The bell blared out the end of school signal. Students rushed to their lockers to pack up and go home. Clara slammed her locker closed and stormed out of the building. Outside, her best friend Sammy was waiting for her. The light from the sun highlighted Sammy’s chestnut hair as she watched her friend stomp over.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Nothing”, Clara huffed. “You can walk on home first. I don’t feel like going to the park today.”

After a moment, Sammy asked “Is it because everyone has gone to the circus but you?”

Clara didn’t answer, just turned and started running home. The students, trees, houses, and cars all blurred into a mass of color as she rushed home. Caught up in her anguish, she didn’t notice her surroundings. Her foot caught on something, and she tripped and rolled across the grass. Dazed, she picked herself up and stared around her. There, a foot away from her, was a rainbow colored stone. She got up and walked over to it. Picking it up, she examined the smooth, slightly warm object. She turned the stone around and around in her hand.

PLEWWEEEEUUUUU!

Startled, Clara turned to see a humongous elephant marching down the street towards her. It had a red, silken blanket draped like a saddle on its back. Behind it, three jugglers were juggling objects while doing some kind of dance. One juggled ball, the other bowling pins, and the last silken scarves. Behind them were acrobats performing summersaults, cartwheels, and elegant jumps. Monkeys dressed as drummers and clowns followed. Awed, Clara could only stand and gape at the uncanny scene.

As the group passed her, the acrobats took her by the hands and danced her to the elephant. Effortlessly, they tossed her up onto the creature’s back. Seated on top of the huge animal, Clara watched as the performers around her acted out various acts that left her either awed or laughing. Before long, they reached her house. Once again, the acrobats came to her. This time, they lowered her in front of her house. Then the monkeys came and did a little dance around her as the jugglers slipped about her. The elephant lowered its trunk and handed her the stone. The minute her hands reached the rock, everything in the circus group vanished in a shower of confetti. As the colored paper rained down, Clara stared at the stone in her hand. She smiled, then turned and threw it as far as she could. Without waiting to see where it went, she turned and walked into her house, her hair spotted with confetti.