Cirque de Rêves
Never had I imagined there was worlds other than my own out there. I never imagined there was a world far under the ocean, where fish-people lived happily with the sea creatures themselves. I never imagined there was a world where lions were the main populace and royalty, ruling over the safari. I never imagined there was still a world with princesses and princes, balls and evil cats. I never imagined dwarves lived in groups and housed confused tween princesses as slaves.
I also never imagined I would run away from my home to a world farther and stranger than I would have thought possible. I never imagined I would find all the nightmares and dreams of childhood in one place, under a tent of bright and curious colors.
To sum it up… I never imagined I would run away and join the circus.
The lights coming from the bright tent at night drew me in. I knew I didn't have the money for it, but I bought my way in all the same. The males taking money for tickets grinned at me; both had bright red hair and facial markings, though I couldn't tell what their act was by looking at them, but the one with the lethal spikes for hair snapped his fingers, a flame bursting up from his thumb, and he held it closer to my face… until the other redhead put a hand on his shoulder, and the two opened up the tent for me.
As I entered, gently placing my ticket into my pocket, I saw a radical change from outside. The tent was bright and colorful on the outside, but on the inside the lights were darkened around the stands, spotlights shining on the center, where the ringmaster stood with his head down, face shadowed. I took a seat a few yards from the entrance to the giant circus tent in the third row up.
Soft music was being played behind the ringmaster, but the drums rolled it all to a stop as he said his first word. A mask hid three quarters of his face, and he had long, dark hair. A smile pulled up his lips as he looked up… it could have been a smirk; I couldn't tell with the mask covering part of his lips.
"Welcome," He said strongly, taking a step forward and letting his crossed arms fall apart, lifting one hand to grasp the edge of his black (or blue? Navy?) cape, holding it straight out beside him. He continued, "to our celebration. Tonight, we introduce you to the elements, to creatures beyond your dreams. To the talents and skills at our disposal, for your amusement. And what happens in the tent… well, you know the rest!"
As he finished the last sentence, he brought his cape around him, and in a burst of flames, he was gone. The music played again, this time loud and exciting, as out of the flames came the two men I'd met in front of the tent. The one with the lethal spikes appeared to have grabbed a ball out of the flames before it went out… though the ball kept burning, white hot around it's shape, flames licking his hand where he held it, though he didn't appear affected by the fire at all.
He spun the ball on his finger, like a ball player would his basketball, before throwing it up, high into the air. With a roundhouse kick, he launched it at his partner across the ring, flames shooting out where his foot met the tool.
The other caught it above his head, and I notice now that the first one, the one with green eyes, was glowing red, bright like a coal, where he had touched the fire. I couldn't tell if it was really glowing, or if it was just bright red from touching the flame with his bare hands.
My attention shifted to the other. His blue eyes caught my (e/c) ones, twinkling mischievously and he too played with the ball of fire, kicking it around like a soccer ball, or hackey sack. Every time he would hit it, flames shot out in all directions, making the crowd 'ooh' and 'aah'. He kicked the ball high into the air, and reached into a bag at his side, pulling a fistful of something out and throwing it into the air as the ball came back down at him. The bursts of fire now came out in different colors, creating more of a reaction… until the green-eyed one took the spotlight.
He started rubbing his hands together, and I noticed they really were glowing. His hands started to spark with the friction, and he grinned. He crouched, and brought his sparking hands up to his face, blowing a long puff of breath into them, and flames shot out in a line, as if by flamethrower. The work was incredible; so seamless I didn't know whether it was illusion or reality.
That wasn't my last visit to Raine's Circus of Dreams, though it was my first ever, that much is sure. It was an incredible experience, just as every show afterwards was. It's hard to describe the feeling of utter fascination, enthrallment, elation I get when I even step into the tent. The lights before my eyes, colorful and bright, have me seeing colors in the darkest rooms, hours after its over.
I saw puppet shows with impossibly smooth puppeteers. I saw boys juggle from the shoulders of impossibly large men. I saw boys with tails, and girls with horns. I saw beasts be summoned from thin air, and disappear the same way, leaving only a feather or ash. I saw illusions weaved by a wave of the hand, layered so thickly with colors and texture, and light and shadow that I could swear it was real. I saw small, adorable, yet inexplicable creatures float into the crowd as if they were full of hot air, felt their fur under my palms as they showed just how very real they were. I saw talking animals, far more intellectual than some people I'd met in my lifetime.
One night… I just didn't go home. The circus had drawn me in, and I never wanted to leave… and they never made me.