Monster Project

18.Lizard Morph

     The chirpy carnival music no longer pleased or excited her.
     "Ladies and Gentlemen! The next act comes all the way from the mystic forests of South America!"
     Lies.
     "Introducing; Lagarto Girl!" His voice boomed and the crowd was buzzing with anticipation and joy.
     She was wheeled out in a cage.
     "Hear that, freak? That's for you."
     She merely nodded, anything more and she'd be hit for speaking out of line.
     The cart suddenly stopped and the tarp was removed.
     The audience gawked at the attraction, soon to be pulled out of her confinements.
      Cornelius held his hand for her to take, his smile held all the fake kindness in the world. This was all part of the act.
     Behind closed curtains, he treated her the worst.
     She did as she was silently instructed, and clambered out without a sound.
     Her clothing was tribal and not even close to her original homeland.
     Cornelius twirled her gently before dipping her.
     Just as taught, she stood on the vibrantly coloured platform to where the crowd further mocked her.
     "Look at 'er!"
     "She an ugly thing, ain't she?"
     "Vile creature!"
     "Freak!"
     She sang for the undeserving audience, a hobby she rather enjoyed before she arrived to America.
     Her act soon ended, and she was herded into the cage again like some beast. Biggie pushed her out of the tent flaps back to the area where they keep the other animals.
     "If I were Cornelius I'd have you dead by now, you're nothing but a waste of space and another mouth to feed."
     This was, in fact, another lie. She over heard Cornelius speaking one night about how that "filthy Spanish inbred" brought in half the revenue. In her opinion, she should at least have a tent like the normal performers.
     She was sprawled out on the hay covered floor of her carriage, the hay providing little to no coverage from the wind that chilled her as she slept. She got up weakly and crawled over to a corner where she huddled into a tight ball to hold in her fleeting body heat.
     In the gloomy darkness she saw one of the tigers' moving forms and outstretched her hand to calm it.
     It affectionately rubbed against her palm and she grinned lightly.
     "Ah! I've finally found you!"
     She jerked her hand back at the sudden voice.
     "You are Catalina, correct?" Catalina's name rolled off his tongue with a perfect Spanish accent.
     "Y-yesss." Meanwhile, she herself had trouble pronouncing the English language.
     "Ah well, I have brought you dinner. I hope you enjoy." He opened the cage and actually handed her the plate.
     Catalina picked it up and examined it closer. It smelled amazing, nothing like what the others would usually cook.
     "What...what is this?" She gazed up to see this man sitting across from her.
     "This? It's Massaman curry."
She hesitantly took a bite, and her eyes widened in delight at the flavour.
     "Is chicken, in here?"
     "Yes, along with potatoes, onions, cashews, cinnamon, and chili. Do you like it?"
     Catalina nodded her head.
     "Very much... It reminds me of the food in Santo Domingo."
     "You're from Santo Domingo?"
     "Yes."
     "Fascinating! What are some of the dishes there?"
     "Well, there is chapea and mondongo."
     "What are they?"
     "Just soups." Catalina kept her gaze downward as she spoke.
     "What's your position here in the circus, Catalina? I've never seen your act before."
     "I'm... I'm one of the freak acts. Lagarto Girl, they call me."
      "You're Lagarto Girl? Everyone speaks of how vulgar and disgusting you are!" She cringed at the insults. "But- but you're nothing more than a harmless woman! Why do they call you such things?!"
     "My skin is scaly, my eyes are of a snake's, and my hands." She held out her shaky hand for him to see. Just like the rest of her skin, it held scales; having four fingers, which ended in talons.
     He gently took her hand into his grasp and inspected the appendage. Dragging his fingers across her palm to stroking her own fingers, he held her hand and tried his hardest to make eye contact with Catalina in the darkness.
     "I see nothing wrong with you, you are a beautiful woman who should be proud of who she is. They should see you for only your abilities and personality, not your outside."
     Catalina's face flushed as she wiped her face with her free hand to rid her cheeks of falling tears.
     He leaned forward to dab at her tears with his sleeve, talking softly in the quiet night.
     "Please don't cry..."
     Catalina sniffled before calming herself.
     Once he saw she was at peace, he began picking up their dishes.
     "I must leave, but I promise to be back tomorrow, Catalina." He slid out of the small opening, walking away until she stopped him.
     "Wait!"
     He looked to her, she herself grabbing the bars tightly.
     "You never told me your name."
     "My name? It's Sachi." He smiled at her with such sincerity it almost melted her heart.
     "Fairwell, Catalina."
     "You too, Sachi."
     She slept well that night, praying to God to thank him for the wonderful gift.

     A/N: This totally went into a completely different direction than I had planned. Oops. I might write a sequel to this because it misses most of what I had originally planned. I also apologize if the food/places are historically incorrect, this is supposed to take place in the late 1800's-early 1900's and I did quick search for these things. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! :D