Late at night, after all the shows had finished and shadows swallowed the world, a woman could be seen in the center of a circus ring. In the dim lighting, a broom was spotted in her hand. The woman was cleaning up the confetti from their last performance. She was twirling ever so slightly as she swept, dancing to music of her own creation, humming silently. A man approached her from behind, creeping out of the shadows, and began making wild gestures with his hands, shouting loudly. The woman jumped slightly, shocked out of her small performance.

Even with the wildness of the man, at a closer look, the woman didn't seem to be afraid. She dropped the broom and stepped forward, grabbing the man's hand out of a frantic wave. She whispered something to him and the man calmed at her words, bowing his head and resting it on her breast. Perhaps they're friends, or maybe they're dating?

It wasn't long before they were in a heated conversation, both whispering harshly back and forth. Every few minutes or so they would stop and glance at the shadows of the looming tent. Their eyes would dart around, looking for any sign that said they were not alone. Believing they were, they took each other's hands and walked calmly out of the tent, raising no suspicion to anyone nearby. As they passed a spotlight, the glint of a ring on the woman's hand made itself known. It wasn't an expensive ring, just a simple gold band on a long, slender finger. So, they were married, then?

They walked through a maze of trailer cars, following the path towards their own. As they approached, a young boy burst out of the car, heading straight for the two adults. Perhaps it's their son? The glow of light from a nearby window revealed his features. He looked to be about six, with dark ebony hair. His eyes were a striking blue that seemed to gleam in the pale lighting. As if it had been kissed by the sun, his skin, shone with a healthy olive glow. His smile was unparalleled, reaching high and spreading wide across his face. It was like a snow rabbit in the Sahara. Rare.

The man and the woman smiled brightly when the young boy crashed into their legs, bringing a throaty laugh from the man. The woman joined moments later with her bell-like one, ruffling his hair softly. The young boy cartwheeled towards the door, followed closely by his parents. The woman, however, stayed behind as her boys entered. After the door was closed, her smile dropped, a deep frown taking its place. She glanced at the shadows behind her and made a few quick gestures with her hands. Seconds later, a man emerged from the shadows holding a simple black case.

Startled at the man's attire, she stepped back, nervous, and brought her hand to her hip, looking for the blade that was no longer there. It had been a long time since she carried one, but the instinct remained. The man in front of her was wearing a black skin-tight suit, with knives displayed across his chest. His mask, although hard to tell, appeared to be the face of an owl.

With the briefcase in hand, the masked man inched closer to the woman. As he walked, the soft clang of weapons mingling with each other echoed around the silent area. With the man fully out of the shadows, the woman noticed the handle of a katana thrown over his back. She quickly calmed herself -the man was not here to kill her. She had business to take care of. She stepped forward, stopping only a few feet from the man, and gestured towards the briefcase while speaking.

He lifted it up, opened it, and showed the woman. At that moment, her face contorted into a sadistic grin as she peered at the contents of the case. What was in there that could create such a grin? It nearly rivaled the Joker's own. The man spoke to the woman, holding up three fingers. The woman nodded, a grim expression crossed her face as she took the case. Saying one more thing, she watched the man creep back into the shadows before she turned, heading back to her trailer car. It appears that whatever the woman had been planning was successful.

She hid the case behind the car tire whilst putting on a fake smile once again, and entered her house for the night.

A few feet away on top of the neighboring car, the man smiled behind his mask. The Gray Son would soon be his.

Edited and changed on 7/29/2019

Enjoy!

Rachel