Margali Szardos and her two children Stefan and Jimaine carefully and quietly opened the small entrance gate. No one was supposed to be going into the circus, but these three didn't care. They weren't here to see the show.
The grounds were quiet and dark, save for the occasional security officer, making his nightly rounds. It occurred to the small group of tresspassers that they probably should have waited and watched the security routine so they wouldn't get caught, but they didn't have the time. Their reason was urgent.
"Over here," Stefan called in a tight whisper. "I think I've found him!" He waved his mother and sister over to him and their destination.
A cage stood in front of a small, makeshift ring. Posters adorned the surrounding surfaces.
"COME SEE THE BLUE DEVIL!"
"ALIVE!"
"BORN WITH BLUE FUR AND A TAIL!"
Crude renderings of a blue-furred, three-fingered creature with glowing yellow eyes, vicious fangs, and a spaded tail accompanied the garish claims.
Margali stopped short, sickened, with a hand over her heart. A short gasp escaped her lips, but she pressed on. He needed her.
Other, less colorful signs decorated the cage.
"DO NOT FEED ANIMALS."
"KEEP ARMS AND HANDS OUT OF CAGE."
Jimaine voiced her disgust, hatred for the circus owner and workers dripping from every syllable. "He is no animal." She seethed.
The three closed in on the cage and peered inside. The smell almost drove them back, but they were needed. They could not leave him.
A dark figure lay in a heap on the floor of the cage, a chain leash snaking away from the body and to a bar towards the back. There was no movement, no sound but that of the flies buzzing around the lifeless body.
Margali grasped the bars and pressed her face against them. "Kurti?" Her voice was barely audible. "Kurti, Baby, can you hear me?"
"Kurt," Stefan tried a little louder. "Come on, man, get up."
Still no response.
Margali took out her wand, which was more of a short staff, and murmured a few incantations in preparation. The jewel on top glowed in an eerie green light, casting ghoulish complexions on all those present. "Mami's going to get you out of there, Kurti. Don't you worry." She murmured, even though she knew he couldn't hear her.
Stefan and Jimaine turned to watch for intruders while their mother worked, both ready for a fight. The light and the noise of what their mother was about to do might draw attention, and they had to be ready.
Margali raised the glowing jewel to her lips and slowly blew on it, causing green sparks to jump away and fall to the ground, where their enchanted lights died. Carefully, she touched it to the lock on the cage door. The light transferred to the lock, which glowed only faintly at first, then brighter as more light flowed through. It began to rattle, the shake violently as it was overwhelmed by the mysterious energy, and finally, it exploded with a clang.
Margali swung open the door, gathered up her skirt, and stepped into the cage. She couldn't stand straight up, but she made her way forward to the heap on the ground. She held her breath as she passed the corner by the door that was obviously the poor boy's bathroom.
Using the wand as a torch, she squatted down to find where the chain was attached to the boy's collar, but couldn't resist running her hand down his downy side. "Oh, my poor baby boy." She lamented, gazing at his still form. She moved her hand to feel his stomach rising and falling, but his normally soft fur was filthy and matted. He was cold to the touch, but didn't shiver. It worried her.
Getting back to the task at hand, she saw the light of her wand reflected from a thick, metal collar. "You poor thing." She murmured, working to insert a finger beneath it. She couldn't. It was too tight.
She hesitated in freeing him, wondering how she was going to get the collar off. It was locked around his neck and wouldn't budge. She couldn't destroy it, as she had done with the lock. Kurt was too close. She decided to try something else.
She brought the jewel to her lips once more and recited another incantation, then dragged a fingernail across the top of it in a line. Next, she gently glided the apex of the jewel along with the collar in a vertical line. The small line shared the same faint glow that the lock first had.
Margali repeated the process, drawing the line on the collar with the jewel, causing the light to grow a little more each time. This would take a bit longer than the lock, but it was safer for her son.
After what seemed to her and her kids an eternity, the line of green light shone brightly. Margali tapped the collar with the jewel and the line broke open.
But she still had to get it off.
She rubbed the jewel around the entire collar, positioning Kurt's head so she could access all sides. Again, it took much, much longer than she would have liked, but now that the whole collar glowed green, she bent it away from the boy's neck as if it were made of rubber.
Kneeling, pulled her son's still body into her lap. "Kurti, Baby, wake up. You've got to wake up, my love." She patted his cheek in an effort rouse him, but to no avail. She looked around and spotted a bowl of water, leaning over and dipping her fingers in. She shook the droplets of water onto his face.
He awoke with a start, then noticing he was being held, looked up to see whose lap he was in. His eyes widened at the sight of his mother.
Margali smiled down at him, choking back tears. She finally had him back. "Hey there, Kurti." She brushed a hand down his cheek.
"Mami?" Kurt whispered, his mouth too dry to speak. She couldn't be real. This had to be a dream or a hallucination from the drugs.
"Yes, Kurti, it's Mami. Mami's here, Liebling. Mami's right here and she's going to take you home." She pushed his shaggy hair from his face. He needed it cut. "Now let's get you out of here, hmmm?" She knew he was probably aching for water first, but the water in the bowl looked dirty and she didn't want him drinking it. He could wait. "Can you walk?"
He nodded, maneuvering himself to "stand" on all fours. He followed her to the door, where Stefan helped him to the ground. He immediately resumed his position on all fours.
"Kurti, can you stand, Liebling?" Margali asked him.
Kurt's foggy brain slowly realized that he didn't have to walk on all fours. He blushed as he rose to his feet. She and Stefan both took an arm to help him up, then put his arms around their shoulders to help him walk. Kurt was weak and saying on his feet. His tail was dragging the muddy ground, so Jimaine picked it up.
Kurt looked back when he felt his tail being handled. Anxiety shot through him as visions of being yanked away from his family and dragged back to his cage filled his clouded mind. The sight of Jimaine relaxed him. He was still safe, and he was going home.
He started walking with his family when he realized there was no chain. How long had it been since he'd walked without a leash or his chain? He rolled his neck to check for the collar. It was gone as well.
"Come on now," Margali coaxed him gently as they exited the circus grounds.
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