"Come alive, come alive. Go and light your light. Let it burn so bright."
A few performances went by, and the show was on fire. Everyone came to watch.
"Reachin' up to the sky." They continued to sing when Helen and Caroline watched Anne and W.D. do their trapeze while Amelia hung upside down on a ring, doing tricks that W.D. and Anne taught her. Amelia was always one to catch on quickly. She was gifted.
"And it's open wide. You're electrified. And the world becomes a fantasy. And you're more than you could ever be. 'Cause you're dreamin' with your eyes wide open. And we know we can't go back again. To the world that we were livin' in. 'Cause we're dreamin' with our eyes wide open. So come alive."
With the big crowds came protestors and bad reviews. But Phineas used those just to encourage himself. Changing the name from "Barnum's Museum" to "P.T. Barnum's Circus."
"Come one, come all. Come in, come on." They continued to sing while performing their acts.
"To anyone who's bursting with a dream." Anne sang as she spun on the ring while Amelia was twirling on ropes in the middle of the floor. She had her sparkly tutu on while spinning on the ropes, like aerial ballet.
"Come one, come all. You hear the call." They continued to sing while Lettie handed Phineas his new top hat that they had made. "Barnum Humbug."
"To anyone who's searching for a way to break free," Phineas said, joining the act when he twirled Amelia around.
"Break free! And the world becomes a fantasy. And you're more than you could ever be. 'Cause you're dreamin' with your eyes wide open. And we know we can't go back again. To the world that we were livin' in. 'Cause we're dreamin' with our eyes wide open. And the world becomes a fantasy..."
Amelia smiled when she glanced at her mother and little sisters in the crowd. Charity smiled brightly while Helen and Caroline were doing the exact same dance, seeing as Amelia taught them the whole routine.
"And you're more than you could ever be. 'Cause you're dreamin' with your eyes wide open. and we know we can't go back again to the world that we were livin' in. 'Cause we're dreamin' with our eyes wide open. 'Cause we're dreamin' with our eyes wide open. So come alive! Come alive!"
They finished their performance, holding their hands out when Phineas took off his top hat. He moved to hug his little girl, kissing the top of her head while he watched the crowd cheer. They loved his show. They loved watching it. They loved him. He watched Amelia rush over to her sisters as she did after every show. She hugged them when Charity always handed her a bouquet that Amelia took over to her father. The rest smiled when they saw people loving them. Amelia smiled when she handed a rose to Lettie, who hugged her.
~502 words~
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What if We Rewrite the Stars?
FanfictionAmelia Barnum grew up with her parents telling her that she could do anything she wanted. She grew up loving to do tricks and dance around the rooftop of their small apartment complex. After her father, Phineas T. Barnum, gets a grand idea, Amelia...
