Rainbow Tears

Her hand stopped in mid stroke, she stared into the eyes looking back at her from the mirror. A tear formed in her right eye, soon followed by one in the left. They ran down her face, painting a rainbow.  The bright colors of a clown, but clowns were suppose to be happy, and she was anything but.

Tiffany had run away from home at the age of sixteen. She wondered if her drunken mother even noticed she was gone. She had learned to lock herself in her bedroom each night, when her mother came home, dragging strange men with her. She had learned from experience that after her mother passed out, the men would turn their unwanted attentions to her daughter.

When the circus came around last summer, Tiffany left with it. She thought she was in love with the handsome Edmond. She had willingly given him everything she had. Now, she just felt used, and abused. He had taken, not just her money, but her innocence as well.

She winced as she turned away from the mirror. Her stomach was so tender from where he had beaten her last night. She had caught him in a lie, he had been with another woman - she was the one who paid.

Slowly, she donned her costume, and prepared for the nights performance, knowing she would soon be bringing smiles, and laughter to the audience. If only someone could do that for her...a smile almost crossed her lips, as she thought about her plans for later tonight.

At last the big tent was empty. The audience had all gone home, the performers were now eating. Tiffany climbed to the high wire. In her mind, she was a beautiful trapese artist ascending to begin her act. At the top she stopped, closed her eyes, a beautiful smile brought her face to life, and...she jumped.

Author's Note

Written for a group prompt.

Reviews

[Mia]

“They ran down her face, painting a rainbow. The bright colors of a clown, but clowns were supposed to be happy, and she was anything but.”
Wow, such sad lines and yet so beautiful. I have a thing for rainbows. They’re associated with happiness but there is something about them that is sad and full of hope stolen from people. That’s how I see it, and now it’s appropriate. It goes with this story.
I maintain that you have a charming writing style. Despite the sadness of the situation there is a calmness to this story.

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Mia! A medium once gave me a message from my daughter who died fifteen years ago - I'll see you under the rainbow.

[Mia]

I'm so sorry about your daughter. Death is hard, I know this personally and still I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for a parent to lose a child. A friend once told me that in a faith (I think it was the Jewish faith but I’m not 100% sure) if a child dies before the parent, the parent automatically goes to heaven. That God knows there is no greater pain. Whether you are religious or not, it is a testament to the pain and suffering. So I hope you know that I sincerely hope you have found peace and that you remember your daughter with smiles. I’ll see you under the rainbow :)

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Thank you, Mia! And yes, I always remember my Jessie with smiles (See my story Jessie's Snowman).

[moonbeam40]

another good stoey Wendy, I do hope you are going to enter them in a contest:)) Moonbeam

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Thank you, Moonbeam. I think I did put this one into a contest, don't remember if I won. I wrote it for another group writing prompt.

[moonbeam40]

:))moonbeM

[Pax]

wow, sad and painful. a person who hides in a smasked smile. lastly she can't take it anymore that ended to tragic end. Its a sad reallity. well done.

[Marie]

Good story, but very sad. A young girl should not have to endure that,end up like that.

[Tina Kline]

An amazing story but a very tragic one. This is very believable. How sad, she left one bad situation and ended up in one just as bad if not worse since her heart was involved this time. So often that is how it seems in real life when a woman leaves one abusive man to just end up with another. I really felt for Tiffany. Death seemed the happier choice for her in the end.