Ian passed through the dust, stirred by passing cars, and made his way to the ticket booth. The annual fair was in town. Coincidentally, the same fair he had gone to when he was a kid. His parents brought him and his sister Ashley here every year until Ashley was kidnapped from the Freehold mall one night, while they were shopping. She had trailed off from her mother’s side, where she went to look at the puppies in the pet store window. When her mother turned to show her a shirt, she was gone.

That was ten years ago. God only knows where she is now. The police gave up months after she was missing. Her parents finally broke and figured she was dead somewhere; a part of the dirt now in the middle of the woods, or raped and strung up to a tree, smiling in mute, decayful protest. She was only seven. Ian was fifteen at the time. Now, he only remembered her cute, child-like smile and the deep, poised dimple in her cheek.

His new job, working at his father’s chemical plant, was really getting to him. The pay was great and he liked the idea of getting paid weekly, but a change of pace and scenery would be good for a change. Besides, who wanted to dress in a full protective bodysuit and stir vats all day and sweat their ass off?

He skipped work one Friday to go to the annual fair. He was going to enjoy it. And try to forget that he will be missing a day’s pay.

He edged his way through the massive crowds slipping through herds of people massed into group, and found the ticket booth at last!

"Five bucks." Came a croaking voice from the old lady behind the messed in booth, who was counting money with nicotine stained fingers. He handed her a ten without hesitation and waited for the rest of the change. He looked up to avoid the distasteful sight in front of him. It was beginning to grow dark. The sky had turned pale green in its pre-dawn state. The temperature was also odd. January 23^rd and it must have been 70 degrees! This made him think of his sister.

The old woman broke his thoughts.

"Here’s your change," she said, handing him a five-dollar bill, "Just go through those gates up ahead." She pointed to a set of rusty-yellow gates that hung crudely to ancient hinges.

The atmosphere behind the gates far surpassed that of the atmosphere before them. The grounds were bedded with green grass, with the occasional patch of crab grass here and there. The rides and tents dwarfed every other thing and everyone. Food and drink huts dotted the area with snaking lines of people protruding from the fronts of them. People of all ages scurried all over the place; some in a hurry, some slow as hell, like ants racing to a dropped lollypop, juggling sodas in there hands. Ian felt his stomach tighten and gurgle at the sight of all the food. He chose a decent enough looking food stand and headed down the grassy slope.

After practically swallowing a cheeseburger whole, going on two or three rides (one of which was a Ferris wheel), and stopping at the bathroom once, he had the urge to do something else. He though he’d go into one of the tents.

7:49 p.m. read his watch. He entered the tallest of tents, watching the time.

Inside, there hung a sign on a metal post that read: NEXT SHOW: 5 MINUTES stenciled in faded, black letters. He waited patiently for the show-in-progress to end, and left disappointed. He didn’t think an armadillo race could be that boring.

On his way out, another tent caught his eye. This one was more long than tall. It was faded yellow with grizzle streaks up its sides and weeds grew at least two feet tall around it. Atop it, there was a sign that read: BIZARRE AND UNUSUAL CREATURES. This sounded more exciting than an armadillo race. There were no people coming in or going out of this one, so there would be no wait.

The tent inside reeked of hay and animal feces. It was very dim with only a few dusty overhead bulbs keeping it lit.

"Three dollars, sir." a voice called from somewhere.

Ian looked down and standing no taller than his knee cap was a dwarf. He wore a dirty, brown vest with black buttons up the front, boots, and a black top hat, not including the sneering grin on his face.

"Three dollars." he said again.

Ian couldn’t help but stare.

"Oh, I’m sorry." he said, flipping through his wallet, withdrawing three dollars.

"Thank you. Since you’re the only one here, I’ll be showing you around myself. Follow me." He gestured with his hand for Ian to follow him.

He followed the dwarf behind a tattered, velvet curtain until he stopped in his tracks in surprise. Lined against the walls, in cages, were wild creatures that jumped about like lunatics in a cell. They began to squeal and kick at the bars as Ian and the dwarf walked in further. The dwarf stood to the side, looking almost proud.

"THIS is it?" Ian asked in disgust. "Monkeys?"

"Sir, these are rare and bizarre creatures. They are not monkeys. Why," he pointed to the nearest cage, "this creature here can change color to its surroundings. Even its eyes!"

"They’re goddamned monkeys, pal! What the hell do you think you’re doing making me waste my money for this?" Ian tried to watch what he said so he didn’t sound ridiculous. But this was ridiculous!

"Well, I’m sorry you’re disappointed, sir, but there are no refunds if that’s what you’re getting at."

"You’re kidding, right? I want my damned money back!" Ian demanded.

"No, wait." the dwarf said, "I know what I can show you that’ll make you happy. Follow me." Ian hesitated. He didn’t want to see what the dwarf had hidden in the back room for people so curious, or morbid, enough to see. He already felt like an idiot after being scammed for this whole thing; but maybe there really was something interesting back there.

"No." Ian decided, flatly.

"Oh come on, it’s free. Besides, I don’t want you to leave being upset."

The dwarf was being persistent.

"Fine! fine! fine! but it better be good."

The back room was heavy and cloyingly rotten- a combination of animal waste again and rotten animal food of some sort. Plies of fly-ridden garbage filled every corner of the room.

"It’s over in that corner," the dwarf pointed to the darkest corner of the room where Ian could see the outline of a cage.

"What is it?" Ian asked.

"Come over close, and you’ll see." The dwarf took Ian by the sleeve and walked him closer. As Ian came closer he could make out a cage of iron and chicken wire with a concrete base. The dwarf pulled over a wooden stool and climbed up onto it, turning on a light above the cage. This didn’t supply enough light, though, to see the ENTIRE thing. He could, however, see inside. Something of medium size and very pale scurried from side to side like a lab rat in its cage. Pale, human-like fingers clawed at the opening at the top of the cage.

"It’s a freak," the dwarf said, smiling at Ian. He took up a long stick and thrust it at the freak. It growled and snapped at the stick.

"You better stop that, freak!" the dwarf said, thrusting the stick faster, "Stop running around in there!"

"Where in God’s name did you find such a thing?" Ian asked, holding a hand to his mouth that partially covered it.

"WE found it a couple miles from here. WE found it, the boss and I. Hey! Watch this, mister."

He bent down and brought up a small cage, opened it, and took out something that squirmed and squeaked. It was a brown rat. Its pink, segmented tail swung vigorously and its feet scrabbled about in the air violently.

"Keep your distance, the freak may try and grab you." the dwarf warned. He opened the top of the cage and threw the rat in. Inside it was pretty dark. Ian stopped own low through the chicken wire. Only a few slices of the light bulbs light passed in, making it hard to see what was going on. Within an instant, the freak’s hand flashed down from no where and claimed its meal. The only thing Ian heard was the rats squeal. A few strands of the freak’s hair were visible. It was greasy and matted, plastered against its chalk-white skin.

An odd urge hit Ian. He stuck two fingers in through the chicken wire, for what reason he did not know. The freaks body moved and from within the darkness he seen its eyes. They were human. Dirty tears streamed down its face. It reached up to take Ian’s hand but he pulled them away. Its hand was slimy with blood and a small trace of flesh was caked under its nails. The freak’s face came into full view. It was twisted and contorted into a confused rage. Ian also caught a glimpse of what looked like a female breast. It WAS female!

Ian looked at the dwarf, "What is this? Where did you find it?"

"Sir..." the dwarf said.

The freak’s eyes caught hold of Ian’s and held them.

"Take me with you." it said, in a thick, gurgling voice, through the bars.

"Christ." he gasped, "Ashley? Ashley, is that you?" This question stunned him just by asking it. Was it possible? No way! The freak smiled, revealing a hideously familiar dimple deep in its cheek.