Darren Shan - A Living Nightmare

SUMMARY: In the tradition of Stephen Kings Salems Lot, Cirque Du Freak is the frightening saga of a young boy whose visit to a mysterious freak show leads him on a journey into a dark world of vampires. Filled with grotesque creatures, murderous vampires, and a petrifying ending, Cirque Du Freak will chill, thrill, and leave readers begging for more.

A Living Nightmare

ISBN 0-316-60610-3

CONTENTS

I VE ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED BY spiders. I used to collect them when I was younger. Id spend hours rooting through the dusty old shed at the bottom of our garden, hunting the cobwebs for lurking eight-legged predators. When I found one, Id bring it in and let it loose in my bedroom.

It used to drive my mom crazy!

Usually, the spider would slip away after no more than a day or two, never to be seen again, but sometimes they hung around longer. I had one who made a cobweb above my bed and stood guard for almost a month. Going to sleep, I used to imagine the spider creeping down, crawling into my mouth, sliding down my throat, and laying loads of e.g. in my belly. The baby spiders would hatch after a while and eat me alive, from the inside out.

I loved being scared when I was little.

When I was nine, my mom and dad gave me a small tarantula. It wasnt poisonous or very big, but it was the greatest gift Id ever received. I played with that spider almost every waking hour of the day. Gave it all sorts of treats: flies and cockroaches and tiny worms. Spoiled it rotten.

Then, one day, I did something stupid. Id been watching a cartoon in which one of the characters was sucked up by a vacuum cleaner. No harm came to him. He squeezed out of the bag, dusty and dirty and mad as hell. It was very funny.

So funny, I tried it myself. With the tarantula.

Needless to say, things didnt happen quite like they did in the cartoon. The spider was ripped to pieces. I cried a lot, but it was too late for tears. My pet was dead, it was my fault, and there was nothing I could do about it.

My parents practically hollered the roof down when they found out what Id done the tarantula had cost quite a lot of money. They said I was irresponsible, and from that day on they never again let me have a pet, not even an ordinary garden spider.

I started with that tale from the past for two reasons. One will become obvious as this book unfolds. The other reason is:

This is a true story.

I dont expect you to believe me I wouldnt believe it myself if I hadnt lived it but it is. Everything I describe in this book happened, just as I tell it.

The thing about real life is, when you do something stupid, it normally costs you. In books, the heroes can make as many mistakes as they like. It doesnt matter what they do, because everything works out in the end. Theyll beat the bad guys and put things right and everything ends up cool.

In real life, vacuum cleaners kill spiders. If you cross a busy road without looking, you get whacked by a car. If you fall out of a tree, you break some bones.

Real lifes nasty. Its cruel. It doesnt care about heroes and happy endings and the way things should be. In real life, bad things happen. People die. Fights are lost. Evil often wins.

I just wanted to make that clear before I began.

One more thing: my name isnt really Darren Shan. Everythings true in this book, except for names. Ive had to change them because well, by the time you get to the end, youll understand.

I havent used any real names, not mine, my sisters, my friends, or teachers. Nobodys. Im not even going to tell you the name of my town or country. I dont dare.

Anyway, thats enough of an introduction. If youre ready, lets begin. If this were a made-up story, it would begin at night, with a storm blowing and owls hooting and rattling noises under the bed. But this is a real story, so I have to begin where it really started.

It started in a toilet.

I WAS IN THE BATHROOM at school, sitting down on the toilet, humming a song. I had my pants on. Id come in near the end of English class, feeling sick. My teacher, Mr. Dalton, is great about things like that. Hes smart and knows when youre faking and when youre being serious. He took one look at me when I raised my hand and said I was ill, then nodded his head and told me to go to the bathroom.

Throw up whatevers making you sick, Darren, he said, then get your behind back in here.

I wish every teacher was as understanding as Mr. Dalton.

In the end, I didnt get sick, but still felt queasy, so I stayed on the toilet. I heard the bell ring for the end of class and everybody came rushing out on their lunch break. I wanted to join them but knew Mr. Dalton would be angry if he saw me in the yard so soon. He doesnt get mad if you trick him but he goes quiet and wont speak to you for a while, and thats almost worse than being shouted at.

So, there I was, humming, watching my watch, waiting. Then I heard someone calling my name.

Darren! Hey, Darren! Have you fallen in or what?

I grinned. It was Steve Leopard, my best friend. Steves real last name was Leonard, but everyone called him Steve Leopard. And not just because the names sound alike. Steve used to be what my mom calls a wild child. He raised hell wherever he went, got into fights, stole from stores. One day he was still in a stroller he found a sharp stick and prodded passing women with it (no prizes for guessing where he stuck it!).

He was feared and despised everywhere he went. But not by me. Ive been his best friend since kindergarten, when we first met. My mom says I was drawn to his wildness, but I just thought he was a great guy to be with. He had a fierce temper and threw scary tantrums when he lost it, but I simply ran away when that happened and came back again once hed calmed down.

Steves reputation had softened over the years his mom took him to see a lot of good counselors who taught him how to control himself but he was still a minor legend in the schoolyard and not someone you messed with, even if you were bigger and older than him.