Firebird

Prologue

12-27-12

Prologue

   “…And now for our last act of the night.”

   That single sentence silenced over a thousand people. I stood in my seat, trying to get the best view possible. Papa pulled on my ragged dress to get me to sit back down. I kept my eyes glued to the center ring way below us.

   The ringmaster smiled, his teeth reflecting the golden lights. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Fargus Phinnigen, Master of the Flame!”

   The crowd cheered louder than for any other act of the night. They echoed for miles around. I whistled through my teeth, trying to keep from jumping with excitement. Fargus Phinnigen was the best of any of the performers. Perhaps that’s why he was always saved for the finale.

   An enormous flame cracked in the center of the floor. Everyone gasped and screamed; afraid it would burn the tent to the ground. It grew and grew then snapped like a whip. The flame was replaced by a cloud of orange smoke and then, Fargus Phinnigen.

   Fear was replaced with wonder and explosive applause. Fargus held his head high, arms outstretched as if he were absorbing the enthusiasm. He flicked his wrists and in all four corners of the ring, more smoke appeared, then four women.

   All of them were dressed in red and orange sequins that looked like Fargus’s famous flames. They gracefully leapt over to him as lightly as a falling feather. A path of fire trailed behind them.

   They ran in circles around him, growing faster like a carousel. Fargus closed his eyes then clapped his hands once. There was loud snap and all four of the girls turned into flaming phoenix’s.

   They flew around through the audience, occasionally stopping to sit on someone’s shoulder. There was laughter and cheering. I felt one of the phoenix fiery feather’s brush against my neck as it swooped past my row. I expected it to burn but instead, the flames tickled.

   The phoenix’s returned to Fargus, circling him as they had as women. Fargus began floating in mid air as the phoenixs went faster. I held my breath, afraid that he would fall to his death.

   Instead, he burst into a giant golden firebird. His feathers glittered and shone, flickering as the flames around him. There was hardly any room in the tent for his enormous wings. I was entranced by the bird’s flawless beauty.

    He let out a piercing caw, then suddenly exploded. I screamed in horror along with  a few others. I hid my face in papa’s stomach until he turned me around and pointed.

  Golden feathers littered the entire ring, disappearing in mid-air. Only one soared into the stands. It didn’t fade as the others had but instead, flew over in my direction. I stood to grab it.

   Papa pulled me back down and told me to stop standing on the stands. I was content though, stroking the gorgeous feather. It was softer than anything I’d ever touched. It shimmered even more than it had on Fargus’s wings, like a brand new gold coin. It sent a shiver down me. It became my most treasured possession.

   I looked up again just as Fargus gently fell back into the ring, human again. The four girls stood around him. They held out their arms and smiled as every one gave a final applause. They bowed and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

   I was saddened that the circus was over for another three years but it had been the best night of my entire life.

   Everyone began leaving all at once, pushing and shoving one another. I tried to follow papa but was quickly knocked to the ground by the stampede of impatient souls.

   “Papa!” I shouted. I curled into a tight ball, clutching my feather to my chest and waited for the crowd to get out of the tent.

   I was tripped over and kicked multiple times. It felt like hours before they cleared and the tent was silent.

   Once they were all gone, I stood and brushed the dust and dirt from my stained dress. I wiped the fearful tears from my face and looked around. The stands were nearly empty. Papa wasn’t there. But I wasn’t completely alone.

   I saw some of the performers still lingering in the ring. Some were cleaning up after the elephants, horses, lions, and tigers. Some were removing the trapeze that had been set up. And then there was Fargus.

   He was speaking to the ringmaster. In all my six years of life I had always wanted to meet him. He was my favorite performer in the whole circus. Drawn to them all I began slowly creeping down through the stands. I had never stood so close to the ring before. Papa had always been in a hurry to leave and we never could afford the good seats up front.

   My eyes were stuck on Fargus. He was taller up close. I could see all the detail in his pronounced face. His eyes were thin and catlike. Their midnight black color matched that of his hair that was tied back in a short ponytail. His copper skin glowed in the dim light.

   The ringmaster spotted me first. I saw him stiffen and glare at me. “Hello, little girl. Are you lost?”

   For some reason, the man struck fear into me and I wished for papa to come back for me.

   Fargus turned and met my eyes. My grip tightened on the feather and my mind went blank. I didn’t answer. I just stared back into Fargus’s eyes.

   Despite how happy he looked performing, I could see sadness. He gave me a slight nod and silently sighed. The ringmaster strode towards me in a menacing manner. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted.

   “Bella!”

  I quickly spun around. Papa was standing at the opening of the enormous tent. His face was stern and the harshness of his tone was foreboding. I looked back at the ringmaster then Fargus.

   The ringmaster’s lip twitched and he walked back to consult with other performers. I turned to leave but stopped when Fargus’s thin, gentle hand landed on my shoulder.

   I felt his cool breath in my ear as he softly whispered. “Despite how you feel about this circus now, never join. Please. Don’t make the same mistake I did.”

   I turned, expecting him to be standing behind me, but he had vanished. He wasn’t anywhere near me.

   Papa stood, waiting, looking more tense than usual. I ran to him unsure what to think of Fargus’s warning. Since then, I wanted to join the circus. And so ignoring his warning, I did.