Prolong

Mutant. Freak. Disgusting. Animal. Monster.

Yea, yea, yea. I've heard it all before. I know I'm scum that shouldn't be breathing, a waste of energy, a disappointment, a mess-up of genetics, blah de blah blah blah. I don't care anymore. I don't.

I made myself remember that as the horde of people came to ridicule me, knowing very well that it's a lie. Normally, the kids came for the general feel of a circus, but the adults came for the freak. The Tiger Girl. There's been some who came and tried to help me, and tell me to not be ashamed, but they disappeared as quick as their words did when someone walked up to me in my cage and drew back in disgust.

In a sudden flood of anger, I gripped the iron bars, and growled at them all, like a tiger. My fang-filled mouth opened wide, and a inhuman, terrifying noise came out. Strong fingers with nails like claws wrapped around the bar, about to break them and slice the flesh of every last person. Fur stood up on my back, as my long, lithe, lean body, lined with black stripes against amber tensed. I was completely animal at that one moment-the only thing remotely human was my face, which even that was twisted into a bloodthirsty mask .

They all laughed, and said I was a dumb beast. That anger quickly turned to sadness. I snuck back, regaining my humanity, and huddled close to myself in my hay-covered cage.

This happened on multiple occasions in one night. It amounted to a large total when calculated just how many times I had felt the same sadness, considering I had been doing the same thing since I was only 5, when my mother left me on the footsteps of a circus ringmaster.

Even though freak shows are illegal, this circus isn't a freak show. One deformed person-they could say it was a costume, and that I was paid and all that bullshit. They had never gotten caught.

I had successfully gotten through one day. That's the most I can ever ask. It's sad, but true. I growled aloud, trying to find some way to get out my anger. I heard the ringmaster yell, "SHUT UP, YOU BEAST!"

That's it. That's fucking it.

I felt a vicious surge of power, as my mind shifted from almost human, to completely Tiger. I rocked the cage back and forth, knowing that the only metal was the bars. The rest was wood, and I could break it.

It tumbled to the ground, and I charged through the wood. I had the strength of a tiger, I had realized. I laughed evilly, and silently thanked my genetic coding, as I had pads on my hands and feet. I broke into a run, heading straight for the forest.

A few moments later, I heard voices and screams, and I pushed myself faster. I wasn't going to give up my freedom.

My tiger mind was simple, quick, and cunning. I knew where to turn, where to jump, where to avoid, where to sprint. It felt so good to run, leaving behind that prison, and let myself be the tiger I was at heart.

My heart swelled with happiness. Had I really gotten away? Was I now free? No more ridicule, no more distress, no more sadness? Giddiness filled my mind. I couldn't believe it. I was waiting to wake up, and be right back in that cage, but it never happened.

I can't beli-

OOF!

Wow, that sucked. Bad first chapter . Oh, well. I had this idea, and I HAVE to write it, and I couldn't think of any better way to write the first chapter. It turned out to be a drabble of mindless angst, but I promise upon the fingers that wrote this (which is a big promise for me, considering my addiction to writing) that the next few chapters will be less fluffy, and much longer, and a lot less boring.

Also, I DO NOT OWN THE CIRQUE DU FREAK SERIES AND AM NO WAY MAKING A PROFIT.

There. Peace out.