Disclaimer: Nothing from Cirque Du Freak belongs to me …Just the one and only Darren Shan (not the vampire) :) lol

Authors Note: Hello readers, this is my second fanfic and I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't beat the crud out of me if I suck or anything. Lol: D Anywho, I hope you like my story… enjoy!

P.S. Please Review

Chapter One: A Dreadful Beginning

1935, Chicago (during the Great Depression)

Emmeline sighed as she lay on her back, listening to the train and cars as they passed by her boarded up apartment window. She closed her eyes, trying her hardest to ignore the strange orchestra that roared outside. She knew she had to go to work soon and she wanted so badly to get just one ounce of sleep to keep her awake throughout the day while she was at the factory. Emmeline remembered how yesterday she fell asleep at the factory for just a split moment while she was on the sewing machine and accidentally sewed up her thumb to the cloth she was working on. Even now her finger still throbbed immensely. Slowly she began to pass into a dreamless sleep, the sounds of the busy city fading away gradually when-Drip…Drip… Emmeline sat up slowly and touched her eye feeling a wet cold substance on her face. She frowned as she looked up at the ceiling noticing a gross disgusting black stain that was leaking profusely. "Please don't let that be toilet water," she thought fearfully. With a blink a drop of brownish blackish water splashed on her face again. Quickly she wiped away the disgusting water that now landed on her cheek. Drip…Drip… Emmeline glared at the leak wiping the dirty water off her eye. "That's it!" She thought, now off her ripped, dirty, cotton blanket she moved to the end of her bed and hugged her knees to her chest. Emmeline sighed as she watched the black water drip upon her mattress-well…not that it mattered it wasn't clean in the first place anyways. Emmeline sat there watching the black stain on her mattress grow bigger when suddenly the door opened with a moan. Quickly Emmeline grabbed her pillow, got under the covers and curled up in a ball hoping that she looked like she was asleep. Tightly she shut her eyes waiting for the widow Mrs. Burns to screech at her to tell her to get up, fortunately that didn't happen. Emmeline held her breath listening to the wooden boards creak as the footsteps came towards her. Suddenly the footsteps stopped and she flinched waiting for someone to yell at her. But strangely nothing happened. A soft but gentle hand touched her shoulder and shook her.

"Emmeline. …Emmeline. Come on it's time to get up," Emmeline looked over her shoulder and saw her best friend Anne looking down at her with a tired smile. Anne was seventeen years old only two years older then Emmeline.

"What time is it?" Emmeline asked rubbing her eyes.

"Time to go to work that's what time it is," Said Anne smiling. Emmeline frowned as she brushed away a strand of black hair off of her face.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" She asked wearily. Anne shook her head.

"No, but I tried anyway. Like every other night," She said irritably. Emmeline nodded her head in agreement and sat up trying to ignore the sleepiness from calling her. Suddenly Anne smiled and went over to the boarded up window and started ripping off the wooden boards one by one.

"Anne what are you doing?" Emmeline asked, bolting up from the bed as she ran toward her friend. She didn't like this one bit; if Mrs. Burns came up here and saw what Anne was doing she'd be decapitated. Anne who began to rip off the final board looked up at Emmeline and laughed.

"What's wrong Emmeline afraid of a little light?" Emmeline frowned at her.

"No, I'm just afraid you'll get us kicked out of this joint if Mrs. Burns finds ou-"

"Oh come on Emmeline," scoffed Anne as she brushed away a golden strand of hair over her shoulder, "Just cause Mrs. Burns owns this apartment building doesn't mean she rules the world," Emmeline gave a frustrated sigh.

"I know that," She said, "But still we don't want Mrs. Burns to get angry," Anne who had already had half the board off looked at Emmeline.

"You know that's you r problem Emmeline, you take things too seriously. For once why don't you take a bite out of life won't you?" And as Anne said that the board was off and the view of the city was before them. Emmeline winced at the light and put her hand up to her face to try and block the light.

"See?" said Anne smiling, motioning her hand out toward the city. "This whole city is for yours for the taking. All you have to do is give your share and you'll be set for life!" Emmeline shook her head in disagreement.

"Anne, I may take life too seriously but at least I can accept reality around me," Anne laughed at her and closed the ripped up curtains.

"True, but at least I'm not a shlub! Now get dressed we need to go to work."

Once Emmeline and Anne got dressed they walked down the spirally metal staircase since the elevator didn't work and as they were walking out the door Emmeline spotted Scout- Emmeline's black cat that she took care of when she found him out in the rain yowling like a baby. Scout walked up to Emmeline and started rubbing against her leg purring like there was no tomorrow. Emmeline gave him a soft shove with her foot.

"I can't feed you now Scout, I have to go to work," she said with a small smile.

Anne frowned at her and grabbed Emmeline's arm and said irritably, "Emmeline will you stop playing with the cat were going to be late!" And with that last comment Anne dragged Emmeline and they ran toward the factory. As they dodged traffic neither of them new that Scout was following quickly behind them. Emmeline swiftly ran knowing that if they arrived late they could be fired. Soon Emmeline and Anne ran around the office building where the factory stood behind it and Emmeline saw the strangest thing in her life. A group of people, who worked at the factory, including people she knew, were standing outside the factory shouting and protesting.

"What in the world?" cried Anne astonishingly. Suddenly Emmeline's stomach hit rock bottom, she had seen this sort of thing before at other factories and work buildings.

"Anne…Anne I think they closed the factory," Anne looked at Emmeline as if she had sworn.

"Emmeline don't say such a thing!" She said in a scolding manner. Emmeline gave a weary sigh.

"Yes they did Anne just look-"

"Emmeline they didn't close they factory…how-how could they do that," Emmeline shook her head, there was no way of getting this concept through Anne. She just had to go up to somebody and ask what's going on.

With full determination she shoved through the crowd, ignoring Anne's shouts for her to come back. As Emmeline shoved through she was getting bashed and pushed, but she didn't care. All she wanted to know was what was going on. Emmeline soon spotted a boy her age and she plowed her way thorough to go talk to him.

"Excuse me!" She called trying to get his attention. Unfortunately he didn't answer; he was to busy shouting and protesting. "Excuse me!" The boy suddenly blinked and turned around to face her.

"Oh, sorry didn't see ya!" He called trying to push his way through the crowed to get to her. Once they got to each other Emmeline asked what was going on.

"Well," the boy irritably sighed, "They're closing down the factory that's what!" He said angrily. Emmeline blinked with shock and anger. 'They won't get away with this!' She thought angrily to herself. Emmeline looked back at the boy to ask him another question but he was already shouting and protesting like he was before. She shook her head in disbelief as she heard people cursing and shouting trying to get inside the building. Some people to Emmeline's disgust were breaking windows and climbing into the building. This was too much for her; quickly she plowed her way through the crowed trying to get back to Anne to tell her the news. Just as she was shoving through a bunch of angry men and women, she heard a defining sound of sirens coming around the corner. When she heard that she didn't just shove through she tried to run. Of course people around her heard the sirens too and before Emmeline knew it, people were following her example. Everyone around her was running in panic, some still trying to desperately to climb through broken windows. Emmeline's heart pounded hard against her chest as she tried frantically to find her friend Anne. But with a bunch of people running around you in a blur it's kind of hard to spot a person. 'Forget it,' She thought as she saw four police cars come into view, 'I'll just have to find her later '

As fast as Emmeline could she ran toward the side of the crowed and finally got out. With out looking back she ran as far away as she could, away from the horrible scene behind her.

Emmeline stood against an office building looking around the city before her, trying to spot Anne around the crowd of busy people. Suddenly a horrifying thought popped in her head. What if…what if she was caught at the factory and was arrested. 'No!' she scolded herself, she couldn't just jump to conclusions it was just wrong.

"Hey…hey kid!" Emmeline jumped as she heard a voice beside her and turned her head. There beside her was a man who looked to be around his forties and was dressed in fine clothes, in which from Emmeline's perspective, made him look snide and sly.

"Oh, hello," She said in a brisk manner, quickly looking away from him.

"Sooo," he said casually, "It seems that you're in need of a job," Emmeline turned around quickly to look at him.

"How did you know that?" The man smiled at her and shrugged innocently.

"Must be a sixth sense or something," Emmeline glared at him suspiciously.

"Yeah I'm sure it is," She said sarcastically.

"Listen sweetie, if you're looking for a job…well, I got just the thing you're looking for," Emmeline shook her head.

"No thanks," she said coldly. The man gave a sigh.

"I'll just tell ya anyway. There's this meat factory at the end of town and there- You know what, I'll just write down the address for you-"

"Excuse me sir," she said quickly, "but…meat factories don't hire girls-"The man suddenly sighed wearily.

"Listen kid…you're a hard worker right?"

"Well yes, but I don't see how-"

"Then it shouldn't be a problem for them to hire you! Besides this factory is desperate for workers," Emmeline watched numbly the man wrote down the address on a piece of paper.

"Here ya go," he said cheerily. Emmeline took the paper from him watching him carefully.

"Well alright," she said looking at the card, "But-but what's up with this time you've written down?" The man looked up at her and smiled.

"Oh that, well that's when you can go and get an application," Emmeline glared at him suspiciously.

"At ten o'clock?" She said scornfully. The man smiled at her sweetly, laughing.

"Of course," he said, "I know one of the workers there and he always stays late. He can give you an application and save ya the trouble, instead of standing in line," Emmeline looked down at the paper. Maybe she should try to get this job, and maybe (if she could) get a second application for Anne.

"Alright," she said, "I'll take the job,"

It was ten o'clock and Emmeline stood outside the factory looking up at it as it loomed over her. With full determination she walked inside the factory. The factory was pitch black when she got inside and the smell of meat and blood filled the air and she wasn't to sure about getting a job here but she needed the money.

"Hello?" She called out softly, "Hello? "She called out again. Emmeline looked around the factory looking for any sign of life. Suddenly Emmeline spotted a small window where metal stairs led up to a slightly open door and to her amazement the lights were on. With joy filling her she quickly went up the metal steps. Just when she was about to grab the handle she heard voices inside arguing.

"Listen to me;" Said a voice earnestly, "I say the best way to kill him is to drown him. That way it will be harder for the cops to find him!"

"Drown him? Jacob don't be a moron, you know that's the oldest trick in the book!"

"So what if it is!" argued another voice, "All that matters is that he's dead and we get the money,"

Emmeline felt her heart drop. She had to get out of here and find the police before they found her and…and- it didn't matter what they were going to do to her, she just had to get out of here! Quickly she turned around and quietly ran down the metal stairs. Just when she thought she was out of the clear she suddenly lost her footing and slipped causing the metals stairs to clang and shake.

"What the hell was that?" Cried one of the voices from inside the room. Emmeline felt herself freeze where she was. To her horror the door swung open revealing three men each one caring guns. Emmeline didn't even think of what she was about to do, she just got up and ran for her life.

"After her!" one of the men cried. Emmeline ran her heart pounding against her chest as she heard the men ran after her. Before Emmeline knew it-

Bang! Bang, bang! Emmeline toppled forward feeling a painful impact against her back and shoulder blade. She fell hard against the cement floor and for once everything was silent. Emmeline felt a terrible pain wash over her and she felt like her she was holding her breath under water, slowly everything around her faded away in darkness and the only thing she heard and saw was red eyes and an ear splitting cat like yowl that filled the air. Emmeline laid facing downward motionless, blood slowly spreading across the floor. Her eyes wide open and glazed. Emmeline Cambel was dead…or so she thought.

Alright guys, that's my first chapter, what do think? Good? Bad? If you want to read more of my story send me a review please and find out what happens next!

Quote of the moment: "I believe I can fly!" (Ice Age 2)