Hello again!
Here we are with a few more mini-chapters! Enjoy!
I often wonder where my name comes from.
I know, I know, I'm not stupid. I know that it describes me. Tigress. Say "tiger," slap some "s's" on the end, and you're done. But where did it come from?
Did the caretakers name me? Could they come up with anything else? The other kids have names like Wen, Huo, and Su. Pretty names. But not me.
No, I'm called Tigress. Tigress the Monster.
On top of that, the other kids get not just one, but two names. Wen Ning, Huo Yun, Su Hai. But not me.
I'm called Tigress. Tigress the Monster.
So I guess I really do have two names. "Monster" counts as a name. But I don't want it. I don't hear anybody else with that name. They don't seem to want it. So, they gave it to me. Why did they give it to me? Is it because of my claws? Why don't they like my claws? They're shiny and they glow in the light. I like them. But not them. They gave me my name.
My name. Tigress the Monster.
I've often wondered what a monster is. I always thought it was something that hid in the dark, underneath your bed, waiting for you to go to sleep so it could get you. But why do they hide under beds? And why are they waiting for you? Wouldn't it just be easier to come out from under the bed and get you then?
And what does a monster look like? I've always thought it was scary to look at. I thought it would have made kids cry at the sight of it.
But they call me a monster. I hide in the dark, but not because I want to. But I don't wait underneath anyone's bed.
And what do I look like? I don't often see myself, only when I'm outside in the courtyard, with the other kids huddled away from me, when I sometimes see my reflection in the window. I think my stripes are pretty, I like the way they draw across my face. The other kids don't have that. Their faces are all just one, single color. But not mine.
But, I guess it scares them. My stripes gave me my name.
Tigress. Tigress the Monster.