Chapter 3: Under The Big Top


Quote: "Amazement awaits us at every corner" - James Broughton


Bolin felt the grin come to his face when he spotted the large tent in the middle of the park. It had a few smaller tents adjacent to it, obviously the temporary living quarters for the circus members. The largest tent was a mixture of the four elements. You could pick out the parts that stood for Water, Earth, Air, and Fire. Bolin found his eyes wandering to the Earth part of the design. It was naturally towards the bottom of the tent, where it connected to the ground.

Bolin frowned slightly when he heard the roar from inside that signaled that the show had already started. He quickened his pace and he finally reached the entrance of the tent.

Once inside, Bolin felt small. He was used to large crowds, but he was always in the middle of them. He was usually the start of the show. But he liked this.

He looked around the makeshift stands for a spot to sit. He spotted an available seat for a couple of people a few rows up to his left and decided it was the best he could do under the crowded big top.

As Bolin did his best to make it to the seat without blocking people's view of the show going on, he managed to get yelled at and even hit by an old woman's purse. "Ow!" Bolin yelled at the woman while gripping the shoulder that she had just slugged him on. "Sit down!" the old woman yelled back and Bolin just moved on.

Bolin eventually made it to the seat and after sitting, he was finally able to take a good look around him and when he did, he was impressed.

The Ring Master was standing in the middle motioning the twenty Dragon Moose around the ring. They were amazing and Bolin found himself in awe. Then before he knew it, the Dragon Moose exited the tent and the Ring Master stood alone in the middle, soaking up the applause of the audience. Bolin clapped along with the people around him.

The show went on for a while and Bolin was really enjoying himself. Pabu was even interested when the animals would come out. But Bolin still hadn't seen what he had come for. And then, as if on cue, the crowd got really quiet as the lights turned down low and slow, beautiful music started playing. "It's the flying lady!" the little boy, seated next to Bolin, called out. Bolin started searching all of the known entryways he had seen the other acts enter and exit through, desperately trying to get a look at the woman everyone seemed to be talking about.

He still hadn't seen her yet, but everyone else seemed to know where she was. He could tell by their silence. "Where is she?" Bolin asked the boy.

"She's there!"he said pointing his small index finger toward the ceiling.

Bolin looked quickly and when he saw her, he was in awe.

She was beautiful. She had long flowing brown hair and she was in a nude colored, mesh leotard. The only thing Bolin could see about her face, was her large eyes and her perfect red colored lips. She was descending from the open space above the stands, using a couple of long silk-like ropes. Bolin had never seen anything like it before in his life. He though Pro-Bending was amazing, but it was nothing compared to this.

The young woman wrapped the silk around her wrists and span around gracefully. Then, she was suspended upside down by her legs with the silk wound tightly around them.

Bolin watched the spectacle before him and found himself of the edge of his seat when the woman wrapped one silk around her waist and the silk started swaying back and forth until the woman was "flying" around the stands. Bolin smiled and he watched her fly above him. She made it look effortless and she looked amazing.

Bolin understood why she was the talk of the city.

The woman arched her back once she came to a stop and the silk coiled around her as she was lowered to the ground, where she landed with precision and the crowd went mad. Bolin found his feet and clapped like a mad-man. He watched the girl as she pranced to one of the many exits.

Bolin knew right then, that he would have to meet her.