One Of The Others

She was sitting inside a cage, and from what she could remember from most of her life, she had always been in a cage. She didn't really hate or particularly liked her situation but she did wonder how would it be to get to roam outside. To have freedom, to be one of them. Freedom, as a concept on a whole, was something she didn't quite comprehend. She knew hunger, she knew the affection and she also knew what being afraid felt like but she didn't really know much else. She didn't have a notion of much else.

But really, she did wonder sometimes how it felt to be one of those people, the ones who got to roam around free. The ones, who got to feel the grass and the dirt on their feet, who got to feel sunshine undisturbed by the glass. The ones, who could do anything they wanted, the people who had the freedom. She didn't have it, freedom, she didn't have that.

She was born in captivity and she never knew what freedom was but when she looked out, to those people, she knew that she wanted that. She didn't want many things in life. She never had, her wishes and wants were rather simple. Food was something she needed, a little attention was something she craved, and affection she could readily give and take. It was not in her nature to demand or need anything more complex than that but now she needed more. Now she wished to have freedom, the freedom that the others had and she didn't.

She looked outside her cage, the others were milling about and looking at beings like her, not quite like her but still like her. They too didn't have the freedom, only the others did. She didn't know what joy they gathered by looking at them but it must be something amazing that they felt when they looked at them. If it was up to her though, she didn't think she would put anyone inside cages to be looked at. The earth was everyone's, it was a little unfair that some were put in cages and others weren't. The world belonged to all of them, not just one of the kinds.

A woman, in white clothing, came in front of her cage. She was grinning, her smile mocking in its nature as she looked at her. The woman, one of the others, sneered at her.

"Stupid dumb beast!"

The woman was laughing at her, she, herself, didn't do anything but look at the woman. She was used to this, a lot of the others came here to mock beings like them. She still didn't see what the appeal was to mock those that were caged. Did they like looking down on them? Did they like feeling above and protected outside the cages? She didn't understand the others, they were complex beings, with complex wants. Beings like her though, they weren't that complex, they were rather simple.

"Look at you! Such an ugly beast!

The woman in white was mocking her again. She didn't look at the woman again and turned her face away looking at the bare walls of her cage. She would go away eventually and just like she thought the woman did go away after a while of her not reacting to her. What the woman thought, she would do was beyond her. It wasn't like they spoke the same language. They couldn't understand each other and even if she, herself wanted to tell that woman off, she couldn't. It was just how things were.

After a while another visitor came to her, it was that little girl who always came to visit her cage. The little one seems to enjoy her company, always looking at her with adoration and affection. She didn't know why the little one liked her so much but she enjoyed her awe and adoration nonetheless.

"I am back. I missed you so much, Kara!"

The little one babbled at her some more and beamed at her when she came towards the child, touching the glass of the cage separating them. She liked the little one, if it was up to her she would only have others like little one visiting her. The little one put her much smaller and different hands on the glass of the cage, mirroring her hands, her own hands seemed to dwarf the little ones. It was a very intimidating contrast, yet the little one wasn't afraid. The child just beamed at her and talked at her more.

Without realizing, the lull of the little one's voice has made her relaxed in her position but then the little had to go and she watched morosely as the child left.

"I will be back Kara! I promise! I would beg mum to take me back here again! Bye! I love you!"

When the little one was gone and she was left alone again, she went back inside the cage towards the walls and settled herself for a long evening. She closed her eyes, dozing a bit. Oh, how she wished she could go to the little one's den. Maybe then she would have the freedom and if not that maybe the child's affection would make up for it.

Oh, how she wished.

When she opened her eyes again, she felt jarred. She felt inexplicable not herself, yet still herself. She awoke slowly, her limbs clumsy and weak. She got up shakily and felt herself stumble and fall. She looked down herself and found creamy soft skin. She startled and examined her body again. She was not who she was, she was not what she was. Her bulky hairy body had changed and became smaller and barer in nature. Her skin had changed too and she didn't know how that was so.

She looked at herself again and she realized what had changed, she had become one of them. The others, she had become one of them. She was one of the others now. She was wearing their skin. It was amazing, now she could go out. She was one of them now. Surely they would let her have freedom if she was one of them! She could meet the little one and not be in this cage.

She smiled, her facial muscles feeling strange at the effect and then she wanted. She wanted, she wanted so much more now. Now that she was one of them, she wanted to have everything they could. She wanted and she wanted, she wanted more than just freedom now.