Page 10 of Circus From Hell

The urge to protect Arlo from others is constant. I may want to hurt him, to watch him writhe and scream and ache, but with my hard cock and multiple orgasms. Hurting his heart hurts mine. And the thought of someone else hurting him makes me want to keel over.

I’ve protected my little stepbrother for a long time, in ways I know he’s hated me for, but I’ll never stop.

“Stay behind me,” I order. He pulls a face in my peripheral but doesn’t argue.

Another jingle makes my heart pound before I blow out a steady breath, controlling myself. I’m used to living in darkness. I work in a graveyard where unexplainable and creepy things happen in the dead of night. I’m accustomed to it.

A flash of green.

It’s so quick, less than a second, but I know I saw it before. I’d convinced myself it was nothing. But that… That was definitely something.

“Did you see that?” Arlo whisper-shouts.

I nod, barely.

Another jingle.

Another flash of green.

Both closer. Louder. Brighter.

Arlo takes a step away, his fingers digging into the back of my belt to tug me with him. He whispers, “Let’s go.”

I don’t run from the unknown. I never have. And I’ll never forget that sound or the flash of green light—it’ll haunt me if I don’t figure out what it is.

The bells get louder.

I take a step forward, breaking from Arlo’s grasp.

They stop. Silence. No green. No bells.

I take another step, and a silhouette makes me freeze. It’s dark, barely intelligible, low to the ground like a crouching animal. I can’t make anything out, no certain shapes or figures, but it’s as still as I am.

And then there’s that flash of green.

Eyes.

Blinking eyes.

It disappears again, and a scuttle ahead of me makes me stumble back, but it’s not charging at me. It’s retreating. The silhouette moves through the shadows until I can no longer see it, but I don’t move or turn to Arlo until I’m sure it’s gone.

“What the fuck?” Arlo exhales, the fear obvious in his broken voice.

“Let’s get out of here.” I turn and continue walking down the alley, Arlo quickly catching up with me. He’s still angry at me, but he’s also scared. That’s why he keeps up with me rather than storming off with his arms crossed and a cute little pout on his lips.

When we break out of the shortcut through the alley and step into the lit streets, he adds a few steps of distance between us. I don’t show how much that hurts.

“That green,” he mutters as we walk down the path beside the road. It’s late, so there aren’t many cars out.

“What about it, Pipsqueak?”

He pulls a face again, like me speaking to him right now is offensive, and I can’t help but laugh. He’s so adorable when he’s angry.

“Did it not look familiar?”

I pull open the glass door to the apartment foyer and let him walk through first. “What?”

“That green glow…” He shakes his head, his tight curls shaking, effectively cutting himself off. “Nothing.”