Post by Idazle on Jul 19, 2012 13:37:35 GMT -5
((This is based upon a short film known as "The Butterfly Circus".))
“C'mon, Angel. What are ya, chicken?” the teenaged boy asked, shoving his thumbs in his armpits as he flapped his arms up and down. “Bawk! Bawk bawk bawk bawk!”
“I ain't no chicken,” Angel replied, crossing his arms defiantly across his chest.
“Then take this tomato and go chuck it at the bearded lady! It'll be hysterical!” the boy laughed as he held out the overripe tomato.
Angel grabbed it and headed inside the dusty old tent. Conjoined male twins stared at him forlornly. He shuddered but kept walking. Then, he came face to face with a man that seemed entirely covered in fur. Strange noises escaped his lips as he watched Angel. Still, he walked on. A woman with “scales” sang an eerily sad song as he moved by. Finally, he could see the bearded lady sitting upon a stool and coming her hair.
He twisted the fruit in his hand, and before the lady even knew what was going on, her entire chest was splattered with rotten tomato. Before he turned to run, he caught a glimpse of the woman's eyes. She seemed sad, but she also appeared to pity him. Something about the strange look held him as though steel chains had clamped him to the very spot he stood.
“Why, child?” she whispered, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “Why?” She said nothing else.
Suddenly, Angel felt as though he had been released from the woman's gaze, and he did not hesitate to run out.
The boy that had talked to him before, his best friend Vincent, followed after him. “Hey, Angel! Wait up! What happened? Did she whip you with her beard?”
“Don't you dare mock that poor woman!” Angel hissed.
“What's gotten into you, Angel?” Vincent inquired, raising an eyebrow. “We've done this a hundred times!”
“That woman was a real human with real feelings! She should not be treated like an animal!” Angel went on to protest.
“You've changed, Angel. You've really changed...” Vincent mumbled, walking away.
Angel stood alone for a moment. Something certainly was different. He had gone to many freak shows before and done nothing but laugh at the oddities. Now, a wave a guilt rushed over him like a typhoon. What had changed?
As he thought, the image of the bearded woman crying burned itself into his mind. That was the change. He knew what it was that had changed, and he knew what it was that he had to do.
At nightfall, he was back in the tent. Many of the people on display at the carnival were getting out of the tent. The bearded lady was still upon her stool, however, trying to wipe tomato off her blouse. When she saw Angel, she recoiled.
“Don't be afraid,” he said, holding up his hands in innocence.
The woman was still apprehensive as she spoke. “Why would you do this to me, child?” she asked, still stroking her blouse. The stain refused to leave.
“I... I don't know.”
“You think that because we are side shows that we do not have feelings of our own?” she went on. “You aren't perfect, kid. You shouldn't mock us who are put on display for our imperfections. After all, it's not like we have a choice...” She sighed and turned her back on Angel.
“I am sorry...” he mumbled, shaking his head. He tried to take a step closer, but she just walked away. “I want to help you.”
She turned around and raised an eyebrow. “You do?” she asked.
“Tonight, I shall help you escape!” Angel went on, already looking around. “It is my apology to you.”
“This is certainly another one of your ploys...” she mumbled, rolling her eyes. Before she could protest further, however, Angel had already begun to pull her out.
In the open space, the bearded lady seemed to be at ease. She turned and smiled brightly like the sun. “You have my sincerest gratitude. I do not know where to go, but anywhere is better than that sideshow,” she said with a curtsey before running off to land unknown.
Angel finally felt some satisfaction in life. Now that he had seen the look on the bearded lady's face when she was free, he yearned to see it again on others. For many, many years, he made daring attempts to free the oppressed, and for the most part, he was successful. However, he never again saw the people he had freed until he met Johnathon.
Johnathon was unlike any other sideshow he had ever seen. The man dressed nicely and always wore a top hat, but he was never in a normal sitting position. Angel had witnessed him contort his body in many inhuman ways. Every time he did something, the raucous showman would make an obscene comment about the man having no bones in his body.
The second night of the cirque, Angel slipped into the tent.
Johnathon looked up at him with lifeless eyes. “Come see the Boneless Man,” he mumbled half-heartedly, twisting around the chair.
“I am not here to mock you, friend,” Angel said, stepping aside to reveal a large trunk he had drug in behind him.
With an incredulous look, Johnathon asked, “What is that for?”
“I am getting you out of here. I am going to bring you to a new, better life,” Angel promised.
“How do I know I can trust you?” he continued to prod.
“If you wish to stay here and be laughed at for your imperfections, be my guest. I am only offering you another way. What have you got to lose?”
Johnathon did not hesitate to get up and go with Angel, folded neatly inside the trunk.
Once they were a good distance away, Angel opened the trunk and watched as Johnathon stepped out of the trunk and took his first breath of free air. As he did so, Angel watched a butterfly arch across the sky.
“Thank you, sir,” Johnathon said. He removed his top hat and handed it to Angel. “Take this as a token of my gratitude.”
Angel twisted the hat this way and that in his hands. Thoughts began racing. The image of the butterfly flashed before his eyes. The remembrance of cirques. He also remembered his family.
Many years ago, they had started a circus of their own. He did not like the traveling, so he left and started a life with a friend's family. Now he knew what it was that he had to do.
“You must join my circus,” Angel said.
Quickly, Johnathon shook his head. “I'm through being a side show!”
“No, no! Not a carnival! A circus! Something people will come to see the wonder and amazement of feats that few humans could do! You could be a master gymnast, what with your flexibility!” he went on, ecstatic.
“What is your circus called, sir?”
“You shall be the first member of my Butterfly Circus,” Angel said with a smirk. “And, please, call me Mendez.” He pulled on the top hat with a wink and a bow.
“C'mon, Angel. What are ya, chicken?” the teenaged boy asked, shoving his thumbs in his armpits as he flapped his arms up and down. “Bawk! Bawk bawk bawk bawk!”
“I ain't no chicken,” Angel replied, crossing his arms defiantly across his chest.
“Then take this tomato and go chuck it at the bearded lady! It'll be hysterical!” the boy laughed as he held out the overripe tomato.
Angel grabbed it and headed inside the dusty old tent. Conjoined male twins stared at him forlornly. He shuddered but kept walking. Then, he came face to face with a man that seemed entirely covered in fur. Strange noises escaped his lips as he watched Angel. Still, he walked on. A woman with “scales” sang an eerily sad song as he moved by. Finally, he could see the bearded lady sitting upon a stool and coming her hair.
He twisted the fruit in his hand, and before the lady even knew what was going on, her entire chest was splattered with rotten tomato. Before he turned to run, he caught a glimpse of the woman's eyes. She seemed sad, but she also appeared to pity him. Something about the strange look held him as though steel chains had clamped him to the very spot he stood.
“Why, child?” she whispered, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “Why?” She said nothing else.
Suddenly, Angel felt as though he had been released from the woman's gaze, and he did not hesitate to run out.
The boy that had talked to him before, his best friend Vincent, followed after him. “Hey, Angel! Wait up! What happened? Did she whip you with her beard?”
“Don't you dare mock that poor woman!” Angel hissed.
“What's gotten into you, Angel?” Vincent inquired, raising an eyebrow. “We've done this a hundred times!”
“That woman was a real human with real feelings! She should not be treated like an animal!” Angel went on to protest.
“You've changed, Angel. You've really changed...” Vincent mumbled, walking away.
Angel stood alone for a moment. Something certainly was different. He had gone to many freak shows before and done nothing but laugh at the oddities. Now, a wave a guilt rushed over him like a typhoon. What had changed?
As he thought, the image of the bearded woman crying burned itself into his mind. That was the change. He knew what it was that had changed, and he knew what it was that he had to do.
At nightfall, he was back in the tent. Many of the people on display at the carnival were getting out of the tent. The bearded lady was still upon her stool, however, trying to wipe tomato off her blouse. When she saw Angel, she recoiled.
“Don't be afraid,” he said, holding up his hands in innocence.
The woman was still apprehensive as she spoke. “Why would you do this to me, child?” she asked, still stroking her blouse. The stain refused to leave.
“I... I don't know.”
“You think that because we are side shows that we do not have feelings of our own?” she went on. “You aren't perfect, kid. You shouldn't mock us who are put on display for our imperfections. After all, it's not like we have a choice...” She sighed and turned her back on Angel.
“I am sorry...” he mumbled, shaking his head. He tried to take a step closer, but she just walked away. “I want to help you.”
She turned around and raised an eyebrow. “You do?” she asked.
“Tonight, I shall help you escape!” Angel went on, already looking around. “It is my apology to you.”
“This is certainly another one of your ploys...” she mumbled, rolling her eyes. Before she could protest further, however, Angel had already begun to pull her out.
In the open space, the bearded lady seemed to be at ease. She turned and smiled brightly like the sun. “You have my sincerest gratitude. I do not know where to go, but anywhere is better than that sideshow,” she said with a curtsey before running off to land unknown.
Angel finally felt some satisfaction in life. Now that he had seen the look on the bearded lady's face when she was free, he yearned to see it again on others. For many, many years, he made daring attempts to free the oppressed, and for the most part, he was successful. However, he never again saw the people he had freed until he met Johnathon.
Johnathon was unlike any other sideshow he had ever seen. The man dressed nicely and always wore a top hat, but he was never in a normal sitting position. Angel had witnessed him contort his body in many inhuman ways. Every time he did something, the raucous showman would make an obscene comment about the man having no bones in his body.
The second night of the cirque, Angel slipped into the tent.
Johnathon looked up at him with lifeless eyes. “Come see the Boneless Man,” he mumbled half-heartedly, twisting around the chair.
“I am not here to mock you, friend,” Angel said, stepping aside to reveal a large trunk he had drug in behind him.
With an incredulous look, Johnathon asked, “What is that for?”
“I am getting you out of here. I am going to bring you to a new, better life,” Angel promised.
“How do I know I can trust you?” he continued to prod.
“If you wish to stay here and be laughed at for your imperfections, be my guest. I am only offering you another way. What have you got to lose?”
Johnathon did not hesitate to get up and go with Angel, folded neatly inside the trunk.
Once they were a good distance away, Angel opened the trunk and watched as Johnathon stepped out of the trunk and took his first breath of free air. As he did so, Angel watched a butterfly arch across the sky.
“Thank you, sir,” Johnathon said. He removed his top hat and handed it to Angel. “Take this as a token of my gratitude.”
Angel twisted the hat this way and that in his hands. Thoughts began racing. The image of the butterfly flashed before his eyes. The remembrance of cirques. He also remembered his family.
Many years ago, they had started a circus of their own. He did not like the traveling, so he left and started a life with a friend's family. Now he knew what it was that he had to do.
“You must join my circus,” Angel said.
Quickly, Johnathon shook his head. “I'm through being a side show!”
“No, no! Not a carnival! A circus! Something people will come to see the wonder and amazement of feats that few humans could do! You could be a master gymnast, what with your flexibility!” he went on, ecstatic.
“What is your circus called, sir?”
“You shall be the first member of my Butterfly Circus,” Angel said with a smirk. “And, please, call me Mendez.” He pulled on the top hat with a wink and a bow.
and that kills me