• tab People of the human race are delicate things, sprinkled with talents and skills. A funny thing the human's are, for they only notice that which they do not see in themselves and they desire it so much they completely look over the talents of which they already posses. But enough of my rambling, I've a story to share. . .

    tab It begins with a heart, wild and curious, yet quiet and locked away in it's own little world. This particular heart belonged to a girl by the name of Laurine Zemel. Laurine was born into a rather... interesting family. So interesting in fact, that Ms. Laurine decided she couldn't quite stand them, and so off she took to the streets. Alone and lost, but with a thirst for adventure, little Laurine carried on.

    tab She didn't fend well for herself alone at first. Her mild curiosity and wild temper soon became pure hatred for the world around her, and others who resided in it with her. She was mean, and if you messed with her-- well lets just say you wouldn't do it again. I fear this was the work of an interesting role model and an attitude that was built up in reaction to this role model. Anyways! She was on the streets, mean, and had no place to call her own. Well, except for her... 'sanctuary'.

    tab Laurine had a place, a secret place. Past the crumbling, decaying city, the greasy stench and the grumbling people, Laurine had managed to find a patch of greenery. There was not much, just a small tree that beared a peculiar little fruit not yet ripe for eating and a flurry of wildflowers blooming at random.

    tab Laurine spent her day here. Thinking. Humming to herself. Sometimes she even ventured to read out there. One day, something brought upon by fate happened. The rain was beating down hard, Laurine hurried to her sanctuary, a new novel under her arm (which she had found lying about on the street). Once there, the short tree seemed to block any if not all of the rain from drip-dropping onto little Laurine's head. It was quite the mystery her sanctuary. For even though an angry storm ravaged the streets, everything went calm and in the sanctuary there was a warm glow of light not found anywhere out on the streets.

    tab Laurine had set by the tree with her newfound novel and was in the middle of a rather dreadfully dull beginning when a loud yelp was heard just outside the sanctuary. Laurine's old blind curiousity was awakened only for a second as she looked out to see who it was.

    tab Surprised by the sight of a short red head with a fiery expression on her face, shouting up at the sky. "I'll teach you to rain and make me slip!" and the rest I'll have to leave out for the reason of foul words spoken. The red head caught sight of Laurine's brown head sticking out from a blocked off area. "Hey you, you look half intelligent. Could you perhaps tell me where I might find a zebra in a rain coat? I've lost my own, unfortunately and am looking to replace him." Laurine's expression turned dumbfounded. This person only made hair of any sort of sense. "Hmph. You'd think someone in this old city would know a ring master when they saw one." The red head walked towards Laurine and forced herself inside the sanctuary, which annoyed Laurine immensely but was curious to discover more about this 'ring master'.

    tab "Hello. I am Lexa Twirgh. I am in the circus business.As I've said before, I've lost my zebra in a raincoat and would be delighted if you could point me in the right direction to go to find one?" Laurine sighed. She half understood, half misunderstood. "I'm not sure where to find one... but I can help you look." This was , of course, completely out of character. Laurine was mean. Didn't associate much more than what was needed, even then. . . but, the ring master intrigued Laurine. She felt a curiosity not felt in years. And to understand her more, Laurine decided to help her instead of fend her off.

    tab "Delighted for the help, er-- what's your name?" "Granger" Laurine didn't know why she gave that name. It was her middle name you see, and not what she was usually called. But she supposed with a name like Lexa Twirgh, she didn't wanna be upstaged and honestly, 'Laurine' seemed very plain to her. "Granger? That's a metallic name... Ever thought of joining the circus?"

    tab With a bit of spontaneity and persuasion, Granger ended up working as a stage clown. Colorful afro wig and everything...

    ----To Whom Does The Spotlight Belong?-------

    tab One day whilst practicing up a good act, Lexa had asked Granger to go into town for a while for a few items. So with a pocket full of money and a checklist to go by, Granger was off. She came upon a store and looked at the top of her list, 'Egg Mutton' If such a thing existed, it should surely be a surprise to Granger.

    "Oh help me please! They've taken my sister away! You've got to help me!!"

    tab There was a commotion erupting in the middle of the city. Granger felt that lick of curiosity once again and hurried to see what had happened. The was a brunette of rather average features except perhaps, for her eyes, which seemed to shine radiantly despite her cries of tragedy. By some mere wisp of fate, the girl had turned towards Granger and immediately grabbed her arms in a steely grip.

    "Will you help me?"

    tab Granger wasn't sure what to reply, before she managed to reply, a thunderous applause was heard and the girl stood. She dusted off her humble looking clothes and smiled at the accumulating crowd. "Thank you, Thank you. It was nothing but my profession." She called in a prideful tone. Coins and flowers of sorts were thrown at her feet. Granger finally began to understand. It was an act. This girl, was an actress. A street performer, perhaps. "I hope I didn't scare you." The girl called to Granger. Who indeed had been startled. As she looked at the girl now, she noticed that the humble and average appearance Granger had originally written off as to describe this girl had completely altered. Now, not only were her eyes glowing and radiant but the rest of her as well. She gave off a superficial aura to Granger who then decided to have nothing else to do with the girl, and remembered that there was a task at hand.

    tab "Egg Mutton..." she mumbled, when someone had tapped her on the shoulder, by now the crowd had dispersed. Surprisingly, it was the actress herself tapping Granger on the shoulder. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to thank you for that beautiful reaction back there, when I was-- acting. Without it, I fear I wouldn't have fared to well." Granger was all the more puzzled again. The actress had gone for radiant and prideful to shy and thankful. Was this her real persona or another front? Granger found that thought run across her mind... She felt sincerity from the girl and so she let it alone.

    tab "My name is Behls Yarhbbud. Pronounced Bells and Yar-bud. And you are...?" "Granger." And that was it. Granger found herself in a situation that was probably fated to be, another meeting. Another mystery. And Another habit of being terribly mean gone funny. Granger herself supposed it was her days at the circus that had changed her. The two girls did their best to find everything on the list. but it was almost impossible seeing how both weren't much good for talking. The actress however, seemed possessed with outgoing emotion from time to time whenever there was a large crowd around paying attention to the two of them.

    They made it back, thank God. But Without an egg mutton, to Lexa's great displeasure.

    ------A Musical Encounter-------------

    tab Weeks and months passed severely fast in the circus. Behls had earned her own act in shows, right after Granger's clown number. But one night, after performing, Granger and Behls found themselves setting outside the big top awaiting Lexa to finish up tonight's last show. Aloft on the wind, a sweet melodic tune was heard, even Behls had begun to sing along with the tune. Granger however, decided to find the source. Leaving Behls by the big top, Granger headed off into the dark, following the music.

    tab The end of the trail led Granger to a silhouetted figure in the night. Holding a sitar and playing it masterfully, the sight of the silhouette captivated our dear Granger. The melody had not stopped when Granger heard the silhouette address her. "Hey... What brings you here?" The answer was apparent but Granger felt the need to oblige to the silhouette's question. "Your music, of course." Pale moonlight shone on the mystery sitar players face. "I am Rissa Leymos, but a humble sitar player." She said with a coy smile. This person too was as radiant as Lexa and Behls, except, Granger noticed that each of them shone with a different glow... a different aura.

    tab "Name a song, any song. I'll know it right away, some call me a lyric guru, you know..." said Rissa, who had pulled out a reflective object to pamper her own appearance before beginning. Granger wished dreadfully she could name a song for the sitar player to play, but ... growing up in the interesting house she came from, she knew not very many modern day songs. Or any sort of songs to be mentioned any way. She instead, cleverly asked for the sitar player to play her most favorite songs. And so she did, as the two walked leisurely back to the big top.

    tab At the big top, Lexa and Behls seemed to be waiting for Granger to return and were delighted to see the musical friend she had brought with her. Immediately they were all on intimate terms (as good friends, you stranglings.) The three began to formulate a new act in which they all performed. The planning lasted into the night.

    "I'm going to need more cigs for this." spoke Lexa, as she put out her last cigar.

    -------Creatively overruled in... everything.---------

    tab There came a time in which the children and adults no longer needed nor wanted to be entertained by the Circus. Therefore, putting Lexa, Granger, Behls and Rissa at a rather unwanted point of decision. Quit the circus forever? Or risk trying out a brand new idea to ring in the crowds again? Neither of them wanted to end the newly made family they;d created there at the circus. So they began to search and research for new ideas to liven up their show.

    "Excuse me, I believe you are in need of my assistance."

    This voice was new to everyone. and when they all looked to see to whom it belonged, they saw a rather tall, beautiful girl with an intelligent face and an athletic physique.

    tab "If you could all just come with me to my library, I'd like to discuss in confidence my plan to resume your business as a circus." And so the party left for this new character's 'library'. And certainly, a library it was! Books piled upon books, shelves on every wall packed tight and full. In the center of the room was a nice little sitting area in which the four guests were seated. "To start off... I am Camie Ronirs. It's a great pleasure to meet you all, and I believe i have the solution to your business dilemma. A great circus you run, indeed, ms. Lexa. However, you are missing one thing crucial to a circus! A Trapeze Act! And I'm just the girl for you there!" Everyone thought this a very reasonable idea indeed. And they also very much enjoyed the company of Ms. Camie, so, it was pretty apparent to anyone that they would try out the trapeze act.

    tab Interesting enough, it worked. The crowds rushed the bigtop like never before to see the amazing fly known as Camie! And all was well... But know this, dear reader all good things must come to an end at some point. A foreboding thunder cracked in the heavens followed by a strike of lightening....

    ------The End to a Perfectly Fine Day------

    tab Granger had begun to enjoy life at the circus very well. But one day, a very familiar face's eyes met hers in the crowd. A mother. Whos? Granger's of course! She may have thought she'd gotten away from her family, but apparently, they found her. After the show, her mother immediately came to her and demanded that she come back home.

    tab This was all wrong of course! Granger really liked life here! Why should she have to leave? But her mother would not hear of it. Mother and daughter and of course her many siblings and father left the big top and went to their home. But it wasn't really home, not for Granger anyways...

    tab Days turned into weeks, weeks to months. Granger had reverted to a Laurine once again. She hadn't seen Lexa, or any of the other wonderful, brilliant people she had become good acquaintances with... She longed to smell the dreadful smoke from Lexa's cigars... Stricken with a case of missing, Granger fled the house to her sanctuary...

    tab When she got there she was alone still, bitterly alone. She set under the peculiar fruit tree and moped for quite the bit. Were not for the rather untamed zebra in a raincoat that popped it's head into the sanctuary, Granger wouldn't have moved. "No way!" She remarked. There really was a zebra in a raincoat!

    tab "Back up you ingrate! I need to get through." Huffed a familiar razzled voice. In stepped the short, fiery red head glowing with that familiar glow Granger remembered so well. "Well there you are, Granger! Not a minute to waste! Our last act remains to be unfinished. Do you not remember our grand scheme of using each of our talents to create a spectacular show of wonderment?! It was your idea in the first place! Come come!" On the way out of the sanctuary, Granger felt a happiness not felt in a while since she had departed her friends.

    A spectacular show went on in the big top that night. There were colours of every sort, music and tunes from all over the world, and a very believable death drop done by both Behls and Camie, least we forget Lexa's spectacular animals dancing in lines of sorts.

    tab When it was all said and done, Granger was said to leave her friends. But they only laughed, "It's not like you're dying! We'll always be here, silly!" And Granger felt that these words were not only true, but a very special saying from them all that resounded in her own heart. And forever, they were always there, together, no matter the distance, no matter the time of day, together they always were.

    The End