The Nightingales

The Fall

When I was five I was captivated by the circus, my parents were always too busy with the new bakery to do anything with me so I started going with my Nona to the circus. My favorite were the trapeze artists, The Flying Graysons. They were the best at what they did, they pulled off the most amazing stunts, so when they came back to Paris when I was six my Nona whisked me away to my own fantasy world, but when we got there we didn't go home. No instead, I found out that my grandma works for the circus, and that my parents had given me permission to actually stay there. It was all unreal to me at the time, and so we did stay with them. For six years I travelled Haly's Circus, I even met the two trapeze artists son. He was the sweetest boy a year older with striking electric blue eyes and raven black hair. We were quickly dubbed the sunshine duo by the second week I had stayed in the circus. We would go everywhere together. Did everything together, eventually in my second year staying there, I had just turned seven both me and Dick started learning the trapezes. We were doing our first stunt, with the obvious safety net below, where Dickie would be hanging by his knees, I would jump from the left platform and grand his wrists the two of us swinging until I would be let go on the third try onto the right platform, Dick following with a fancy front flip. It would be amazing! We were adamantly excited for weeks until finally around noon after barely arriving in Spain for a show we tried it, and we actually pulled it off. we did it on the first try after amateur tries swinging from trees and such while in London. The circus was known all over England since Haly (the owner and ringmaster) opened it in the 60's.

"Ready kiddos," Dickie's dad, John asked while putting on his finals touches for the show. We could hear the buzzing of the mics, the noises of the animals and the roaring cheer of the crowd. We both gave a nod the brightest smiles ever seen on our faces as John steeped out and climbed the trapeze apparatus. No matter the amount of times I helped with the performance I would always get the sort of weightless feeling in my stomach like it was still the first time I had ever set foot back stage.

"Let's go Dickie! Come on," I practically had to drag him to the perfect spot to both help and watch. He smiled fondly at me and I felt a slight tingling in my cheeks. I grinned right back and set off dragging him though his taller frame was hard to move unless he actually walked with me.

And walk he did quickly meeting pace with me. "I can't believe our first performance is next week," I said practically vibrating from excitement. "EE! I can't wait!"

Dickie jut chuckled but still had an excited gleam it his eyes none the less. Mary, Dickie's mom, Stepped off the platform free-falling for a moment before latching onto the trapeze and doing many elegant maneuvers to get to John who was hanging upside down on the opposite side. What seemed to be in slow motion she grabbed his wrists and they landed safely on the other side with elegant flips and twists that me and Dickie can;t pull off for years. What seemed to be a sigh of relief came from Dick as we cheered, both of the adults made it backstage in their sparkly outfits wide smiles on their faces. I couldn't help but wonder if me and Dick will look like that after our performance. We ourselves were performing without a net combining our routine with The Flying Graysons, we had decided to call ourselves The Nightingales Dick's stage name Robin, mine Nightingale. I could only hope we were going to be as good as his parents. My Nona was on the other side of the stage doing her duel act with some of the menagerie. It was exhilarating, being a part of this after adoring Haly's for years.

I practically squealed as I saw my performance outfit for the first time. It was a long flowing white dress with beautiful lace accents, my makeup was gold-flecked eyeliner and some neutral eyeshadow along with candy red lipstick, my long hair fell in loose curls the midnight blue strands, however, were still partially kept away, as not to impart my vision. The Spain show was announced earlier that week, saying that one the last night The Flying Graysons would perform side by side with The Nightingales. I vibrated with excitement as I swiftly climbed the thirty foot ladder standing on the small platform ready to jump, Dickie stood directly by my side. A twisting feeling in my gut wrenched my heart and sent shivers up my spine. As such, moments before mine and Dick's cue their trapeze just, snapped. And unlike normal circuses with protocols The Flying Graysons were famous for performing without a net. I gasped and put my hands and feet on either side of the ladder rungs sliding down to the bottom Dick hot on my heels. Mary had a gash on her head bleeding heavily, John didn't look much better with a twisted form and what looked to be a broken neck, dead when they hit the ground. I fell to my knees at their sides the dirt standing my dress as I cried and cried Dick clinging to me just as much as I clung to him. My Nona soon joined tears of her own falling as she hugged me from the side the duo becoming a trio of hugging figures. The crowd was in shocked and horrified silence that was when I noticed it, the roped hadn't snapped, they were cut. A strangled gasp escaped my lips as I stood sprinting to the cut ropes my bare feet pounding just as loud as my heart.

"Oh my god," my voice was shaky and thick with tears, though the words still cut through the air, all heads snapped to me. "ROBIN! Robin, oh my god. They- they didn't just fall."

He gasped as well running to my side clinging to me desperately. I gripped the ropes in a white knuckled fist the fraying, yet still visibly cut edge, pointing to the nexus of the striped tent. Every circus member had gathered huddling around the bodies, yet the large red and white tent was still pin-drop silent. Dick had went from sobbing to furious then broke down once again falling to his knees bringing me with him. The paramedics, who one of the audience members had called, had to pull us apart. Dick was taken to foster care that day, I had gone back to Paris with my Nona, back to my parents.

Yet, nine years later, they still hadn't found each other, and nine years later I still had the dress, and nine years later (unbeknownst to me) Dick found out who killed his parents.