Anne and Phillip are from two different worlds.

She, a circus acrobat - scratch that- a black woman in a world that frowns on "others". She and her brother W.D. aren't the most normal of people. Well, they are but they're just the wrong color so they're not normal to most. They were shocked when they saw the advertising for the circus. Of course it hasn't been easy being in what the folks in town called a "freak show" but it was fun because they were all outcasts. People no one would want to be near. People others were afraid of or thought of as lesser beings.

Two months earlier..

Mornings waking up in our one room flat was usually not as exciting as this morning. Today might be the day our lives would change forever. Hopefully.

We had seen the most odd of things. A crumpled up piece of colorful paper. In fact, many crumpled up pieces of the same type of paper were rolling around the ground at the town central.

"What do you think these are? They are everywhere." I asked my brother.

"Who knows. Who cares. Probably nothing of any use or us Anne." W.D. said holding up the newspaper.

We've been trying to find jobs to help support our family back home but hasn't come across anyone willing to employ a couple of black kids. Mom and Dad has sent us in hopes that we'd become better off than they did. We had the education but no one cared about whether you were actually qualified to do the job. All they cared about was your status, color and sometimes your gender.

I kneeled down and picked up one of the rolling balls and uncrumpled it.

"Come join P.T. Barnum's show!" Huh? Hmmm... I thought.

"Look!" I showed my brother the flyer.

"What is it? Like a circus?"

"I don't know. But it says they'll pay us and that they don't care about anything except talent. You know we can do the trapeze with no problem! We'd be perfect!" I said. I was excited for this. We may finally be able to have jobs that didn't discriminate.

He stared at it intensely. I was hoping he'd say yes so because I thought it was a great opportunity and we'd finally be able to take care of our parents.

"I'll go if you really want to do this. But the first sign of trouble and we leave. Okay?"

"Okay." I said. At least he'd give it a try.

This morning was sure to be a great one. I was in one of the greatest moods I'd been in in awhile. We were going to try out for the Barnum show today!

"Anne are you ready? I'm leaving with or without you!"

Ugh "I'm coming! Calm down damn!" I hurried and put my stockings on and slipped on my shoes. Grabbing my coat I ran out the door past W.D. Time to start a new chapter in our lives..

Dreaming with your eyes wide open...