Undiscovered Origins

Undiscovered Origins - Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Jade shivered in anticipation as she cowered behind the flaps which led to the arena. Filled with dread, she clutched her sturdy oak hula hoop tightly as she thought about the act she would be forced to do. She knew she could perform her act well, but she never attempted it with a trampoline while on stage. There was little she could do to oppose her master - especially if she wanted to avoid another lashing.

She peered through to watch as the fire breather took the stage. He wore only gray cloth pants and did a miraculous display with swords and breathing fire. She had seen some fire breathers before but this man seemed to be unique. It was almost as if he created the fire himself but she knew that couldn't be true. The art of it even made the performers stare in awe. It was no surprise that he was hired for the show, and possibly the next tour depending on how well the night went.

He seemed to dance with the swords twirling them in such motions while leaping over the blades and emitting fire from his mouth. It was unlike anything Jade had ever seen and she completely respected the young man. He seemed to be in his late twenties and he was talented for being so young. She couldn't help but admire his glimmering copper chest. He was muscular but not overwhelming so and she instantly felt an attraction. She liked the way his biceps flexed as he twirled the swords in his arms, and she caught herself staring as his rippled abs. It was probably the first time she blushed from someone's act. For the amount of movements he was undertaking it was a wonder why he wasn't sweating more. He had a light glaze of sweat across his body but he wasn't pouring. It appeared as if he was almost as warm blooded as the fire.

His finish was extraordinary as he sprung in the air with a few flips and embedded his blades into the ground before raising himself up. He was upside down holding himself up with his blades and he straightened out his arms completely raising himself fully into the air. It ended with him holding the position and blowing a last breath of fire which was the largest flame Jade had ever seen come out of anyone's throat.

The rest of the night's acts went by in a blur until it was Jade's turn. The part that frightened her the most was that her act had been saved for last. It was true that if she messed it up that she would be severely punished. She did her best to clear her mind of such negative thoughts and think clearly about the act. Even without moving she could feel the sweat beading down her face as hundreds of people in the audience were staring at her.

She started with her wooden hula hoop as she merely stood on the trampoline to warm up. She twirled it around in her hands and around her body making the circle seem to flash from spot to spot in an optical illusion. After warming up she began hula hooping on her body moving from her waist down to her ankles while still keeping perfect rhythm. She quickly withdrew one of her legs so the hoop spun around only one of her ankles and rose up to her knee. She held her leg up straight alongside her body with her hand showing off her flexibility. Putting her foot back into the hoop she let it slide back up her body to her neck where it spun until she rose it up with her arms. It spun around her arms and her elbows next and she switched from one side to the other going up her arm over her head and switching arms letting it travel down the opposite side.

People stared in awe at her skillfulness but they were still waiting for the trampoline to take effect and she took one last gulp before she began her jumps. She started slow at first with only small jumps and still making the hoop do maneuvers around her waist up to her arms. As she got higher she had to keep her arms raised to keep the hoop from going above her as she fell back down. The freedom delighted her when she was in the air, and she was able to maneuver her body with the hoop in such interesting ways that it got lots of murmurs from the crowd.

It was enough to please the crowd of such a performance but it wasn't enough to suit Jade and she wanted more. Now was the time for her to do something she had never done, and she remained too concentrated to be afraid of it. The thought did occur to her that if she messed it up she would get quite the beating, but she didn't dwell on it for long. With a large jump in the air she balanced the hoop around her waist, letting it spin around her bare belly but when she came back down, she made no attempt to catch the hoop. Instead, she put her arms through it to her side and fell through it letting it circle around her body all the way up to her head until she was completely out of it. She dropped three meters to touch feet with the trampoline, and sprang with enough aim for her body to slide right back into the hoop and continue spinning it around her body. The act should have been impossible and she didn't even know how she accomplished it. It seemed like the hoop levitated above her in place, spinning perfect circles, as if her body was still there. The crowd cheered in an uproar and she succeeded in doing it a few more times.

The next thing she did was spin the hoop on individual legs while in the air and switching legs on the drop. To finish her act up she grabbed the hula hoop and spun it around with her hands creating different circular designs while doing flips. Finally she slowed herself down and did the splits on the trampoline with the hoop spinning around her neck before she grabbed it and bowed. The crowd stood and cheered in an uproar and Jade felt her face turn from ghost white to the deepest shade of scarlet.

Walking into the back even her coworkers were applauding her and congratulating her which kept her face lit up. The only one who stood away from the crowd without a sign of approval was the fire breather. He was still shirtless with his arms crossed, glaring at her. It made her uncomfortable and after everybody went back to their rooms to change she avoided his gaze and walked past him.

"Nice job out there." He spoke with a voice both firm and inviting.

She was caught off guard by his words, his voice. Stopping in her tracks, she turned around and studied him. His face lacked emotion, gentle, yet stern. His back was still turned to her, and he was still leaning against the wall. All she could see was the side of his face.

"Thank you." She whispered as he walked away. She wasn't even sure if he heard her.

Fatigue overtook her and she walked back to the costume room to hang up her maroon one-piece suit. The appearance was that of a one piece bikini that cut off in a diamond around her belly to expose skin. Now naked she took off her stockings before searching for her own clothes. She wasn't allowed to wear the performance clothes outside of the arena. It was back to less attractive torn bra, undergarments, and a cloth rugged nightgown. At least worn clothes were comfortable she thought as she lay down on her bed in the back corner. The act brought such fatigue to her that she was surprised that she made it to the bed before passing out into a deep sleep.