The Heavens by Gemma, Year 8

“One last time,” she whispered to herself, as she stared at the bruises and scars that littered her body. She was sitting before her vanity, preparing for her last show of the night.

Painting vibrant blues and purples on her eyelids, she heard a cough by the entrance of the tent.

“Come in,” she blurted, unable to control herself for a split second.

The Ringmaster walked into the small tent, which was shared among three performers.

“Puppet,” he whispered sweetly, “why aren’t you ready? It’s almost time for your performance.”

He headed towards her. Hovering over her, she could feel his warm breath on her neck as he stared at her through the mirror.

And he was an old soul, despite that fact that he looked to be in his early thirties, but the girl knew better than to judge a book by its cover.

This man had been alive for a long time.

”I’ll be done soon, sir,” she reassured him, giving a toothy smile.

Swiftly getting up and dancing to the rack of costumes, which held a wide variety of outfits, she looked for the perfect one.

She picked up one of the oldest costumes on the rack, examining the skin tight suit, and noticing how the sequencing was hand stitched into angel wings.

Twirling her way to where the shoes where, she paired her outfit with a pair of black ballet shoes.

The Ringmaster grinned, he loved it when his dolls danced; it brought him back to his youth.

Standing in front of the empty chair, he looked at his puppet one more time before exiting.

She let a soft sigh escape, glad that he would not stay to make sure she was not late again. Like a child late for school, she quickly put the costume on. It fit perfectly. She then put her ballet shoes on, purposely leaving them untied.

She lurched out of the tent into the swarm of people, all here to experience the wonders of The Circus, where magic was real and the impossible seemed possible.

It was known that the Circus moved from one place to another. It never stayed for too long, always moving. It never failed to attract big crowds. All of them, ready to experience the stories they read about online.

But all magic comes at a price, and she had learned that the hard way.

Making her way to the imposing black and white striped tents, she only hoped her plan would work.

Finally at the entrance to the tent, the girl stood still. Looking down at her feet one last time to make sure her ribbons were loose, she took a deep breath and entered.

The moment she set foot onto the enchanted ground her body was taken over by the invisible strings of the Ringmaster.

Twirling her way to the left side of the stage, with a smile so wide her cheeks were already aching, she moved towards the ladder that led up to her escape.

Every night she had felt her bones creak. Break. Her limbs twist in unnatural ways, skin tearing under the cheap costume material, and bruises forming every minute.

This was the price she, and many others, had to pay for selling a piece of their soul to the Circus. She had been bound to it for eternity, all because she wanted magic to remain in her life.

The contortionist had decided to take his show to the sky, making the circus slaves do incredible things on the thick plank in the air. Calling his show “The Heavens”.

The lights turned off in the tent, and a bell rang.

Ding! The show had started.

A single light lit up her body as her limbs writhed in the air to the sounds of laughter and gasps below- oblivious to the pain and the sound of her bonds fracturing. The cheerful gasps soon turned to screams as she lost her footing. The girl had stumbled on her ribbons, just like she intended.

And she knew, for better or worse, that things would never be the same again, but she was completely free now.