FicWad

I can’t believe I let Vince drag me into this. I had to drive for an over an hour just so I could suffer. I scowl as I stare out at the poor, unfortunate souls that are trapped in iron chains and cages. This was his idea of a good fucking time. Hah good time? This is total bullshit. I mean sure some of this shit is cool to look at but most of it is just fucking sick. It’s not like the people around here care though; they’re all too busy laughing their asses off to notice anything. As I flip my long hair out of my face I cross my arms over my chest and grit my teeth. They’re all laughing at these caged “freaks”. That’s what they’re called, but it makes no fucking sense. They didn't ask to be different. They’re all just people that want to get out and be normal like everybody else. How Vince got me to come here I will never know. I hate this. This freak show. This fucking circus. It’s all bullshit. They set up shop for an entire month and draw out the sick freaks of society. The people who are the real freaks. The people who think this shit is funny. People like Vince.

Don’t get me wrong, Vince can be a great guy and all but this is just wrong. The shit he finds amusing makes me sick to my core. I throw a glare in his direction, but he doesn’t catch it. His eyes are fixed on the painted faces that loom behind bars in this fucking circus. He’s got this huge grin on his face that just makes me want to punch his fucking teeth out of his skull. How the hell can he be enjoying this? I turn away from him and look at the cages with sympathetic eyes. They didn’t ask for this. They don’t want to be here. Fuck, I don’t even want to be here! This was Vince’s idea.

I feel the gravel and straw crunch under my leather boots as we make our way over to a cage that’s about twenty feet away. Thank god I decided against wearing my worn out black converse today. That would have been hell on my feet. I hear the trees start to rustle and I adjust my tight leather jacket. I jam my hands into my pockets and throw another glare at the overly excited blonde next to me. I fumble around in my pockets and try to distract myself. I feel a lighter, my cigs, a marker, a stick of gum and my wallet. I pull out a smoke and my lighter. Once my cig is lit I take a long drag on it. A ghostly wind drifts over the tents and cages, and I shiver. I let out a deep sigh and watch my breath condense mid-air. It’s pretty fucking cold for September.

I turn to Vince again and my eyes narrow even further. His cheeks are flushed a deep red from laughing and I doubt he even notices how fucking cold it is. My eyes scan over the caged freaks and my heart starts to feel like its fucking cracking. It’s freezing out here and the freaks have barely anything to wear. I don’t even know why I care so fucking much, but this is really getting to me. I can see other spectators staring at me and they look pretty fucking confused. Fuck them. They obviously have no fucking souls. What’s so confusing about me being pissed off? I’m staring at people who are in fucking cages! All these fucking morons who like to come out here and see this shit should be put into cages! Or better yet, a fucking mental hospital!

I look back at the moron that I’m following around, I mean Vince, and grumble to myself. I throw my cigarette down and crush it into the dirt with my foot. I don’t get why he wants to even be here. So far it’s just the usual. We’ve seen the Bearded Lady, Alligator Man, Rubber Boy, etc. These are the main attractions that are at the very front of this freak show. But the farther back we go the weirder the freaks get. Even the craziest fucks that came here tonight are gasping at the freaks in the back. There’s a cat boy who’s got a tail like you’d see on a fucking lion and he’s got pointed, furry ears. Then there’s the girl who goes by the title ‘The Caged Bird’. She’s a beautiful young woman, but her cage is surrounded by ravens and crows that caw at anyone who’s dumb enough to go near her cage. Some of the things I’m seeing around here could easily be fake, but some of this stuff is just too fucked up to be fake. Now things are just getting fucking terrifying.

Suddenly Vince grabs my arm and pulls me into the direction of a different cage. It seems like all of the freaks have been given titles. Each cage has a banner above it with a name. Not a real name of course. No one around here seems to give a flying fuck about how these people feel, let alone their names. “Dude, let’s check this one out!” Vince yells as we get closer to a cage. There’s a young man, definitely older than Vince and me, sitting on a stool. He’s got a top hat on and his head is down. He’s got an acoustic guitar in his lap that he’s plucking away at it with long, mangled claws. Dark, messy hair spills out from under his hat and veils his face. He’s wearing a long black coat that is buttoned all the way to the top and a pair of black jeans. I frown when I realize he’s not wearing any shoes. His feet must be fucking freezing. I look over at Vince who just started talking to some chick and my frown deepens. I quickly sit on the ground and pull off my leather boots and socks. I hold back a gasp as the cold air nips at my toes. Once my boots are back on I walk up to the man’s cage and toss my socks at his feet. I start to walk away, not knowing what to say, when I hear him stop playing his guitar. I turn to see eyes as black as night staring back at me. The man has no pupils and all that is visible in his eyes is blackness. No white and no color. Just black. I look from the man’s eyes to his title. He’s called ‘The Man From Mars’. I smile sadly at him and turn back to Vince.

The girl he was talking to is long gone and he already has his eyes set on a new cage. He grabs my arm and starts to pull me in a new direction. “Oooh let’s go see that one!” he croons to himself, completely ignoring my discomfort. I look back at ‘The Man From Mars’ and start to chew on my bottom lip. This is fucked up. People shouldn’t be caged unless they’re criminals. I wish we could just fucking leave already. “Come on Vince haven’t you seen enough already?” I ask in a bit of a whiney voice. He turns around to face me, his jaw set and his eyes narrowed. “Shut the fuck up Tom. We’re not leaving till I say so.” the blonde states with finality. I glower at him until we reach another cage.

When we reach the next cage Vince bolts in a new direction almost immediately. I swear to god he has the attention span of a fucking two year old. I turn around and start to follow him. I am surprised by what I see at the next cage he picked. The cage is at the very back of the freak show and there are two parts to it. There is the cage which is completely covered by curtains that you would probably see in an old movie theater. Then about twenty feet away from that there is a small stage. The stage is also surrounded by curtains, but through them you can just make out the silhouette of a man. In front of the stage there is a crowd of about ten people. I walk to the back of the crowd and meet up with Vince who is standing on his toes to see the stage. Normally I would laugh at his disadvantage in the height department, but not tonight. This circus bullshit has completely fucked up my normally good mood.

I stand next to the blonde with my arms crossed over my chest. My eyes narrow further as I inspect the crowd. They are all dressed up. Some are in capes, some in robes, and some in costumes. This is just one big fucking party to them. My attention changes direction when the curtain around the stage drops. There is a man standing in the center of the stage. He is thin with long copper hair that spills down to below his shoulders and he has the smile of the devil twisting his lips. His eyes are a bright, piercing green and his skin is creamy and white. He’s wearing black leather pants and a white button up shirt. On top of the shirt he has on a grey vest and on his feet he’s wearing knee high boots with all sorts of straps and buckles. From the looks of his face he’s probably just about my age. I scowl as the man starts to talk.

“Ladies and gentlemen have I got a tale for you.” The man begins as I turn to Vince. “What the fuck is this Vince? Can’t we just go already? Why the fuck did you drag me all the way back here?!” I whisper angrily. The blonde puts his hands on his hips and shifts so that most of his weight on his left leg. “Fuck off Tom. Go wait by the car if you want. This guy calls himself The Teller and I hear he’s got the best freak in the whole show.” I scowl and start to turn to walk away when I catch a glimpse of something I wasn’t expecting. Through the curtains around the cage I can see what seems to be a young woman. She’s got long dark hair that is teased to the high heavens at the top and from the looks of her shadow she is very slender. I walk to the side of the crowd that’s closest to the cage and wait to hear The Teller’s story. I really don't feel like walking home anyways and it's not like I can drive home. Vince has the keys even though it's my fucking car.

“My tale does not take place very far from here. In fact it happened six years ago right in Los Angeles. I was with this circus and I had just lost my best freak. I was the proud owner of a young woman who had the voice of an angel. I loved her like a daughter ever since the day that I found her in Ireland. On top of her lovely voice she had the build of an elf. She was only about three and a half feet tall and she had pointed ears that were about five inches tall. She was amazing and beautiful, but one day she ran away.” The man clears his throat and moves a strand of copper hair out of his face before continuing. For a fleeting second I wonder where this guy is from. He’s got a thick accent, but it’s not southern. Maybe it’s Midwestern. I stop thinking and continue to listen. “But my tale is not about her. No, my tale is about the person who saved my career. It is this person who I found six years ago after my fair elfin princess ran off. I call him ‘The Unspoken Artist’.” The Teller is quiet for a few seconds and then the curtains around the cage are dropped. My jaw drops along with the curtains. The person in the cage is beautiful, perfect even. But did the Teller say ‘him’? I look at the boy more closely and see that he probably isn’t much older than me. He’s got silky black hair that is teased higher than even Vince’s and he’s got lips like Cupid’s bow. I swallow thickly and try to listen to the Teller while keeping my eyes on ‘The Unspoken Artist’.

“I found this boy in a dark alley way six years ago. I was stumbling around after a night of drinking and stopped to catch my breath and get my bearings straight. I had fallen into a shallow depression after my elfin princess left me and developed a bit of a drinking problem. Anyway, when I stopped to breathe I found myself in a fairly bright alley way. I was confused as to why it was so bright until I saw that the walls had been spray painted white. I moved further into the alley way until the walls started to change around me. There was writing everywhere. Couplets, poems, lyrics, and stories covered the walls. Then I found him. The boy that could make Shakespeare himself jealous! He was lying on the ground asleep with dozens of markers around him. Ever since I brought him with me and gave him a home he has never spoken a word.” The Teller stops talking and walks over to the cage. He pulls out a small notebook that had been in his pocket and a marker. He turns to the crowd and flips through the notebook to show that it's empty. He slides it and the marker through the bars of the cage and turns back to the crowd. The boy, who had been sitting on his knees in the middle of the cage with his head down, reaches for the notebook and marker. He starts to write hastily for about five minutes before the Teller snatches the paper and marker away from him. He tosses it into the crowd for all to see. When the entire crowd has seen it I pick the notebook up off of the ground and marvel at the work in it. The boy only had five minutes to write and he filled four pages. I flip through them and read the one that catches my eye.

“Home Sweet Home

You know I'm a dreamer
But my heart's of gold
I had to run away high
So, I wouldn't come home low
Just when things went right
Doesn't mean they're always wrong
Just take this song and you'll never feel
Left all alone
Take me to your heart
Feel me in your bones
Just one more night
And I'm comin' off this
Long and winding road
I'm on my way, I'm on my way
Home sweet home, tonight tonight
I'm on my way, I'm on my way
Home sweet home
You know that I've seen
Too many romantic dreams
Up in lights, fallin' off
The silver screen
My heart's like an open book
For the whole world to read
Sometime, nothing keeps me together
At the seams
I'm on my way, I'm on my way
Home sweet home, tonight tonight
I'm on my way, just set me free
Home sweet home
Home sweet home
Home sweet home
Home sweet home
Ooh, I'm on my way, I'm on my way
Home sweet home, yeah
I'm on my way, just set me free
Home sweet home”

I drop the notebook in amazement. He writes beautifully. I look around to see that the crowd has dispersed and that I'm alone. Then I see Vince talking and walking off with the Teller. I assume they are headed in the direction off the bar that is in the center of the circus. I rock back and forth on my heels and wait until they are out of sight. Once I can’t see them anymore I start to walk toward the cage. My heart wrenches when I see what the boy is wearing. He’s in a tattered black tank top and worn out leather pants. Again, no shoes are involved. When I look closer I see that he has a multitude of tattoos covering his arms and his skin is pale and creamy like white chocolate. When I’m only about a foot from the cage I stop.

I hesitate for a moment before saying anything. “Hey.” I can barely get it out of my fucking throat. I sound like I’m whispering, but the boy obviously heard me. He picks up his head and I feel my breath get caught in my throat. He’s got the eyes of a cat. Very primal and very dangerous, but they almost look scared. The boy lets out a low growl and glowers at me. His smoldering eyes make me forget how to talk for a minute so I keep quiet. After some time of staring and chewing on my tongue, I try to speak. “This is wrong…You shouldn’t be here.” I say while shaking my head, breaking free of his gaze to stare at the ground. I bite my lip and bring my eyes back up to his. They seem softer, almost kind, but still scared. “What’s your name?” I ask in a voice that’s just above a whisper. He gnaws on his bottom lip and scratches at his tattooed arms. Then it hits me. He doesn’t talk. I wrack my brain for an alternative way for him to tell me. I jump a little when I get an idea. I reach into my pocket and fumble around for the Sharpie that I've been holding onto. Once I have it out I tentatively reach into the cage, past the iron bars to hand it to the boy.

He reaches for it carefully and tries to avoid all contact with my hand. He grabs the marker and looks for something to write on. Not knowing what to do I put my hand in front of him, palm up. I wait for what seems like hours for him to either accept or reject my gesture. I don’t care how fucking dumb it is that I’m trying to get this guy to let me know his name, but I have to know. He accepts my gesture and carefully grabs my hand. His fingers are shaking slightly, or maybe that’s me. I feel the tip of the marker brush against my palm as I stare at the boy’s face. When he looks back up at me and I feel the marker leave my skin I close my hand and bring it out of the cage. The boys shifts closer to the bars of the cage as I slowly open my palm. “Nikki…” I whisper softly as another ghostly wind drifts over the land and right through the bars of Nikki’s cage. I look up and see him shiver as he presses himself against the bars. I gingerly place my hand on his cheek which is flushed red from wind exposure. “I’m gonna get you out of here. Tomorrow. I’ll come back for you Nikki.” His name sounds foreign coming out of my mouth. He closes his eyes and leans into my palm. I hear the crunching of footsteps on the gravel in the distance. I feel Nikki cringe when a loud, drunken laugh fills the air. It must be his keeper, the Teller. Next I hear Vince yelling. “Tom! Where the fuck are you?! You’re drivin!” he howls from the front of the circus. I feel Nikki lean away from me and I quickly take off my leather jacket. Once it’s off I shove it through the bars of Nikki’s cage and shiver as the cold September air hits my bare arms. “Take this. I’ll be back.” I whisper as I start to panic. I can’t let his keeper see me.

I turn away and start to walk to the front of the freak show as if nothing happened. Behind me I here something that makes my skin crawl, "I'm back you little bitch." someone shouts. This is followed by more drunken laughter. There's no doubt that that's The Teller. There’s no mistaking that deep Midwestern accent. It makes me sick that anyone can talk to another human being that way. And it breaks my heart to think that that piece of shit is yelling at Nikki. I shake my head when I feel the sting of tears in my eyes. I feel like I can barely move but I force myself to keep walking. On my way out I pass ‘The Man From Mars’. I see that he’s wearing my socks and I smile at him. He smiles back and waves at me. I wave back and exit the freak show dragging Vince, who is piss drunk, behind me. “Hey man, where were you? You missed a kickass time!” the blonde slurs as he laughs drunkenly. I ignore him and climb into my beat up pick up truck. I wait for him to haul himself into the passenger’s seat before driving off. The entire way home all I can think about is Nikki and how I’ll go about saving him.


To Be Continued...