoiselle from Edward, Thomas held the doll closely in his arms, “Mister wouldn’t really do that, Thomas knows how big of a scaredy cat-”
“-Don’t finish that sentence, I get it."
He wasn’t upset oddly enough. In fact, Edward had found himself grinning for the first time in years. It was a surreal feeling...euphoric even. For the first time, Edward felt happiness in another’s company. He watched Thomas play with Mademoiselle, treating her as if she were a real lady. It reminded him of his childhood when he’d bring Mademoiselle around town. He would get mocked by the other boys, but being with the doll was what brought him joy. That was the same feeling he currently had.
“Come...Thomas, let’s prepare dinner, shall we?” It was the first time Edward had used Thomas’s name and it obviously shocked the child, but he quickly recovered and nodded.
The dinner that night left a warm and satisfying feeling in Edward’s heart
___
Now back at the circus tent on the day of the deadline, Samuel and Edward stood face-to-face. Thomas was again forced to stay outside, but perhaps that was for the better.
“So, what’s your answer?” Samuel clasped his hands together, anticipating the awaited “ Yes ” from Edward.
“You’re not having him.”
Stunned at the unexpected answer, Samuel began sweating. He grabbed Edward’s hands, shaking them. “I’ll increase the offer-”
“ No means no ,” He put his foot down and escaped Samuel’s grasp, “I’m not letting you use the child for your creepy experiments. Why do you even want him? You never even answered me last time. Actually, I don’t want to know, I don’t need to know.” He furrowed his brows at Samuel and turned around, beginning to walk away from Samuel.
Samuel grabbed onto his arm, trying to keep him from leaving. He spurted out a multitude of reasons for why he wanted Thomas so badly, but Edward wasn’t having it. He shoved Samuel to the ground and angrily looked down upon him
“How hard is it for you to take no for an answer? You’re being a brat, a nuisance. I don’t care how much money you’re offering, there’s no deal!”
Without waiting for his response, Edward abruptly left the tent. He was absolutely furious, but seeing Thomas had quenched that anger away. He had looked at Edward all confused, but Edward simply gave him a good old hug. Thomas took this as a signal to not question anything, “Mister, let’s go home! Thomas’s hungry and that kind lady’s coming soon!”
A genuine smile on his face, Edward took his hand and nodded, “Let’s head home, Thomas.We can’t keep our guest waiting, now can we?”
Samuel watched Edward leave, a scowl on his face. He wasn’t going to simply give up on Thomas that easily, “I can’t give up on such a beauty like that child...I’ll get my hands on him somehow.”
___
A nice dinner, a child asleep and a quiet night. It was an ideal situation for Edward. Elizabeth was by the fireplace with him, drinking her tea.
“I’m honestly a bit surprised. I didn’t expect you to get on with the child so easily,” She smirked a bit with the cup by her mouth and looked at Edward, who was focused on the fire.
“...It’s a bit shocking for myself too,” He stared down to his lap, he had some drafts of a new doll on it, “But, I felt some sort of...bond? A bond with the child.”
Elizabeth looked at him, her expression softened, “Something must’ve happened for you to be like this.”
“Are you doubting me, dear?”
“No, no I’m not. I’m just curious, that’s all.”
“...Well, I allowed the child to touch Mademoiselle.”
“Oh really? Now that’s shocking...you won’t even let me touch her. I have a feeling there’s a bit more to that bond than a simple doll handling.”
Edward looked up to face Elizabeth, a sigh escaped his mouth, “...You know that thing in town?”
Elizabeth nodded, “What about it? Don’t tell me you actually went there .” Again, Edward nodded.
“Not out of my own will, of course. But, the child was really interested so..”
“You know how fishy that circus is, right?” Elizabeth almost dropped her cup, shocked that Edward had even gone out. “Of course I know, just thinking about it makes me revolt. But…”
“But?”
Another sigh, “Well, you know that...ringmaster?” Elizabeth nodded, “...He tried to buy the child from me-”
A crash! A broken plate on the floor and Edward was horrified, “Do you not know how much that cos-”
“Forget about your teaware for a second, I’ll pay you back for it! He tried to buy Thomas from you!?” She grabbed Edward’s shoulders and shook him, the draft papers fluttered onto the floor.
“Y-y-Elizabeth stop shaking me for a moment!” She stopped, “ Yes he did and no I did not accept his offer.” Elizabeth sighed in relief, placing a hand on her chest, “That’s good to know. I’ve heard a lot of stories about that awful man, you know?”
“Of course I know, but the ignorant masses sure don’t. They simply flock to his... freak shows and he gets rich from showcasing those dreadful beings-”
Suddenly, a loud crash could be heard and cold air blew into the shop. There was a gaping hole on the display window. Edward lets out a loud screech, “M-m-m-my window! Who did this!? I’ll have them pay for it!”
“I don’t think that’s the least of your concerns right now Edward...l-look!” She pointed outside, a cladded figure could be seen running in the distance with a very familiar looking boy on his shoulder.
“ Thomas! How dare that gremlin snatch him away! We have to go after him!” Without thinking, Edward jumped out of the broken window. Elizabeth stared in horror, before promptly going after him, “Our poor feet…”
___
Now running barefoot in freezing weather with minimal clothing, Edward and Elizabeth chased the cladded figure. As it was midnight, everyone was already out for the night, leaving the usual bustling streets dead quiet and almost eerie.
“Wait...up! Get...b-back here you-!” Edward tried to call out, but the figure showed no signs of slowing down.
Elizabeth was struggling to keep up, with her dress being in the way. The fact that they had no shoes on was also another issue, “E-edward...I can’t! My feet are sore and my dress gets in the way! Don’t wait for me, I’ll...I’ll call someone out for you!”
Edward didn’t look back, only raising his hand to acknowledge her. He was dead tired, not one for exercise, but he had to continue. If he didn’t, who knows what would happen to Thomas.
She saw Edward slowly becoming smaller as he went after the cladded figure, she set her sights on calling the guards. If she couldn’t chase after the figure, she could at least help report the situation to someone more capable than her. There was nowhere they would allow a child to be simply whisked away.
Not with the recent missing child posters being hung up in town.
Seeing the guard post in sight, Elizabeth sighed in relief. She rushed in and the warmth of the place was welcoming, but she had an issue to report on. A guard who was relaxing saw her and fell out of his chair, his tall hat nearly falling off in the process.
“M-madam, what’s wrong? It’s awfully late for a young lady like you to be out...and your shoes! Where are your shoes?”
“There’s...no time to explain that! Th-there’s a kidnapper on the loose! He wore a cloak, I think it was maroon or violet, and broke a window from my friend’s shop! I-I thought I was seeing things, b-but he’d snatched my friend’s child!”
While it soun d ed far-fetched , Eli zabeth’s dishevelled look told the guard that perhaps she was serious and there really was a kidnapper on the loose. The guard called for backup and in a blink of an eye, were dispatched as quickly as they were called out. The guard told Elizabeth to stay behind, but she insisted on following, she wanted to help out as much as she could.
___
After god knows how long, Edward could finally see the destination in sight. The cladded figure dashed inside...a tent? It was pitch black, so it was difficult to tell what anything was. A warm, illuminating light could be seen from the gaps from the tent, giving out the hint that it was the circus tent owned by-
“ Samuel! ”
He screamed at the top of his lungs, a bad idea for Edward was now coughing and struggling to breathe. The warmth of the tent was welcoming, but that wasn’t the point. The cladded figure was now in full view giving a masked figure a sleeping Thomas, it was a wonder how the child didn’t wake up. With his remaining strength, Edward tackled the cladded figure down. The hood slipped off and the owner’s face was in full view.
“Well, I guess you got me~” Samuel sang in a cheery tone, putting his hands in front of Edward, who could only scowl at him. The bits of snow gathered on Edward (something he hadn’t noticed) fell on Samuel’s face, but he was unfazed.
“Would you mind getting off me now? I don’t really swing that way,” He didn’t budge and was left rather confused on what Samuel had meant.
“Explain.”
“Explain what ~?”
“On why you snatched the child. I already rejected your offer, stop trying so hard.”
“Only if you get off me, I promise I won’t run.”
Skeptical of Samuel’s words, Edward still complied. He slowly got off Samuel and true to his words, Samuel did not move. “Speak.”
Samuel chuckled and wheezed, sounding like a hyena, “I just think children are wonderful. Their skin is at their peak, male voices left undeepened and the female bo-”
“-I do not hold any interest in your gross fantasies. Get to the point.”
“I purchase children from poor parents, you know? Tell them I’ll give them a better life and I offer a good few thousand pounds. At first it was genuine, I...actually wanted to care for these children- Oh I completely forgot to mention this, but I’m quite a child lover.”
Edward only looked in disdain, “I could tell, continue.”
Samuel shrugged, “As I started the circus, I once met this...mad man. He messed around with ‘chemicals’, trying to create some sort of potion. As I listened to this man ramble on, a thought popped up.” He took out a string of flags from his sleeve to illustrate that particular point, “ How could I keep the youthful appearances of these children forever? ”
The way Samuel had said that last sentence sent chills down Edward’s spine, “Why would a simple puppeteer like you want to know my life story anyway?”
“I don’t, you started rambling on.” Edward folded his arms.
“Oh right, well. Anyway, I begun experimenting-”
“Experimenting?”
“Yes. ‘What would happen if I gave this child an extra limb? What would happen if I combined their heads together?’ and so on, it was almost like I was building my own personal doll! I even experimented with hot wax, pouring it over the skin in hopes of smoother skin, didn’t quite work out. I’ve also tried skinning off children in hopes of creating magnificent carpets, they quickly rotted. Tried sewing on a third eye thinking it’ll have some ‘psychic power’, but I accidentally squished it too hard and it turned into mush instead. I’ve also wanted to see if someone could see the world upside down if their head was flipped, they uh...didn’t make it. One of them wanted to lose weight, so I put them under one of those...pounding things. They...let’s just say it was a good meal that night!”
Samuel paused, taking a deep breath from rambling on, “If you want, I could go on~!”
Did he really compare deforming a bunch of children for his own personal interest to doll-making? That infuriated Edward to no end, the art of doll-making did not involve innocent children !
This man...is trying to break the rule of nature with his madness!
He remained silent, allowing Samuel to continue.
“The reason why I took special interest in your child? Well, that’s because he’s simply the most beautiful thing my eyes have ever laid upon! The curliness of his ginger hair, his emerald green eyes and the paleness of his skin decorated with freckles just like sprinkles-! Everything about him is just delectable !”
That was the last straw, Edward could not handle Samuel anymore. He was the most vile being he’d ever laid eyes on, “... Disgusting, vulgar, inhumane. Scum like you shouldn’t even be breathing right now. ”
“And why do you care about the child? You don’t even like him! He deserves someone better...like me!”
Samuel was right, why does he care so much about Thomas anyway? Edward didn’t know himself, but what he did know was how Thomas is going to grow up in a safe environment with a caring person who won’t do weird experiments on him.
“...”
“Not going to give me a proper answer?”
“...”
“ I- ”
“Halt! This is the royal guards, cease any movement immediately!”
Both Edward and Samuel turned back, a group of guards gathered around the entrance, preventing any form of escape (unless you were to slice through the tent walls), the guards took out their guns and pointed it at the two men. The guards walked closer to them, guns still in position. Once they were a foot away from each other, the guards positioned the guns to their foreheads, “You’re under arrest under the suspicion of kidnapping and child trafficking.”
Wait, wait hold on. Why is he getting arrested?
“I believe you’re gravely mistaken. It’s only-”
“Keep it for later.”
The guards pinned their arms to their back and proceeded to walk them out of the tent. Samuel made no attempt to struggle, accepting his fate. Edward on the other hand was not up for being arrested for something he didn’t do. Luckily, he wouldn’t have to continue struggling since Thomas happened to wake up at that moment. He was currently being piggybacked by one of the guards and he looked confused. The guard was whispering something to Thomas, but the child paid no attention. He got the guard to put him down and Thomas ran to Edward and clinged onto his leg, the guard with Edward tried to shoo him away but Thomas didn’t budge.
“No! Don’t take Mister away!”
“He’s dangerous! We’re trying to keep you safe!” One of the guards held Thomas’s leg.
“The child is right! I’m innocent!”
The bickering between the three continued for a while before Elizabeth finally arrived at the tent, “Don’t arrest that good-for-not- that man!”
“Elizabeth!”
“Let me finish! That man is my friend, he’s innocent!”
Both Edward and Thomas nodded vigorously, “The Lady is right! Mister is kind!” The guard finally unpinned Edward’s arms and he stumbled a bit, mostly because Thomas was still clinging onto his leg.
After a while, the misunderstandings were finally cleared up and Edward was off the hook, with Thomas holding his hand. They watched the guards take Samuel away along with the rest of the troop.. Thomas asked about what was going on but Edward simply brushed it off, “It isn’t something you need to worry about...Thomas. Perhaps when you’re older, I’ll tell you the full story.”
While still confused, Thomas nodded. Perhaps it was better if he didn’t question it for now. Before Samuel disappeared from Edward’s view, he gave him a spiteful look. Perhaps it wouldn’t be the last encounter with Samuel, but Edward certainly wouldn’t have to deal with him for quite a long while now. Elizabeth came back from talking with the guards, face exasperated.
“That’s finally done...I’m so tired, my feet are cold and I’m freezing! Let’s hurry up and head back, shall we? A nice cup of hot tea is really appealing right now.”
Edward nodded, home really sounds appealing now even if his windows had a gaping hole. His feet were about to fall off and he was wearing minimal clothing, he was sure that Thomas probably felt the same way. After all, that freak of a ringmaster just snatched him from his bed. He swung his arm a bit and looked at Thomas, a serene look on his face.
“Thomas, shall we go home?”
Thomas looked up and nodded, “Thomas wants to go home now, he feels cold.”
“As do I. Now then, I guess we shall head home now.”
With Elizabeth on his left and Thomas on his right, the trio marched along the cold winter night to the warmth of the antique shop. Edward could feel a headache coming on the costs of repair for the windows, but the main point was that Thomas was safe and sound.
Edward looked up and saw the night sky filled with stars, he closed his eyes and made a wish, ‘ I pray for Thomas’s well-being .’ Without realizing, Edward had stopped and Thomas was tugging at his arm.
“Pardon me, let’s continue walking,” Edward grasped Thomas’s warm hand to his cold one. He felt his hand slowly warming up, and then he took a step forward.