The girl in the gilded cage *Completed*

Like floating on air

*Malina*

The show is about to start and I walk into the area just outside the ring, where all the artists stand ready to enter. It is their time to go be stars and shine in front of the audience. I spot Joe talking to a man I have never seen before; he doesn't look like he belongs in the circus. He looks more like a hero in a romance novel, tall, almost aristocratic-looking, and very handsome.

I wonder what he is doing here talking to Joe. Watching how his long arms and big hands move as he speaks, like he is painting the words rather than speaking them, there is something very enthusiastic and passionate about him, something that compels me to watch him.

He is wearing a summery light naive suit and a dark blue shirt. He looks rather well-built but not as brawny as, for example, Ioan. He seems to smile a lot and he has a beautiful smile; it is infectious. He has a very heavy stubble, bordering on being a beard, and his dark hair threatens to go into fluffy curls if it gets just a tad longer.

"Hey Malina baby, here to see me make my debut as the ringmaster?" Ioan asks as he slithers up beside me. He looks kind of ridiculous in the red jacket that is slightly too small for his wide frame, and the top hat. I mean, more than he usually does, which says a lot.

I might have rolled my eyes a bit, unable to stop myself. I know he is interested in me, but he is just so... well, so stupid and self-absorbed, and I find him more laughable than attractive. I also think it is a huge mistake letting him cover for Joe; he just doesn’t have the charm or way with words. "Yeah, I wouldn't miss that."

"Thank you darling, you know you and I should get to know each other better," he says, my sarcasm clearly lost on him.

I shake my head, walking a bit away from him. "I told you before, Ioan, I am flattered but I simply don't have time for things like that."

The music starts playing and Ioan grabs the microphone, walking into the ring, smiling broadly, and then he just freezes, standing there looking like the big buffoon he is when the music stops. Time drags out and people start whispering.

I see Joe is about to run in there, but the tall guy he was talking to stops him and walks in there with long strides, grabbing the microphone from Ioan. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to Circus Arly, to a world of magic and wonders, of strength, courage, and bravery, of fun and laughter. Are you ready to be amazed?"

The audience is hanging by his every word; he is drawing you in when he talks, and he gets a roaring answer to his question. "Ready to be wowed, to be scared, to be thrilled, to be entertained beyond your beliefs?" He gets another roaring yes.

Who is this man? He is clearly used to speaking publicly, to entertain; he seems to be totally at ease out there, even though it is a totally new area for him, I am guessing. He is mesmerizing and charming; he seems made for this.

"Well then, make some noise and welcome the first act this afternoon and have a wonderful show." He finishes, tossing the microphone back to Ioan with a smile. Ioan, on the other hand, looks like he would happily rip off his arms and beat him to death with them.

Joe shakes his hand and claps him on the back and he just shakes his head smiling, seemingly waiving off the praise and thanks. Then he leaves and I walk over to Joe. "Who was that man, Joe?"

"Oh, that was Joshua Mitchell. He is a famous actor or something. He did really well out there, didn't he?" Joe says with a smile. I always liked Joe; he is a bit weird and flamboyant but nice.

I nod, smiling at the memory. "Yes, he was very good. We should have someone like that covering for you, not that brainless piece of beef out there."

*Josh*

"What was that about?" Sharon looks at me when I join her and Sterling at our seats.

I sit down, shrugging slightly. "He froze up. It is his first show filling in for Joe and I thought he just needed a hand getting started."

"You are crazy, Josh, totally crazy. You were amazing. But hey, I would have expected no less from you. Give you a microphone and a stage and you are like a fish in water," she says, smiling at me.

We watch the show. Most of it is amazing and Sterling sits with big eyes, pointing and squealing. When the dogs come on, he tries to tell me about petting them.

Ioan presents the different acts, but honestly, the man lacks both charm and showmanship, and mostly sounds like he is reading from a list. When he is done in the ring, Joe takes over shortly to present him, keeping his voice down, but what a difference; the man knows how to talk to an audience.

Ioan is doing his knife show, and I have to give him that… he is good. He throws the knives with great accuracy and his assistant seems to trust him. But when she is on the spinning wheel, he keeps to placing the knives out on the sides; he is not trying the throw he practiced earlier.

Malina comes in with her sister and brother and they do their trapeze act. They are good, really good actually. The sister looks a lot like her, just much taller and a bit more voluptuous. She is beautiful too, but she lacks that air of fairy-tale that there is about Malina.

Later, Ioan is back with his tigers, and I don't like it. The animals seem stressed and aggressive; they don't look like they like what they do, and I get a feeling they haven't been trained with positive methods.

At last, Ioan presents Malina. She comes into the ring and climbs gracefully to the small platform near the top of the tent. The audience is deadly quiet and the orchestra is playing ‘Swan Lake.’ I hold my breath as I watch her step out on the line with infinite gracefulness.

Instinctively, I lower my gaze to see what is below her. There is her brother and a couple of circus workers and then her father in his wheelchair, ready to try and catch her should she fall, but there is no net. I hold my breath, my eyes glued to her.

I am hypnotized by this tiny woman, who seems to glide through the air, supported by nothing. She is so far up, that it is almost impossible to see the line beneath her feet. It looks like she is floating in the air, dancing, and she is smiling, like she loves what she is doing.

The line jumps once and the audience gasps, but she keeps her balance with no trouble. Then she turns, moving back and then forward again. I feel nauseated. I can't take the excitement of her taking such a great risk. It is easy to see why she is the star. She truly deserves her applause for her act. It seems like she is up there forever as the tension builds. I get chills, but I can't rip my eyes from her.

Then finally, with one last graceful jump, she lands on the platform on the other side. It is not much bigger than her tiny feet and the audience explodes in thunderous applause. She grabs a loop on the rope, gliding down trouble-free, landing and giving an elegant bow. The audience gets to their feet, giving her a thunderous standing ovation. She has risked her life for them and they see it as entertainment.

I realize I am shaking slightly. I have never seen anything this terrifying in my life. She leaves the tent, followed by her brother and father, ending the show.