Marcus Cochran meets Ruth Walsh

*This fanfic is underneath my folder titled “Are you afraid of the dark? (Season 1 2019 fanfics)”. Character designs are under this forum: https://www.youngwriterssociety.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=116005&start=1290. Marcus and Ruth are the same age in this. Anyway, enjoy!*

Marcus watched as Ruth opened her presents, faking enthusiasm for all of them. It was her eleventh birthday, which meant that Marcus and Bart had to work extra hard. Ever since Bart lost his right arm in the windmill accident a year ago, he had been given less work than Marcus.

“Come, bring out the cake!” Mr. Walsh said, beckoning him over.

Marcus shook himself out of his stupor and placed the cake that he was holding gently on the table.

How he missed birthdays, being celebrated for simply existing.

But that life was gone.

Marcus walked away, leaving the family be.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Night had fallen. Everyone was asleep except for Marcus, who lay on the couch, playing with the scorpion coin. It was the last thing his father left him, along with a lost carnival dream.

Marcus’ dream of starting a carnival seemed to drift further and further with each day. Perhaps Bart was right. There was nothing good in the city, only work and loneliness.

“Hello?” Ruth asked.

Marcus sat up, to the sound of her voice.

What was she doing up so late?

“Oh, you’re here. I’m not seeing things.” Ruth said, sighing in relief.

“What are you doing here?” Marcus asked.

“I don’t know. I just felt like getting up. I couldn’t sleep.” Ruth said.

“What are you doing up?” Ruth asked, raising an eyebrow at Marcus.

“Same thing.”

“Ah. I see.” Ruth said, walking up to the couch.

“What’s that?” Ruth asked, pointing to the coin.

“It’s a coin. Can’t you see?”

“But it has a scorpion on it.”

Marcus frowned as he looked at the coin. She must have seen it reflected off the moonlight from the window.

Perhaps telling her a little bit wouldn’t hurt?

“My father gave it to me. Before he died.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. You didn’t kill him. The scorpion did. He liked scorpions a lot, even though they caused problems.”

Marcus laughed bitterly. Ruth was sitting on the carpet, below the couch, listening to him. When he spoke about his father, he didn’t get the bright, happy man that came to his head. All he got was someone who was too stubborn to get rid of a creature that could kill, a creature that wasn’t supposed to be there.

If his father listened to his mother, then he would be alive. They would both be alive if that scorpion weren’t around.

“You want to know something? All he left me was this coin and a story from his childhood. He said that the last time he was happy, he was in the carnival. I wanted to come here, because I wanted to make him happy. I wanted to start a carnival.”

Marcus was silent for so long, working away, a shadow in the house. Maybe she didn’t care, maybe she was secretly mocking him, but he needed to talk to someone other than Bart, who shared few words. Betsy made the most of their time, which was beginning to thin with the trials of her extravagant, joy-sucking life.

“Bart took me here to work, promising that we’ll get pay. That we’ll get a good life. Betsy promised to help me with my carnival when the time comes.”

“I’m never getting out of here!” Marcus cried. Tears came out of his eyes, cold, silent tears. Was he doomed to be trapped, a mere ghost of who he was? Was his dreamed-up carnival worth it?

Ruth got up and sat next to Marcus.

“Can I hug you?”

Marcus nodded slowly. It would be nice to feel an embrace again.

Ruth hugged Marcus, stroking his hair, whispering kind words to him.

In that moment, the children were older.