11 ...

Jonah woke up, and there was no one around him. His body felt heavy because while he was sleeping, the cold penetrated his bones. He got up and went to look at himself in the mirror, his face was intact, and nothing had changed since the night he tried to kill himself. The thoughts that tormented him were still there, only this time he was determined to do anything to get Alma out of hell. She was there because of his weakness and fear, so it was his only responsibility to bring her back to earth.

Sitting on a bench, Jonah tried to think of something that would help him save Alma. However, he was unable to make any plans. No one could blame him; he had never accomplished anything significant in his life. His existence was limited to crying and cursing God for his cruel fate.

Suddenly he thought of the burned man he could help him. He was terrified of the idea of killing Lucifer, but according to the burned man, that was the only option. What if he finds out?' 'If I fail, I will lose any chance of rescuing Alma.' All these thoughts flooded Jonah's head, but he ignored them and went in search of the burned man. There was no longer time or space for fear.

Jonah searched almost the entire place, but he could not find a soul. Everything was in complete silence and darkness. After a few minutes, he managed to see a glow coming from the back of one of the tents. He approached carefully and hidden behind a bush. He could see all the circus freaks dancing, singing, drinking, and laughing around the fire. They seemed to be normal people, free of any worries or problems. The worm man squirmed with joy on the ground and laughed out loud. He seemed to be completely happy and blissful.

Carefully, Jonah approached Evangeline, the four-legged woman. Although she had only been in the circus for a short time, of all freaks, she was the one with the saddest look. She was 19 years old, and at night, the whole circus was lulled to sleep by her lament.

As a child, she always believed in true love. You meet a person, fall madly in love, get married, and then live happily ever after. Just like in fairy tales, Evangeline grew up and met a boy. Both fell in love instantly, but there was a problem Evangeline's parents did not accept the relationship because the boy was poor. Destroyed, both had to separate.

Sometime later, the boy reappeared, but this time he was full of riches. Evangeline's parents decided to accept the relationship and soon married in a dream wedding. Everything seemed perfect, but one night, while the young couple was sleeping, Lucifer knocked at their door; it was time for Evangeline's husband to pay with his life for all his riches.

The poor girl loved her husband very much, did not depend on him, but knew that she would not be able to live a happy life knowing that he was burning in hell. He sacrificed everything for her. Now it was her turn.

Without telling anyone, Evangeline decided to exchange her soul for her husband's. It did not take long for the young woman to become seriously ill. Her parents sought the help of the best doctors, but there was no improvement. In desperation, they went to witches, who assured them that the girl's soul was already tied up in hell. Hearing this, the young husband went in search of Lucifer, but it was already late. Evangeline died sitting on the balcony of her house, with her eyes toward the horizon, waiting for the arrival of her beloved. She wished to see him for the last time.

Jonah shyly pulled Evangeline's dress so that she would notice his presence.

"Oh, Jonah! How glad I am that you have woken up! You did it just in time!" exclaimed the young woman with apparent joy and her tearful eyes.

"Have you seen the burned man?" asked Jonah, ignoring all the above.

"Lucifer took him away a few days ago," she answered hastily, wanting to continue enjoying the spectacle.

"To hell?" He asked in alarm.

"We don't know, he disappeared a few days ago, so we assume Lucifer took him. He may come back soon or never." Having said that, the melancholic girl joined the dwarves who were dancing a curious little dance by the fire.

Jonah was devastated by what the young woman said. It had been hard for him to face the fear of going to hell and decide to go for Alma. He felt like crying, but he wouldn't do it anymore. If he could not count on the help of the burned man, he would find another way. There is always a way out. Hope never dies.

For a moment, he was enraptured, watching the freaks dance to the rhythm of the drums. He wanted to join in, for the first time, let himself be carried away by the music and enjoy even a second of life. First, he began to move his head almost imperceptibly, then his hands, and finally, his feet followed.

Without realizing it, Jonah was dancing happily next to the worm man and Evangeline, the four-legged woman.

"Why is everyone so happy?" Jonah finally asked.

"You don't know?" replied the worm man enthusiastically and then added. "How can you not know? A miracle has just occurred that has rarely happened.

"Rarely, Lucifer grants a wish to one of the suffering souls of the circus. That moment is now," said Evangeline

"Are you serious? Any wish?" asked the surprised kid.

"Yes, boy, any wish," said the worm man without stopping dancing or smiling.

Jonah was on the verge of feeling excited by that news. However, grief tucked him in first. He felt sorry for the circus freaks. They were very happy for that ray of hope, but Lucifer was cruel, and it was likely that the payment for fulfilling that desire would go far beyond the value of it.

!!!!!!!

I ask everyone who reads this story to comment or vote on this chapter. Soon I will choose one of the readers and create a character based on that reader and put it in a chapter of the book. I will do this as a thank you for all the support you have given to Lucifer's horrors circus.

Good luck!