The Showman’s Ghost by Candace Adams

Author:Candace Adams [Adams, Candace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Adams Publishing
Published: 2021-04-13T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

October 16th, 1918

When Alonzo Sergeant woke next, he was leaning against a padded wall. The room was tepid, neither too hot nor too cold. Drool trickled down the side of his mouth, and when he tried to wipe it away, he found his arms restrained in long sleeves attached firmly behind him. Panic settled in. He tried to force his eyes open, but no matter how far he pushed his lids, his vision remained black.

His stomach dropped to the floor. He didn’t have eyes anymore. The clown popped them.

“Hello?” His voice came out barely above a whisper, harsh and thick on his tongue. It didn’t sound like he recalled.

A heavy silence answered his call. Alonzo could hear the blood pulsing between his ears. Each breath he took sounded like an echo chamber.

“Hello!” He projected the word as loud as he could, coughing once it passed his lips. He desperately wanted a glass of water and wondered how long he’d gone without. As if in answer, his stomach grumbled. A sharp pang of hunger doubled him over. Squeezing his eyelids together tightly, he was appalled when they overlapped with nothing beneath them.

“Someone fucking answer me!”

There was a noise directly ahead of him. Alonzo wasn’t a great judge of distance, but it seemed to be only about five feet or so. It was a hinge bending, a door swinging open, scraping against the padding on the floor. Soft footsteps came near him, and he flinched, expecting the monster once again. But it was a woman.

“Sir, if you’ll just stay calm. The doctor will be with you in an hour.”

Anger replaced his desperation. “What the fuck is going on here? Why do you have me all wrapped up in whatever the hell this thing is?” He turned his body around in a full circle, trying to figure out how to escape the jacket. “I’m hungry, I’m thirsty, and you have no right to keep me here against my wishes. Take this stupid thing off so I can go home.”

When her voice came again, it was softer with a touch of sadness. “Mr. Sargent, we have to keep you here until you’re well. When you came in, you were covered in blood. You’d gouged your eyes out, and you screamed a bunch of nonsense about a clown and burning. You haven’t been evaluated yet. After the doctor sees you, we’ll be able to treat you and get you somewhere more comfortable.”

“No!” Alonzo screamed at the woman. “You’re going to untie this goddamned thing and get me a glass of water. What am I, some kind of prisoner?”

“No sir, you’re a patient.”

“I didn’t do anything to my eyes, just so we’re clear. It was the fucking clown that did it.” Sargent ripped at the fabric, trying to use brute strength to force the sleeves apart, but the weak flabby man couldn’t manage it.

“Let me get someone to help you, Mr. Sargent.” Her footfalls were soft as she left him. A moment later the door closed, and he was alone once again.

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