“You can come out now; the show’s about to begin.” The Puppeteer said without turning around.
Adrenaline shot through Elias’s chest as he realized the Puppeteer knew he was there all along. He took a deep breath, steeled himself, and emerged into the clearing.
“Ah, I thought it would be you,” The man said with an eerie grin, the corners of his mouth stretching too far up his face to be natural. “There’s a curious one in every crowd, but curiosity can be dangerous, don’t you think?”