Free The Girl Who Walked on Air by Emma Carroll Page A

for the mother who hadn’t wanted me. Who’d left me at the circus and had never come back.
    Miss Lilly tapped the card with her finger. In my head, I counted to three, then I looked down. It was a picture of a tower crumbling to pieces as lightning hit it. In among the flying bricks a body tumbled to the ground.
    I felt suddenly strange. My head filled up with a whirling, rushing noise. I grabbed the table to steady myself.
    ‘Gently now, Louie,’ said Miss Lilly. ‘You’ve had a reaction to the card, that’s all.’
    ‘Please,’ I said. ‘I have to go.’
    ‘But we must finish your tarot reading. We will look to the future and find out what’s to become of you, my dear.’
    She reached for a card. Then stopped. Outside the tent came a rustling sound – boots striding through grass. Her eyes locked with mine.
    Someone was out there.
    A shadow, two shadows , loomed across the canvas. I leaped to my feet. Too fast, too quick, for I almost lifted the table clean off the floor.
    ‘Your cards!’ Miss Lilly cried as they slid into her lap.
    One card fell to the floor. It lay there, picture side up. I dearly wished I’d not seen it. My blood turned cold.
    ‘That’s my future, is it?’
    Miss Lilly hesitated.
    ‘ Is it? ’
    ‘Yes,’ she said.
    The picture was of a skeleton, the word ‘DEATH’ in big letters above it. Then two voices came from outside the tent.
    First was Kitty: ‘She’s in there. I can hear her.’
    Then Mr Chipchase: ‘Leave this to me.’
    Miss Lilly was trying to tell me something. She pointed to the DEATH card on the floor and held up another with stars on it. I wasn’t listening. I had to get out of here. But how? The walls of the tent all looked the same.
    ‘Where’s the door?’ I hissed.
    Miss Lilly pointed right at the spot where the shadows stood. I was cornered. There was nowhere to run.
    The tent flew open. Two figures barged in, their lanterns blinding me.
    ‘Stay where you are!’ said Mr Chipchase.
    Not likely.
    I dodged him, ploughing straight into Kitty. Her hands snatched my hair and my head jerked back. I kicked out like a horse, landing a cracking blow on her shin.
    ‘You little bleeder!’ She let go of me as if I was poker-hot.
    I ran for the showground gates.

Chapter 12
    The main road into Sharpfield was hectic busy. Coach lamps and hoof beats whizzed by in the darkness. It was a miracle I didn’t get trampled flat. Not that I cared. I was sobbing so much I feared I’d never stop. The best thing was to keep walking. Each step put the circus further behind me.
    Eventually, I found myself in the main part of town. My face was wet with tears and snot. Since my own show had been cut short, it was still quite early. And this pesky road was still mighty busy. By now I’d reached another of those streets where all the houses looked the same. Gas lamps gave off just enough light for me to see I wasn’t alone. Clusters of people in their best coats and hats were heading up the hill. They seemed in high spirits. Despite my own wretchedness I was curious, and fell in beside a man and his missus.
    ‘Where you all going at this hour?’ I asked.
    The man and the woman shared a little excited glance.
    ‘Haven’t you heard?’ he said.
    The woman chipped in. ‘Where’ve you been, duckie?’
    With a stupid circus, I thought bitterly.
    The woman seemed to take pity on me, sore-eyed and mud-splattered as I was. She rummaged in her purse and pulled out a handbill.
    ‘Here. Keep it, if you like.’
    So much for us coming to Sharpfield, then; there was another show here tonight too. It explained why so few punters had come to ours. Opening the handbill, I braced myself to see what big attraction had trumped our dog and pony show.
    I read the words once. Twice. My heart stopped still. And then it was pounding so fast again that I could only gasp.
    Great snakes alive! Could it be true? Could this really be happening? Here, tonight?
    I read the handbill a third