Screams.

Screams filled the crisp, October air as children ran through a lit fairway. Laughter and conversations intermingled as the flashing lights of a very large carnival's rides. Parents, children and teenagers alike seemed to be lost in the magic of the carnival, eating popcorn, cotton candy, and even carrying stuffed animals too large for a normal person to carry. A picturesque sight for all to see.

"HELP!"

No one seemed to hear the scream of a young boy, who looked like he just was in a serious incident, his right cheek sporting a nasty bruise.

"SOMEONE! PLEASE, HELP ME!" The boy screamed, running between a group of teens, dodging a large stuffed bear one was carrying. The boy's eyes seemed wild with fear, his eyes darting everywhere, like he was searching for something. Falling to the dirt, the boy crawled on all fours, scrambling until he stopped by a booth. Huddling up in a ball, the boy began to sob, his entire body shaking with each one.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" A soft, accented voice asked, making the boy scream, his head snapping up to see a woman in a red suit, it's coattails seeming to defy gravity as she squatted down to the boy's level. "Are you lost?"

"S-stay away! I know what you are!" The boy stammered, backing away, before tripping over the booth's wire, making him cry out. "You took my mom!"

Frowning, the woman stood, helping the boy to his feet. "Sweetie, I have no idea what you're talking about... I'm just a lion tamer... I can help you find your mom if that makes you feel better." She offered, taking off a tall top hat to let her dark brown hair fall.  "I promise I won't hurt you."

Shaking, the boy looked out at the fairway, where people walked by, ignoring him and the woman, before nodding, and standing, shaking visibly.

Smiling, the woman took the boy by the hand, and lead him to a tent. The inside of the tent was dark, and smelled like a petting zoo. The boy frowned, holding his nose with a free hand, before gasping, spotting a large cage, covered in a large black cloth.

"What's in there?" He asked, tugging on the woman's sleeve. "Oh, that's where I keep my lion." She replied, leading the boy to the cage. "Do you want to see him?"

The boy nodded, all fear seeming to disappear as he considered the idea of looking at a real lion. Watching the woman, the boy took a step back when she pulled the cloth away, revealing a massive lion, it's mane making it look even larger than it already was. The odd thing was, the lion was currently eating something, it's jaws working as it crunched on something that was obscured by the lion's body.

"Gabriel! We have a guest." The woman called, rolling her R's a little. The lion's ear perked up, and it turned, plodding over to the door of the cage. Looking at the boy, the woman gave him a reassuring smile, before opening the cage door. Gabriel, a low rumble emanating from his throat, stepped out, his eyes on the boy.

"Go ahead... you can pet him." The woman told the child, stepping in from of the cage, watching the boy as he stroked the lion's mane.

"It's so... soft." He mumbled, before burying his face in the fur. "I take good care of Gabriel... he is my friend. I have had him for many years." The woman explained, although her voice seemed odd... the accent seemed to disappear.

Clang!

The boy looked up, to see the woman enclosed in the cage. "M-miss?" The boy asked, stepping away from the lion. "I promised you that I'd help you find your parents... and I have fulfilled my promise." The woman replied, picking up something from the cage.

Taking a step back, the boy let out a scream, looking on in horror as he saw a torn up blouse , the same blouse his mother wore before she had gone missing. Turning to run, the boy was knocked over by a massive, furry force, knocking him to his stomach. The weight then transferred to his back, pinning him to the floor. The boy tried to squirm away, but  stopped when he felt the warm, pungent smelling breath of Gabriel on his neck.  Whimpering, the boy spoke a single word.

"Mommy.."

This was followed by screams as Gabriel bit down on the boy's head. The screams were quickly cut off, as the lion twisted , snapping the boy's neck with an audible snap.

.........................

"How did we do tonight?" The woman asked a group of  carnival workers. "Did any of you have any trouble?"

"I had a group of teens... one of them was a bit hesitant to participate, but I managed to convince him to join." A male spoke, twirling his mustache.

"I see... thank you, Gulliver... who else?" The woman asked, leaning on a cane. She was met with silence. "Very well then... Madame Maria... where do we go to next?"

A elderly woman, dressed in a dark red, loose, flowing robe, shuffled forward. "Utica, New York is our next destination... but I would be careful, for there, what may be the end of our existence lives there." The woman croaked. "Beware, Amalie... for our power will be tested."

Amalie scoffed, brushing back her hair. "We've had our close encounters, Maria... if the threat is like what we had to deal with tonight... then the rubes don't stand a chance."