Chapter One

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The thick smoke from the trains always woke me up. Though it was never hard to wake me up, I would awake at the sound of a candle being blown out. My mother had told me that, to always be conscious while I slept. Nobody could hurt me that way. 

I exited my little room and walked out to the little dining table in the apartment's kitchen. It was only a small apartment; two bedrooms, a bathroom and a dinning/living/kitchen area. 

It was home.

I heard the door open from one of the bedrooms and saw W.D. walk out, half asleep yet still with a smile. 

"Morin Liz. Did you sleep well?" He asked as he placed three pieces of bread into the toaster. 

"Morning. I did, thank you, no nightmares or anything." 

He smiled at my response before removing the toast and beginning to smear butter on each piece. 

They had taken me in - W.D. and Anne - when I had joined Barnum's circus after they had discoverd I had no where to go. I used to live in Pennsylvania but left there as soon as I could afford a train to New York. 

The voice of a girl awoke me from my train of though. 

" All you all ready for today? Mr Barnum has given us the stage to practise that new trick W.D as well as teach Lizzy some of the basic tricks." Anne said as she wrapped her fabric glove around her hand and grabbed a piece of toast with the other. 

"Yeah! I'm so excited that I get to be on the trapeze at tonights show" I half squeal as I dance around in my chair. 

W.D.'s eyes flash up instantly. 

"Woah. Woah Woah. Liz, I don't think you will be ready for tonight's show. You have a long way to go before then. We have got to strengthen you muscles, then teach you how to mount and dismount the trapeze.." W.D rambled on, counting each thing on his fingers. 

Sighing I reply. "Hey. W.D. It's all good. Anne has been training me on the ropes and hoop. My muscles are fine and i have a good sense of balance because I do tight rope. All you have to teach me is how to mount and dismount the trapeze. And I will be fineee." 

W.D has been like a big brother to me these last couple of weeks, just like Anne has been a sister to me. It's like we are each from a broken family but together, as well as with the other people from the circus, we form one big family. 

Looking at the clocktower through the window, I see that it is almost 8am. Meaning that we should head towards Barnums's building to start to warm up. 

" We should head off now" Anne says, reading my mind. 

We all grab our things before walking to the circus. 

                                                                                 ******

"Good Lizzy ! When I say now, I want you to let go of the trapeze and land on this spot here Kay?" 

Anne was yelling at me as I soared through the air on the trapeze. We had been doing this trick repeatly for nearly two and a half hours. 

"Now" Anne's voiced echoed through out the hall as I let my hands slide of the cool metal bar and I gravtiate towards the ground. 

Closing my eyes, I feel the impack of the ground against the sole of my feet. It startles my legs for a second before the regain composure and my arms lift above my head, almost forming a 'Y' shape. 

"That was great Lizzy! I reckon you could totally do the show on trapeze tonight! Mr Barnum wants me on the hoop, so that works out amazingly!" Anne smiled and she explained. 

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