You see Brendon had this gift. He didn't know it at first, not until he had what doctors said was a seizure. He didn't remember blacking out. What he did remember was being in the back of his dad's truck when his dad died.

It felt like any other time he was on a drive with his dad. Then another car came, colliding into their car. He woke up and frantically told his mom what he saw. She said it was only a dream and that his dad was safe at work.

Later, his mother got a call from the hospital saying that her husband was in a car wreck. She began questioning Brendon how he knew about the crash. The six-year-old couldn't explain it.

As Brendon got older, he continued to spasm and black out. He would almost transport somewhere else. When he came back, he would tell his mother what he saw. She repeatedly took him to see doctors and was diagnosed with having epilepsy.

The medication they gave him did nothing and his mother didn't know what to do with him. She grew tired of taking care of a sick child. She didn't want to deal with the constant worry that he would hurt himself or someone else. She never listened to the premonitions he would have during his episodes. She didn't really want him anymore.

That's how Brendon ended up here in a cage with the circus ring master being his new guardian. When the cruel man heard about Brendon's gift, he promised his mother to take care of him. She gave no hesitation in handing over her parental rights.

Brendon didn't have any say in it. His new master stuffed him right in a cage and forced him to perform in random cities across the country. He was miserable, but it's not like he had anywhere else to go. No one wanted him.

"Master, can I please come out of the cage," Brendon pleaded with his head low. He didn't dare meet the man's eye unless he wanted to be whipped. His wounds had just healed from the last time he made that mistake, leaving behind scars as a reminder.

"Do you think I was born yesterday? Why would I let you out?" Brendon gripped the bars tightly.

"Please, sir. It's so small in here. I'll be good. I promise," he begged.

"Tell you what, you go out, do your twitching thing and give people some fortunes. And no telling people they're gonna die. I don't need you scaring off my customers."

"B-but I can't control it." Brendon's voice was so soft. He wanted so desperately to get out and stretch his legs. He hadn't been outside in a week. He wanted to see the sky.

He saw his master's shoes approach his cage. They looked new, shiny and black. Brendon didn't think having the expensive shoes were a good idea when walking around in dirt all day.

He hadn't noticed the rod in his master's hands until it come up and slammed against his fingers on the bars. He pulled back, crying out in pain. He pressed his arms against his body and looked down at his fingers.

He moved them slowly, wincing at the pain. He was relieved to see they weren't bleeding. It wasn't a hard hit, he's had worse, but it still hurt.

"I don't give a fuck if you can't control it. Fake it. Make them happy. I don't give a shit as long as I get my money." Brendon was almost tempted to look up. He knew by the closeness of the man's voice that he was bent over looking at Brendon through the bars. He sniffed softly as a tear fell down his face.

"Yes sir," he whispered.

"There's a good boy." Brendon flinched at the sound of his cage unlocking. The metal door swung open. He climbed out hesitantly. "Be grateful. Other people would be much worse to a freak like you."

"Thank you sir," Brendon said with a nod.

"Do I need to chain you to your table again?" Brendon shook his head quickly.

"No sir. I'll behave."

"Good. Now fuck off. Don't come back until your bowl is full." Brendon nodded and moved toward to opening of the small tent.

He squinted as the sun beamed down on him. A rare smile spread over his face when his eyes adjusted and he looked up at the blue sky. There was a light breeze. He stood basking in the moment before looking around at the other circus members.

They were setting up for the big show tonight in the big tent. Brendon wasn't a part of that show, not after he had an episode one night and ruined the whole illusion. His master beat him worse than he ever had before for making him lose money.

He moved over to a small trailer and pulled out a small foldable table and walked it to the opening of the tent. He set up his table beside the entrance. He smiled proudly to himself at his display.

The table was covered with a blue sheet decorated with little golden moons and suns. There was an empty glass bowl in the corner for payment, his ticket to a happy master. In the center sat a fake crystal ball with LED lights and fake smoke that Brendon could activate with a pedal hidden under the table.

There were more people starting to show up and play the various games and go on a few rides. Brendon changed into the costume that his master forced him to wear. It looked more like a gypsy than a psychic but he wasn't going to tell his master that.

He didn't have to wait long before he had a customer. He pushed through the uncomfort and made sure to keep her satisfied. He turned on the crystal ball, seeing the lights coming through the fog.

"I see a love interest in your near future." Brendon peered into the ball.

"Really? Cause I've been talking to this guy and I think he really likes me." Brendon forced a smile and ignored the guilt in his gut.

"You will have a long relationship filled with happiness." The girl squealed in excitement before paying and rushing away. Brendon looked at the lonely five dollar bill in the large glass bowl. He couldn't wait for this to be over.

As the sun moved across the sky, more people came lining up at his table. Brendon was relieved to see his bowl three fourths to the top. He only had to deal with the guilt a little longer.

"Hello." Brendon looked up at a boy, possibly his own age. He was very thin with brown hair spiked up in the back. He took the seat across Brendon and bit his lip nervously. Brendon found himself staring at the boy, entranced by his hazel eyes. "Um, my name's Ryan."

Brendon shook his head and looked away for a moment. He took a deep breath and turned back tot he boy. He suddenly felt ridiculous wearing his puffy dress shirt, vest, loose black pants and a sash tied around his waist.

"Do we have to hold hands for this or does it work better with the ball?" Brendon couldn't get over how smooth the boy's voice was. Brendon cleared his throat and shook away his head.

"Hands will help me see better," Brendon rushed out. It wasn't true, but he didn't mind holding the cute boy's hands.

"Okay," Ryan mumbled. He reached over the table and placed his hands in Brendon's waiting ones. Brendon felt himself blush slightly at the contact. He let out a sigh and began playing the part he was assigned.

"For you Ryan, I see a --" Brendon's hand gripped onto Ryan's. His body tensed as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Ryan's own eyes went wide in fear as he saw the psychic trembling. He tried to pull his hands free, but Brendon's grip was too strong.

Brendon opened his eyes and saw he was in a livingroom he didn't recognize. In the corner, he noticed a piano that didn't look like it was played in years. There were beer bottles scattered all over the floor. His head snapped to the sound of the front door opening.

Brendon gave a small smile when he noticed the hazel eyed boy. His smile dropped when he heard yelling followed by heavy footsteps. A large man appeared at the opening in the hallway.

"Where the hell have you been?" Brendon looked back at Ryan and noticed it immediately. The fear.

The boy had his head down, not daring to look the man in the eye. His body was rigid. By the quick rise and fall of his chest, Brendon assumed his heart was bouncing in sync with his breathing. He squeezed his eyes shut when the man closed the distant between them.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you you fucking shit." The man grabbed Ryan's chin and yanked his head up. "Are you going to talk?"

"I-I was at the circus sir," Ryan answered in a wobbly voice. The man pushed his face aside.

"Did you get more beer?" Ryan kept his eyes on the floor.

"N-no." He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth to keep it from trembling.

"Why not?" Ryan flinched at the man's voice.

"I-I didn't have t-time. The stores were c-closed." Brendon's eyes widened when the man swung and hit Ryan on the cheek. The force of the impact caused Ryan to fall to the floor.

Brendon's tried yelling for the man to stop, but he continued to hurt the now injured boy. Nothing came out of his mouth. That's what he hated most about these premonitions, he was completely useless.

Brendon felt himself being pulled away from the scene. He opened his eyes and was back at the circus. Right away, he noticed Ryan's eyes filled with more concern than fear.

"Don't go home," Brendon rushed out in a quick whisper.

"W-what?"

"Don't go home," he repeated. "He's gonna hurt you. If you go home empty handed, he's gonna hurt you. You can't go home." Ryan's mouth fell. His face twisting in disbelief.

"I deeply apologize, sir. He has these episodes from time to time that we're working to get under control." Brendon's blood when cold when he felt familiar hands land on his shoulders. "Come on boy. Let's get you back to the tent and rest."

Brendon felt his stomach drop. He knew what that meant. He didn't want to get punished. He did good today. His bowl was almost full. His master pulled him to his feet and he gave a small bit of resistance.

"You can't go home," Brendon told the boy again. He feared for the boy's safety more than himself. His master grabbed the bowl of money in one hand and his arm in the other.

Brendon tried to ignore the pain coming from the tight hold on his arm. Ryan watched Brendon get pulled away. When they were out of view in the tent, his master threw him to the floor.

"How many times must I tell you to keep your bullshit episodes to yourself?"

"Master, please. That boy --"

"Is not my problem." Brendon looked up and saw his master setting down the bowl and grabbing a black whip.

"No," Brendon whimpered out. "Please don't." A scowl was painted on his master's face. "I-I did good today. The b-bowl's almost full."

"You know when training a dog, you must punish it into behaving accordingly." Brendon crawled back on the ground as the man walked toward him. "You are just a mutt and dont think I won't hesitate to punish you until you obey me."

Tears slid down Brendon's cheeks as he felt a box press against his back. He looked around the tent for an escape. He winced and squeezed his eyes shut when the whip came down and smack against his side.

He bit his lip, trying to contain his cries. He had to be quiet. If he yelled and risked other people knowing what was happening, master would only hit harder.

Brendon tried to numb himself as the lashing continued. Before he knew it, he was shoveed into his cell. His body curled in order to fit in the confinements of his cage. He didn't bother opening his eyes when he heard the soft click of a lock.

"Maybe one day you'll do as I tell you. You useless freak." Brendon wrapped his arms around his legs, holding them against his chest as his master left him alone in the tent.

Brendon laid in his cage, not caring to open his eyes. He tried to remember first stepping out of the tent to calm himself. The sun was so bright and the sky was clear. It was so beautiful. He didn't know the next time he'd be given that opportunity again.

His body trembled as footsteps returned to the tent. He willed himself to disappear. He didn't want to do this again. He managed to suppress the pain enough to a dull ache. He gasped and flinched when a hand landed on his arm.

"Please no more," Brendon whispered. He couldn't handle another whipping. He was so tired.

"What did he do to you?" Brendon slowly opened his eyes to see the boy from earlier standing in front of his cage. His mouth hung open and his eyes shone with pain.

"Y-you have to go." It hurt Brendon to say it, but he didn't want Ryan to see him like this. He had a freak out and told the boy not to go home or he would be abused. He was sure he was bleeding through his clothes. He was literally locked in a cage. Not to mention what his master would do if he found the boy here. "He'll see you."

"How did you know my dad hurts me?" Ryan asked. Brendon's mouth fell. It's happened before? Brendon sat up the best he could, hunched over in the cage.

"You need to go now." Brendon gently pushed the boy on the chest.

"Are you kidding?" Ryan looked offended. "I'm not leaving you here."

Brendon shook his head. He couldn't leave. Where would he go? What would he do? Master would show no mercy if he tried running away again. Ryan began looking around the tent, through master's belongings.

"You need to go before he comes back," Brendon pleaded.

"Does he have a key somewhere?" Ryan ignored the request and kept searching. He continued until he found a shiny grey key under a pile of paperwork. Brendon shook his head non-stop, insisting Ryan leave him.

Ryan came back to the cage and pushed the key in the lock. A gorgeous smile appeared on his face when the lock made a soft clicking noise and opened. He threw the piece of metal on the ground and pulled the door open.

"Let's go," Ryan gestured to Brendon who remained obediently in his spot. "Come with me." Brendon shook his head with the angry voice of his master screaming in his mind.

"Master will be very upset with me if I leave." Ryan kept his hand held out, tempting Brendon.

"I won't let him hurt you again. I know someone who can help both of us. Somewhere where we will be safe." Brendon's eyes widened with hope. He reached out a shaky hand, letting Ryan help him out of the cage.

Brendon wobbly legs gave out on him, shooting a pain up his spine. Ryan was there to catch him, letting the boy lean on him for support. Brendon worked to push pass the pain and pulled himself up.

"Are you alright?" Brendon nodded slowly. "Okay, let's go then," Ryan whispered. Brendon was still hesitant but followed anyway.

Ryan pushed away the curtains from the entrance and pulled Brendon into the night. Brendon stopped and looked up at the sky. He froze in his spot and gazed up at the white moon and millions of stars in awe.

"What's wrong?" Ryan asked. Brendon kept his eyes on the sky. He didn't remember the last time he'd seen the night sky. He was always locked away before the sun completely fell. "We have to go."

Ryan was looking around nervously. He was trying to kidnap a kid who knew his dad abused him from a ring master who's done much worse things to Brendon and now the boy wouldn't stop staring at the sky.

"Hey! What are you doing with my freak?" The boys snapped their heads over the back of the big tent. Brendon's body immediately started shaking at the thought of the punishment he'd get for being out without permission.

"Shit! Run." Ryan grabbed Brendon's hand and began pulling him. Brendon kept stumbling, legs still in pain from earlier. Add the fact that Ryan was really fast.

"Get back here you little brat!" Brendon couldn't look back or he knew he'd fall face first to the ground. His heart was slamming against his chest. He couldn't stop now. He was already too far in this plan to dare to go back. He needed to trust Ryan to take him away from this hell.

Ryan pulled him around a corner. He was able to throw glances over his shoulder to make sure the ring master wasn't still following them. Eventually, he slowed his pace to a walk.

Brendon's legs were screaming with pain. His lungs burned from the heavy breathing. He was so exhausted, it took all his energy to stay up.

"Here, let's sit down," Ryan suggested and pulled him onto a bench. As Brendon took the time to recover, he realized Ryan was still holding his hand. He didn't have time to think about before Ryan touched one of the cuts on his arm with his free hand. He jerked away and hissed in pain.

"I'm sorry it's just those don't look good." Brendon dropped his head, not answering. "You're bleeding." Brendon looked down at the blood seeping through his shirt. The running must've caused his cuts to reopen. "He did this to you?" Brendon looked up long enough to see Ryan's big sad eyes then turned away.

"I'm okay," he whispered to his lap.

"You're hurt."

"It's fine," Brendon insisted. "It's not the first time I misbehaved." Ryan's hand tightened in his own.

"What else does he do to you?" Brendon shook his head. There was no way he was gonna tell Ryan his punishments. The boy already saw him in the cage and the aftermath of his whipping. That was enough. "What's your name?" Ryan asked in a smaller voice.

Brendon looked over at him again with wide eyes. Ryan sat patiently, waiting for a response. No one had asked for his name in years. The only reason his master even knew it was because him mom had told him before he was dragged away. He never used it though. For the past six years, Brendon was only referred to as freak, boy, mutt and whatever insult his master threw at him.

"My name?" Brendon's voice was small. Ryan nodded slowly. Brendon felt tears in his eyes. Being asked his name shouldn't have been this emotional. It was just a name. It did take him a moment to remember it. "B-brendon," he finally said.

"Brendon," Ryan repeated. Tears slid down Brendon's face as he heard his name on someone else's lips. His bottom lip quivered as he kept his eyes locked with Ryan's. Ryan reached a hand up causing Brendon to pull his hand free and jerk away. Ryan stopped his movements and frowned at Brendon's reaction.

Brendon had his eyes squeezed shut, head turned facing down and body leaning away. His breath was heavy again as fear spread over his body. He realized he was too quick to judge Ryan. He might've ran away from one cruel master only to fall into the hands of another one. He couldn't go back now. He didn't have anywhere to go. There was no place for him in this world. He would always for a lonely freak.

He flinched when a hand pressed against his cheek. Every muscle in his body constricted. He told himself to stop crying or it'll be worse. A thumb brush over his cheek, smearing his tears. His body relaxed when he realized he wasn't in any pain, not by Ryan's hand. He slowly opened his eyes to see Ryan kneeling in front of him, his own eyes shining with tears.

"It's okay Brendon," he whispered. "I'm not gonna hurt you." Brendon found himself leaning into the warm touch of Ryan's hand. He hadn't felt that warmth in years. He let out an involuntary whimper when Ryan pulled away.

"Let's go. I know a place we can stay." Brendon let Ryan pull him up. He was the one to grab Ryan's hand, glad the boy didn't pull away.

As they walked, Brendon kept glancing up at the sky. It was so beautiful. He loved how full the moon was. It was so calming, almost as calming as Ryan started making him feel.

"Everything alright?" Ryan questioned. He had his own smile when he noticed how happy Brendon looked staring into the night.

"The moon," Brendon answered with a small smile. "It's so beautiful." Ryan squeezed Brendon's hand and looked up at the moon.

The rest of their walk consisted of Ryan explaining constellations to Brendon, which wasn't much but it made Brendon smile more. Ryan soon guided Brendon to a house and knocked on the front door. When the door swung open, Brendon moved behind Ryan.

"Ryan, what are you doing here?" Brendon's stomach filled with dread at the sound of a male voice. "Did he hurt you again?" Brendon braved a look over Ryan's shoulder and saw an older man with brown hair and a matching beard and mustache. His blue eyes caught Brendon's. "And who's what?"

Brendon tried to calm his racing heart. He had to trust Ryan but he was scared out of his mind. He tried to pull his hand from Ryan's, but the boy kept his grip.

"It's a long story. Can we come in?" The man nodded and pulled the door open moving aside.

"Of course. Yeah. Come in." Ryan led Brendon inside, not letting go of him.

"Thanks Spence." Brendon looked around the room, keeping himself pressed against Ryan.

"So what's going on?" Brendon suppressed a smile when he saw a drum set in the corner with a guitar. He didn't know how to play, but he liked watching others play.

"This is Brendon." Brendon snapped his head forward. Spence was looking him up and down, making Brendon nervous. "I took him from the circus." Spence's eyes grew wide.

"What do you mean you 'took' him? How do you take a person from the circus? Why would you do that? You have to take him back." Brendon gasped and shook his head. Fresh tears built up in his eyes. He didn't want to go back. He couldn't go back.

"He was the psychic there. I went up to his table and he was gonna give me a fortune."

"All that's a load of crap, you know that." Ryan shrugged.

"I know, but I don't think he's a fake." Spence scoffed. "I know, I know. I saw the way he was giving people fortunes and I knew it was fake but I thought why not." Spence looked between Brendon and Ryan. He raised a suggestive eyebrown, causing Ryan to blush.

"Anyway, we held hands." Spence smirked and Ryan pressed on. "And he kinda spasmed. It was like he was having a seizure. I started getting scared and someone called the ring master. When Brendon stopped shaking, he told me that my dad was gonna beat me if I went home."

"Ryan, that's --"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I believe he saw something. He was trying to warn me before the ring master took him away. Spencer, I'm telling you he saw something." Brendon kept his eyes on the carpet, not wanting to meet the man's eyes. He was going to call Brendon a freak for sure.

"What did you see?" Spencer addressed Brendon. The boy peaked up for a moment before looking back down in the floor.

"I-I was in a living room. Ryan c-came in and this man was yelling. Ryan was s-scared." He squeezed his eyes shut. "The man hit h-him because he didn't have beer. I-I tried to stop him, b-but I c-couldn't." Ryan's hand pulled from his and an arm wrapped around his shoulder, calming his shaking body.

"He could still be lying." Brendon at Ryan.

"You have an old piano in the corner. You play?" Ryan gave a sad smile and nodded. "It's been a while though. It's really dusty." Ryan looked up at Spencer.

"I didn't tell him that."

"Okay," Spender sighed. "That explains why you're here, but what about him?"

"I wanted to ask him how he knew about my dad. I snuck into his tent when the main show was going on."

"Ry, why would you do that?" Spencer scolding Ryan like an older brother would.

"I wanted answers and it's a good thing I did too because I found him locked in a cage too small for him to fit in comfortable and bleeding."

"Master was punishing me for disobeying him," Brendon said quietly.

"How did you disobey him?" Spencer questioned.

"He told me to behave and keep my episodes under control, but I can't control it. I needed to warn Ryan. He doesn't like it when I give out fortunes that scare off his customers," Brendon explained. He leaned his head onto Ryan's shoulder.

"What did he do?" Brendon buried his face against Ryan. The boy wrapped his arms protectively around him. Tears soaked into Ryan's shirt.

"Please don't make me go back," his voice began to shake. "Master won't be happy that I ran away." He whimpered softly when Ryan pulled away. He was gonna try to pull him back in until another set of arms wrapped around him. He flinched and yelped in surprise.

A soothing hand rubbed up and down his back. Brendon stood tense, his breathing speeding up again. He still feared for the worse, for a false sense of security. Ryan and Spencer obviously knew each other, but Brendon was a stranger that could easily be casted away.

Spencer pulled away and let Brendon retreated back into Ryan's arms. Spencer gave a small smile.

"I'll get the guest room set up. I'm assuming you'll be sharing a room." Ryan nodded against Brendon. Spencer gave another smile. "I'll find you two a change of clothes. I'll also look at those cuts, make sure they get cleaned." Spencer gestured to Brendon before moving into the other room.

Brendon shut his eyes and leaned into Ryan's chest. He took a deep breath, enjoying the closeness. He let the steady beat of Ryan's heart keep him calm. Ryan planted a kiss on top of his head.

"You're gonna be okay now," Ryan murmered into his hair and Brendon believed him. He'd follow this boy to the depths of hell if he asked. "You're safe."

Safe.

He was safe now. He was safe here in Ryan's arms in Spencer's living room. He was safe away from the ring master who would be moving to another city tonight.

He gripped the front of Ryan's shirt and let his eyes shut. Gently tears leaked out the corner of his eyes. They weren't from pain this time. He cried from relief and comfort and joy. This is what he's wanted all his life, for someone to care. For someone to help him feel safe.