Welcome to the Freak Show Ch. 03

"We need a road trip," says Braydon, my neighbor at the trailer park. The blonde bearded man was in his late 20's, with at least five different baby mamas' in Wisconsin alone. "I mean if you're seriously going to marry this Keith guy."

I sit on my porch drinking a Walmart brand sparkling water. "I kinda have to," I groan, patting my growing belly. At 12 weeks pregnant, I was already showing more than I would like. "But I'm keeping my trailer just in case."

"Just in case you get tired of fucking a dirty old man?"

"Well, you're almost 30," I say with a forced laugh. Was keeping my trailer in case I had to run from my notoriously abusive, filthy-rich betrothed. "Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself."

My friend, Q emerged from Braydon's trailer, wearing one of his t-shirts over what I could tell was just a bra. "That shower was so nice." I knew she had been in his trailer working on his 'DIY' internet and satellite TV connection. Her blue hair looked a shade darker in the sparkling sun. Maybe because it was wet. "So, what are we talking about?"

"We need to go on a road trip before Alicia makes the biggest mistake of her life."

"Piss off," I say as I confidently stand up to walk away. "I'm going to go visit Tony at the rehab clinic." With a running start, I transformed into a deer. I would have preferred a smaller, less conspicuous transformation, but ever since my pregnancy started showing, those have not been coming to me as easily. As a deer, I had more control over where my body weight distributed and even what clothing I would be able to sneak in with me. (Don't ask where my clothing hides when I'm transformed, it can get awkward.)

In the form of a meek brown doe, I approached Tony's first-floor window. The rehab clinic was in an area adjacent to a forest, so interaction with wildlife was expected and encouraged, to better assist in the mental/emotional recovery of the patients.

Tony brushed his long dark brown hair from his eyes and gave the sweetest smile.

"Hi there," he says to the deer, opening his window on instinct. After all, does are pretty cute.

I pause for a moment, as his smile warms my heart. "Can I come in?" I ask in my human voice, I imagine this image was something out of a Disney movie.

He began to lift the window, so I transformed back into my human form.

"Thanks, Tony." But as I place my hands on the window, I follow his line of sight, narrowly avoiding getting my fingers smashed. "What the Fuck?"

"You're wearing his ring?" Tony's voice was as cold as his glare.

I want to badly to scream from the rooftops, 'I don't love your dad, this baby is yours!' looking into his eyes, my mind was lost. "It's just a con."

Tony shakes his head but relents and opens the window. "Is that why you're here? To con me?"

I leap through the window like a cat before he has a chance to change his mind. "You know that's not true."

Tony, wearing a hospital issue gray sweat-shirt and matching sweatpants, took a seat on his hospital bed. Through the loose fabric of his pants I can clearly make out his hard cock pressed against his stomach. "as long as you're here, might as well check out my therapeutic modification."

"therapeutic modification?"

Tony laid back, allowing his cock to come up for air. I watched as he started to masturbate, producing a large amount of pre-cum. "subdermal implants."

He moves his hand just enough to allow me to see the new ribbing under his skin. "Is it humming?" I had seen subdermal implants- they usually did not make electronic sounds. "Did Q put that in?"

"Q designed it, but Nurse Joy put it in."

"Nurse Joy, as in the Pokemon character?"

"Yeah," Tony was still masturbating as he spoke, "the methadone was doing a number on my kidneys, but I couldn't even piss. But Q, she's my savior, she invented a way for me to control my cock without getting high." He starts to laugh.

"And Nurse Joy?"

"You'll meet him soon enough."

Right on cue, there was a knock at the door. The door flew open and a tall, supermodel gorgeous Latino boy stood with his arms outstretched like cowboy entering a saloon. He looked to be around the same age as Tony, maybe a little older, but defiantly under the age of 21.

This boy had cheekbones and dark eyes, like a young Benjamin Bratt. As he shut the door and started to take off his green hospital issue pink scrubs he looked even more like a Benjamin Bratt, back in his "Blood in Blood out" days; ghetto-sexy.

"You ready for me?" he says in a soft moan as he gives Tony a slow, tender kiss.

"I'm always ready." His modified cock was glistening.

'Nurse Joy' started to give him a handjob, as they continued to kiss. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. "You know he has HIV."

"I know, my boy, Tony, doesn't keep any secrets from me." The 'nurse' started to kiss Tony's chest, down his abs. with every touch, he appeared to be transferring small jolts of white energy into Tony's skin. "I want to tattoo you, just right down your ribs."

"Promise to use your powers?" Tony was not even completely undressed but I could tell he was experiencing a full body orgasm (possibly even in his robotic legs.)

"Of course, man, you know I'd never hurt you." 'Nurse Joy' with his large, muscular hands, slowly removed Tony's sweatpants, revealing his tensed, prosthetic legs. "I only want to make you feel good. I love you, Tony." He took Tony's cock in his mouth licking and sucking. As he glides his tongue down the shaft the white sparkling energy glows brighter, stronger. "I think you are ready for me."

Tony sat up and repositioned himself to penetrate his lover in the missionary position. The light was becoming blinding. I was about to get up and make my way back out the window when a hand grasped my arm.

"Meet me on the roof," said a very familiar voice.

I quickly slipped out the door and made my way to the nearest set of stairs. When I made it to the roof I looked around; the area was not that large. "Q? Where are you?"

"Behind the pillar," her reply came from behind a tall metal pillar that blocked her from the view of any cameras. As expected, the area was covered in cigarettes.

"How did you get here so fast?"

"I hang out here all the time." Q turns to me with a smirk. "I see you've met Austin."

"Oh, Nurse Joy isn't his birth name?" I ask sarcastically.

"Well, Q isn't my birth name."

"I see your point. So tell me how and why does Tony have a robotic dick?"

"I forgot, you were too busy shagging his daddy to come with me that day."

"I was with you the day we had him admitted," I point out, with a tinge of anger. Tony had been five days clean and sober, as required. So, although he was still violently ill, he was allowed into the detox program.

"And after that it took you three days to visit him."

"So?" Q was right. When I had finally gotten around to visiting Tony was barely responsive, his body writhing in pain. But I chalked that up to his illness. "You didn't answer my question."

"His kidneys were failing; the poor guy couldn't even take a piss."

"Yeah, I've heard, but why and how did you make a robotic prosthetic for his cock?"

"I knew the science behind his legs; the way that they connect directly to his nervous system. I created a series of electrodes that would allow him to control the blood flow to the muscles of his lower body, as well as his sexual organs, all without the use of illegal narcotics."

"Where does Austin come in? Is he a patient?"

"He's actually a volunteer. And on his free time, he works as a therapeutic massage expert." The words flowed from her mouth with such confidence.

"Ya don't say..."

"Ok, fine he's an escort who sleeps with lonely rich women and sometimes men. He has a healing power, I can't really explain it. But it's really magical. Austin can tell you more when he gets up here."

Magical? "How do you know he's coming up here?"

"This is the smoking spot because cigarettes are actually forbidden in the clinic- even for staff, visitors, and volunteers." She opens her purse to offer me a cigarette.

"Thanks." I looked at my watch, awaiting Austin's appearance. "So, you sucked off Tony while cutting his dick?"

"Austin did most of the work. I gave him the implants and Austin was then able to make open cuts, then heal them instantly."

"So, you didn't have sex with Tony?"

"We made, out a little. Once he was feeling better, I let him fondle my tits. - I mean he is pretty hot."

It took a little over half an hour for him to make his entrance. "Hey girls; Q and," he turns to me with a smirk as he lights what is clearly a marijuana blunt. "I don't believe I got your name, Big Red."

"Alicia."

He doubled over with laughter. "You're Tony's dad's bitch, he told me you were some badass chick who stands on a high horse, except when it comes to money."

I was in no mood to defend myself. "Money makes the world go around." I take a long drag before continuing. "How did you meet Tony?"

"I knew Q, from chilling at the university library, so when she told me she was bringing in a friend she asked that I help watch over him. I work the night shift so the first time we met he was struggling really bad. I was doing my rounds when I... I can just show you, right?"

Austin grips my hand and suddenly I can see through his eyes.

Austin, in his medical scrubs, enters the room to check on Tony. Tony's hair is matted, his body is covered in sweat. "Hey, man, you ok?" Austin's voice asks.

"My chest hurts, I-I can't breathe."

Austin's hands are already glowing angelic white. "I'm going to touch you., ok? I want you to just relax." He laid Tony on his back and began stroking Tony's face, down his jaw, to his chest. "Do you feel my power?"

There are tears in Tony's eyes. "I-I can feel."

Austin moves his hand to Tony's abs. "I found the source of your pain. I can help you, but in your current state, it's only a temporary solution."

"Okay..."

"I'm going to hold you." Austin climbed in to bed and put his arms around Tony, holding him close like a lover.

Tony was trembling but in no position to fight back. "Please don't hurt me."

"I don't do that, I've seen enough pain in my life." Austin turns Tony to face him. Their lips meet for a single soft kiss.

"A-Are you an angel?"

I blink my eyes back to reality. "Well, are you?"

"I've been called worse," Austin said as he glances up at the clouds. "My mom's an angel."

I could tell he wasn't kidding. "And your dad?"

"My dad's something else. He's kinda my inspiration."

"For what, your powers?"

"For wanting to go into medicine someday, even if I'm just a son of illegal immigrants." Austin turned and touched my cheek. "I know what you are, Alicia, I know what you can see. I have one hell of a story to tell."

Austin's memories came in bursts, like a broken movie projector.

A Hispanic man and a woman being dragged into a field. It was clear they had already been tortured within an inch of their lives.

The leader of the attackers, a white man with a gun asked where the couple's 'good for nothing, son of a (Hispanic slur) son' was.

From what I could gather these were Austin's parents. Austin and his family had been working as field-hands, when Austin made the mistake of dating (and getting caught with) the farmer's daughter.

The woman is begging their attackers to spare her son. They will, but they want something in return.

Austin's father is shot in the leg, then stuck in the face until he stops moving. All so he cannot save his wife.

Her clothes are torn off as her body is ravaged. I want to close my eyes, I want to run. Luckily Austin appears to have the same idea.

He ran and hid, in a small ditch, sobbing, until there were no more sounds.

The sky was dark when he finally returned to the scene of the attack. The bodies of Austin's parents were partially buried. They had both been shot in the head. But somehow, his father was still breathing.

Austin dragged his father's body back to a small hut. After placing him on a dirt-stained mattress, Austin waved his hand over a fire pit, creating a peaceful, glowing fire. "It'll be ok, Dad," he said through cupped hands while sobbing.

The injured man's lips opened. "Deseo morir."

'I want to die.' For some reason I knew exactly what that meant, despite the fact that I did not speak a word of Spanish.

Austin laughed as he wiped tears from his eyes. "Well, we both know that's not possible," his response, strangely, came in English, "so you might as well let me help you."

'What did that mean?'

Austin soaked a rag in water warmed by the heavenly fire, then proceeded to wipe the blood from his father's face. With every stroke his father's skin glowed a vibrant red. But the light fizzled out as quickly as it came. "I need you to work with me, I already know you're strong. Unless all the stories you told me were bullshit, I know you've survived worse than this"

"Mi corazón... esta roto"

'My heart is broken.'

"I know, Dad, mine too." Austin knelt beside his father and stroked his cheek, healing a large gash on the man's face.

I knew that face. I force my eyes to blink, I needed to get back to reality. "F—k!"

Q grabs my hand before I fall off the roof. "Careful." Her head quickly turns. "Oh, hi Tony."

I pull myself back to my seat in time to see Tony with his arms around Austin. "Hi, Q," he said with a chuckle, "haiku..."

Q laughed along with him. "Hi, but you know if you get caught up here, you'll have to do kitchen duty- again."

Tony gave a shrug to Q. "Worth it." He kisses Austin's cheek. "To spend time with my best friends...and Alicia."

I was lost in Tony's eyes. He was truly happy and I had no right to take that away.

"So, Austin, is your father still alive?"

"Yeah, that's how I knew about your powers. People like you and me, we're special, and we can sense more of our own kind."

"I think I've seen your father before."

"Really? You sure it just wasn't one of the guys at the autobody shop?"

"Is his name Jahil?"

"Yeah," Austin's reply is distracted by Tony's necking. "Beloit, Wisconsin is a small place."

"Yeah, totally. I should go."

Tony chuckles softly as he traces his tongue along Austin's jawline "Yeah, you should."

I stood up and got a running start, unafraid of what would happen if my transformation failed. I turned in to a hawk and flew just far enough to be away from the hospital, before crashing into a tree. Transforming back into my human form, I walk back to the trailer park. "Fuck," I say as I stretch my back, "I do need a road trip."