The seeds of hate and ridicule resonated from within. A deluge of childhood memories shattered a peaceful existence. The stinging barrage of rubber bands ricocheting off his freshly shaven scalp rekindled the pain of past cruelties. A litany of words such as FREAK, GHOUL, and MONSTER rendered him a social outcast, trapped in a world of insult and cruelty. However, for Henry Gladstone such circumstances were a Godsend, a highway paved with triumphant rewards. If society thought him a freak, then, by God, a freak he would be.
The weeks turned into months, months into years, as Henry mastered his craft in a series of one-horse towns. Henry immersed himself into a hive of isolation, surrendering to the swarm with the fervor of a hopeless romantic. A malcontent introvert, flourishing center stage. Head FREAK in the grotesque world of carnival sideshows. An endless stream of onlookers braved the turnstiles with anticipation; a buzz of exhilaration filled the humid canopy. Suddenly, the crowd breathed a collective sigh as Henry appeared from the shadows. His presence commanded attention. At six-foot-six, two hundred and forty five pounds, Henry was a tower of ugliness. His brooding scowl, vacant eyes, and elongated form loomed monstrous. Clad only in a swarming mass of pulsating bees.
Gone were the childhood taunts of his past. Replaced by cheers and accolades, as an amplified voice trumpeted the virtues of other world mysteries.�Step into the future, if you dare. Come. View the Human Hive. A morose creation where bees and human flesh undergo a metamorphosis. A bizzar hybrid on the cutting edge. A realm beyond the limits of human belief.�
As the incessant buzz of the swarm grew to immense proportions, so to did Henry�s stature. He reveled in the essence of the spotlight A world where respect and admiration healed the callous wounds of yesteryear. Although Henry had experienced nature�s cruelty, first hand, he didn�t think FREAK was a bad word at all. For yesterdays freak just might be tomorrow�s shining star and that suited Henry just fine.