Today, I chanced upon a circus of the past.

Amongst the fabrics of black and red, I found an antique mirror, dusty but shining.

Carelessly, I peeked into the reflection.

First there was the Alice Rabbit in May.

Then there was the Strawberry Cream Kitten of Hugs.

But now, I see the reflection of a shaggy wanderer, straying into this realm of mysteries.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the mad hatter and waved. He would still play the records on that old machine, but quietly he told me, that the clock is ticking and soon he will move on too. I sensed a sigh of nostalgia, but as I looked around and saw the new masks that I no longer recognise, I knew that time have came to past.

Nonchanlantly, I stood amongst the puppets of purple, black and maroon. I was the sore thumb of shaggy clothes amongst the masked puppets of glamour, but this time I feel most at ease.

As I wondered why, I felt a cool icy breeze and looked up to see the misty form of a snow phoenix. At that moment, I understood.

I reached out to the snow phoenix and it offered me its talons. Holding on tight, we flew above the noisy circus and into the deep blue sky above.

The snow phoenix had a wish to find the land of spring and warmth. Knowing the direction, I pointed towards a lonely star in the distance. Forgetting my grip on its talons, I fell into the ocean below. Nonetheless, the waves were forgiving and as I sank gently into the depths of the sea, I could hear the echo of the snow phoenix's voice in the distance beyond the sky towards the star.

As I faded into dim bubbles in the sea, not knowing why, a faint smile is all that is left.

In the moonlight that now crease the horizon line, a pair of icy wings rose from the waters and flew freely into the skys above.