The Hotel at the Top of the Mountain: The Acrobat

  In contrast to her long lean limbs and economically built body, the acrobat’s facial features were soft and full.

Her eyes were round and bright and her mouth plump and well-shaped. Her face was not round, but it had some

cheek to it, framed by soft strands of blonde hair. 

“Are you ok? That could have been really bad.” She placed her hands on the hips of her unitard and tilted her head curiously. 

“I’m fine, thank you.” Erraline smoothed her hair and shook out her skirt. She was a little embarrassed to have almost died because she had been thinking about her father and not where her feet were going, but at least she had found someone to talk to about the syringe. “Thank you for catching me.”

“Oh you’re welcome.” The other girl smiled sweetly and waved a hand dismissively. “Lots of first-timers to the Carnival get tripped up by the machinery. You’re not the first one to almost fall in.” 

“How long have you been at the Carnival?” Erraline asked. 

“Practically since I was born,” the performer replied cheerfully. “My mother is one of the Hotel seamstresses and she works a lot on the performer’s costumes here. I started hanging around the acrobats when she brought me here early on, and things kind of progressed from there. I’ve been on the trapeze in the big tent for for years now.”

Erraline knew, she had seen her. 

“Then do you know the Carnival well?” Erraline asked quickly, trying to keep the other girl from replying with questions of her own. 

“Well sure.” Another smile. “I’ve been here my whole life.” 

“Then would you be willing to help me find someone here? That’s why I came to the Carnival, but I need the help of someone who knows their way around to find who I need.”

The acrobat blinked and glanced up at the strength test clock, visible even from here. “I think I can help for a little bit. I have another show at two so I have to be back before then, but I can point you in the right direction at least.”

Erraline nodded and smiled, brain whirling. Now to try to use the little information she had to find whoever had left the syringe behind the tile. “Thank you, that’s a lot of help to me,” she said, pressing a hand to her chest. She brought out the syringe a little hesitantly. “I’m looking for someone who might know about this.”

The acrobat’s eyes narrowed. “If that’s what you’re after, I’m not going to help you get high.” She turned around and began to walk away. “Find someone else to get you stoned,” she said sweetly over her shoulder.

Erraline ran to catch up to her. “Wait! I don’t want to get high, I’m trying to find someone else who used this, that’s all!” She picked up her skirts. She supposed that having someone who never got high as an informant was better than getting it from a junkie, but she had to get her to help first! “I really am not! Please help me!” 

The other girl turned to face her. Her round eyes had a surprisingly serious glint to them. “I don’t want to get involved in any love affairs either, I’m sorry.” 

Erraline truly went red this time. “No!” She straightened her back. She should have anticipated her thinking that. “No that’s not it,” She said more calmly. “I don’t know who this belonged to, that’s part of what I’m trying to discover. There’s something else important to me I’m trying to find out more about. I really am not trying to get involved in any drugs, or looking for a lover.” 

The other girl gave her a long look, and then softened back to a sweeter expression. 

“Would you please help me?” Erraline pressed. 

The acrobat looked away for a moment and gently swept her braid over her shoulder. She smiled. “Ok, I’ll help you. But I really meant it when I said I wouldn’t help you get high.” 

“Thank you.” Erraline smiled back. 

The other girl blew a strand of hair away from her forehead. “If your best lead is just a syringe it won’t be easy though. Do you know anything else about this person?”

Erraline hesitated. She didn’t know how good this girl was at keeping herself quiet. She didn’t really like the idea of word spreading around about a girl in a white dress looking for a married guy who had lost his wedding ring. That was the kind of thing people liked to talk about. “Well, he’s married. That’s everything I know about him. And I think it’s a man.”

The acrobat blinked. “Have you never even seen him?” 

Erraline shook her head. “No I haven’t.” She didn't volunteer the ring or anything else about where and how she had found it and the syringe.

“Why do you want to know about him?” 

Erraline hesitated again. “I would prefer it if I kept that to myself, if that’s alright.”

The blonde looked at her for another moment, one hand twirling a strand of hair. She shrugged and smiled, dropping her arms. “Ok. It would make it easier though. Oh! What’s your name?”

“Erraline.” 

 “My name’s Felicita. Come on Erraline!” Felicita started to run back towards the main path, beckoning for Erraline to follow her. 

Erraline picked up her skirts and went back out into the carnival. She frowned as she followed the long figure in front of her. She wondered how scary that interaction with other girl would have been if she hadn’t had a such a sweet face. Apparently there were dark corners of this part of the Hotel that even a seasoned acrobat didn’t want to venture into. 

She wondered if that was where she’d find the guy who had disappeared.