Arial Affections

Part One

The circus couldn't turn back. They had already started to uncage the animals and set up the tents when the ringleader was informed that another circus had started unpacking, and his plot reservation was mixed up.

But his performers had already journeyed for days, and the animals were restless. He decided to speak to the ringmaster of Cirque Ecstasy, and luckily, she was gracious enough to compromise.

They would market their act as a merging of the two circuses, but the Fantasia Circus would be paid less due to the scheduling of it all.

* * *

Lorelai entered the tent to practice her next acrobatics act with John. He was already waiting for her on the trapeze platform, near other high acts performing their stunts. When Lorelai climbed up to the platform opposite John, she looked down and felt the surge of adrenaline that always accompanies her before she grabbed hold of the swing and departed.

It's a dance. She let go of the bar and soon, John caught her before she caught hold of the swing again and launched herself into a flip in midair. It was part of the show for the week, but John didn't reach out to catch her when he was supposed to, and she was taken by surprise. Lorelai realized too late the trouble she was in.

The safety nets were taken down to give the other performers room to practice. It wasn't like they needed them, either. Lorelai hadn't needed the safety nets for years; her and her acrobatics partner were always in tandem.

But Lorelai was plummeting fast. If she took hold of the tightrope, the tightrope walker would fall. She started angling her body as she fell, hoping her injuries would amount to a few broken bones instead of unconsciousness, when she was saved mid-fall. A strong arm wrapped around her waist, and relief flooded through her.

The other circus's tightrope walker had caught her before she reached the ground. He had his balancing pole in one hand and held her with the other, but Lorelai knew he was out of his comfort zone and probably wouldn't be able to balance with the both of them for much longer, so she leaned back out of his touch until she wouldn't be able to stop herself from falling. Lorelai could make out a look of curiosity and amusement on the performer's face before she fell back.

When she was parallel with the rope, she flung her hand out and caught herself, spiraling into a flip. She let go once she had completed her swing and caught hold of her acrobatics bar.

Lorelai shot a grateful glance down at the tightrope walker and he returned it before she continued her routine.