Chapter 3

Harley could feel herself shiver, the hair raise on the back of her neck. The cold bars were containing her in her tiny metal prison, and despite its diminutive size, she was only taking up about a quarter of it. She had her slim frame squeezed into a little ball in one corner, just waiting.

Then eventually some people appeared, though Harley was too busy covering her eyes to notice them, until one of them spoke.

"What is she?" a young boy asked.

"Can't you tell? She's half bunny half girl. Look at the ears," his companion replied.

"How wonderful. Come here rabbit, show us your face, we want to see your whiskers."

This only made Harley squeeze tighter into her ball and eventually they got bored and left.

"I can see your not going to be cooperative."

She knew that voice, and before she could stop herself she looked up at the familiarity of it.

"You are an attraction now, at least let them see your face," Cal smiled coolly.

Harley whipped her head around and turned her back to him, trying to prevent the angry tears that were welling in her eyes from falling down her face. What did he know? She was and would never be some damn attraction.

"Fine if you refuse to show your body we shall show it for you," and with that he left.

Harley could feel the cold sweat roll down her back. What did he mean by that last comment? Surely he wouldn't ... he couldn't possibly ... Harley stopped herself from thinking about it. She put her head on her knee and ignored everyone for the rest of the night.

"Honey, if you're gonna half that sour puss attitude, you're just gonna make it harder for yourself here," a high pitch voice from behind her said.

Harley, curious, turned around to see the speaker. There stood the strangest human Harley had ever seen. Half was woman, long flowing hair, a large perky breast, thin, trim leg, and if only that half was viewed, she would be completely drop dead gorgeous. And as beautiful as the right half of her was, the left half was just as handsome. His hair was trimmed short, a mustache only took up the left side of his face, his arm and leg were muscular.

He/she was wearing a tight piece of clothing, leaving all limbs exposed, half was sparkly and feminine and half was black and manly. "Now honey, aren't you just the cutest thing. I can see why Calhoun has taken such a liking to you."

Harley just stared, not saying anything, only mildly in the back of her mind did she recognize she was being rude, but that part of her just didn't care.

"I've made you something to wear that will properly show off all your assets in all the right ways. I'm kind of the unofficial seamstress here. I have experience since I have to make all my own clothes." She spun around with her arms spread out, showing off the garment she was currently wearing.

"Come on now, let's get you out of there," she said, simply pulling on the lock and opening the door. Harley stared in amazement and mild anger; the door hadn't even been locked the whole time? Then what with the rouse of even having a lock?

"Come on now, don't be shy," the strange person waved their hand into the cage, beckoning Harley forward. She scooted out of the cage, coming to stand next to the half man half woman.

"Oh, how silly of me to have forgotten to introduce myself. I'm V, and I already know who you are, Harley. Everyone is really curious about you. Come on now," she waved again when she realized that Harley hadn't been following her.

"Right through here," she said, opening a tent flap and leading her across the little clearing. Before, when Cal had led her, she had been too concentrated on him to notice anyone else, but now she took the time to look around. At first glance they looked to be just a normal group of people, but anyone could plainly see the oddballs mixed in; the bearded lady, the midget, the strongest man.

Harley passed two men whom she recognized as the ones who kidnapped her, and they at least had the decency to avoid her eyes.

"Here's where I stay," V said opening up a little trailer and hustling Harley inside. There was fabric and thread strewn about everywhere, not to mention the piles and piles of clothes stacked up, filling the room to its capacity.

Harley found a little space for herself among the jumble, standing there awkwardly. "Okay, now just let me see where I put that," V said rifling through the piles, fabric flying this way and that. "Oh, yes, over here," she said suddenly standing up and going to the other corner of the room, and instantly lifting up a little scrap of baby blue.

"What's that?" Harley asked.

"What's this? Silly, it's your costume," V announced proudly, shoving it at Harley, "Try it on and see how it fits, I'm pretty good at guessing sizes, but I can alter it if need be."

Harley took the little thing and held it up. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was two pieces. The top looked like a corset, but so short that there was no way it would even cover her belly button, and the bottoms looked like men's trousers, except unthinkably tight and short, barley long enough to cover her. The whole thing was decked out in lace and fancy embroidering; it would really be quite nice if there were only more of it.

"I can't wear this," Harley said, trying to hand it back to V.

"Don't be silly," V said, "Of course you can, you have the figure for it."

"No, really, I appreciate you making it, but I couldn't."

"Come on, I'll show you how to put it on." V reached out to grab Harley's shoulders.

"No!" Harley shouted nervously stepping back, despite the fact that half of V was a woman, she couldn't ignore the other half that was all man.

"Fine it you don't want my help, but try it on anyway." Harley couldn't help but notice the way V's voice had gotten suspiciously lower, but since it had gone back to normal and instant later, she didn't think anything of it.

"Don't be shy, dear, we're both girls here, my male half is just for show really."

Harley still felt uneasy, but V had been so nice to her, she hesitantly started removing her dress, after all, she had acted like a woman the whole time.

She slipped out of her dress and unbuttoned her petticoat, pushing it down to her waist. She hesitated before taking it off completely, though, not liking the way V was looking at her with greedy eyes. Just then, however, the door burst open.