Circus

Anabella drummed her fingers against the leather inlay of her desk, staring at the small glass elephant trumpeting it’s silent march. A shade of a rare smile played across the corner of her lips. The circus.

She must’ve been… twelve, last time she went. God that was only ten years ago. It felt like so much longer. Lifetimes between her and her dad. He would hold her hand as they walked into the big top tent. That’s when the world came alive.

Bright colours, loud noises, kids and adults laughing all around. The smell of popcorn and cinnamon pastries filled their nostrils, enticing her in all directions. If her dad hadn’t held onto her hand so well she would’ve taken off in all directions, just to look at the delicious treats they only dreamed of in the outside world.

Then the clowns. The bearers of bright colours and silly noises. Permanently drawn-on smiles and enthusiastic laughs as they cartwheeled around, desperately doing anything they could to get a laugh out of their patrons. One squirted water in her face once. Real water. She’d never been so happy.

Ah it was all lost now. The circuses hadn’t toured around the wastes in years now. All the biggest ones had been shut down anyway. She gazed at the little glass elephant, and her faced relaxed for the first time in days. She imagined a little rubber ball, balancing on the end of its trunk.

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed today’s writing exercise. What writing exercises do you do? Any ideas for ones you want me to try?