Page 3 of Freak Show

She then started to frantically wipe her hand on the box with a horrified look on her face. “There’s something sticky on them! Oh my god!”

Yet another gross gift.

Yay.

“Who the fuck took this anyway?” Keene tossed Hades a shop rag that he’d had in his back pocket. “I thought they were supposed to start refusing any gifts.”

“They are,” I grumbled. “But this one was delivered by the mail carrier.”

“Fuckin’ awesome.” Keene sighed.

Two Months Later

“If one more fuckin’ gift finds its way onto our bus, you’re all fuckin’ fired!” Keene yelled.

My sisters and I stared at him. “Keene, honey. You act like we can just stop taking mail. Not to mention, it was us who brought it in, not them. And you can’t fire us. We all equally own it.”

“What is it this time?”

Keene looked toward Hades. Hades now refused to open anything after what happened last time.

“I’m not opening it,” Keene complained.

“I swear I didn’t buy her anything this time.” Hades held up her hands.

That had happened the last time Keene opened one. Hades had purposefully bought the one thing she knew he’d hate. He had a thing about spiders after spending some time overseas, and now literally went anywhere they weren’t.

Then there was my sister, sending him a package that had fake spiders exploding from the box.

My sister was a dick like that.

“You open it,” he suggested.

I rolled my eyes at both of them and ripped open the box.

In the box was a note laid on top of something.

I read the note and felt my stomach turn.

“I want to pull this out of you when it’s full of your menstrual blood. With my teeth,” Keene read.

“That’s disgusting,” I griped, not bothering to look any further.

Keene took the box and threw it away.

I walked to my bunk and said, “I’m not opening anything anymore.”

And I didn’t.

But my admirer kept right on sending them anyway.

CHAPTER 1

Always fuck me good night.

-Wall Sign

CARISTONIA

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