Hello.
It's nice to meet you. My name is, well, I don't know exactly. I call myself Marionette, I've been alone for the past eight years. I don't have any memories of my past or what my parents looked like, all I know is that I was born and raised here in the circus. Everyone loved me, they treated me like I was their child, like I was wanted. Zephyr, our ringmaster, was the first one to see me as a baby. I called him 'Big Brother', he called me his little sister. Being only four years apart from just about every kid I encountered, I mostly did chores; washing, cooking, cleaning. Things like that. Even though I never actually talked to anyone but the people inside the circus, I loved it. They were my family, my only family for that matter. I've never actually went to school before, so I didn't know that much about vocabulary or math or reading, so Zephyr and the others teach me. You could say I was...what was that word? Oh, yeah, homeschooled. Yep, that's what I am. I didn't run away from the circus, the circus ran to me. And I'm grateful for all of their love and support. And one day, I'm going to be just like them.
Early mornings began like any other morning for a fourteen year old. First wake up calls, cook, wash, and help prepare for new shows. People from all around would come to see us. A couple from Sweden even came once! 'Today was special', Zephyr would say. "Today is the day we make them proud!"
Everyone got dressed in their usual clothes, getting ready for the upcoming show. And everytime one ended, they'd always leave the crowd cheering for more. We were a great circus, one of many in England. We were most popular than the circuses in Austria and America. We made the audience scream enchore, and we'll do it again. "Five minutes, everybody," says Zephyr as he walks to and from each tent. "The show begins in five minutes, get ready!" I sat on the dirt road sitting on my knees while washing and folding clothes. He walks up to me with a smile, ruffling my hair. "Good morning, Marionette." he says to me. I smile in return and say good morning, returning to my work. He bends right down to my level and looks at me, I look into his light green eyes. "You excited about the show tonight?" he asks. "Yep, sure am. It's good to hear that Emilia will be going on for the first time. I'm happy for her." I reply. He nods in agreement. "Yes, it is." After a few minutes, the show begins. The crowd cheers as flashing lights of all colors fill the room. They are all laughing and enjoying their time. Zephyr comes up and introduces himself, then introduces everyone else. "Our magnificent and lovely Emilia will be appearing tonight," he says. "Here with her new trick, 'Leaping Swan!" Cheers roar throughout the stadium. Emilia walked onto the stage, she then begins to climb up the brass ladder. As she comes to the top, she pauses to look down.
Her body slowly makes its way down off of the board, her eyes closed. Reaching the ground almost, a rope appears out of nowhere, she grabs it and swings sideways, around and around. The crowd is in awe as she circles them while she is swinging. After the fourth spin, she lets go of the rope, and lands on her feet right onto the stage. The crowd applauses. Talent after talent, the people laugh and cheer. They really do love us, don't they? I wondered what it would be like to have a talent as great as theirs, I wonder...
As the show comes to a close, everyone begins to leave the stadium. The crew starts to settle down and rest a bit. Others made a toast to their repeated success. "You were wonderful!" I hear Zephyr say to us. "Outstanding, all of you--he then turns to Emilia--"Especially you, Emilia." She gives him a smile. "Thank you, sir."she says. I looked steadily as he walks to me after everyone leaves to their tents. He smiles his usual smile at me and gives me a pat on my back. "Well done." I looked up at him curiously, tiliting my head. "For hwat?" I ask. "For being there for me." he whispers in my ear. A smile forms on my lips. "You're welcome." I say. He looks deep into my eyes. "I love you, Sis." We exchange smiles. "I love you too, Big Brother."
It was around 10:42 p.m. when everyone has gone to bed. I lay stlll in my small but comfortable cot, my yellow blanket covering my body as I am in a deep sleep. The wind blew a soft breeze, it flows through an opening in my tent. I shift a littlte in my sleep. My eyes then slightly opened when I heard a muffled sound coming from outside. I stayed silent for a bit, trying to listen for the sound again. This time it was more clear. "I'm glad you decided to do this," a somewhat feminine voice said. "Me too." 'I know that voice...', I thought. I slowly made my way to the opening flap of the tent, looking around for the voices. I saw Zephyr and Emilia by the canteen, they seemed to be talking to each other. I leaned in closer to hear thei conversation. "Why must we keep our relationship a secret, why can't we tell the others?" Emilia asks Zephyr as she looks at him. Zephyr then glanced at her. "No one must know about us, otherwise we would get in trouble." 'In trouble?...', I thought, I kept listening. "You do love me, don't you?" Zephyr asks Emilia. She smiles at him. "If course I do, you know that." she replies. He then wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug.
As the two embrace, there is a sudden scream from somewhere. I look up, and there stood Zephyr, a medium-sized gash was now showing on the left side of his chest. Blood oozes out of his wound, his body collaspes onto the ground, a large puddle of blood forms around his fragile frame. She then throws the dagger onto the ground. I let out a gasp, my pupils couldn't have been more wide. My gaze stared at his body, never leaving the sight of it. I was in complete shock, my shock then turned to sadness as tears welled up in my eyes. Emilia's smirk disappears as she glances over to me. I shudder as her dark amber eyes pierce through me. "Well, well, well, looks like I've got a spy." she says calmly as he looks at me. "E-Emilia, how could you...Z-Zephyr loved you." I stammer. She lets out a chuckle. "You think I would love someone as poor and useless like him?" she asked me. "I only wanted him for his wealth." My body trembled. "So you only loved him for his money?..." I say. "That's right. I knew that if he had died, I would get his money," Emilia says. "And now--she grabs me by my chin, making me look into her eyes--you will too~" My eyes widened. She was going to kill me...I knew it. Without a warning, I steppe don her foot hard enough to make her release me, and I quickly ran. She winced at her pain, but chased after me. She picks up her knofe from the ground. I ran with all my might, hoping that I might have outran her. I hid behind a tree. I try to hide my small figure as good as possible.
I look back and don't see her, I quickly walk away from the tree, but unfortunatley, I bump straight into her! I am so scared of her face, that I try to run again. But she grabs my arm, yanking me to her. I could feel her breath. She then proceeds to get out the knofe she had retrieved, aiming it straight at my heart. As the blade came down more and more, I dodged the first blow. It was now deep in the trunk of the tree. She kept trying to get it out, agrily. When the knife finally came out, she turned to me, a crazed look in her eye. The knife came down, and....jab! But the knife didn't get me, it had gotten Emilia instead. I grabbed it our of her hand and immediately stabbed her in the heart. I backed awy as her body fell to the ground and her blood trickled out from her wound. I gasped for breath, and started running back towards Zephyr. His body still lay on the ground. I bent down and held his body in my amrs, I stared at his opened eyes. Tears now fell down deom my face, my cheeks flushed. I hugged him as I cried. "It should have been me...It should have been me!" I yell in the distance. I held him closer. I had cfied more then I have ever cried before. I was confused and sad. "I promise I'll be strong," I say. "I'll be a great leader like you once were. I promise you!" With these last words, I left. For rememberance, I took the green scarf he would wear and placed it around my neck. I buried him near a small bush by his tent.I then walked, straight into the distance. Leaving no trace or footsteps behind.