The Skeleton In Me

Chapter Two

I have posted this chapter a million and nine times. ok maybe just nine. 

I just wish this story would be as magnificent written, as it is in my mind.

but I'm just not that good of a writer.

Chapter Two

There is so much I could say. So much I could do to truly put the picture in one's mind of how horrid this creature looked. Not just naturally, but it seemed he had to be tortured to look at least a bit like he was. Malnourished, beaten I'm sure,  and quite a lot of black paint. I even thought for a moment that maybe he had been forced to roll around in the midst of black coal to look as filthy as he did. 

The smell was strong enough to wipe out a nation, and I wasn't even ten feet close to the individual in chains.

With not a thought in my mind, except that I wanted to get closer, I leaned my entire body as close to the stage as I possibly could. The spokesman, Mr. Father began to laugh, "The looks on your faces are only natural. Be not ashamed that your heart is beating ferociously. Be not ashamed that you want to vomit the food you paid so greatly for, this day. Cousin Ignominy is our monster, our freak, our horrendous Cousin Icon." There was a pause between Mr. Father and the crowed, before all the men hesitated, and then began to clap. One clapped, and then two, and then three, until they all began to clap louder, and louder, and cheered. 

Mr. Father nodded his head at the great success of the crowed, "So now that I speak to you all here, and you've seen this abomination, who has the guts of an American soldier, to stand tall, and make their way on this stage to see the creature up close?"

A few men stepped back warily, but a few of the lot stood with pride radiating around them. The fearless American men. 

The men who I could only imagine quavering from the inside out.

After long moments of us crowd standing there in a midst of impatient atmosphere, at last a man was picked to walk up. He did so with mighty pride written on his stature, only for it to wither the closer he got to the creature.

"Don't be alarmed, my good Sir, Ignominy does not bite. He is a heathen, nonetheless, but he does not attack."

The man walked closer towards the being, only to stumble backwards when it pushed itself away from him.

"It's a demon!" The man shouted, fear dripping needlessly from his tone as he himself inched backwards. "It's not right!" He stood up, shaking his head as he hurried off the stage, he glanced back only once saying the words over again, "It is specially not right!"

Mr. Father laughed as the crowd was silent. It seemed not a man moved an inch from their spot. "Have you all the ounce of bravery as a coward? Is there not one man who will face my creature alone?" and as suddenly as he spoke, his eyes were on me. We locked gazes with one another, and I watched as his humored expression turned to a fraudulent, crooked grin. "What is this? A young mistress, waiting about in the crowd?" Still on the stage, he walked over to me, his head peered down to examine me further, "I've never, in all my years of presentation, had a woman on stage along with myself." He laughed, "I can only conclude that it is fair to bring one up at last." He held his hand out for me to take, "Do you wish you investigate the layers of your daring confidence, my dear?"

I felt ever pair of eyes locked on myself. I wasn't sure whether to take his hand, and go closer to witness a tragedy, or to shake my head like a modest woman, and walk away with pride still radiating around me.

I couldn't just choose the latter.

Nervously, I took his hand, and he helped me onto the stage. After I stood tall among the mass of men, the silence transformed to raging cheers. 

They were taking delight in this.

"As I've said all this time." Mr. Father spoke to me, though loud enough for everyone else to hear as well, "Ignominy will not hurt you. He is as monstrous as they come, but he is tamed."

I got chills the closer Mr. Father stood to me. Though it was obviously in my head, I thought I could feel the very aura of wickedness this man presented. He must be just as monstrous as the creature in chains.

I spoke not a word, as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and guided me closer to the creature. It wasn't until I were not more that three feet away from it, that Mr. Father let go of me, and backed off. 

I felt naked in the hundred sights of men in the crowd, and to my sister who was probably watching with her heart on the floor.

I was ready to run, just as the other man had done previously, but something stopped me. It felt as if my feet had been nailed to the stage.

This creature, oddly enough, looked incredibly human. Surely he was, but seeing him, the hype of others who'd gossip about how he was a horror yanked up from the very pits of hell, well, their talks would mess with your head. It did mine, that the very thought of this thing actually, logically, being a human, was bizarre to even say.

It was sitting on it's knees, glaring intently on the ground. It's long, black, greasy hair hung lawlessly in it's face, casting a dark shadow from his eyes down. I wanted to tell him to look up, but I doubted he'd even understand what I was saying. 

A man like him must be mentally daft, if not, what kind of human lifetime could be this unfair?

I prayed he was an idiot. Every hope in my body urged me to pray so.

I could feel the eyes of Mr. Father watching me from behind, "Get closer, touch the bones of my creature, admit to the world that this is no hoax!"

I could see clearly now, that this was absolutely no scam. This was real, all of it. 

I, not knowing what to do next, slowly bent down to my knees, copying the figure of the clown, and inched toward him. "Suppose," I whispered only for myself and the creature -if he could even understand me- to hear, "You're just a man with a curse from Heaven." My heart was pounding against the frailness of my quivering body, "Or truly sent up to damn the world to hell." I took a deep breath, as he looked up slightly, but no even towards my direction, "I hope you are insane. Because the thought of seeing you in the mirror, everywhere you glance, breaks my heart."