"Miss Mars... Do you mind if we keep my previous occupation between us?" I ask hopefully, praying I can leave it all behind.
"Of course" She smiles as I exhale peacefully, absorbing the blissful beauty of the start of my new life. Driving along a dusty track road with healthy green trees and shrubs lining the sides of the track road. The car turns into an open field, grass growing everywhere. In the nearing distance brightly coloured tents stand gloriously, carnival lights and a grand ferris wheel.
"Welcome to the Fraulein Elsa's Cabinet Of Curiosities" Elsa says with glee opening her arms presenting me my new start.
"Welcome to the Fraulein Elsa's Cabinet Of Curiosities" translation 'Welcome to the Freak Show"
Collecting my suitcase, closing the car door as Miss Mars leads me down the dusty path towards the scarlet and white tents. Causously following Elsa into the tent absorbing my surroundings. "Anastasia; wait here a moment" Elsa says hushly as I pause "Of course" I breath resting my battered old suitcase on the ground, as Elsa walks away I wait patiently standing in curiosity. I'm standing in the big top tent. I'm apart of a freak show, I can't decide whether that is a good thing of not... I don't care though.
"Gather round, everyone gather round" I hear Elsa call as footsteps and voices sound asking questions.
"Hush, hush. I would like to introduce you to someone"
"Anastasia" Elsa calls my heart pounding heavily, inhaling deeply awkwardly walking into view as a crowd of people gather around a table. "Who's this?" One of them says whilst I freeze as their eyes watch me. I don't think I've ever been had this many eyes on me at once which is strangely wonderful as I see they are like me. Different.
"Anastasia Rigsby, our new member" Elsa announces smiling insanely her hands resting lightly on my shoulders attempting to reassure me I guess. "Is she like us?" Another questions, I believe the woman without legs asked.
"Yes" Elsa says looking at me, lightly tightening her hands on my shoulders, I scan the room seeing everyone for their strange yet intriguingly beautiful differences... Like the smallest woman, tattooed man with the unusual shorter limbs and the bearded woman and even the attractive boy perched on the table was different...
I smile in the realisation, I'm not the only one.
"What's special about her?" Someone asks."I have what Miss Mars describes as wings" I respond explaining my feature, stepping forward. "They're not functional neither are they particularly special... compared to you I can assure you." I say turning around exposing my back, looking over my shoulder staring at the flesh and bone erupting from my spine.
"They are special" The boy smiles lifting my glaze from my spine to him. Special. No one has ever called them special when I'm fully dressed before. It's strange but undoubtedly wonderful.
"Anastasia, I'm going to leave you now to get to know everyone." Elsa smiles cupping my face gently. "Everyone! Welcome our new family member" Elsa says snapping her head towards the crowd, as they smile nodding after which Elsa swiftly exits the tent.
"Anastasia, that's a really pretty name. My name's Amazon Eve." Eve smiles shaking my gand as I kindly reply "Thank you, it's nice meeting you" matching her smile.
"Hey, my name's Jimmy... Jimmy Darling otherwise known as Lobster Boy" He introduces himself gesturing to his hands of which are two larger fingers and a thumb on both hands.
"It's nice you meet you Jimmy" I smile, as he winks friendly "I'm Ethel" The bearded woman steps forwards taking my hands "It's lovely to have you with us" She smiles rubbing my hands with her thumb I'm assuming in a friendly way but I don't know no one ever done it before.
"Thank you" I say as Ethel removes her hands sitting at the table while I meet everyone else individually the warm welcome is like nothing I have ever experienced.
There's Eve, Ma Petite, Pepper, Ethel Suzi, Paul, Meep, Jimmy and me. All seem nice enough...
It's a new start...
New beginnings
