The Little Cheeseboy

Chapter 4

Katrina lept on her fours as she made her way into the forest which scared and confused Isabel but the thought of seeing her mother was simply too bittersweet. 

Katrina led the way until she told Kevin to part ways which led Isabel to frown, this was it, she was going to die that she was alone with the crazy cat lady and stinky cheese boy. 

"Now you two go down until you see what should look like city lights there they will be able to help you," Katrina explained. 

"What city lights I only see trees?" Isabel asked slightly annoyed. 

"Trust me you will see them now I must go to distract Munink," she said but the cheese boy grabbed her hand. 

"Thank you, Katrina," he said smiling.

 "I swore to protect you, little brother, but now you must go," she said as she lept out of the forest and back into the circus. 

"Come on let's go," the cheese boy said as he began walking down the forest. 

Isabel followed him eyeing his features which were slightly human. His eyes seemed humanly shaped and his smile formed to a human expression which weirded Isabel out. 

"I'm Hugo by the way," he said not looking back. 

"Isabel...my name is Isabel," she said trying not to stutter at his sudden approach to her. 

"Nice to meet you, Isabel," he said turning around slightly to give her a smile. 

There it was again, the human expression Isabel could make out. 

"How are you...you know...?" Isabel began as curious to know why she was even doing this in the first place. 

"A cheese boy?" he said the last part as it hurt him. 

"It's a long story although to make it short...I was cursed into one by a witch who despised my mother for revenge," he said in a low tone. 

"Oh?" she said listening.

 "Anyhow why are you interested in coming?" he asked. 

"Come again?" she said raising a brow. 

"To see the clockmaker? I mean he is said to be a myth but why did you want to see him?" he asked looking at her curiously. 

"Well...it's personal," she said holding in the thought of her mother. 

"Oh but if I recall it has to do with a loved one...a lover?" he asked as a blush crept through Isabel's cheeks, she was only fourteen for freaking's sake! 

"So it is?" he asked noticing her face. 

"No, it is not a lover! I have never had one, I am only fourteen years old weirdo," she said feeling upset.

 "Not a lover then maybe a close relative-"  

"Stop guessing we have a journey to make! Now do you actually know how to find this clockmaker or not?" she asked as she stomped her feet on the grass below her. 

"I do in theory. I have a journal," he said taking out a notebook from his mouth which made Isabel gag a bit. 

"Katrina is sending us off to Frelanidia which is the freak town to take a train," he explained looking through the notes. 

"There are freak towns?" Isabel asked curiously thinking about her father's stories. 

"Of course there are I've been here a lot," he explained. 

Suddenly Isabel saw the lights the cat woman had been speaking made out of lightbulbs instead of candles, they looked beautiful and breathtaking. 

"There they are," Hugo said as if it were nothing new but Isabel looked at them with wonder and awe. "Wow," she said as she admired the town. 

"Wait till you see the actual town," Hugo said smiling. The town smelled of charcoal and lavender which was oddly pleasing as they got nearer. 

Isabel eyed the town until she found herself already in it full of wonder as she examined every inch of it. The buildings stood tall yet covered by the trees, there was a sense of home as she touched the wooden gate that stood in front of the town with an angel guard similar to Kevin in front of it. 

"What's the password?" he said as he crossed his muscular arms.

 "All hail the freaks," Hugo said which Isabel cringed. 

"Who's the girl though?" he asked eyeing Isabel with some disdain. 

"She's with me," Hugo said plainly. "Fine come in," he said opening the wooden gates. 

"I didn't know a place like this would ever exist," she said as she went in. The buildings were made out of wood rather than bricks with a steampunk touch to them. 

The steampunk yet jazzy and swing music flowed the streets since all freaks were singing and dancing in taverns and clubs. The lights changed colors constantly and there were chandeliers made out of lightbulbs that spread through the streets illuminating them as well. 

"Here freaks can come and be themselves despite their differences," Hugo explained as he walked.

 "It's so beautiful," she said under her breath as she eyed the vast town that flooded with all sorts of people and creatures. 

"I know it's close to home," he said as he walked into the town. 

"We gotta change those clothes though if we want you to blend in or else you'll get kicked out," he said looking for something until his face lit up. 

"I know where we can go," he said grabbing her wrist with his sticky hand and dragging her across the town. 

Suddenly he took her to a small building that read Freak Boutique on the wooden pink and blue sign that hung outside. 

"What are we doing here?" Isabel asked curiously.

 "Changing your appearance," Hugo explained. 

"But I love my clothes," she said holding her skirt. 

"You don't have a choice at this point," he said plainly. They both went inside the store which gave an aura to a weird monster and steampunk store but Isabel could only admire it. 

Suddenly Hugo rang the bell on the front desk until Isabel turned around to see a familiar face. 

"Amy?" she asked as the clown girl looked at her. "Isabel what are you doing here?" she asked raising a brow. 

"Munink," Hugo said simply but it was enough for Amy to know. 

"Come we need to disguise you," she said as she jumped over and began looking for something Isabel could wear. 

"So you are an actual clown...all of you?" Isabel asked. 

"Yes we all are but on the bright side I don't need to do my makeup since I have it naturally," she said with a small laugh as she continued looking around. 

"Hey Amy who you talking to?" another voice. 

"Customers Mini," Amy explained until a small girl with blue hair and green ballerina tutu came in with a pile of fabric. 

"Hugo what are you doing here?" she asked with a smile. 

"Hey Mini Ballerina," he said smiling back. 

"Who's that? Got a girlfriend already?" she said with a smirk. 

"Isabela here needs to head out...Munink," Amy said with a worried sigh.

 "Oh poor girl but what does that have to do with you Hugo...are you two?!" she said gasping. 

"NO, IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT! We are looking for the clockmaker," he said sighing with his cheeks red from embarrassment. 

Isabel's cheeks were red scarlet too and she cringed at the thought of being paired with a freak. 

"Aha! I found it," Amy said as she pulled out a similar blue dress to Isabel's with a red lace around the waist and no patches. 

"Put this on quickly," Amy said shoving her into a dressing room. 

Isabel eyed the dress, she had never put on something so new before or had anything new for the matter. 

Her mother had sewn all her dresses since she was little and her aunt Mary would send her used dresses from her cousin Nadia but that stopped once her mother passed away. Isabel took off her old blue dress leaving her in her undergarments until she put on the nice blue dress. It felt soft around her waist as she tied the red lace around her it and put on her same striped leggings and black shoes and leaving her same blue bow in her hair.

 "How do I look?" she said as she came out of the dressing room. 

"Good although something is missing," Mini Ballerina said. 

"I know what, wait a minute," Amy said going to the back until she returned with a box with makeup. 

"Oh no that's my limit to this," Isabel said crossing her arms.

 "I'm not asking," Amy said as she pressed a red button that sat Isabel strapped to a chair. 

"Ugh let go!" Isabel said as she tried setting herself free. 

"No, you need this to blend in more. With my special makeup formula, you'll look little to no human, Amy explained. 

"NO!!!" Isabel yelled again but Amy began working on her face adding bits of makeup as Isabel struggled to move away. After a couple of minutes, Amy lifted her brush. 

"Done!" she said handing Isabel a mirror. Her eyes looked bluer with the black eyeliner and eyeshadow and her cheeks were rosy red with her lips as well, she did look different...prettier. 

"Wow," she said eyeing herself. 

"This makeup won't wear off until after a week which should be enough until this whole Munink thing passes. He doesn't stay with a target that much that will only waste his time but you being with Hugo may change that," she said rubbing her chin. 

"Um..." Isabel said frowning. "You'll be fine," Mini chimed in. 

"Now you two must go," Amy said smiling. "Thank you for this," Isabel said. 

"Anytime," she said as both Hugo and Isabel exited the store. 

"Where to now?" Isabel asked.

 "To the train station, we need to go to another freak town called Boulderwich and meet someone there that can give us answers on the clockmaker," he explained.

 "Ok, where is the train station?" Isabel asked until Hugo pointed behind her and there it was the biggest train station she had ever seen compared to the one she had ridden with her father. 

There stood the biggest train she had ever seen long and sturdy with steam blowing from the top of its head. It carried around twenty sections and had lights that illuminated the train majestically. 

"Let's go before it leaves," Hugo said as he began running towards the train and Isabel followed. This had been from one normal day to a weird and freaky one.