Wet and cold Del tried to get a grip on the wall. He tried to pull himself up but the water was slippery on the marble. Someone next to him was bleeding, but he couldn't tell if it was a guy or girl. My glasses. Where are they? A sudden burst of water pushed the bleeding body down the hall out of view. Stop it! Del clung to the wall unable to see anything around him. How did he get here? STOP IT he yelled into the void.

STOP IT as his dad sat before him drinking his death for his son to see. Discovering it wasn't an instant death but a torturous, agonizing death no phone nothing nearby but Kansas wide open Kansas where a man's thoughts can be the gateway to dreams or the last sounds he hears when he goes insane. Kansas. Compared to the science fiction novels he loved Kansas was dead but now it was death itself.

So he runs away. To run away from death. A violent death. To join the carny. He learned the special language they used http://www.goodmagic.com/carny/  and became a carny guy. He had a voice, deep and rich when he wanted to so they made him a huckster. So off he went as a kid to live with a support group who were on the run. When you go back and look at death records of circus and carny accidents you are struck by all the names not known. How can someone work for years for a carny outfit and no one know their name? Because the first rule you learn is that if you aren't told the name, don't ask. Don't ask about the past ever. Don't talk about the past. There is only the now and the next town. When the cops come learn the word for them and if you have to hide- hide. No one asks why.

Del touched the floor and felt the glasses! He put them on and could read the sign. HOUSE ON UNAMERICAN ACTIVITIES THIS WAY.

1960

Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear

      And it shows them pearly white

      Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe

      And he keeps it … ah … out of sight.

      Ya know when that shark bites, with his teeth, babe

      Scarlet billows start to spread

      Fancy gloves, though, wears old MacHeath, babe

      So there's nevah, nevah a trace of red.

      Now on the sidewalk … uuh, huh … whoo … sunny mornin' … uuh, huh

      Lies a body just oozin' life … eeek!

      And someone's sneakin' 'round the corner

      Could that someone be Mack the Knife?

      A-there's a tugboat … huh, huh, huh … down by the river don'tcha know

      Where a cement bag's just a'droopin' on down

      Oh, that cement is just, it's there for the weight, dear

      Five'll get ya ten old Macky's back in town.

      Now, d'ja hear 'bout Louie Miller? He disappeared, babe

      After drawin' out all his hard-earned cash

      And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor

      Could it be our boy's done somethin' rash?

      Now … Jenny Diver … ho, ho … yeah … Sukey Tawdry       

      Ooh … Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown 

      Oh, the line forms on the right, babe

      Now that Macky's back in town.

      Aah … I said Jenny Diver … whoa … Sukey Tawdry

      Look out to Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown

      Yes, that line forms on the right, babe

      Now that Macky's back in town … 

      Look out … old Macky is back!!

He can't believe Bobby Darren has taken a communist song and turned it into a lounge song.

He is walking to the store when a kid hands him a flyer and it's not an advertisement- it's about HUAC calling in teachers and professors to question them on their loyalty.

Del says nothing but he shows up and gets inside (each person is given a white pass that lets in 5). He tags along, hears a commotion behind him and someone starts singing. Then almost everyone is singing but he doesn't know the words. That's when some start to sing as they enter the meeting chambers and Del turns to see a man holding a water hose yelling, "You want some?" as the crowd sings.

Del looks up at the person across from him whose arm is broken. It looks like at any second the bone will come through the skin. The person Del attached himself to yells for him to follow him to get out.

"No thanks", Del yells back over the screams and noise and surreal scene of thousands of dollars of damage to stop- singing!

"I think I'll stay here and fight."