Shadow in the Snow

To See The Light

    "Careful, boy, careful!  Balance there... and good.  Again!" 

    Not saying a word in response, the boy did as he was told and jumped down from the rope, walking back again to the beginning and climbing up to balance on the narrow tightrope with nothing but a straight stick to help him balance.  He was no older than five but carried himself well.  Standing up tall, feet not quite touching each other on the rope, and the stick held just so in front of him to help him maintain that balance.  Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, the boy furrowed his white eyebrows in concentration and took a step forward.  Then another.  He wobbled a little on the third step and fell off on the fourth, though luckily the rope stood only two feet from the ground.  Before he had much of a chance to even get back up, a hand had grabbed him by the arm and forcibly hauled him back to his feet. 

    "Up, now," said the voice of his trainer, not unkindly but a bit exasperated.  "That's your third fall in the last half an hour, Snowflake."

    The boy, Snowflake, hung his head a little.  "I'm sorry, sir.  Can I have a break?"

    "What?  The master said--"

    "Please?"

    His trainer, a short lean man with closely cropped black hair, sighed but nodded.  "Fine.  Five minutes.  But stay in the tent."

    Snowflake brightened.  He was not really sure exactly how long five minutes was but it was something, and something was always better than nothing -- except for the times that it wasn't, of course, like when he was given a task to do instead of being left to his own devices, but right now it was good.  Now very cheerful, the small boy slipped away and began to explore the tent.  It was his whole world, this tent, but even though he had been around it a thousand times there always seemed to be something new going on to see.  He especially liked to watch the Phoenix because a few times he got to watch it be reborn and that never failed to awe him.  It was a magnificent sight.  He ran up to go see it now as it was hanging up from one of the beams in its great cage.

    "Hello, Holmes!" he called to it.  The bird just stared at him with drooping eyes and even more drooping feathers.   It looked like Holmes would be rebirthing soon but not just yet; not today.  

    Snowflake frowned.  "Poor Holmes."  This he spoke in a very quiet voice so no one could hear him.  "You don't like a cage.  I wish I could fly so I could let you out.  Then we could fly away together and go see the sun."

    Wistfully, the boy turned to look at the edge of the circus tent.  That was forbidden territory and always closed up so he could never even peek out, much less leave the tent.  This was his home and he was safe here.  That's what everyone always told him.  Inside the tent was safe and outside was dangerous and he must never go out and when he had asked why his brother could go, they only said it was because Crow was stronger.  Snow was not strong enough.  Still, he couldn't help but wonder what the world must be like outside of here.  Crow had told him things but he wanted to see, he wanted to--

    What was that?  For a moment, Snowflake thought that he saw light shining through the tent but he had only caught a glimpse and now he wasn't certain he had seen anything at all.  But no... wait!  There it was again!  And this time it lingered a little longer before the wind released the tent and it closed again.  Just a little hole, a little slice in the thick fabric of the tent, but enough to let in light and more even than that, enough that he could see out of it if he just got close enough.  Fervently he glanced around but no one was paying him much heed, for once, so he mustered up his bravery and crept over towards the slit in the tent.  Snowflake was very small and easy to miss so he was able to slip through the people, creatures, and other contraptions of the circus with relative ease.