My little brother the giant. Part 2

 Rocío Cumplido González (cc) 2020 #preHalloweenstory #storiesforchildren #family

My little brother, the giant. Part two

I wait until granny’s snoring wakes up the neighbor’s cat to open the window and go out.

“Where can he be?” I think as I pray that the sheets from Ben’s crib hold me until I’m on the ground.

And when I hit it, I see it. A poker card stuck between the bricks.

“I know where Ben is!” I shout as I take my bike. “He must be there!”

I ride fast, without pressing the brakes, and when I pass the old bridge, I see the unexpected circus of Zazel.

************

“I’m not afraid,” I try to convince myself as I walk in the dark between the tents.

“I’m not afraid,” I repeat when the roar of a lion makes me jump ten feet in the air.

“I’M NOT, NOT, NOT AFRAID!”

“It doesn’t look like it,” says the voice of a girl from I don’t know where.

“You should have come during the day,” she adds. “In the light, this place even seems fun.”

“Who are you?” I ask.

“It should be me who asks that,” she asserts. “I’m not the stranger here, you are. But come closer if you dare, I’ll tell you then.”

 I follow the voice until I slam my face against the bars of a cage.

“Sorry,” she says, although at the same time she laughs. “You should have seen them, it’s not that dark.”

I’m about to tell her something, but when my eyes get used to the dark and I see her, I can’t.

She’s the girl that my friend said, the little girl with hair all over her face.

“I’m the bearded child,” she confirms. “But when the show is over and the lights are off, I’m just Eliz and nothing more.”

Clumsily, I tell her my name and ask her, “Have you seen my brother Ben?”

“The giant boy is your brother?”

I nod.

“Of course I’ve seen him!” she affirms. “Zazel said that he found him lost and offered him a true home.”

I stare at the ground, but not because of her face.

“But I don’t think he’s going to like it here,” she assures as she takes my hand. “No one here really does.”

I can see a tear in the corner of her eyes, holding on but without getting out.

“We stay in our cages all day long and only go out before the show. When it’s over, we are back here again. Every day is the same.”

I promise to help her and the others once Ben is safe, but she doesn’t seem to believe in what I just said.

“It’s a pinky swear, ok?” I insist. “I’ll find Ben, then my parents, and we’ll come back to help.”

She hooks my finger and tells me where Zazel keeps Ben.

As I run away; I wish I had asked my parents or the police for help.

“I hope Zazel doesn’t find me first.”

************

I walk into the tent, and that’s where I hear a lament. “It’s Ben!”

He's in a bigger cage, crying his eyes out. He has formed a lake of tears around.

“Ben, it’s me!” I shout, but not too loud.

“Daddy, Dad?”

He looks up with hope.

“No, it’s ME, Adam,” I correct. “Your big brother.”

He turns his back on me so fast that he forms a tornado and makes me fall backwards.

“No brother,” he says. “Adam doesn’t like Ben.”

“I do!” I shout and yes, I do it loud. “I’m sorry for what I said, Ben. It’s that… I’m not used to be a big brother. I never was one.”

He looks at me now.

“But with your help, I’ll learn. Our daddies love you and I do too.”

“Don’t let him trick you,” murmurs a voice behind me. “Empty words never work.”

When I turn around, Zazel is right in front of me. He grabs me by the shirt and lifts me in the air.

“Telling tales to my new big attraction, right?”

Ben cries, louder this time.

“Oh no, no Ben,” says Zazel bitterly. “Don’t tell me you believe what he said.”

Zazel has a strange twinkle in his eyes.

“Remember, families want normal kids and you’re not. You don’t belong to their world.”

“He does!” I reply as I try to kick him.

“Really?”

Zazel’s laugh makes me tremble. “He’s like a mountain while you…, you’re like an ant.”

“He’s taller than me,” I accept. “But he’s my little brother and I’ll look after him!”

Finally, I kick him.

“Break the bars, Ben!” I yell as I run away from Zazel.

Once he’s out, I climb on top of Ben and we crawl fast after Zazel. However, he’s about to get in a car and escape, but then…

“Stop right there!” says a police officer blocking his way. “You won't hurt a child again.”

Seconds later, we see our daddies.

“Adam! Ben!” they shout.

They hug me and together we hug Ben. We are a family again!

****************

Soon, more police officers come to help and we get everyone out of their cage. Now they will find a family who loves them.

“You kept your pinky promise,” says Eliz, smiling. “And in the right order!”

“Yeah, that’s right,” I admit laughing.

Suddenly, the tears of her eyes fall.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Nothing, it’s that…” she stutters. “I don’t think there is a family for me. No one wants a child like me.”

“That’s not true!” I exclaim. And then, I feel a spark of magic in my head.

“You’ll be my little sister!” I declare. “I’ll look after you and Ben. Everything will be ok.”

“You should ask your daddies first,” she says. “Maybe they don’t want me there.”

“I'm sure, they’ll want,” I say. “Anyway, you leave them to me. Dad and Daddy are easy to convince, but just in case I’ll make a wish.”

The end.