just minishorts.

Go to Part 1 first if you haven't read it yet.

The trampling horses ran like the storm, and the earth that was kicked up left a trail of choking dust that betrayed the route of the caravans of the Travelling Animal Circus Troupe.

In the middle of the 30-odd caravans was a single, five by five foot box, and in it was a very, very sad orang utan. His name was Orgus, short for Orgusmarkeshvillamann (apparently its Swedish-Thai), and he was the resident star of of the troupe. He was shrouded in darkness, but he was at peace, his heart rocking to the running hooves of the stampeding horses.

Orgus most loved these times of travel. He didn't need to perform, and he didn't need to think about the huge crowds of people who found entertainment in jesting him. While being trapped in a five by five foot box robbed him of the freedom of movement, he was free to think, free to imagine, free to remember.

He had stopped dreaming of his freedom now, now that he was doomed to eternal slavery to the relentless and merciless Orc Horde. At places where the circus stopped for shows, Orgus would be led into the centre of the ring where he had to do all sorts of tricks. Sometimes he was met by approving rounds of applause. Usually, the audience loved him. But recently, he had become a tired circus freak. The last place he stopped, he was met with splattering rotten eggs, thrown tomatoes and angry boos. To top it up, after the show, his cruel owners gave him a very bad whipping.

As Orgus sat in the darkness, huge drops of tears started to roll down his hairy cheeks as he remembered his 'glorious past'. Oh, the days when he was still a young and handsome Orang Utan, king of the green green tropical jungles in the Niah National ParkSepilok Nature Resort (an overly enthusiastic fuckwit observer pointed this out to me)! He owned the forest, and the animals loved him to bits. Everything he said, and did, was a gem, and he was soon christened Mascot of the Year. The sound of his name 'Orgus', echoed across the animal nations, and there was nary a nation in Animal Kingdom who knew not who Orgus was.

And then, one day, everything changed. The horrible, horrible Travelling Animal Circus caught up with him, and decided that he belonged to them. Enticed by a huge huge huge bunch of bananas, apparently, a trophy for his wonderful talents, he walked into the five by five foot box that was damned to be his home for the rest of his life.

Today, he sat alone in his little box, knowing not where he was headed, dreading both light and darkness. He was left with only memories of a sad sad past, and knowing this made him even sadder.

The ancient Angsana Tree russled his leaves and sent a shower of them falling down on the tiny creature that sat on his roots.

'SHUT UP!' he boomed, his voice echoing through Taman Negara like the sonic of a threatening thunder. 'Haven't you said enough? The last time you spoke of the pink phenomenon, you caused an unwarranted uproar that shook the age-old harmonious ties between Taman Negara and Pets 'R Us, and now you're talking about the Travelling Animal Circus's impending arrival?'

Eshpie whimpered, and then began her shrill call again, 'But its true, its true. I saw it coming. I saw the caravan, the boxes, I saw a very sad old orang utan crying, and I bet it was Orgus that famous monkey from NiahSEPILOK… and then I saw more…'

'Who cares what you saw? In times like this, it is best you shut your yap. Like us,' said the ancient Rafflesia, that lay next to the Angsana Tree.

Eshpie's pointy ears perked up, and she rose her eyebrows. 'Is it true?'

'What?' boomed the Angsana Tree.
'That the two of you were once animals, like us… but you decided to animorph into plants that seldom spoke?'
'We still speak. Neutrality is the key. Not to comment where our comments are unwarranted. We're the wise ones.'
'Wise ones…'

'Aye, wise ones,' echoed the Rafflesia. 'Long time ago, before the time of the Travelling Animal Circus, we were here before, except, we were the wild bear, and the wild ox… and we were loud, we were brash… and then, our names got out far and loud…'

'And then, came the birth of the Travelling Animal Circus… that horrible, horrible circus troupe that has no mercy to animals…' said the Angsana.

'…or elves,' the Rafflesia continued.

'Especially elves like you.'

Eshpie cried, 'But when I see, when I know, I cannot keep my mouth shut! I must say something!'

'Don't you even care for your own reputation?' asked the Angsana Tree. 'You must learn how to meditate, and you must learn how to become from an elf, to a… a… bunga raya…'

'That is absurd! I am no ancient meditating elf. I have the Gift of Foresight, and since you will not help me, you will not say anything, I will say it and I will warn the animals, especially Tang the Tiger, about the coming of the Travelling Animal Circus.'

She left in an angry huff. The Angsana and the Rafflesia continued to sway in the still air of the tropical jungle. The Rafflesia sighed, 'This elf cannot be saved.'

Angsana said the wise line, 'We will be silent. Let them that have to be captured, be captured.'

Doom was casting His evil shroud over the jungles of Taman Negara, and the trees would be silent as a sign to the minions in the jungle. Unfortunately, the minions were hardly intelligent enough to realize the prudence of silence.

'You are very annoying, you know that?' growled Tang the Tiger, who was awoken from his slumber by the shrill nagging of Eshpie the shorts-wearing Elf. 'Will you like, let it rest already. I have said my piece, Pinky has said her piece, I believe, and now you're telling me about what stupid Circus? It doesn't even exist, my dear. I've never heard of it in my entire life.'

Eshpie slumped in resignation. She had tried every resource available to warn the haughty tiger of his approaching doom, but it seemed like Tang was basking in his newfound glory too much to even bother about the near future.

'What ever. It's just a vision. Maybe it's a dream, dear. Dreams may, or may not happen,' said the Tiger. 'Honey, you worry too much, and you talk too much. Sometimes, I think it best, you keep your insightful thoughts to yourself.'

'But but but…'
'No buts, babe. You're known, darling, for being misunderstood, and frankly, this is one time that I'm only too glad to MISUNDERSTAND YOU. A Travelling Circus that kidnaps famous and outstanding animals? Oh baby, if they take me into their folds, it'll just mean that I'm THERE. Now what's so bad about it?'

It was hopeless to convince Tang that being a slave to the Travelling Animal Circus Troupe WAS a bad thing. Eshpie finally said, 'Fine. It's up to you. Don't say I didn't warn you.'

And off she went, deciding that maybe she could defy 'fate', running off to her little house at the edge of Taman Negara to pack up her goodies and ready to fly far far away from it all.'

Tang stared at the disappearing figure of the shorts-wearing elf, and roared a hearty laugh. 'Ptui! Travelling circus pulak… what nonsense, that girl thinks too highly of herself…'

He strutted back in his haughty trot, back into the cave when suddenly, a delicious whiff of meat drifted past his nostrils.

'Is that what I smell it is?' thought the Tiger, and eagerly, he decided to follow and seek the origins of this meat trail. It was a churl-inducing, mouth watering aroma that went, 'Come here, come here', and Tang the Tiger, having gone on a diet of peas and porridge for days, just COULD NOT RESIST the amazing smell.

He didn't even notice the dead silence that had filled that corner of Taman Negara. There were no sounds of birds, no sounds of insects, just a very eerie calm that shrouded the condoned area with a sense of fear.

But Tang was oblivious to this. He walked, and he walked. And then he arrived in a clearing where all the trees were gone, and there was a wonderful, wonderful pile of meat spread on the ground.

'FOOD!' He snarled and his claws extended to pounce on the food, and then suddenly, it was pitch-black.

Eshpie could feel her heart pounding. She hurriedly drew up the curtains in her little home and proceeded to stuff as many things as she possibly could into a huge bag. Never mind that the bag was almost too big for her to carry, she just had to leave with every single possession worth TN Dinars that she could take away.

Either that or she knew that no matter what she did, the impending doom was unavoidable.

Just then, a sharp rattle at the door made her jump out of her elvish shoes.

'Who's there…' murmured the terried Eshpie, although SHE KNEW who it was. She knew, and now, she moved silently to the living room, looking at closed door, and fearing the thing that stood behind it.

'You know who we are…' came the frightening voice of the Orc Horde leader. 'You know and you are ready…'

Eshpie closed her eyes, and knew that it was time. 'Come in then. I have been waiting.'

It was inevitable.

The End.

Or is it?

Special thanks to ST and Wendy (OMG OMG I PUT YOUR NAMES TOGETHER WAHAHA!) for sportingly agreeing to star in this sequel. Thumbs up to Kenny for thinking up his own moniker Orgusve-wha-wha-wha.

Folks, these people are damn open-minded-lah, this is the true spirit of blogging I guess and that's why they're such biggies over here.

Big big hugs to Elaine and FS for trying to stop me from going ahead with this no-brainer. Slurpy kisses on Vince and Edrei for telling me 'Ah heck with it publish it lah!'

If this ever becomes a book (in my dreams) I'll dedicate it to all these special-mentioned.

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