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Description
BACKSTORY

I woke to muffled words and rushed scuffling. The air was urgent, but I was glued to my bed. My little sister, who was only five, was missing from hers.
“Jessica?” I whispered quietly as I slowly climbed out of bed and began searching the room. My heart was in my throat, and I heard someone shout, turning my veins cold. I hesitated. “Mom?”
The word was a whisper on my lips as I ran toward the door, forgetting about Jessica. Maybe she was with mom. Or maybe dad had—
Harsh words rattled my door. I didn’t know what language that was, and the voice wasn’t my dad’s. His followed just after, arguing in the same tone of voice.
A scream.
Jessica.
I heard the front door slam just as I opened my bedroom door. The house was ransacked, seemingly everything on the floor. When I got to the front door and pulled it open, no one was there. Just tracks of a cart and some horses leading away from the house.
Why I was spared, I have no idea. Why me, and not the rest of my family? Why not Jessica, my little sister? Was I really that heavy of a sleeper?
Shaking, I started on foot, following the tracks. I don’t know how long I walked, but I eventually collapsed, sobbing as I clung to the bright green necklace hanging around my neck, the one my mom gave to me years ago. I was so young, I don’t remember. It’s like I’ve always had it.
Morning came as I reached my house again, a little farm. The ground looked worse in the daytime. I even thought I saw blood, but I wasn’t sure through the stinging of my eyes. At seven years old, I knew bits and pieces about how to tend to a farm, but I couldn’t do it by myself. I wanted to find my family… and I wasn’t sure how to do that.
I trekked to my neighbor’s farm and told them what was happening. I decided I wanted to find them on my own after a few days, as I didn’t have any faith in the authorities. My neighbor told me to go, and offered to take care of the farm. I told him he could keep whatever money he got from taking care of it. After that, I packed up what I could and left, following the three-day-old tracks.
I ran out of luck two days in. When I stopped and asked if people had seen anything, I got a few leads, but not really anything that made me positive I knew where I was going. If only I had seen them before they got away. If only I hadn’t hesitated… but then I’d be gone, too.
I traveled from town to town for about six months before losing all hope. It was then I stumbled upon the circus. I used the last of my money to see the show, needing something that would make me happy, make me forget about everything. I would put on shows and take up odd jobs in every city I visited, and as a little seven-year-old girl, that’s rather hard to do.
And considering I was a young girl, I know now I could have had it worse on the streets.
I took my seat, front row so I could absorb all the happiness I could feel in the air. There were so many acts that made me stop and stare in awe. I couldn’t match the feeling it gave me to anything else. But there was one act that took my breath away.
The high-wire.
The man on the high wire danced and jumped and flipped and laughed, interacting with the crowd and the people dancing and flipping below. All I could think about was how exhilarating that must be. How focused you have to stay to keep your balance, but he made it look so easy.
All the while, a pair of twins were sitting on either side of me, chattering all about the circus and talking about how they’re training to have an act. They tell me about the high-wire guy named Ralph. When the performance is over, we’re the last ones in the stands. The boys get up to leave when I asked what it would take to do that, and they shrugged and took me to the high-wire guy.
I spoke with him about the circus, and he asked me what I could do. I told him I could sing and dance, and that with training I know I could do what he did out there. He said to come back in a few days if I still wanted to join, so I left to get a few things together and decide if I really wanted to be a part of this family. After all, it seemed like my own had been wiped off the face of the earth. All that was left was the farm.
I thought it over for two days after realizing I had come to a dead-end on finding my parents. I haven’t heard anything from my neighbor at that point. I sent him letters every time I reached a new city, and would wait for a response. He replied every time. I received his letter the day after going to the circus. He told me they still haven’t returned, and he nor anyone else have heard anything, and wrote about how I should find my own path. If my family was meant to come back, I’d find them. Don’t know how much I believed that, but I was feeling hopeless. Alone.
I’d found some money on the ground and used that to send him what would probably be my last letter. I let him know where I was and thanked him for taking care of the farm and let him know where I’d be staying if the circus let me join—if not, he’ll see me return home, eventually. I’ll be making money, so that means I’ll be eating. I asked if he ever saw or heard anything to send me a letter.
That next day, I joined the circus. I learned quickly from Ralph. Ralph Mageos. I was flexible, malleable, and easily influenced. I helped the twins, Alm and Mondru, on their knife-throwing act whenever I wasn’t working on my own. Mondru disappeared, so I took his spot in their act. Alm has become my best friend and the rest is history. But of course, he doesn’t know my backstory. I told him my parents had abandoned me, but kept the rest a secret. I’m not sure why. I just felt like maybe I should.

Made with the help of my friend Reign Cattoni

Description
BACKSTORY

I woke to muffled words and rushed scuffling. The air was urgent, but I was glued to my bed. My little sister, who was only five, was missing from hers.
“Jessica?” I whispered quietly as I slowly climbed out of bed and began searching the room. My heart was in my throat, and I heard someone shout, turning my veins cold. I hesitated. “Mom?”
The word was a whisper on my lips as I ran toward the door, forgetting about Jessica. Maybe she was with mom. Or maybe dad had—
Harsh words rattled my door. I didn’t know what language that was, and the voice wasn’t my dad’s. His followed just after, arguing in the same tone of voice.
A scream.
Jessica.
I heard the front door slam just as I opened my bedroom door. The house was ransacked, seemingly everything on the floor. When I got to the front door and pulled it open, no one was there. Just tracks of a cart and some horses leading away from the house.
Why I was spared, I have no idea. Why me, and not the rest of my family? Why not Jessica, my little sister? Was I really that heavy of a sleeper?
Shaking, I started on foot, following the tracks. I don’t know how long I walked, but I eventually collapsed, sobbing as I clung to the bright green necklace hanging around my neck, the one my mom gave to me years ago. I was so young, I don’t remember. It’s like I’ve always had it.
Morning came as I reached my house again, a little farm. The ground looked worse in the daytime. I even thought I saw blood, but I wasn’t sure through the stinging of my eyes. At seven years old, I knew bits and pieces about how to tend to a farm, but I couldn’t do it by myself. I wanted to find my family… and I wasn’t sure how to do that.
I trekked to my neighbor’s farm and told them what was happening. I decided I wanted to find them on my own after a few days, as I didn’t have any faith in the authorities. My neighbor told me to go, and offered to take care of the farm. I told him he could keep whatever money he got from taking care of it. After that, I packed up what I could and left, following the three-day-old tracks.
I ran out of luck two days in. When I stopped and asked if people had seen anything, I got a few leads, but not really anything that made me positive I knew where I was going. If only I had seen them before they got away. If only I hadn’t hesitated… but then I’d be gone, too.
I traveled from town to town for about six months before losing all hope. It was then I stumbled upon the circus. I used the last of my money to see the show, needing something that would make me happy, make me forget about everything. I would put on shows and take up odd jobs in every city I visited, and as a little seven-year-old girl, that’s rather hard to do.
And considering I was a young girl, I know now I could have had it worse on the streets.
I took my seat, front row so I could absorb all the happiness I could feel in the air. There were so many acts that made me stop and stare in awe. I couldn’t match the feeling it gave me to anything else. But there was one act that took my breath away.
The high-wire.
The man on the high wire danced and jumped and flipped and laughed, interacting with the crowd and the people dancing and flipping below. All I could think about was how exhilarating that must be. How focused you have to stay to keep your balance, but he made it look so easy.
All the while, a pair of twins were sitting on either side of me, chattering all about the circus and talking about how they’re training to have an act. They tell me about the high-wire guy named Ralph. When the performance is over, we’re the last ones in the stands. The boys get up to leave when I asked what it would take to do that, and they shrugged and took me to the high-wire guy.
I spoke with him about the circus, and he asked me what I could do. I told him I could sing and dance, and that with training I know I could do what he did out there. He said to come back in a few days if I still wanted to join, so I left to get a few things together and decide if I really wanted to be a part of this family. After all, it seemed like my own had been wiped off the face of the earth. All that was left was the farm.
I thought it over for two days after realizing I had come to a dead-end on finding my parents. I haven’t heard anything from my neighbor at that point. I sent him letters every time I reached a new city, and would wait for a response. He replied every time. I received his letter the day after going to the circus. He told me they still haven’t returned, and he nor anyone else have heard anything, and wrote about how I should find my own path. If my family was meant to come back, I’d find them. Don’t know how much I believed that, but I was feeling hopeless. Alone.
I’d found some money on the ground and used that to send him what would probably be my last letter. I let him know where I was and thanked him for taking care of the farm and let him know where I’d be staying if the circus let me join—if not, he’ll see me return home, eventually. I’ll be making money, so that means I’ll be eating. I asked if he ever saw or heard anything to send me a letter.
That next day, I joined the circus. I learned quickly from Ralph. Ralph Mageos. I was flexible, malleable, and easily influenced. I helped the twins, Alm and Mondru, on their knife-throwing act whenever I wasn’t working on my own. Mondru disappeared, so I took his spot in their act. Alm has become my best friend and the rest is history. But of course, he doesn’t know my backstory. I told him my parents had abandoned me, but kept the rest a secret. I’m not sure why. I just felt like maybe I should.

Made with the help of my friend Reign Cattoni