Like A Shooting Star

To say I was nervous would be a big understatement! I mean the future of my entire family was restin' on my shoulders and here I was shakin' like rabbit who'd been corned by a big ol' hound dog!!!....I'm sorry im gettin' way WAY ahead of myself. My name is Lilly, I'm eleven years old and live on an apple orchard with my momma,my daddy, and my three little sisters. No we ain't ever been rich but we have a nice cozy comfy life together working hard and spendin' time with one another...or at least we DID 'til daddy's accident, he was picking apples from one of our bigger trees when the ladder underneath him done gave weigh.

He fell pretty hard and broke his right arm and twisted his leg aside from that he was okay. But he couldn't work and momma sure as heck couldn't move them apples day after what with how small and frail she was. The bank started threatenin' to take the orchard from us. No one knew what to do and we were all scared. Well momma had taken us all into town to sell the apples we did have when I saw a flyer stamped to the light post bout a circus that was comin' to town...a light bulb went off in my head and the straw fell from my mouth, I straightened my lucky straw hat and smiled as a plan started formin'.

I had to wait 'til real late at night before crawlin' through my bed room window. Hopefully my family will understand once I come back with enough money to save our orchard. I snuck away walking for what felt like miles 'til I saw bright lights and heard the circus music. I beamed brightly and walked into the fair grounds, looking around I amazement when I suddenly bumped into some one. "Ouch! Oh! Im awful sorry miss..."

"My name is Sandra and I'd prefer if ya didn't call me miss kid." , said a dark skinned tall, slender woman with a cigar in her mouth.

"Oh uh...I'm sorry Sandra."

"Heh, Don't sweat it kiddo, so what're you doing here kid?"

"'Scuse me ma- I mean Sandra but my name ain't kid My names Lilly and im here looking for a job." Sandra blinked then stared at me for a moment before bending down to my eye level and taking the cigar from her mouth. I thought for sure she was gonna lecture me and send me on my way home but what she said surprised me.

"Lilly...how do you feel about tight spaces and heights?"


"Um...I don't really mind much of either of 'em...why do you ask?" She smiled at me and grabbed me by the arm leading me into a small tent. She started digging through this big trunk in a corner of the tent and tossed a small sparkly outfit at me.

"Perfect then you can be our new human cannon ball!"

"Wait what?!"

"Well you're the perfect size for the cannon and the routine is easy enough for me to teach you, you can go on after I do my fire dancing and when you land we'll have a net waiting for you. It pays a lot of money...so whatta say kiddo?"

I thought it over for a good long while before I looked up at her, straw still in my mouth and a serious look on my face.

"Sandra...I'd say you have a new human cannonball!"