Hunchback

By Linda M. Teppler

Maniacal laughter was the high point of most evil scientists repertoir. Kinkajous Master was no different. A brilliant idea would start with a snort, a chuckle, a chuff, and then an outright snuffling laughter that went through Kinkajous teeth and made his eyes twitch in pain. Kinkajou was careful to keep the laboratory tidy. Every piece of machinery immaculate, every part in its place. It didn’t really matter. Master was as short tempered as he was ambitious. In a rage he was apt to throw things from one end of the laboratory to the other, especially when Kinkajou couldn’t find something fast enough.

Kinkajou himself was about four feet high with a severely crooked spine and a hunch that caused him to crane his neck around awkwardly when he wanted to look around. There were faded memories of his mother and father. A few flashes of faces, and a memory of a man saying “You don’t have to worry, I’ll take good care of him.”

The next thing Kinkajou remembered was bringing a heavy tray up to Masters lab. Pushing the door open with his foot, he scuttled inside before the heavy door closed on him. Master always took the cup of coffee without looking at it. He had drilled Kinkajou on how to make it so many times there was no way Kinkajou could get it wrong. The tray got lighter over the years, but Master never took any further notice of Kinkajou unless he needed something. Kinkajou did his best to make sure he knew what Master wanted and to have it ready before Master asked. A piece of machinery, a chemical, a cord, a switch ready to be thrown. Even…things. Living things.

Kinkajou shuddered as he delivered the cage up the elevator. He had peeked inside to make sure that it was still alive. He had seen a metal frame in the laboratory. The frame was roughly person shaped. The creature in the cage was moving. He pushed it into the corner of the lab and approached Master. For his trouble he got a rough kick.

“Get out! Get out! I have no time for you! Get my lunch! Good for nothing..pathetic!”

Kinkajou grit his teeth, swallowed his objections, and obligingly trotted down the stairs.

Hours later the little hunchback heard the bell from far down the stairs. He hurried, tripping slightly, trying to get back up to the laboratory as fast as possible. When he opened the heavy door he was dismayed to see the level of destruction. Equipment flung everywhere, splinters of wooden debris fallen in piles.

“Kinkajou!” said s

He forced his face back to the man in the lab coat.

“Yes Master?”

“Get rid of that thing.”

Kinkajou saw the creature that the Master was referring to. It was twice as big as Master, had blue skin and patches of hair here and there. It was also naked and had fangs. It was shivering violently covered in bloody residue. Master obviously had only needed a limb off it. Gingerly Kinkajou picked up a large heavy iron bar and considered how to do it quickly.

“Hurry up you little parasite, I don’t want to be here all day!”

Kinkajou’s face twitched. He stared at the creature, jaw clenching in determination. He swung the bar as hard as he could.

“Who’s the parasite now?” he whispered.