All We Need

I got the sense no one really wanted to be here. Maybe they were like me. Not wanting to sacrifice their dignity, but too desperately needing the money. We’d step onto the stage and the crowd would stare at us transfixed by wonder. They’d cheer and encourage, but not in any genuine way. It was like a whole crowd of people who want to pretend to be your friends to collect gems they can use to make fun of you later. I could picture them now in their warm, cozy living rooms with glasses of wine and bourbon, throwing back their heads with laughter as they remembered how odd that one creature looked with the giant banana shaped head. That banana headed man did look strange, I’ll admit, but they aren’t seeing what we all see behind stage. They aren’t seeing his regretful expression and shaky hands. 

Casper whimpered and I scratched behind his ear. The silky, softness of his light gray fur always put me at ease. As he leaned into my touch, his silver wings twitched and sparkled in the dull backstage lights. 

“We should go. I don’t want to put you through this,” I whispered. 

“You know,” a man sitting next to me said. “They say magicians make the best lovers.” 

“Oh really? I’ve always heard the opposite.” I was not in the mood for this. 

“Well, you must hang out with idiots cause I happen to know it’s true.” 

I rolled my eyes. 

“You see, a magician’s best trick is–” 

“Disappearing? I love that one.” 

He frowned. Even his curled mustache seemed to frown with him. Then he laughed much too loud and stood. “You think someone like me would be interested in someone like you? You disgust me.” 

The others sitting behind the stage with us turned to look. What a creep. I pretended as best I could to have nothing to do with it. I turned to the man with the same confusion at his outburst that they all had. 

“What happened to you?” A woman’s voice said with disgust plain in each word. 

With a sigh of relief, I noticed it had nothing to do with me. She directed it at a boy who looked half bear. His body was fur covered, but his face looked mostly human. He had bear ears and a bear nose though. 

The boy sounded irritated when he said, “A lab. You could go to make genetically perfect kids. This one family in my parent's neighborhood created the most beautiful boy in the world. Everyone got jealous and wanted to beat them, but didn’t know how. They decided since animals are cuter than people, why not try there? So I was created.” 

“Seems like the lab peaked and went downhill fast.” The woman made no attempt to be polite. The people backstage seemed as bad as the spectators. 

The woman was wrong though. He was very beautiful. 

Casper turned to look at me with eyes so full of life they made me cry. 

“Was he made in the same lab?” The boy asked. He was referring to Casper. 

“I don’t know where he came from.” 

I didn’t, but I wouldn’t have told anyone even if I did. The moment I met Casper, I knew I needed to protect him. This incredible dragon dog was unlike anything I’d seen. I stood up and gestured for Casper to follow. Though we needed money, this wasn’t the way to do it. I needed to protect him. That meant emotionally too. People were cruel. 

Casper stood close to my height. His wings tucked in as he walked beside me. The boy looked at us, and loneliness crashed over my soul like a tidal wave. For a moment, I considered asking him to join us, but I shook those thoughts from my head. That wouldn’t be safe. 

We left the theater and took a backway through alleyways until we reached the woods. Once in the woods, I always made sure we took a long, meandering way. A different way each time. I stayed alert for any snapping twigs or crunching leaves. No one could follow us. 

Finally we made our way home. Home was a rundown abandoned building. The brick sides were crumbling. Pieces were fully missing. We walked to the fullest corner of the building where I stored my tent under a black tarp that blended with the darkness. I popped up the tent and covered the top with the tarp for extra warmth and water protection. Home at last. My breathing finally became slow and relaxed. Maybe Casper and I didn’t need any more than this. 

While Casper hunted, I built a small fire. Against my pleas not to, my mind spiralled down memory lane. I thought of delicious chicken dinners, mashed potatoes smothered in gravy, buttery vegetables, and tender steaks. A whooshing of wings woke me from my thoughts. Casper landed with four squirrels dangling from his mouth. I stabbed them with wooden spears and set them to roast above the flames. What would Casper think of vegetables or steaks? With a sigh, I stopped myself from going down this path of thoughts. This kind of thinking led to me doing things that weren’t in our best interest like shows. What I needed was a way to make money that also kept Casper safe from people who wanted to destroy anything unique. 

We ate our roasted squirrels, enjoyed some boiled pond water with mint leaves, and then curled up in the tent. Together we kept each other warm. Well, Casper probably did more of the heating, but at least he had that thick fur to help him. 

In the night, I dreamed up a plan. Through my time in the woods, I had learned to carve small sculptures of wood. Perhaps I could sell them in the market. I’d buy Casper the best meal I could find, and save up for a small home. Maybe we could buy one of those fancy sheds and add insulation. I smiled thinking about adding a little space heater and maybe a grill to cook. 

In the morning, I stepped out of the tent and stretched. The air felt brisk, which made me grateful I collected fire supplies the night before. I stared out at the sunset, and my heart caught in my throat. The bear boy stood outside watching me. How did he find me? Why? 

I considered slipping back into the tent and pretending I was never there, but I knew that would only delay the inevitable confrontation. 

“What are you doing here?” I asked. 

He didn’t say anything. 

“This is my home and I’m asking you nicely to leave now.” I reached for a rusty sword I had found one day and kept by the tent. 

Even if he left, this was no longer our home. We wouldn’t be safe here anymore. Tears streamed down my face as I realized how much I loved our home. Should I invite him to stay instead? Would kindness help more? 

“Seems you’ve found a nice spot.” 

I shivered. 

“I’ve been looking for a place. Been on my own since six and it’s hard to come by a nice place so lovely as this.” There was an aggressiveness in his tone. 

“It’s already occupied.” 

“For now.” 

What did that mean? 

We both froze as a growl rumbled from inside the tent. Casper stepped outside, bared his teeth and snarled at the boy. The boy stepped back, stumbled over a root and tumbled to the ground. Casper needed to walk out of the building to stretch his wings. They spanned a length longer than the building allowed room for. Casper glided to the boy, grabbed him with his sharp clawed paws and lifted him into the air. 

I paced, trembled, and cried, waiting for Casper’s return. We had never been apart like this before. Finally I saw his body soaring through the air, with his shimmering wings flapping gracefully. I’d never know what happened to the boy. Casper couldn’t speak words. Though something in his face gave me the sense that we wouldn’t have to worry about him again. I threw my arms around Casper and buried my face into his soft fur. As long as we had each other, we’d be fine.