| — Rusty |
Rusty is a character that appears in the fourth chapter of The Sounds of Nightmares. He is a member of a group of children that perform at the Carnival.
Appearance
Noone described Rusty and the other children as being teenagers that had been at the carnival for a long time.
Personality
When Noone arrives to the carnival, she notes their joyful screams and laughter. Rusty and his friends were described as being friendly, hospitable and very talkative amongst each other and anyone new they encounter. In addition, they are all skilled and talented in circus performing. Although they appeared confident, Noone notices they were only trying to be, hiding their true emotions.
Rusty later reveals the hidden hatred he has for performing as well as the struggle he and his friends face as they are all forced to perform by the Man in the Purple Suit. Despite the threat the Man in the purple Suit holds, it did not sway Rusty and the others from planning a means to escape.
The Sounds of Nightmares
Two of a Kind
Noone began her story by running into the group of teens sitting on boxes. Although they were surprised to see her, they welcomed her into their group. They began introducing themselves one by one, and explaining their talents. These included juggling, fire-breathing, trapeze, and tightropes. While her eyes explored the surrounding area, they continued to talk fast and loudly amongst each other. Noone reveals that the performers were all teenagers.
A boy named Rusty, invited her to go on one of the rides with them, making her feel welcomed as she had never been part of a large group that had genuine interest in befriending her and including her in their activities. They made their way to the giant Ferris wheel, where they sat in pairs in each cart, with Noone and Rusty getting into the last. After getting to the top of the unnaturally high Ferris wheel, Rusty pointed out two large wooden poles, like masts on a ship, not only answering where they were, but confusing Noone nonetheless as she pondered over how a ship could be in the air. Rusty's face then seemed sad, telling her that they would soon be heading to a nearby circus tent he called the Big Top, the place he and his friends would soon put on a show. Rusty appears glum for a moment, explaining how much he hated performing. When asked why he did it, he muttered something that Noone couldn't make out. Rusty reveals that he and his friend were being forced to perform. Noone realizes the true reason for them riding on the unnaturally high Ferris wheel was for Rusty to obtain the chance he needed to express what was in his heart without being heard. As the wheel came around, Rusty quickly explains to Noone a plan that he and his friends had been planning, where they would try to do something they had never done before and asked that she be part of the special show, acting as a lookout to signal for the arrival of the Man in the Purple Suit. Noone agrees to help Rusty but suggests shouting out a code that only they would understand. They both agree to use "Big Top" as the code. Noone questions if the purpose of the plan was to escape the carnival, however, Rusty reveals that the plan was to not only escape the carnival, but also the Nowhere.
After arriving at the Big Top, the children got dressed while Rusty led her to a front row seat, what he described as being "the best seat in the house," making her feel special. The final act was Rusty, who performed a tightrope act, walking across from one side of the rope to the other high above the crowd. When his act finally ended, Noone tried to shout the code word upon the appearance of the Man in the Purple Suit and his puppet, but the crowd was too loud. Instead of climbing down the ladder, Rusty climbed up towards a small rip in the fabric at the top of the tent. Just as Rusty was about to make his escape, the Dummy, whom had been watching, lunged at him, his final fate horrifying Noone.
A Deluge of the Inevitable
Noone mentioned Rusty to be among her past companions that she was unable to save.
Trivia
- Rusty and his friends are the only characters known to be teenagers.