Prologue

 

    "Come over here, Kossi. I'm going to teach you to dance," Aunt Mirella beckoned me over to where she was sitting, on a log just outside our camp.

    She wasn't really my aunt. None of them were, but I'd taken to tacking things like "aunt" and "uncle" onto all their names, because it was the closest term I could think of. They had found me as a baby, not more than a day or two old, and raised me as a part of their big family ever since. Now I was ten years old, and they were still the only family I knew... but they were a good one.

    We made up a small band of gypsies. There were fifteen or twenty of us at most; I never bothered to count. Most of the rest of them were rabbits, aside from a few adopted members like myself, but even amongst the other newcomers I stood out. I was a chameleon dragon, a strange creature from an island far away. Perhaps my egg washed up on the European shores before I had a chance to hatch. I'll never know for sure. Somehow, though, I fit right in with my adoptive family. My brilliant patches of color-changing scales and hair were a perfect match for their gaudy colored wardrobes and brilliant costumes. We were a beautiful sight, really, dancing and singing as we traveled along, always headed for our newest destination.

    "...but I already know how to dance, Aunty Mirella," I responded naively as I trotted over to her.

    She laughed, "Well of course you do! I'm going to teach you to dance properly, though, like the performers do! Wouldn't you like to learn that?" Then she added with a whisper, "Maybe you'll even be a performer yourself, someday. You have such talent, already!"

    "Really?" I inquired, "Oh, I should go get Aya! We can learn to dance together!" Aya was my best friend, only a year younger than me. The thought of becoming performers together was more excitement than my ten-year-old mind could bear!

    Mirella sighed, "Oh, Kossi..." a chuckle escaped her throat, "How about I just teach you for now, alright? This will be something special... just for you," she smiled.

    I frowned, "But... why just me?"

    She chuckled again and pulled me closer, positioning her mouth at my ear, "Can I tell you a secret?"

   I nodded, my brow furrowed.

    "You, my dear Kossi, are one of the most brilliant dancers I have ever laid eyes on. That's why I want to teach you specially."

    I only pouted, "But I don't wanna be better than Aya."

    She smiled and shook her head, "Oh, Kossi. Come on, now, just let me show you a few special dance moves."

 

    I stood there silently watching throughout Mirella's entire dance lesson. I didn't feel like stepping out and joining her dance, but as I observed, I took in every detail, every little skip and twirl, of the intricate dance she was showing me. Finally, she dismissed me, looking a bit disappointed, and I ran off to my tent to tell Aya my brilliant new plan for us to grow up and be performers together. I didn't care at all what Aunty Mirella said; I wasn't going to become a performer without my best friend.

 

    That night, though, after Aya went to sleep, I sneaked out of our tent (which Aya's wonderful parents had allowed me to share) and headed for my favorite clearing in the forest near our present camp.

    Once I reached the clearing, far away from the eyes and ears of the rest of the camp, I let myself fade away into the dark except my arms and hair and the other colorful patches around my body, which shifted to a wonderful assortment of blues and yellows for the occasion, to match the stars in the sky. Even my flowing skirt and top, adorned with jingling little baubles that clinked together if I moved just right, seemed to blend into the night with their deep blue and purple hues.

    I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and stepped nimbly into the clearing, immediately launching myself into a graceful pirouette and then twirling into an intricate series of skips and spins that felt as natural to me as walking, or perhaps more so. I felt like I was walking on air, dancing around and around the empty clearing with my eyes closed and my hair loose around my head. The feeling was surreal. Unbelievable. Perfect. I think, perhaps, I found a part of myself that night.

Reviews

[MockingJuliet]

This was just perfect. You did an amazing job. You write beautifully.

[bluessadmood]

This is so nice ..i really liked your way of writing ,the style is great ,you portray your images so well..
the character building is good ,its like a dreamy writing ,like not in this real world ,at first i really thought she was dreaming the whole while
but it was very real and very true ..i like how a child with ten y old would argue so innocently with her aunt
as she tells her she is to teach her to be a special dancer..I liked her going at night to the woods
where she tried the moves her aunt taught her ..she was so taken away with how good she was ..
she felt like flying as she danced and swayed round and round..she was so happy ..She Found Herself That Night
I really enjoyed your writing ,I dont know why but it sounded strange and very special,very tempting to read
lovely write..