I never did like the spotlight.
The crowd's yelling, chanting, the movement. The knowledge that if you mess up, you'll never live it down.
I sigh, and walk out from behind the curtain. The audiences chants grew louder, "Purple Fish! Purple Fish!" And a few screams to drill inside my head. closing my eyes, I sigh. At least it would be the end of our tour next week. This is my last show, then it's time to head home.
The Swimming boxers are a little tight, but the circuses budget was too low to afford nice, new ones. So the ring leader told me to eat less. But now my ribs stick out. The Ringleader, Ruger, says in his best attention catching voice, "Now, watch in amazement as this young boy, Purple, Defies all natural abilities!" He casts a withering look at me, then waves his hand violently.
It's time to move. I think with little confidence, or conviction.
Standing straight, I glide toward the clear, plexiglass pool, set up just for my performance.
I take a deep breath, and slide into the pool. I hate this.
I had never liked being noticed for my strange ability.
This thing that I hated so much was now my only supporter in life.
I hear Ruger start the large, overhead clock, as the time begins, I lay underwater. The pool really was quite large, and every time I am in it, i remember the time when Ruger had bought it. He had hit me, and yelled at me, because I was useless without this expensive, ridiculous pool.
And truthfully, I knew I was.
I lower my head under the water, and look away from the crowd, as I feel the normal, primal need come over me. Well, normal for a fish boy. I glance over to the crowds and see the amazed faces of the people, already, it had been two minutes of waiting underwater, but this was not the only thing my set was. I see a little girl's eyes widen as my scars get larger, and more noticeable. I feel the soft, bright purple fins come out. On both of my sides, and along my spine, my fingers feel numb.
I swim back and forth, and do a few, expertly executed spins. That gains me a standing ovation. But now the show is over, and I thankfully get out of the pool with the timer at 20 minutes.
"Now, look at that, my friends! Do you see any tube that could have supplied him air? No." I spin, to show the absence of tubes and the crowd smiles at me.
The crowd gives me a standing ovation, but I don't notice, the fins and gills have now disappeared, and now I'm worried about how much i made tonight. If I made less than the average, even for a small town, I won't get food for the next few days, and my pay will be cut severely.
If I get any at all.
The curtain falls, and I rush to the front to see Torro, the Strong man in our show, dropping a bill into the money box for my show. I look up him, "Torro, take that back out, Millie and Ryan need it." Millie was Torro's wife, and ryan his energetic little boy. They needed what little him and millie could scrounge together. "How much am I behind?"
Torro shook his hand, "Inutile you can't keep doing this. Your show it the upkeep of this damned circus, but you never get pay, and the average is ridiculous!" I wanted to say that I deserved everything I got, but I didn't want my friends pity, so I kept quiet.
I walk up to him and pat the tall man on the shoulder, "Torro, you are my friend, but you don't need to worry about me. I've made it this far, and I'm fine," I spread out my arms, and dance around, to lighten his heart a bit, "So, tell me how much I'm behind 3,000? And take out your money, get Ryan a few new toys with it!"
"You're behind 1,000, Inutile, please, just accept it, it would be even more without the hundred." He put a hundred in there?
"Oh, Torro, Don't worry about me I'll make it alright!" I kept my voice upbeat, but in my heart, I was just as worried about what Ruger would do to me.
He sets the box down, and shakes his head. "You just can't go on like this. jesus, follow your dreams, you've already paid your debt back to Rugers father. He did it out of kindness, he wouldn't want you to live like this. That's why he saved you." He taps me on the head, and walks out of thee blue and green striped tent.
