"Okay, so this is... yeah... Paris, could you say the disclaimer for me?" I ask.

Paris smiles kindly. "Alright. Nonya owns nothing but Topaz and most of the plot."

"Thanks," I say. "Now, please Read, Enjoy, and Review!"

Summary: Topaz runs from her past and joins Cirque Du Freak, but will she hurt those around her? Will she play it cool or will it backfire?

Name: Topaz

Age: 17

Looks: This mistrustful young lady has narrow brown eyes that are like two acorns. Her thick, wavy, prematurely white hair is worn in a style that reminds you of a wave of water. She has a wide-hipped build. Her skin is dark. Her wardrobe is no-nonsense, with a lot of purple, black, and red.

|I-N-T-R-O-D-U-C-T-I-O-N|

This is the story of my crazy, messed up life. I hated life. Life, it seemed, also hated me. In my eyes people are all evil and I'm the only one that knows it and affected by it. Life tears you down after you get up, life opens wounds that just close, life is a bitch basically. I've had to learn these lessons the hard way growing up. The real world is cruel, unusual, and full of the life I know as a bitch. Perfect stories have the hero always triumphant, fixing mistakes and errors, and that's a load of bull. Mistakes can't be fixed with an I'm sorry you have to work for it and evil often wins. I want to make that clear before I begin.

I want to tell you that everything in this has occurred, but none of the names are real... in fact you won't know the names, countries, cities, nothing! It's all for me and those in the know.

Now this... is one of those rare real life occasions where it actually starts in a dramatic way, but it's not always like that, mind you...

|C-H-A-P-T-E-R-1|

"Get outta here!" A man yells, throwing me out onto a small mound of poorly piled cement and causing my left leg to break. "We don't want demons!"

That's the reason why I trudge through the forest, the cold air making me almost numb despite my warm clothes. I shiver as I think about the past I was running away from, or rather, was forced to run from. In truth no one would look for the strange girl with premature white hair who was thought of as a monster. My wounds from the rocks and sticks thrown by the adults and my broken leg make my traveling much harder and I have a limp. I was always an orphan, so no mother or father would miss me, and the caretakers and even children hated me because of what I can do... They would not report me missing. They would only burn my files and throw a party over my leaving and possible death.

I groan as I limp farther and farther. I have been walking for many nights (seeing as I was kicked out at night) and I slept during the day since it was warmer and traveled at night. I have better senses than anyone I know and reflexes and etcetera. I glare up at the moon, having nothing else to blame for my past. Anyway, I keep moving, ignoring my limp as best as I can. Soon enough I run into a tree... a nicely dressed tree...

I'm losing my mind! I need to lie down and get some rest, I think, curling in a ball and closing my eyes, not caring whether I die I not.

I open my eyes and feel warm. I blink in confusion and sit up and look around. I'm in a trailer and I see the nicely dressed tree outside. I think about going back to sleep when I realize something. I wasn't in the woods curled in a ball. I rush to the door and ignore my limp as I try to flee and I stop when I run straight into a boy with scales on his entire body. He looks like a snake with legs and hair on his head... and of course clothes.

"Miss Topaz, you're awake," a deep, croaky voice says. I look up and see a tall man in the clothes the tree was wearing and I realize that he is the nicely dressed tree. "I prefer you don't call me a tree anymore."

He knows my name and heard my thoughts! I think in panic.

"Are you alright?" the boy asks.

"Yeah," I mutter, standing and dusting myself off, careful when it comes to my left leg. "How're you doing with me running into you?"

"I'm good," he assures. "I'm Evra Von."

I wait a moment. "Evra Von what?" I ask.

"Just Von," he shrugs.

"Hey. I'm Topaz, no last name."

Evra smirks. "Nice to meet you Topaz No Last Name!"

I can't help but giggle at that joke. Suddenly I remember the tall man and he stands there with an amused smile.

"Hello again," he says. "I'm Mr. Tall."

"Hey," I say.

"Might I ask why you were in the woods alone at night?" he asks.

I feel myself close off immediately. "Reasons."

"You will have to tell me or I will return you to the orphanage and make them keep you."

I wince. "Fine," I groan. "They kicked me out. I decided to roam."

He nods in understanding. "You're limping. Would you like me to take care of that for you?"

I eye him suspiciously and then turn to the kid and he seems excited and encouraging. "Okay," I murmur.

He pulls out a dust and asks for me to pull my pant leg up. I pull it up and realize that my leg's covered in bruises and looks odd. He sprinkles the dust over my leg and it looks and feels right again. I blink in astonishment and look up at the snake-boy and he nods, confirming that this is all real. I test my leg and it works good as new! I jump twice and then a smile tugs at my lips. I then frown, wondering where I go from here. Obviously not back, and forward was the only way, but what to do?

"You can work here at the Cirque," Mr. Tall says.

I jump from the suddenness of his speaking and observe him. His dark eyes hold truth and I feel... like I could live with them. I wonder if this is a freak show and judging by Evra it is. My mind reels, but the more I think about it, the more open I am to being around other freaks. I was considered a freak, a monster, a... demon. I can't help but wonder if they will think that of me when they realize what I can do, if I hurt one of them by accident due to what caused those to call me such names.

"No one will reject you. You're welcome here."

I look at Evra and he gives me an encouraging smile. "Alright... so what do I do?"

"Well, you will help Evra with his chores. You will also be rooming with Madam Truska. Evra, let her know how everything works here and introduce her to the performers," he says.

"Yes, sir!" Evra grins. I turn to look at Mr. Tall, but he's already gone. I blink and look to Evra for answers. "He does that. Come on! First we've got to clean my snake."

I nod and follow the boy and see that his snake is beautiful, but I'm wary about her. We go about chores and I meet the other freaks and learn about as much as he can say in one day. He drops me off at Madam Truska's trailer and I see the beautiful woman named Truska. Her language sounds like seals barking, but I don't say anything and start for the hammock, but she measures me quickly and then sends me to bed. I'm confused, but too tired to say anything and just go to sleep.

I wake up with a groan and roll only to roll off onto the floor. I keep my temper and rise, going out to Evra's tent. I try not to think of the nightmare and find a boy there... Darren. I notice the both of them asleep and I can't help but let them sleep. I have good memory and can do the tasks on my own. I go about most of the tasks on my own, pulling my weight and even the two sleeping boys. I don't talk to anyone, seeing as I'm pretty antisocial and once I'm finished with all of my tasks I go to the outskirts of the camp, not wanting to go to lunch with a bunch of people I don't know. I have nothing better to do so I just lie down and look at the sky. I always like looking at the sky, day or night, and it brings me peace if only a little.

I wonder what it's like being a cloud, I think before I doze off.

I stand in the playground at the orphanage and sit on the ground by myself, alone. Suddenly a ball rolls gently to my leg and I pick it up and stand, looking hopefully at the children in front of me. I walk forward and they move back, many with fear in their eyes, some anger, all of them have hatred. I shy away, but hold out the ball.

"Here's your ball... Can I play?" I ask.

A boy snatches the ball from my hands and glares at me. "No!" he shouts. "We don't play with monsters. Get out of here, you demon!"

He shoves me into the ground, my hands scraping the ground painfully, but the pain is not as bad as the one in my heart. I look up with tear filled eyes and they still glare with cold eyes full of hate and I can't help but wonder why they look at me that way. They run off and play together, but I stay far away, out of sight, and cry like the child I am.