The Carnival (pt.2)

Most of the freaks and animals followed the lead of the townspeople and were asleep as the hover-trucks kicked up small clouds of dust, heading towards the former Shomette homestead. One large eye blinked out into the night, however. The creature scanned the sky, searching the stars for any recognizable constellation, something that would show him the location of his home planet. Outis couldn’t see any shapes in the stars that he knew, though. Perhaps they had traveled too far in the system. Perhaps they had left the system entirely, he didn’t know. He stretched his back and groaned. His trailer was five feet high, which would have been plenty for the other freaks in the carnival, but Outis stood seven feet tall and found his lodgings cramped. His dark eye turned again towards the window. From the light of the moon he could see the large field where they were no doubt going to be setting up camp. He knew the routine: even though he served as two freaks in one, he would also be expected to help with the set up of the Big Top. There was only one animal in the carnival stronger than Outis, a huge beast with a long trunk and giant, flapping ears. Her name was Crampon and between the two of them, they would have the tent up faster than twenty men could.