We Are the Wild Things

Two days had passed and Maxine stood awkwardly in front of the Genius staff, there was a small crowd taking pictures. She looked at Zlata whom looked very confident, as well as very beautiful. Almost flawless in fact. “I can’t do this Rita” Maxine muttered nervously playing with her fingers. “You’ve totally got this Maxie…just calm down” Rita said with a smile, however it did not help Maxine much. “calm down….my Dads going to kill me for this…..” she whispered as Zlata and a representative for Genius walked over “hey Rita” Maxine whispered quickly “huh?” “I always thought Ripley’s and Genius worked together” Maxine mused before turning her eyes and a faltering smile to Zlata and the Representative. “Hello Miss Hannibal we are ready to start when you are ready” The Rep, who wore a name tag with the name “Marcy” said, Zlata gave a friendly smile “try not to worry too much it’s all in good fun” she said seeing that Maxine looked as if she were going to be sick. Maxine nodded and smiled “heh thanks, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be so let’s get this going” Maxine managed. Although her legs were shaking.

They started with the Basics, such as Backbends, front bends, and Headseats. They then moved into Oversplits and Needle Scales. Both Maxine and Zlata were even matched at these, neither of them having trouble and they made it seem like it took little hey then were asked to perform a Triple fold. Both women got into the Chest stand position with their arms stretched out in front of them flat to the ground. The girls then arched the lower half’s of their bodies over her heads and put their knees to the ground laying their shins against the ground. Once again both were evenly matched. Soon Maxine found they had been through all of the typical Tricks of advanced Contortionists. “Well it would look like you are about even” Marcy stated after jotting down notes. “ow” Maxine groaned as she rubbed a pain in her side, she sighed heavily and began to bend her body in half from her right side. She wrapped her arm around her leg like a pole as the right side of her upper body was now parallel to the right side of her lower body. Her right ear near her right outer ankle. As she stood like this the pain in her side went away and she sighed in relief. “Oh my god” Marcy the Representative said flagging the camera men and the photographers to come take frames. “What?” Maxine asked her eyes darting between all of the camera crew, Zlata and Marcy. Zlata smiled “I don’t think I could do that…and I don’t think I want to try it” she said with a playful laugh. Maxine looked up at her Confused as she quickly stood up straight again, Marcy flinched as the quick movement looked rather odd. “Congratulations…Miss Maxine Hannibal you are the new world record holder for world’s most flexible woman!” Marcy called out a few people in the crowd cheered and Zlata gave Maxine a hug. Maxine looked around Daze “I am” she muttered she should have been happy, she would have been happy, the truth was she love contortionism it made her feel free. But all she could see was the looks on her family’s faces. “Rita” Maxine peeped quickly before turning on her heel “Handle it!” she called as she bolted past her friend running to the dorm grounds. Rita watched as a Girl with bouncy brown hair followed after her. “Maybe she works with Genius?” Rita thought before turning to talk to Marcy.

“Wait! Maxine!” Maxine heard someone call she slowed down to a jog by the entrance to the girls dorms “Maxine!” A girl with Lovely brown hair and dark eyes called. Maxine stopped running and looked down at the girl who was out of breath. “Wow” the girl said between pants “you should try out for fastest woman next” She added playfully. “I’m sorry, who-who are you?” Maxine asked trying to say it as politely as she could as she adjusted her light blue glasses. The girl stood up straight and smiled “I’m Asia Ray! From the Venice Beach Freak Show” she said with pride, Maxine looked at Asia confused and then offended “I’m not looking to join such a thing if that’s what you are here to ask” Maxine said sharply Asia waved her hands in the air in front of her “No no I didn’t mean anything like that…you see I’m a Contortionist myself…also self-taught. My Dad and my brother run a Freak Show…it’s not so much of a Side show…like what you think.” Asia said she began to calm down as she smiled at Maxine gently “the term freak…being different, It’s not bad. What that guy did to you…posting that video all over the place” Asia said Maxine looked down at the ground and glared “was awful” Asia added “but there are lots of us out there, it’s nothing odd or horrible” Asia said. “It’s not that…”Maxine said sighing. “My parents, my family, they don’t like it….they think it’s bad and a bad image for our family” Maxine said in a low tone. “But you’re their daughter? If you like it if it makes you happy they will learn to understand it…but you have to accept yourself first” Asia said. Maxine shook her head “It’s not that sim-” Maxine as cut off as she saw her father’s car pull up in front of the crowd. “No, no, no!” she breathed before running that way “huh?” Asia peeped as she turned and quickly followed after Maxine.

“Congratulation Mr. Hannibal for your daughters new addition to the” Marcy started but Mr. Hannibal brushed her aside and stormed past her and Zlata. “Maxine Rosalyn Hannibal!” he called Maxine stopped running and tried to make herself look as small as possible. “This is all over TV, you’re mothers to ashamed to show herself at the temple! How selfish could you be not to think about the rest of us before going on and showing unsightly stances all over the television?” He yelled “It..I…I mean I broke a world record isn’t that a good thing dad? I-isn’t it?” Maxine stammered. “No! It’s not, and what’s with his outfit!” He roared picking at the cat suit Maxine was fashioned in “they gave it to me to perform in…it’s flexible and moves with me so that-” Maxine stuttered “Preform? Is that what you want to call that? I knew you’d be a problem, your mother was right, we should have sent you away to missionary school, and you’ve always been one to seek attention in the most inappropriate ways!” Maxine cowered under her father and looked at the ground having given up on her argument. Asia watched the two of them before running off to find her dad and the others. “Dad I found her, but her dads lighting into her so much it’s not even funny” Asia said with a frown. “you should see her she shrunk to about Ali’s height under him” Asia said grabbing Todd Ray’s hand “come on you’ve got to do something about him it’s not right!” she said.

Maxine finally lifted her head from where she stood as her father continued his lecture. As she looked up she saw Asia the girl from before headed over to her, she was glaring daggers at Maxine’s father. Beside her was a man who looked a lot like Asia and next to him a Woman who favored her as well. Maxine’s eyes darted to a man covered in body art, her eyes sparkled a bit “to cool” she thought “and another thing!” she heard her father’s voice break back through. Maxine’s eyes then wandered to a rather pale guy, he was dressed in a black t-shirt and black jeans, and he wore black eyeliner and eye shadow. His eyes were dark and his hair was a long slightly thin platinum blonde. Maxine shivered, He was slightly scary her eyes then went to a little woman with ebony skin who was also glaring at her father. Another man walked up to the group and stopped them. He had long flaming red hair and looked to be somewhere in his 40’s. She tilted her head at the odd group “did they bring their whole side show here?” She thought “was that Asia girl serious?” she muttered “Are you not listening to me?!” Mr. Hannibal yelled Maxine panicked “yes I was...well kind if I got most of it…but it’s not my fault…honest” Maxine muttered. Her father went to open his mouth to start again when “Hello I’m Todd Ray from The Venice Beach Freak Show, I Assume you are Mr. Hannibal.” He said with a friendly smile. Maxine’s father turned around and looked at Todd Ray rather disgusted. “Is that so, well you can be moving along” He said bitterly before turning back to Maxine. She looked up a Todd apologetically with her blue green eyes and then to the ground awaiting for her father to continue to rant. A light blush crept onto her face. As she sheer embarrassment of being yelled at and cowering like a whipped dog was too much.

“I don’t think you understand Mr. Hannibal, your daughters got a very special talent, and is the most flexible woman in the world…possibly the most flexible person in the world period.” Todd said “She’s Special Mr. Hannibal you should be very proud” The Woman who looked a bit like Asia added giving Maxine a warm smile. Maxine smiled back at her slowly but it faded soon as her father whirled back around. “We don’t need advice from your kind of people.” He said “Your kind of people?” The Pale man muttered now glaring at Mr. Hannibal. Maxine’s eyes wandered up to him. She had seen lot of Goth kids when she was younger, it was a fading trend of style nowadays however. And she had been told by her parents that they were Devil worshipers and delinquents. Enough Horror stories to freak her out even if she was old enough now to know deep down none of that was true. “She’s you’re Kid, She’s just broken a world record and you’re out here bitc-” He continued to rant until Asia covered his mouth “Morgue!” she gasped as she did so. Maxine watched the group confused. “Mr. Hannibal I’m interested in hiring your daughter to perform in our show…My daughter Asia is a Performer herself, and a Contortionist among other things…and we are very proud of her. I know what it’s like to” Mr. Hannibal puffed up like an angry bear “are you trying to tell me how to raise my daughter?” He asked sharply “No not at all” Todd said calmly. “Raise her!” Rita said stomping over finally done with talking to Marcy she stood next to Maxine “She’s 20 years old, 21 in a few months…you are done raising her! Now, now you just hinder her that is what you do!” Rita spat pointing Maxine looked up at Rita with wide eyes “Rita” she gasped “well someone needed to say it.” Rita bit back. “Maxie could be great if you’d let her be!” Rita added. Mr. Hannibal leered at her. “Maxine” He said turning to his daughter, Maxine shrunk back further and further under her father gaze. Her eyes darting between her father, Rita, Asia and Todd Ray, and the rather scary looking man. He watched her with a dull expression on his face, her eyes then drifted to the man with the mop of shaggy red hair. His eyes were calm and caught hers and a wave of tranquility rushed over her. “Maxine?” Mr. Hannibal asked again, Asia glared at him walking away from her own father she pushed by Maxine’s father and stood at the dazed and cowering girl’s side. Rita whom stood at the other side of Maxine smile at Asia before both girls turned a hard gaze on Mr. Hannibal. Asia rubbed Maxine’s back.

“I- um” Maxine said confused, what did he want from her, he had not asked her a question and yet he looked down at her as if she had. It was pointless because anything that she could say would only make him madder. Maxine shook her head wide eyed and mouth ajar. “Very well, you listen to whatever these people have to say for you” Mr. Hannibal said turning sharply to walk off. A small smile slowly crept onto Maxine’s face, had he really just let it go? The scary looking man Todd Ray and the woman who had to be Asia’s mother walked over behind the three girls. Maxine looked over her shoulder at them, Asia had a grin on her face as she looked up at the scary man who held an amused smirk on his face. Asia’s mother rubbed Maxine’s shoulder “from here on in you are no longer apart of the Hannibal family” Mr. Hannibal added. Maxine’s heart dropped to the bottom of her gut “Wh-what?” Maxine stammered “you can’t do that!” Asia called after Mr. Hannibal but he kept walking, Maxine watched him with wide watery eyes as her father got into his car and road away. “Disowned?” Maxine thought, her breathing became labored and her hands began to shake. “Someone get me a paper bag or something” Rita called out helping Maxine sit down on the ground as she concentrated on breathing. “Why? What’s wrong?” Asia asked her eyes darting between Maxine and Rita. The Representative of Genius and Zlata rushed to Maxine’s side “You there go get the onsite medic” The Rep called out, “she’s having a panic attack” Todd said also kneeling before Maxine soon it seemed everybody did so. Maxine was mildly shocked at the reaction from the strangers. The Medic came back with a paper bag and Maxine quickly snatched it up breathing into it, her eyes closed. Rita brushed away some hair from Maxine’s face, and Asia rubbed her back. Tears slipped down Maxine’s face “no, now come on don’t do that” Todd said quickly. “Your dads a jerk, you shouldn’t waste your emotions on them, the guy doesn’t deserve them” Maxine looked up at the scary man as he spoke she lowered her bag and through gasping spoke “Who are you?” she looked around “all of you…It’s not that I’m not grateful…it’s just” She went on Todd laughed “you don’t have to explain we get it, it’s ok. We’ll let the medics and your friend here take care of you, and talk later” He added standing up, Rita and Asia helped Maxine to her feet. The two girls handed Maxine over to the Medics, as she was led away Maxine stole a glance back at the odd group.