Sideshow: Part 2
It was a fortnight before I was shown where The Half-Born was kept. I needed to earn the right to care for the prized “Freak”. I barely glimpsed him through the bars as I slid his meager rations under the door. He didn’t look up or make any move to speak to me, but he did whisper to the giant white tiger that shared the cramped space with him.
The lock on his cage was not spelled, so late in the evening on the third day I slipped lock picks into the pocket of my cloak and collected his tray from the mess hall. I was just another drudge of the circus now. No one paid me any notice as I crouched by the cage door.
I slipped the food under the door and set to work on the lock. He stirred at the scape of metal, so I spoke to calm him.
“Let me help you,” I said. “No one deserves to live like this.”
His chains rattled. “Why you help?” he said. “Monster.”
I felt the bolt slide free. “No you’re not,” I said. “You’re a man, and deserve to be free.”
I silenced the hinges on the door and stepped into the cage. He stared up at me with the wide, innocent eyes of a child. The pain in his face disappeared as a smile brightened his features.
“You pretty,” he said. “Take Kitty too. They no hurt Kitty.”
I eyed the docile tiger and nodded. “Kitty can come too,” I said. “Sit still for me, so I can get you out of those chains.”
He did his best, but kept stealing glances at me as I worked a spell to open the locks. His admiration warmed my heart and saddened me. His implicit trust would always be his down fall.
His body was heavily scarred and his deformities were clear. He was no monster, simply a scared child in a monstrous body. For being shown so little kindness he was still far gentler than he looked. How anyone could mistreat him based on what he looked like brought my anger bubbling to the surface.
I spent my life battling persecution, but at least I could fight back. He would never know better.
With the benefit of my anger, I made quick work of the chains and they fell to the floor.
He stared for a moment unsure what to do until I touched his massive shoulder and showed him the heavy weight of the chains were gone.
“Free?”
“Yes.”
His face darkened with rage. The hurt cut him too deep. These monsters would pay for holding him captive, and I was happy to help. We left nothing but a burning husk in our wake. No one would hold him captive any longer, freedom tasted too sweet.
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