Welcome to the Circus

Strings of lights danced above. The gentle breeze carried shouts, laughter, and the thick smell of nicotene.

People brushed and danced close to those they've never met. They closed their eyes and lost themselves to a rhythm of their own.

As Sophia watched from her dressing room window, she sighed. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she remembered being a part of that cacophany of meaningless noise. She remembered being just another smiling face in that sea of strangers. Now, it was simply a blurry memory.

"You've got five minutes, Sophia!" Ms. Everton called. Mary Everton was the most uptight, bossy person she knew. Sophia would have snapped at her long if it weren't for the fact she ran her life like someone controlling puppet strings.

Sophia sighed and looked in the mirror of her vanity dresser. Slowly she forced a smile on to her face. It was painfully insincere, but that didn't matter as long as it fooled the crowd.

She stood, brushed her jacket, and fixed her top hat. Whether she liked it or not, it was showtime.

She stepped out of her trailer and followed Ms. Everton. A footpath of lights guided the way to the main tent.

Ms. Everton positioned her before the entrance and Sophie took a deep breath as she waited for her cue.

Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six.

"Ladies and gentleman..." the announcer called.

Five. Four. Three. Two...

"The enchanting, Sophia Belle!"