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Chapter 5 is the fifth chapter of The Lonely Ones novel.
Description[]
Ruse and Feast search for Mim as the Performer takes to the stage to begin his silent performance. Ruse struggles to remain focused on finding Mim and a way out of the theater the moment she looks directly at the Performer's face. Amidst the Performer's act, he includes a special addition to his routine, Mim, who is now under his complete control. With no way of reaching Mim without being seen, Ruse devises a plan to act under the cover of darkness instead.
Plot[]
Ruse contemplates all the reasons to not go through the Performer’s door, but is surprised and annoyed to realize she actually cares about Mim and that she is her only reason for wanting to go through the door. Having been set on taking off on her own, Ruse thinks about her change of heart and how anytime she separated from Feast or Mim, something always pulled her back to them. Ruse admits to herself she does not want to be alone and despite Feast and Mim having every opportunity to leave her, they didn’t. While their cooperation was initially for survival through Ruse’s eyes, she understands now that Feast and Mim actually want to be with her. Wanting to be together is enough for her and Feast to search for Mim, the two hold hands and step through the door. Emerging in the shadows, Ruse and Feast find themselves to the right of a stage, the sound of hidden speakers playing notes of a sad flute.
A painted backdrop depicting long tables and hooks hanging over them is mounted at the back of the stage. Ruse looks back at the Performer’s door they entered, it is now a painting again. With their only exit gone, they will need to find another way out of the stage once they find Mim. Ruse looks to her right and sees a dusty black curtain downstage, she and Feast hurry to the curtain. Ruse quickly lies on her stomach to peek through the tassels, she can see the members of the Dough Giants are the audience, their grotesque eating makes her feel queasy. Ruse notices the open double doors at the end of the sloping aisle and four shallow steps, their only means to exit the stage, but Ruse questions how they can reach the exit without being seen. Suddenly, the music stops and the lights dim, signifying the show is about to begin. Ruse and Feast rush back to stage right and push themselves to the back of the wing, against the Performers door. The Performer appears from the stage left across from him. The spotlight shines on the Performer and Ruse catches sight of his face.
The Performer begins by pulling himself along the stage with an invisible rope that becomes blurry to Ruse for just an instant. Upon reaching the table in the middle of the stage, he releases his grip from the invisible rope and falls backwards, he bounces off the ground back up to his feet and turns to the audience to take a bow, his beret falling to the ground as he does. The Performer picks his hat and makes his way backstage, tripping on the invisible rope and falls on his back. Ruse, now under the Performers spell, can't help but keep watching and laughs at his fall. Feast tries to get Ruse’s attention by tapping on her shoulder but her attention remains on the Performer, who has now tangled himself in the invisible rope. Feast covers Ruse’s eyes and she finally turns away from the Performer, annoyed over Feast’s interference. Feast tries to speak to her but his voice is not heard, he points to his throat and although Ruse believes he is trying to tell her he is hungry it is when she attempts to whisper to Feast that she notices her voice is silent, making her realize Feast was telling her all sound has disappeared.
Ruse looks at the audience, she can see them cheering and clapping, but it all remains silent. Panic swirls inside her as she cannot hear her fingers snapping, nor her increased breathing and rapid heartbeat. Feast feels just as uneasy, but despite seeing Ruse gesture with her head jerks for them to leave, he shakes his head in refusal, looking back at the stage to point to a crate. The Performer, now freed from the invisible rope, heads to the backdrop and acts like he is picking up the knife from within the painting. Ruse can barely see the knife shimmering in the Performer’s hand and quickly realizes the knife in the painting is now gone. The Dough Giants stomp in anticipation, but everything is still silent. The Performer walks stage right and hides the knife in his right hand behind his back. Ruse and Feast crouch behind a sandbag to stay out of the Performers view. The Performer opens a nonexistent door and welcomes in an invisible visitor that seems like a Dough Giants to Ruse. The Performer locks the door with his left hand after the visitor enters and attempts to sneak up on them to stab them in the back, causing Ruse to shout in a panic in a dampened voice, but immediately feels foolish about it for believing a Dough Giant was really there, oblivious to the danger it was in.
The Performer acts surprised and hides the knife, acting innocent as his invisible guest looks at him. Ruse giggles. Feast grabs Ruse’s attention again by shaking her shoulder, she reluctantly turns to him gesturing to something in the dark she cannot see. Feast takes Ruse’s hand and places it on the rung of a metal ladder, painted black, that he found in the darkness. The ladder leads to platforms above, a good place to get a better view of the auditorium to find Mim and additional exits, as well as to stay out of the Performer’s reach. Ruse gestures she intends to climb up and Feast waves her on. Feast turns back to watch the stage as she climbs. Halfway up the ladder, Ruse turns her head, feeling exposed, but the Dough Giants remain focused on the Performer who is no longer preoccupied with his invisible Guest. Ruse is annoyed to have missed part of the show, but continues up the ladder. The Performer acts as if he is chopping something and periodically hangs it on the invisible hooks in the ceiling. At the top of the ladder, Ruse reaches the catwalk against the theater's walls and begins looking for exits.
Suddenly, a second spotlight shines onto the stage. Ruse, curious over what has happened, looks down and sees the wooden crate Feast pointed to earlier is now open, and within it, the Performer lifts out Mim. Mim is stiff and unmoving, her eyes closed and arms crossed, the Performer stands her up on the stage and begins repeatedly catching her as she tips in various directions, the routine is greatly enjoyed by the Dough Giants. Ruse can't help but laugh silently, but quickly wonders why Mim is not running away. The Performer acts frustrated over Mim not staying up and is quickly struck with an idea. He reaches into the crate and pulls out something to wind up Mim from her back, reminding Ruse of how she would wind up her pocket watch each morning. The Performer acts surprised as Mim starts marching to the end of the stage, her arms and legs stiff as she walks. He quickly interferes before she falls off stage and changes her course to the opposite direction, she bumps into the crate a few times until finally being free to walk towards the edge. Ruse giggles, and even though she makes no noise, Mim stops in the middle of the stage and looks up at her in the catwalk, and so does the Performer. Ruse covers her mouth and drops her body flat onto her stomach, away from sight until the Performer turns back to the stage.
Mim continues walking, slower than before and eventually comes to a stop, she bends over with her arms down. The Performer struggles to find an item in his pockets and quickly begins a frantic search around the stage and in the crate, even sticking his head into the crate to find the item he needs, but is unsuccessful. As he raises his head out of the crate, his hat falls and the audience laughs at him, throwing the Performer into confusion. He is shocked to realize his hat is now gone and starts the whole production all over again, but as he continues his search, the audience becomes increasingly more restless, losing interest in the show as Mim is not part of it. The Performer is quickly losing control of the audience and in a fit of anger, he stomps back to the crate, yanks his hat out of the crate and places it on his head. The Performer's anger makes Ruse feel unsettled, it reminds her of her parents and when they got mad at her, mad enough to stop talking to her and even act as if she didn't exist, even leaving her home alone at night, just as they did on that last night. Ruse now remembers what her parents looked like, when they were angry. Ruse blinks the blur from her vision away and returns to watching the Performer, he’s not playing anymore and is instead just going through the motion of his routine.
The Performer pulls the invisible key from his hat and returns to winding up Mim again, she straightens up and faces the audience. Feast tenses up, he wants to run for Mim but he can’t without being seen as Mim is standing directly in front of the Performer. Mim and the Performer bow in sync, and as the Performer lifts his beret to tip, Mim does the same with an invisible hat on her head, her pained eyes betraying her terror. Ruse looks down and sees Feast looking up at her, neither of them know what to do. The Performer continues to force Mim to perform, mimicking his movements as he juggles black apples over his head. Ruse looks at the spotlight and wonders if turning them off would give Feast the chance to get Mim while the Performer and the Dough Giants are distracted and blind by the darkness. Ruse works her way around the catwalk towards the spotlight shining over Mim, but is shocked to see a living marionette. The Puppet spots Ruse and turns the spotlight on her. Ruse tries to shield her eyes but is unable to see through the intense light. Amidst trying to keep her balance, she can feel the vibrations of something hitting the metal catwalk in front of her.
Upon regaining her vision, she dodges a black apple in time. Ruse looks down onto the stage, but focuses on Mim to avoid looking at the Performer so as to not fall into his act. Mim’s face is enraged, mirroring the Performer. Mim mimics the Performer’s attempts to throw another apple at Ruse, but the apple hits the Puppet instead, throwing it backwards. Ruse takes a look down and sees Mim covering her eyes in embarrassment. Before changing her mind and while the Puppet struggles to get up, she rushes to the spotlight and stands in front of the bulb, watching for Mim to throw another invisible apple. An apple is thrown and Ruse ducks to let the apple smash the bulb. Ruse makes her way to the next spotlight, hoping Feast is ready to act under the cover of darkness. The second spotlight is operated by another Puppet with a sneer carved into his face and although the Puppet at first looks ready to lunge at her, something takes control of it and forces it to aim the spotlight at the end of the catwalks.
The light illuminates the Performer’s door that had suddenly appeared. Ruse is surprised to see the door open and the Performer step out, his eyes focused on her as his weight makes the catwalk to shift and sway. Ruse quickly looks away from the Performer, down to the stage to see Feast tying to hold onto Mim as she marches down the edge of the stage, dragging him along with her, her march matching the Performer as he advances closer towards Ruse on her right, while the Puppet marches closer to her left. With nowhere else to go, Ruse jumps over the catwalk and grabs the cable of the spotlight to snake down to the stage; as she drops, one end of the cable breaks from the spotlight, cutting out the bulb and throwing the auditorium into darkness. After falling to the stage below, narrowly unharmed, she lays on her back as the sound of the audience’s booing and jeering can now be heard under the cover of darkness. The Performer’s door is also heard opening and slamming shut high above in the rafters. The lights of the auditorium brighten up the room and the speaker crackles a voice thanking the audience for attending the performance and to exit the rear of the theater. Ruse sits up and processes everything happening, the Performer is gone, the Dough Giants are leaving to the lobby and the doors are now open.
Upstage to her are Feast and Mim, Mim is covering her face with her hands. Ruse staggers to her feet and unsteadily makes her way towards them, with her voice now back she asks if they are okay. Ruse smiles when Feast and Mim turn their heads toward her. Mim does not respond until Ruse pulls the rope from her pocket and lays it on Mim’s lap. Mim picks up the rope and cradles it close to her chest like a baby doll. The three of them wait for the Dough Giants to all leave. With the auditorium now empty, Ruse taps the floor to listen for sound, hoping the Performer has not returned before they leave. With the area clear, the three of them clamper down the stage and exit into the lobby where litter is left all around. The sizzling grey cubes on the grill behind the counter make Ruse’s stomach turn, but she notices Feast stare longingly at the food as they pass it. Now outside, the three of them find themselves in a section of the carnival under heavy rain, with yellow wheeled caravans all shuttered against the weather.
The smell of a wet campfire fills the air, as if the hedge maze is on the other side of the theater, but without reaching higher ground, they do not know where they are or where to go. Feast questions if they should wait, but Ruse looks at Mim’s poor condition, her face is paler and there are dark shadows under her listless eyes, convincing Ruse it would be best to get Mim away from the theater and hope the Performer does not follow them. Ruse spots the giant Ferris wheel, its closer and its lights are still on, but it's no longer moving. Ruse spots the roller coaster tracks nearby and sees it as their chance to get a better view of the area, she points to the tracks for the others to see and leads the way towards them. Feast sighs and grabs Mim’s limp hand, following Ruse’s lead to prepare to climb the tracks.