Chapter Nineteen
The Outcasts
I flew down the street, wanting to get as far away from the nightclub as possible. I didn't care where I was going, as long as it away from the chaos and the hypocrisy. The thing about looking back at things you're running from, is that eventually you always run into something, and usually that something is the last thing that you want run into. So, I slammed head first into a telephone pole.
Lying on the ground and for second forgetting where I was, I looked up at the telephone pole and then my surroundings, a lone figure was standing in a dark alleyway to my right, looking ominously at me. "Who are you?" I asked, the figure walked forward a bit but didn't reveal anything in the face, "Come with me" I stood up, "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me who you are" A loud sigh came from the darkness, "Just tell him" it was a different voice, higher in pitch and almost sounding childish. It was then that the shadow of the voice appeared next the first. The first figure sighed, it was long and deep, "Alright fine. I think we've had enough cloak and dagger" Both of them then stepped into the street.
The figures were none other than Dodger and Oliver from New York City. Dodger was wearing a faded bandanna, while Oliver had on a small blue carnation, for what reason I had no idea. "What are you guys doing here?" I asked, "You should be back at the club" Dodger laughed, "They wouldn't let us in the front door, much less sit there" Oliver nodded in agreement, but didn't say anything. "What's going on?" I persisted, but instead of an answer they both headed back into the alleyway, so assuming correctly that they wanted me to follow, I did.
I was led to a rundown back lot, the fences were old and most of the boards were missing, garbage was plied everywhere and it smelled as if it had been that way for twenty years. Dodger and Oliver walked over to the pile of garbage and climbed on top of it, Dodger pulled out a garbage can and began banging on it calling the others. It was then that I saw the saddest thing I have ever seen in my entire life. Quasimodo and Esmeralda were the first ones to come out, they were sitting on the rooftops watching the scene unfold. Next came the Beast and Lefou, who were sleeping under a pile of old newspapers, followed closely by Louis the Alligator and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The Outcasts.
I stared at them in utter confusion, "Why are you guys here?" I turned to Quasimodo, Esmeralda and the Beast, they had gotten their Happy Ending. The Beast looked up at me, for he had been staring at the ground the entire time, "Just because we got our happy ending, doesn't mean things stayed that way." I then looked at him again and realized that he was permanently, a monster. Quasimodo stepped forward, "We're here because..." he couldn't finish his sentence for he was beginning to cry, "Because we are gypsies" Esmeralda continued, "The original outcasts of society. The dirt on people's feet"
Dodger looked at me again, "Enough with the formalities guys" he said, "Let's get down to business" Oliver pulled out a small gavel and handed it Dodger, who banged it three times and then spoke "May all those who enter here, find comfort and safety with the knowledge that they will not be judged because of who they are."
Oswald, who had been silent the whole time, spoke first, "First things first" he began, turning towards me, "is he ready?" I blinked, "Ready for what?" Oswald laughed, "We heard the speech you made from three alleys over" The Beast continued, "Truly an inspiration." I laughed, "You want me to join you guys?" Everyone nodded, "I'm sorry" I began, "But I can't do that." Oliver sighed, "Then you are a hypocrite. Just like everyone." I nodded, "I'm not a hypocrite" Dodger got off the pile of garbage and walked towards me, "We understand Iago" he said, "Don't be like them. You're better than that".
I turned to Lefou, questions were raising in my mind, "Why are you here?" Lefou held his had up proudly, "This is where I belong. Gaston...he could never be what these guys are to me, a family." he put his hand on my shoulder, "Like you, I couldn't sit and watch as the world told me what I had to do . This is the 21st Century. It's time we stop acting and start living."
"Alright" I said, "Where do I sign?" Dodger and the others laughed, "You just did" Quasimodo answered. The Outcasts were once a group of people who were looked down upon because of what they stood for-humanity. Now, united as one, we were going to fight the never ending battle and if we failed, we would fail together. It was us against the world and for the first time, we had a fighting chance.