In the beginning there were twenty-one teenagers who were drawn into gaping jaws of the end. That number had dropped to sixteen, to twelve and in just a few hours ten replaced twelve as the mangled bodies beneath the ferris wheel began to pile up. Now only eight remained, but in the minds of the remaining only swirled a growing apprehensive. Soon there would be none.

Silence had fallen over the malevolent aura of the carnival as the midnight reached forward into an infinity that seemed to have no end. Beowulf found himself increasingly comfortable in the darkness. It hid the blood spattered across his face that had used to be so perfect, it masked the rapid beating of his heart by it's own howls and groans, but most importantly cloaked whatever it was that he found himself becoming from view. He wasn't sure how he should have felt about killing another human, it wasn't something he had heard many people speak of beyond the fact that it was glaringly wrong.

"Murder is despicable, however this is a war. This is a war between humanity and the evil that lurks in the carnival and must win at all costs. Marissa had lost her mind, she stood between us and victory. If I had not killed her she would have left, perhaps convincing some of you to follow her and you would have been died horribly in the hands of whatever is keeping us here." Beowulf paused, his eyes flitting across the clenched fists and tight faces of his former classmates who stood around the girl he had killed. He sigh, "I'm only trying to protect you."

There was no way they were actually buying what he was saying. Beowulf felt sick at the thought of losing his control over them, right now they were the only thing that he had control over. He needed them, however he knew whether he was permitted to keep his grip on them would depend solely on whether they were more afraid of him or whatever lay within the inky carnival beyond.

He already knew what they would choose.

Amelia was the first to move. She crossed her long delicate arms over her chest and gently kicked Marissa's corpse with her toe. "Well.... I think we should move her over with the others. Evelyn, can you help me carry her?"

Beowulf watched Evelyn hesitate for a second. He felt a slight nervousness tickle the hairs on the back of his neck before Evelyn nodded and grabbed the corpse's foot. He looked over toward the ferris wheel that was more than a distance away. It occurred to him that they would be able to talk without him being able to hear. Evelyn clearly wasn't supporting him and she would be alone with Amelia who clearly did, he didn't want her corrupting her. "You know what Evelyn? I'll help your sister. We need to start gathering things we can use as weapons. Why don't you and Marlowe oversee that?" His eyes flitted over to Marlowe who's pretty eyes lit up for a second before a dim smile appeared on her face. Evelyn only looked down.

Beowulf grabbed Marissa's feet as Amelia grabbed her shoulders and the two began to move away from the group. "I really appreciate how you supported me. I think you are going to play an important role in helping us escape."

Amelia grinned. "I'm aware."

The two of them fell into a brief silence as they reached the ferris wheel and lowered Marissa's body to the ground. Beowulf looked over toward the group who stood around Evelyn and Marlowe. His gut began to twist. What if Evelyn was trying to convince them to overthrow him at this very second? What if they cast him out of the group for the demons to destroy or worse, what if they simply decided to kill him? It had been stupid to leave her there.

Beowulf began to stride back toward the group, but Amelia reached out and stopped him. "Hold up. Since we are out here away from the others would you mind telling me what exactly your plan is? You were kind of vague earlier. I understand if you can't tell everyone the entire plan but you said it before, I'm important." She raised an eyebrow as him as he threw a nervous glance over his shoulder.

"We need to arm ourselves and then barricade ourselves somewhere to wait out the night. If my calculations are correct we should be able to leave without a problem in the morning." Beowulf spoke quickly as he grabbed Amelia's arm and began to pull her behind him toward the group. "Where do you think would be a good place to hole up? I was thinking one of the booths may be a good idea." He tore his eyes from the group for a second to gage Amelia who looked very pleased.

"Definitely, the only question is which one, we should look a little bit before we choose one." Amelia's voice drifted into Beowulf's ears, he was hardly listening though as he watched the group begin to break up. Was that a coincidence that is broke up only now that he was returning? Were they planning something?

Marlowe strutted up to him with a tight expression that was trying not to look to complacent. "So we divided everyone into groups of two so that no one is alone. Even if one of them is attacked the other can call for help and theoretically we can come save them."

Beowulf clapped exultingly, although his gaze was hardly on Marlowe. He was too nervous. "Amazing job, Marlowe. I had no idea that you were so strategic." Evelyn was staring at him warily, it was not a new look for her however their was something new in her eyes that sent chills down his spine. "Marlowe, I was actually just telling Amelia after we get weapons we need to hole up somewhere until morning. The two of us were thinking that a booth would be the best option, however we have yet to choose one. Do you want to go with her and pick one out? I'll go with Evelyn and help with the weapon gathering."

A heavy tension seemed to settle itself over the group.

Evelyn shifted uncomfortably. "It's alright, I can search on my own. I'll stay close."

Beowulf shook his head. "We need to stick in pairs, if we don't it heightens our chance of losing another one of us which I want to avoid. We have to make it."

Evelyn looked from Beowulf to her sister and from her sister to Beowulf before she sigh. "Alright. Lets get this over with, the group is set to meet back here in a half hour." She tore herself away from the reluctantly group as if every muscle in her body was fighting her, Beowulf followed her his paranoia slowly beginning to fade.

He was in control.

"You know, you don't seem as determined to survive as your sister." He commented without much nonchalantly as he sped up his pace to catch up with her.

Evelyn sent him a steely look. "I'm nothing like my sister."

Beowulf frowned, his eyes falling upon a gap between two crumbling boothes. "Sadly I'm very aware of that." He trailed off as he glanced over his shoulder at the carnival that seemed void of life. He felt his heart begin to race in his chest as his muscles tense.

If he was going to get rid of her now was his opportunity. It felt unreal as he reached forward and wrapped his arm around her neck, using his other hand to cup over her mouth. Muffled screams began to force their way from between his fingers as she struggled violently, her blue eyes blazing with fear and determination. Beowulf tried to drag her into the ally but he had overestimated his strength. He tightened his lock around her neck, deciding he had to simply kill her out here before anyone saw.

Fate had other ideas.

Beowulf's world began to fall apart piece by piece in just a few seconds. He heard an enraged shriek behind him as something metal collided with the back of his neck. Pain ran like electricity down his neck. He fell to the ground looking up in shock at Amelia who stood above him with a metal pipe.

He raised his hand up, "Amelia, you don't understand. She has to die! She was trying to kill me! I am trying to save us." He rambled as his usually sharp tongue betrayed him.

Amelia didn't even hesitate before she pounded the bar into him again, and again and again. Eventually she stopped, dropping the bar and running toward her sister and hugging her tightly.

As Beowulf laid there bleeding, every fiber of his being screaming in pain he watched Evelyn and Amelia walk away, their shoes disappearing behind a booth. Evelyn had been a loyal sister to Amelia and in the end Amelia had relinquished her desire for approval and success for her sister. That was the way it should have been with him and Gwyneth, but he had destroyed that relationship for his own pride. Beowulf felt a single tear escape his eye as he remembered the words his sister had spoken to him just hours before.

'It's funny how much people love you after you die.'

No one would love him even in death.

And that crushed him as the realization hit him.

The fall of those the highest is always the hardest.

He had tumbled, he had groped, he had bowed to insanity just to keep himself from hitting the ground because the ground scared him. Beowulf gave everything up to try and save himself from the demons that lurked around him, surrendering instead to the demons in his head that stood no chance against fate. Fate will stop for no one, not even a arrogant boy who wanted to rule the world.