Blinded By The Past-- The Greatest Showman/Anne Wheeler Fanfiction

Chapter 3

*Not Edited*
_______________________

The next day, the show was canceled to the public for unknown reasons. The troupe, however, knew exactly why. It was the day that Anne and W.D. will reveal where they came from, what they've been through, and the life they left behind. Even though Phillip suggested that their story should only be told to the circus, the two siblings decided to tell P.T. and his family as well.

Anne woke up that day, knowing what they were about to reveal could change how Phillip sees her. She couldn't stop thinking about how she's going to tell Phillip and the rest of the troupe about her childhood. She and her brother were runaways. They ran away from the only life they knew, their past, and their problems.

"You ready?" W.D. asked her after they had their breakfast. They were in her room, which only contained a small bed, a trunk, and a dresser with a mirror and a chair. She looked in the mirror, seeing a little girl instead of herself.

Young Anne looked smaller than 10. She saw the child's hair had some tangles and dry mud on her feet. Beside the girl were an older boy and a younger girl. The girl stood out from the two siblings, having a much lighter skin tone. Her hair was like gold while the brother and sister had brown skin. She was dressed in a white nightgown and was barefoot. Her skin was as pale snow, making her stand out even more.

Anne knew who she was. She recalled how the girl would come visit them in the fields, careful not to be spotted by the overseer or the slave's master. Even though the pale girl's older brother always told her to keep away from the slaves, the child didn't listen to him.

Anne looked back at her brother, coming back to reality. They both knew it was time to reveal their story. The two walked out, seeing everyone seated on the bleachers.

Helen and Caroline were laughing and playing with each other. It brought a smile to everyone. Anne recalled how she and her family would go to their shack every day, exhausted from working. Somehow W.D. and Anne somehow still had some energy to keep their parent's spirits high.

Phillip saw them, as did everyone else. Anne felt her body freeze, making W.D. stop. He looked at his sister, worried. Philip walked up to them, while Anne gazed off into her mind.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" The ringmaster asked, his voice giving some comfort to Anne. She looked up at him and nodded. "You won't have to worry about anyone telling anything. We all promise to keep your secret,"

"We completely trust you," W.D. told to him. "You all are the only ones who treated us like a real family in years,"

The three walked to the troupe, who took their seats. Philip freed Anne's hand, with a bit of hesitation. The Wheeler Siblings sat up front, not letting go of each other's hands.

"What we are about to say," W.D. said, his voice sounding serious. "It has to stay between all of us. If anyone else finds out about any of this, will have to leave,"

"I don't want you to leave!" Helen yelled out. She and Caroline ran up to them, giving the siblings a hug.

"We won't," Anne told them. She felt small tears in her eyes, remembering the last time her mother hugged her. "As long as you promise not to tell anyone else about this. Not even your closest friends. Promise us you won't tell,"

"We promise," The two sisters whispered. They went back to their mother and father and Anne went on with their story.

"It all started about 15 years ago in 1835. We were both born on a plantation, W.D. in 1822 and me in 1827. We did the same things almost every day. We would wake up a bit before sunrise and go into the woods that was nearby,"