Lit. Analysis #2

Darren Shan is a regular teenage kid. He and his friend Steve find out about a Freak Show coming to town and work hard at trying to find tickets. They do, and together they go to "Cirque du Freak" where they see many strange acts including a wolf-man and a bearded lady. Steve and Darren think that it is all a joke until a vampire, Larten Crepsley comes on with a very poisonous spider that he makes do tricks. When Steve sees this man he freaks out a bit but won't tell Darren why. After the show, Steve tells Darren to go home, and that he will follow later. Darren says yes, but instead sneaks upstairs to see what Steve is up to. He sees Steve talking to Mr. Crepsley and overhears their conversation. Steve tells Mr. Crepsley that he knows that his real name is Vur Horston and is a Vampire. He tells Larten that he would like to join him and become an apprentice. Mr Crepsley says he must test Steve before he agrees, and when he does he reveals that Steve has "bad blood" and he will not transform him. Steve becomes angry but Darren leaves the theater and doesn't see what happen next. Darren goes home and thinks about what Steve did, but also cannot stop thinking about Mr. Crepsley's Spider. The next day he steals the spider with the hopes that he will be able to make it perform tricks too. Meanwhile, Steve is acting as if nothing happened. Darren manages to train the spider by using a flute to hypnotize it. Darren brings the spider to school with him and Steve finds out and drops the cage in the middle of the halls. The spider gets out and bites Steve. Steve becomes very ill, and is rushed to the hospital where the doctors say that there is nothing they can do. Darren decides to see Mr. Crepsley about the possibility of a cure. The vampire agrees to give him the only cure if Darren agrees to become his assistant, and half vampire. He does. Steve gets better but starts to realize that Darren is now part vampire and becomes angry, jealous and betrayed. Larten stages Darren's death and Darren is buried. Mr. Crepsley comes to dig up Darren and leave. He does and gives Darren a moment to say goodbye to his hometown. Then Steve shows up and tells Darren about all he knows. He says that Darren and Mr. Crepsley were planning the betrayal all along and that Steve doesn't really have bad blood, which Darren knows is not true. He tries to explain about the spider, but Steve cuts a small cross into the flesh of his left palm and swears on his blood that he will kill Darren and his mentor Mr. Crepsley. Darren shakes off the warning and leaves with Mr. Crepsley.