Undaunted

Shenanigans

I ran back to the cabin to get into clothes more suited for this type of thing, because I didn't think sneaking around in flipflops and shorts was that good of a plan. I laced on a pair of beat up sneakers and pulled the hood up and over my face. Hopefully this would help in the chance that somebody saw me and I had to make a run for it.

I cut through the forest, wanting to avoid running into my mother. I wasn't going to make her wonder what I was doing back out in the town. I ended up on the other side of the park from where I had come from earlier. I crouched behind a tree, watching the silhouettes of people and equipment track back and forth across the grounds.

As time went on, most people went inside. I waited a few minutes longer than I thought I'd need just in case there were some stragglers I couldn't see before dashing across the open stretch.

There wasn't much out in the open. Most of the props had been taken inside and stowed away already, and most of the troupe had already gone off to catch some rest. I had to hide a few times, but for the most part it was smooth sailing.

"Now where can I find my answer?" I muttered. I decided to look around for some sort of horse trailer. They were bound to have one. I slipped through the camp towards the edges. I passed a few pens with other sorts of animals that had been in the show and spotted the gleaming metal containers just a bit farther. "There we are."

When I got to the foot of the trailer, I quickly realised that I was nowhere near tall enough to see in the windows, even if I jumped. So instead, I clambered up onto the large tires and looked inside. I spotted the horses, but nothing like a centaur. While mildly disappointed, I'd expected just as much. I was just about to admit defeat when I heard a loud crash off behind me somewhere.

My head whipped around and I tried breathing as quietly as I could. I was painfully exposed standing where I was, so I stumbled off and prepared to run, but nothing came my way. "What was that?" I whispered. I moved in the direction of the noise. There was an old shed, but that was always there, and all that was stored inside were a few tools.

Another loud crash snapped my thoughts. This time it was louder, but there was no mistaking that it had come from that shed.

"Let's just hope that it's just some curious raccoon or something," I joked shakily, regretting each new step I took towards the shack.

I could hear something moving inside, but the structure had no windows, so I could only imagine what was inside of it. I didn't have any sort of weapon to defend myself with, so I grabbed a nearby branch. It may not be a traditional weapon, but it had to hurt if I smacked something with it.

The door was latched shut with a thick board of wood. I reached out and pushed up. It resisted movement, but I finally shoved it up and out of the way. I stood there for a moment, staring at the chipped handle. I couldn't hear anything anymore aside from the booming of my heart or my quick breaths, which made the hesitation worse. I finally sucked it up, grabbed the handle, and yanked.

Something flinched. I paused, the stick held high above my head. Scared, golden eyes met mine. It was a girl. No, not just any girl, the girl I had seen. She was shaking, her mouth gagged and her hands bound behind her. Next to her, I saw hooves and long spindly legs. Oh my gosh, they locked up this girl and a horse? I thought dumbfoundedly. But then I took another look. I didn't see the head of the horse.

"Oh my gosh," I breathed. The girl cowered at my words. "No, no, no, no, I don't mean to hurt you," I assured quickly, setting down the stick. "See?" She didn't relax.

I held back a nervous laugh. I wasn't seeing things. Where the girl's legs should have been was the body of a brown and white horse. The long legs of the horse were tied up with rope as well.

I took a tentative step forward. "I'm going to get you out," I murmured, just loud enough so she could hear me. After watching me in silence for another moment, she shifted awkwardly so she was turned to the side. I moved forward so I was right next to her head. I reached up slowly, my hands moving towards her head. She watched me like a hawk as I untied the knot and removed the rag.

"T-thank you," she stammered softly.

I moved on to the knots by her wrists, my cold fingers struggling to loosen the fabric, but it slowly unraveled. She slipped her hands free and rubbed at her wrists gratefully. She then pulled her front legs forward and attacked the binding there while I freed her hind legs. Once we finished, she staggered sorely to her feet, er, hooves.

I stared up at her. "Wow," I breathed. She glanced at me and smiled awkwardly, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. For a moment, it looked like she was blushing. "What were you doing in here? Aren't you part of the troupe?"

Her shoulders sagged. "I have no choice. I was separated from my family during a flood and was found by the circus instead. I tried to run, but they got a hold of me." Her lip quivered and she added bitterly, "They use me like a prize trophy. I'm not just some freak of nature, and I'm not just some animal."

I stood there quietly. I didn't really know how to respond to that sort of thing. You can't just say, "Gee, that sucks," and it's not like I could empathise with her on that. I looked around, trying to think of something to say. Was there anything I could do at this point?

"I..." I began. Clearing my throat, I continued, stronger, "I can get you out of here."

She looked at me. "And do what? I don't exactly blend in with you humans."

"Well, I can at least help you escape from the circus. I know this area really well. We can find a place to hide you away from outsiders."

"But for how long?" she cried.

"Until we find a way to get you back home."

Her eyes widened and grew distant briefly, but they returned to a fearful state. She stepped away from me suspiciously. "But how do I know I can trust you? I haven't exactly had a good relationship with humans so far," she spat.

"Because you have no other choice."

She made a pained noise, but it was the truth. She could either stay with the circus and have little hope for a future, or take a chance at freedom. She was so still and silent that I thought she was going to refuse until she looked at me again. There was a new fire in her eyes. "Get me out of here," she commanded.

I smiled. "Let's go."