[Big thanks to editor HollyGolightly for helping me with this one!]
The carnies had set up a small village of tents, shacks, and RVs on the outskirts of town. Their coming was, more or less, a yearly occurrence, and the townsfolk looked forward to it as with any other tradition, although this year there were whispers of something special. That kid Jimmy Woodard said he'd seen the carnies carrying a big cage into the purple tent overnight, although it was too dark to get a look at what was inside. By morning, a sign had been put up outside the tent, providing an answer:
See the Sasquatch! A living legend! Only 5$ each!
And underneath that was a smaller placard:
20$ to get into the after-dark show! Adults only!
Naturally, this piqued a lot of people's interest. Out here, a few people did indeed believe in the sasquatch, and a few even claimed to have seen it. Still, they weren't total rubes, and even the most die-hard believer still suspected that it was probably just a man in an ape suit, or a caged gorilla or something. But even the skeptics were lining up to see it. It was like clickbait. You suspect you'll be disappointed and angry, but you click anyway.
The people filed into the tent, paying their five dollars each, and taking their seats on a series of bleachers that had been up in a circle. In the middle of the tent was what looked like a large cage, with a heavy tarp over it. They could hear something moving inside the cage but weren't sure what.
Finally, the lights rigged up to the bleachers dimmed and the lights around the cage were all that was left. A young woman, maybe in her mid 20s, entered the tent through a back flap. "Afternoon, folks," she said, stepping into the light. "My name's Lizzie May, and I'm here to show you the Sasquatch."
Lizzie May was sex on legs. Long, slender, smooth legs, exposed by her cut-off jean shorts and stretching down to a pair of bright green Doc Martens. A green plaid shirt was knotted around her sizable breasts, pushing them up appealingly, and leaving her taught, muscular stomach bare. Above that, a slender neck and a pretty, open, smiling face with big green eyes and long pigtails, dyed a vivid purple.
"How are y'all doing today?" she asked the crowd. They gave a half-hearted cheer. Lizzie May chuckled. "Don't believe it, eh? Think the Sasquatch is too good to be true? Well, I don't blame you. I didn't always believe in him myself. Until a few years ago. I was up in the mountains, trying to get away from it all, and found him hanging around my RV every night. But I showed him who was boss." She licked her lips here. "And now he's tame. I think he's grown to like all the attention from crowds like you. So are you ready to see him?"
There was an impatient rumble from the audience. She laughed again. "Okay, fine. Presenting... the Legend!" She pulled off the tarp, and the audience gasped.
It was no man in a costume. Not a gorilla, chimp, orangutan, or any other kind of known animal. This was the Sasquatch, alright. He was at least seven feet tall, standing upright, like a man. He had hair all over his body, save for his face, feet, the palms of his hands, and it was thinner on his chest. A few of the people in the crowd - both women and men - couldn't help but admire his six-pack abs and his not un-handsome face. His skull was pointed on top, like the narrow end of an egg. And he was wearing a pair of enormous Bermuda shorts.
"Why is he wearing shorts?" called a kid from the audience.
"Because this is the all-ages show," replied Lizzie May, winking, and the crowd laughed, though a few began to put it together with the mysterious promise of an after-dark show. "Now," she asked, "who wants to feed him a chocolate bar?"
The show was a success, and the good word-of-mouth brought in three more crowds that day. Lizzie May and her Sasquatch were the talk of the town. But there remained that persistent question: what was the after-dark show?
The curious ones lined up outside the tent at 9:00 PM, twenty dollar bills in hand. The rest of the fair was largely closed, after an eventful day of business; while Lizzie May's exhibit had certainly been the star, the fortune tellers and sword swallowers had certainly benefited from the crowds as well.