Ben sat by the fire, warming himself and daydreaming about the wonderful town, when he spotted a figure in the distance. He knew what it was right away: The creatures that were called "Freaks" in the notebook. They were 8 foot tall creatures with scaly skin and long horns that began from their forehead to a few inches above their heads. They were everywhere, the only living things that he had ever seen while on his travels. Some walked in groups, while the rest sat and watched the world go by. Some followed until they just stopped, but most didn't seem to see him at all.

The ground shook with each step it took towards Ben, its eyes aglow with intelligence. Its large claws held one of the white masks, and it stepped on the fire, putting it out. The freak didn't even seem to notice. Ben had read about how they were extremely violent if one didn't behave. The freak reached out one of its sharp claws, gripping the side of Ben's face. The claw scratched his face slightly and it began to bleed, but he gripped the claws nevertheless and stared into the eyes of the creature.

It glanced down at the masks scattered on the ground, then gently lifted its claws from Ben's face, pointing them in a certain direction. Ben looked, and as the moon glowed it's silver light and lit his path, he understood. He decided that whether or not they had killed or destroyed everything he knew, he didn't hate these creatures.

'Sometimes, I get the feeling they are as homeless as I am.' Ben grabbed his bag, and with a last glance back at the "freak", he went on his way. He decided to camp nearby for the time being, as it had started to get chilly. The rest faded into nothingness as he drifted off to sleep.

.

.

.

Jerking awake with a gasp, Ben glanced around wildly. He didn't sleep as well anymore. Sometimes he didn't sleep at all. He felt as if something didn't make sense, as if something was missing from the picture. Ben packed his things and began walking again. He was getting closer, he could feel it. The masks, the rotting flesh of the people, they were getting more frequent.

But the more he thought about it, the less it made sense. All these people, going the same way, trying to leave from the same direction. A place so pretty and perfect. Why?

Why would they leave?

And suddenly, on the hill that he stood on, as the fresh morning air hit his face, he saw it. The towering dark building, the town that surrounded it. He was finally there. He had found the paradise he has searched for all this time. He walked down the hill, into the lit town that somehow seemed to be dark nevertheless...

Two children, a brother and sister, seemed to be playing in the small garden of their home. The girl held up her mask and tried it on from different angles, while the boy played with his toys. And as he approached, both looked up from their daydream and the looks of horror took place of the childish smiles. The girl seemed more curious than afraid, however..

"Look! Its a freak!" The boy cried out.