Nadia’s mind was focused on only one thing, it wasn’t the two menacing men beside the wicked woman that had come to do her harm, but something much more serious to her. For Nadia, the circus had been like her family, looking after her, feeding her, clothing her, raising her. They weren’t bad people and Nadia knew that deep down she loved them and they her, but something always nagged her. If she wasn’t as good of a acrobat as she was, would the circus still except her. Part of her wanted to say yes, but over the years, so much of the ‘family’ had to be let go because of the budget. If not for her usefulness to them, would she be left alone as well? This thought had bothered her for years, with no family, no home, no future, what would she be? Then out of the blue, a sweet, small boy her age seeks her out and tells her she beautiful. He said such sweat things to her and made her feel like she wasn’t alone in this big world. His nervous eyes and bright smile made her heart skip a beat. She wished that she had told Jean that she had fallen for him as well. She had just thought of Jean in the past tense and felt a wave a guilt and horror fill her. He cared for her, he trusted her, and he thought she was gentle, he had trusted her to carry his life in her mouth and what had she done?
“I murdered him,” she had to say out loud. She had killed the only person she’d ever met to care about her in that special way. It was beyond belief and she didn’t want to think it was true. She could very well convince herself that the past few minutes had been nothing but a hallucination. That no half-inch boy had entered her room, that he hadn’t been the sweetest person she had ever met, that she hadn’t done what she did. But if she pretended that Jean wasn’t real, then she would be even more guilty then she already was. Oh God, why did that sweet boy have to think she was beautiful?
“What’s her problem, Grandis only grabbed her a little?” Sanson asked his associate Hanson who could only shrug his shoulders. Their jewel thief boss was tapping her toe in impatiens as the girl that she tugged on wept openly. She had let go when she saw the tears in the young girls eyes, she was a thief, not a monster. Now after waiting for the girl to calm down, she was only getting worse. It wasn’t like Gradis killed someone, so why was she freaking out so much?
As Nadia cried, a voice resonated into her ear that made her stop crying and gasp for breath.
“Jean!” she shouted upon hearing her name called out in the boy’s voice. Could he be alive, could her sin not of happened.
“Jean, I’m sorry. This woman grabbed me and I just gasped and…and…and…” Her face puckered up and she wiped her tears away. Jean was alive and well, all was right.
Inside Nadia’s animated stomach, Jean listened to the booming voice of the girl he has fallen for, beg his forgiveness. She has no need to ask for him to forgive something that he wasn’t angry about or resented her for. An accident was an accident and besides deep down he kind of liked the fact that he was so deep inside this beautiful girl. It was a scientific marvel to see the stomach at work from this side. Although Jean was more into science the biology, he couldn’t help but be amazed by all the sights and sounds he heard so deep inside this stunning girl. Normal his scientific wonder would be demanding an answer to why he could see and how his voice was reaching Nadia’s ears, but all those things came secondary to telling Nadia to stop fearing, he was alive.
“It’s alright, I’m fine. Your stomach can’t seem to digest me. I actually am starting to like being so close to a stunning girl like you.” Jean knew the comment was corny, but it had to be said. Something magical about Nadia made him want to open up to her and spill all his secrets.
“Jean,” Nadia said warmly. Things were turning around so quickly that she felt a headache coming on. First she thinks she’s killed her first crush, then she finds out he’s alive and now he tells her that her stomach isn’t that bad. She wanted to sit down, but before she could move to do that, two pairs of arms grabbed her and held her still.
“Your little break down act was impressive, if I had known you had acting skills then I would of just knocked you out and grabbed the Blue Water. Your act even had me, the beautiful jewel thief Gradis.” She let out a high pitch laugh that grated Nadia’s ears. The echo of the laughter was broken when Jean asked what was happening.
Jean knew something was wrong. He may not be able to see the outside world, but he could hear how it effected Nadia’s body. The sound of air being pumped more rapidly above him made the stomach swell and compress. The loud beating of the heart filled the stomach like an melodious song. All clear signs that Nadia was scared or excited.
“Jean, two men are holding me and…” Jean stopped listening after hearing the first part. Men only hold down pretty girls for one reason and the thought of it made Jean sick.
“Kick one of them away and run, now!” Jean screamed out as loud as possible. He shuddered to imagine what these ‘men’ might do to this beautiful flower.
“But Jean…”
“Run now!” Jean screamed more desperately. He wished that he was out of her to at least try and fight the beasts that were trying to hurt his true love, but all he could do was give directions and hope Nadia could follow them.
Hanson heard one side of the conversation and felt a tad confused. Who was the girl talking to? Before he could ponder on who Nadia was speaking with, a sharp kick to the knee made him instinctively release the girl. With only Sanson holding Nadia, she was able to break away and run towards the door out of her room. She could lose the thefts on the streets of Paris if she could get out of her room, but first she had to pass Gradis. The redhead prepared to lounge at the girl, that gem was worth five figures easy. Nothing but an act of God was going to keep her manicured hands off that treasure.