Demon

Chapter 24

I'm not sure how long it's been since the last moment I remember... I don't know... it doesn't really matter now anyway. All I know is that I woke up one afternoon in Hercules' former lion cage with metal clasps around my wrist and that fancy blue and gold collar that Precision had trapped me with once before. My costume had been cleaned of any blood, as had I and I was clearly already prepped and made pretty for a show... no... not for a show... for a display.

A small chalkboard sat beside the cage and in colourful writing, the words, "Demon, the Beast of the Nočne Mačke!" was displayed for people to see. The guests who had come by to witness the "beast" stood several feet away behind a rope that was tied to posts that circled my enclosure. They stared with interested demeanours and murmured to each other about the spectacle they were seeing; it was odd to see a normal young girl trapped behind bars and chained like an animal.

My mind offered me flashbacks of the night that I had killed a full-grown lion; the trance-like state I was in, the sound of the guests screaming in the stands, the blood on my hands... everyone's terrified, hate-filled stares. I was not myself that night; I don't know who I was but I truly was a monster. An eight-year-old physically can't kill an adult lion. It's impossible! The mere thought is ridiculous! But hundreds of people witnessed the event. They saw the impossible and I'm sure they went home and continued to talk about it for days- if days had even passed.

Now, the cause of that impossible event had been put on display for all to see. I was nothing more than a museum exhibit, or a pickled punk on the shelves in the Freakshow. And whose idea to put me here was anyone's guess but I only know one man who owns this circus, one man who gives the orders... and one man who witnessed me kill a lion along with everyone else...

At that moment, a familiar voice broke my thoughts, "Hey! Everybody, sorry I'm late but I'm here now if any of you have any questions regarding Demon."

I looked over and I saw Cheetah, standing proudly in a new rust-coloured, cat-themed tamer's outfit. The small group of people quieted their mumbling and watched the young man intently. His back was to me and he stared out at the audience with a look of pride on his face, awaiting any questions.

"Weren't you the ticket man yesterday and the day before that?" one man asked near the back of the crowd. Cheetah nodded and smiled.

"I was... but now, since the tragic lion incident, I've been assigned as Demon's official handler... My job is to give her a good lesson if she ever tries attacking anybody or anything again," the boy explained proudly.

Handler? So I'm an animal now?... I wonder who's responsible for this misunderstanding... I thought to myself, the image of TomCat's smug grin lingering in my brain and sending waves of disdain and hurt throughout my veins. I had never before thought of that man and associated him with hate... and it was a strange feeling.

"Sir, does she ever attack the other performers? Has she ever attacked a performer?" a woman carrying a baby and surrounded by three other children asked. Cheetah cleared his throat and rocked back and forth on his heels, his hands folded behind his back.

"Well... no... she's never attacked anyone here at the circus... but whether she will in the future is strongly up for debate," he answered as honestly as possible. the woman nodded and was about to ask him another question, but unfortunately one of her daughters spotted Tim the clown and practically dragged her away from the cage. Everyone else moved on later after asking a few more generic questions and being pushed away by eager reporters who had heard of the Lion Incident and came asking for answers and pictures. After they had moved on (after a great deal of ordering them to leave and threats to kick them out by Cheetah) I finally found my chance to ask my own questions.