I do not own anything, except for what you don't recognize.

The cover is new. This is my idea of what Andy sees when she looks up at the night sky, because of her acute and light-sensitive vision.

A little more than an hour later, it's finally eight o'clock, opening time of the show. My parents and I go on as the opening, then do a costume change for a second performance for the finale.

When I am done changing, I wait at the small table inside the trailer. My first performance outfit consists of a halter, matching ruffled miniskirt, and arm gauntlets made of the same alien material that I wear as the rest of my costume. The fabric ripples and gleams like liquid silver as I move. In addition, I have a light-blue-colored leather belt that has small pockets for various items, straps for my throwing knives, and a cellphone holster. It also comes with two gun holsters made for my NeuroBlasters and pockets for extra battery packs.

My mom comes out of her room first, followed by my dad. My mom wears a blue V-neck leotard. At the shoulders, it starts as the same blue as my belt, then gradually fades to a cobalt at her hips. Her tights are meant to complete the scheme, starting at cobalt around her hips and fading to a midnight color at the knees.

My dad wears a similar costume- the only differences are that the order of the colors are reversed, and his outfit is in long-sleeved unitard form. Both entire costumes are bedazzled in white rhinestones, my mom's more than my dad's, and custom-made for their tall, strong physiques.

We also have face makeup. Blue and white glittery swirls sprout from the outer corners of my eyes and crawl down my cheeks and up my forehead in a twist of bright color. My parents' makeup looks similar. So far, I have about twenty different pictures on Facebook of just my different makeup designs. A dozen more are of me and my family in our costumes.

"Are you ready, Andromeda?" my mother asks in her soft, sweet voice.

"I was born ready," is my determined reply.

"You've practiced aerials, round-offs, and handsprings to perfection," my dad assures me. I know how good I am at floor work, but I just feel more comfortable up in the air. "There's nothing to worry about. If you make a mistake, the chance is that only a few audience members will spot it."

"Okay."

"You ready?"

I nod, smiling. "Yes. I am so excited- egho cante exspecti-"

"English, please!" my mother giggles as she shakes her head.

"-this will be fun!" I finish, grinning a bit sheepishly. Whenever I get excited, I tend to slip into my native, alien tongue.

"Better. Let's go."

Around twenty minutes later, I am wearing a black bathrobe over my silver costume and standing in the shadows on the north tower platform.

There are two towers- north and south- each in their appropriate locations. They are used for the trapezes, and to hold up the enormous tent. They're connected only by a thick, one-hundred-sixty-four-foot cord that hold the trapezes, which hang three yards below. The cables holding the trapezes are bolted onto a board over my head, positioned so the trapezes hang at about eye level.

I quietly wait for my turn in the spotlight. Now, my parents are performing. I watch them do single, double, triple, and even quadruple aerial flips. No wonder why these shows sell out pretty quickly- my parents and I are the only people known of that can do a quadruple aerial somersault.

I look down and see the ringleader switch his microphone on. "Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for this amazing family!" the man belts into the receiver. "But wait- this act isn't over just yet. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my proud pleasure introduce you to the youngest member at just thirteen- Andromeda Sims!"

The audience goes wild as a spotlight lands on me. I smile in the warmth and light, absorbing just a bit of the energy and releasing it in the faintest of glows. My mom always says that I have the natural gift of capturing anyone's attention, and that everyone who meets me, loves me. I know that a lot of people do like me, but I also block it out a bit because I don't want everything to get to my head.

"And may I remind you that all of these phenomenal stunts are performed without the use of a net or a safety harness?"

Oh, yeah. I had a feeling that there was something that I was forgetting to mention.

I watch my parents continue to execute flips as I untie the fabric belt around my waist. I feel a strange rush of energy course through my body, but I dismiss it as a normal pump of adrenaline. I realize ignoring it was a mistake when I hear the deafening bang of two gunshots penetrate my eardrums. I look to my parents, who have a pained look on their faces. The front of their costumes are stained brilliant red. My blood runs cold. The only image reaching my vision is my parents.

All else has disappeared.

Time slows down further.

Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.

I stare with my fist practically in my mouth, unable to look away from the horrifying scene. Materra. Abbe.

Breathe.

I barely see the audience's motions as they grip the edge of their seats to the point of their knuckles turning white. A man stands up, just a dark form at the edge of my sight. I can barely make out his tall, muscular structure and broad shoulders. The silhouette looks vaguely familiar.

Inhale, exhale.

I somehow manage to tear my eyes away at the last second, before they hit the ground. My eyes brim with tears that refuse to fall. My blurred vision becomes edged with dark cobalt, a sign that my irises have changed colors.

I sink to my knees, then swivel around and wrap my arms around the tower. I'm shaking fiercely, unable to control myself. I choke on the lump that's bubbling up in my throat.

What will happen to me now? I barely think of anything else before my mind is swallowed by the void of unconsciousness.

"Andromeda! Andy, can you hear me?"

I wake up, and my eyes have already adjusted to the semidarkness. I look around and see the crew director, Stephan, sitting next to me. I'm lying on one of those thin emergency gurneys that they store in the back of ambulances. I'm still in my bathrobe and costume. An oxygen mask covers my nose and mouth. The lights on the ambulances eerily illuminate the nearby trees and the side of the tent. Seeing everything, I start to hyperventilate- the hustle and bustle of all the EMCs running around slightly freaks me out.

I rip the mask off, much to the dismay of the paramedics. Screw them. I sit up and wrap my arms around Stephan's broad shoulders and start crying again.

"I don't wanna go into a foster home!" I cry helplessly. "I like my life the way it is. Or, was, anyways."

I pause to sniffle. "But I guess it doesn't really matter now."

"Hey, hey, hey," he whispers. "We'll figure something out. Maybe you can stay with me until something works out."

"Like someone comes to adopt me?" I ask bitterly as I pull away from the embrace. I know that, given the proper tools, I would be able to live life on my own as an adult, but I'm just not ready yet. I have this bad feeling about doing that now. I can't explain it, but usually when I have a bad feeling, I'm right.

"If that's how it has to be." Stephan's light brown eyes meet mine. About thirty-five years old, he stands just under six feet tall, and he's muscular from lifting props and set pieces. He kind of looks like Tom Cruise.

I sadly look away, and see the ringleader walking up to me and Stephan.

He looks like your typical ringleader: dark hair, handlebar mustache and goatee, somewhat short and portly. He wears a traditional costume: a red and gold embroidered waistcoat with long tails, a white shirt, a black silk tie, and black pants. He holds his top hat in his hands.

"Andromeda," he says. "I... I'm so very sorry. If there's anything I can do for you..."

"It's okay." I wipe my eyes again. "It's fine."

"You only have to ask." Before leaving, he bows slightly. He disappears into a crowd.

Throughout the rest of the night, other people from the show and even some audience members come up to me and give me their sympathy. I catch a glimpse of the man who stood up in the tent, but his back is turned to me. He is talking with one of the paramedics, so I don't want to interrupt them. I barely remember trudging back to my trailer and falling asleep in my parents' bed.

I didn't know what lengths to make the cables or the height, so... yeah. :-)

Astridarin

Egho Cante Exspecti (EGG-ho CAHNT-eh ehck-SPEC-tee): from EGO cant' exspecto: I can't wait

Materra (muh-TERR-uh [slightly rolled "r"]): from Mater: Mother

Abbe (AH-beh [the "-beh" is almost silent]): from Abba: Father

This chapter was a bit short. Sorry! The next ones are a few hundred words longer, though.

I'll try to see if I can make this longer, but my main goal right now is to just finish the story in general. Then I'll do the details.