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Capítulo I- El comodín
Atsuki's red hair shone underneath the warm white lights. It gave an orange flick to the roots of her hair compared to the pink-red curled ends. Her hands rested on her hips viewing the long strip of tightrope ahead of her. She took a step forward and the audience peered over their seats anticipating her act of crossing the 50-foot-high tightrope. The crunch on the popcorn and bags of chips crinkling was the only noise they made. The weight of one foot lowered underneath her step. She slowly set the other foot in front, and the rope sunk deeper.
She placed one foot in front of another until she reached an eighth of the 60-foot-long tight rope. She glanced down and not a single ounce of fear entered her body. It was a sight to get used to after doing it for so many years. She looked at her manager near the curtain blocking the backstage. He had his arms crossed leaning on a pole with a displeased frown.
Atsuki leaned her body forward and grabbed the rope with her hands. In a steady balance, her limbs rose up into a handstand and as they fell to the other side, she tightened her grip, falling into a split on the tight rope. Gasps of amazement and fingers pointed at her from children asking their friends if they saw the same thing they did. She hooked her left leg around the rope and dropped the other to her side. She fell back as her back arched to a V. Her hand once again gripped the rope and she curled her body in the air.
One hand let go of the tightrope and she created a star shape in the air. The audience clapped at the thirteen-year-old's strength and a few whistles were thrown her way in celebration. The blood rushed to her head as she placed her hand back. She moved a couple of inches forward with her hands. Once she felt them shake, she dropped her legs back on the tightrope, crossing them across one another.
She looked at her manager and this time he had a wicked grin on his face. The same stoic look she had nearly every time she spoke with him was upon her face. She turned to the half dome full of people cheering for her with a smile on her raspberry-stained lips. She batted her eyes to adjust to the lighting below her and try to get a good look at their faces. From above you couldn't tell her age. Atsuki wore makeup that made her appear older than she actually was. Shades of blended pinks decorated her eyelid with small specs of glitter. Her eyeliner was sharper than the tip of her pink nails and a solid black liner outlined her underline to enhance the slender shape of them. However, the golden highlighter on her brown skin reflected the warm lights above her, returning the youthful look on her face.
Even after hearing the whistles and the loud applause, she felt nothing. Being forced to work in the circus for seven years ruined it all. At first, she could feel the adrenaline kicking through her body and felt motivated to learn more. At the age of eight, anything was exciting. After being left abandoned the only thing she wanted was to feel wanted. Once Atsuki struck the age of 11, she realized they only liked the talent she possessed. She was only used for entertainment purposes and anything beyond that, she was a circus freak.
