"Quasimodo." My master, Frollo's, voice came in greeting from the top of the stairs that led to my lonely wing of the church. Frollo

"Master." I bowed my head in respect for this man, or maybe fear. Okay, mostly fear. It's not that Frollo is mean. Quite the contrary; Frollo took me in, to live as his ward 21 years ago, when my mother abandoned me. He is the arch deacon of Our Lady Maria catholic church. It was truly a miracle that he found me. Alone, and crying on the steps of the church. It's not every day you find someone who would take pity on someone who looks like me.

"Are you ready to review your lessons?" He asked me as he placed our lunch on the table; two tuna fish sandwiches, baby carrots, and water. Again. I tried to look eager as I took my seat at our small table. In truth I had been watching the volunteers set up for the annual easter picnic. It was a huge event, people from all over the city came every year. There was always singing, and dancing, and a contest where they crown the 'biggest fool'. Frollo has never let me go. I know he is only trying to protect me, but I can't help but wish I could be down there with the other kids my age.

"Oh, yes master." Oops. Not enough gusto, Frollo regarded me sternly for a moment, as though trying to read my thoughts through my eyes. I looked away quickly and busied myself with enjoying my sandwich. After a moment Frollo must have been satisfied because he quickly launched into my lesson for the day; our alphabet.

"A?" Frollo asked, taking a small note pad out of his breast pocket. He wrote his thoughts throughout the day in there; observations or ideas for sermons.

"Abomination." I answered.

"B?" He asked again, giving no praise for the correct answer before. I know I should be used to it by now, that someone like me is lucky to be here at all, but sometimes I cant keep myself from imagining what it would be like to have someone…I don't know, care about me.

"Blasphemy." I parroted. There it was; an almost imperceptible nod of approval. My heart swelled.

And so we went, from A all the way to O. I was practically grinning from ear to ear, I was getting them all right! Maybe if I got all the way to Z without any mess-ups he would think about letting me go to the picnic…

"P?"

"Picinic!" It practically exploded from my lips; like stones they fell onto the table and sat between us. I wished so badly I could rewind time and take those words back. I really messed up. I was too ashamed to look at my master's face. I knew he would be furious.

"What…did you say?" Frollo hissed.

I winced and kept my eyes down; no going back now, "It's just that you always go. I thought maybe I could-"

"I have to be there, Quasimodo. I don't enjoy a second of that friviouls nonsense. As if the Lord's work is best recognized with a drunken party; when all the nonbelievers crawl forth like the sinners they are." He stood and knocked his chair backward, it clattered to the floor. Before I had a moment to relax I felt his clawlike fingers close around my shoulder. His nails digging in where the muscle was too large to fit his hand around. He dragged me to an oval on the wall where a sheet hung. My mouth went dry; I knew what was coming.

Frollo's thin fingers grasped the sheet and yanked it free to reveal the mirror. In one movement he thrust me forward toward the horrifying reflection in the mirror. There is always a moment when my stomach seems to drop and my chest hollows out on the few times like these when I see my face; my body, in the mirror. I watch the horrible face twist into a grimace as my eyes take in the protruding hump that juts out of my left shoulder, hunching me down so that I appear about a foot shorter that I would if my bones weren't twisted; the large wart that sits above my right eye, which sags a bit lower than my left. My nose, pushed up, looked reminiscent of a pig; and my awful mouth, full of twisted teeth.

I felt my heart break as I dropped my head into my hands and covered my face. I didn't want to see anymore. I didn't want to see ever again. This is why I could never go to the picnic. Never be among real people. I could never subject them to the punishment of looking upon my hideous face.

I felt Frollo's hand, gentler now, on my shoulder as a guttural cry escaped my twisted lips.

"Now, Now, Quasimodo." Frollo soothed. He removed his hand and I didn't take my hands away from my face until I head the sheet being replaced over the mirror.

"Do you see, now, why you can never go?" He asked, grabbing under my chin and forcing me to look at him, "You're ugly. You're deformed. If you go, I promise you. People will taunt you. They will jeer. You will be rejected, do you understand?" He gave my cheeks a painful squeeze before letting them go.

"I said, 'Do you understand?'" He asked more slowly. I knew what he wanted, we had been though this before. I took a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut.

"I am ugly. I'm deformed. I don't belong with normal people." The words felt like razor blades in my mouth.

"And…?" Frollo prompted.

"I am a monster. I am nothing but a monster." My voice was small. I dropped to my knees in front of the covered mirror. I could be wrong, but I thought I caught the ghost of a smile cross Frollo's lips.

"I've got to get ready for the picnic." Frollo said suddenly, grabbing his notebook off the table and turning for the door. Before he left he looked back. Now he really was smiling, "Remember, Quasimodo; This is where you belong."

From my spot on the floor I heard the door click closed, only when I was alone did I pull my face from my hands. Frollo was right, they would never accept me. I stood slowly and crossed the floor to the only window I had to look out from. They all looked so happy; living their normal lives. There was a woman and who I presumed to be her husband holding hands and watching a group of men raise the great spinning stage where the 'Fool' would be crowned. I sighed and looked at my hand, no one would ever hold it that way.

I figured, maybe if I wore a disguise so people couldn't see my face, I would be fine. I could just slip out for an hour or two, be back here to ring the evening bells and Frollo would never know.

I felt an energy that I hadn't felt before. It felt like big things were happening; life changing things. I grabbed my tattered old hooded sweater from where I had stashed it under my bed when the weather got warmer. Just for one day, and then I would never do it again.

AN: H'okay! What did ya'll think? This is my first shot at this, but it has been in my head and now it's on the internet. If you enjoyed don't forget to leave a review! If you hated it, please still leave a review and tell me why you hated it! If no one is reading this and I am just speaking to dead air…well them; Habble-dee-blooo and diddle-dee-doo, I know how to tie my shoe! Bing-Bong-Tittly-Tong, Lets all sing a song!

(I swear I'm not crazy!)