by Sarah Noffke
Praise for Works:
“There are so many layers, so many twists and turns, betrayals and reveals. Loves and losses. And they are orchestrated beautifully, coming when you least expected and yet in just the right place. Leaving you a little breathless and a lot anxious. There were quite a few moments throughout where I found myself thinking that was not what I was expecting at all. And loving that.”
-Mike, Amazon
“The writing in this story was some of the best I've read in a long time because the story was so well-crafted, all the little pieces fitting together perfectly.”
-The Tale Temptress
“There are no words. Like literally. NO WORDS.
This book killed me and then revived me and then killed me some more. But in the end I was born anew, better.”
-Catalina, Goodreads
“Love this series! Perfect ending to an incredible series! The author has done this series right.”
-Kelly at Nerd Girl
“What has really made these books stand out is how much emotion they evoke from me as a reader, and I love how it comes from a combination of both characters and plot together. Everything is so intricately woven that I have to commend Sarah Noffke on her skills as a writer.”
-Anna at Enchanted by YA
Table of Contents
SUSPENDED
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Part II
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-One
Chapter Sixty-Two
Chapter Sixty-Three
Chapter Sixty-Four
Chapter Sixty-Five
Chapter Sixty-Six
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Chapter Seventy
Chapter Seventy-One
Chapter Seventy-Two
Chapter Seventy-Three
Chapter Seventy-Four
Chapter Seventy-Five
Acknowledgements:
PARALYZED
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Fifty- Nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-One
Chapter Sixty-Two
Chapter Sixty-Three
Chapter Sixty-Four
Chapter Sixty-Five
Chapter Sixty-Six
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Chapter Seventy
Chapter Seventy-One
Chapter Seventy-Two
Chapter Seventy-Three
Chapter Seventy-Four
Chapter Seventy-Five
Acknowledgements:
RELEASED
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
PART II
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-One
Chapter Sixty-Two
Chapter Sixty-Three
Chapter Sixty-Four
Chapter Sixty-Five
Chapter Sixty-Six
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Chapter Seventy
Chapter Seventy-One
Chapter Seventy-Two
Chapter Seventy-Three
Chapter Seventy-Four
Chapter Seventy-Five
Epilogue
Acknowledgements:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
SNEAK PEEK OF DEFECTS (THE REVERIANS SERIES, #1):
SNEAK PEEK OF AWOKEN (THE LUCIDITES SERIES, #1):
SNEAK PEEK OF REN: THE MAN BEHIND THE MONSTER:
One-Twenty-Six Press.
Suspended
Sarah Noffke
Copyright © 2016 by Sarah Noffke
All rights reserved
Copyeditor: Christine LePorte
Cover Design: Andrei Bat
All rights reserved. This was self-published by Sarah Noffke under One-Twenty-Six Press. No parts of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. If you are seeking permission send inquiry at
http: www.sarahnoffke.com
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Summary: When circus acts go above and beyond what skeptics know to be the limits of human ability, the only remaining, logical explanation is the least plausible of all—magic must be real.
Published in the United States by One-Twenty-Six Press
ASIN: B0192PV0ZM
For Kathy Cilley,
because people like you really spread magic.
SUSPENDED
Prologue
There are those who come to judge the circus and then there are those who come to experience it. The latter go home satisfied. The former go home full of scrutinizing accusations. Those who experience the circus, taking it in and allowing themselves to be awed, have a richness built into their lives afterwards, almost like they’ve gained an extra day to their existence. Those who observe seem to have lost a day. They’re the ones who tear down sandcastles. They’re the ones who say clouds are just clouds when they are irrefutably in the shape of unicorns.
These skeptics are the people the Vagabond Circus caters to. The circus would shut their doors to the joyful and starry-eyed if their business didn’t keep it running. The Vagabond Circus runs for two reasons and only two reasons: first and foremost to give the lost and lonely Dream Travelers a place to be great. And secondly, to show the nonbelievers that there’s still magic in the world. If they believe then they care and if they care then they don’t destroy. They stop the small abuse that day by day breaks down humanity’s spirit. If the Vagabond Circus makes one person believe then they halt the cycle, just a little bit. They allow a little more love into this world. That’s Dave Raydon’s mission. And that’s why he recruits. That’s why he directs. That’s why he puts on a show that makes people question their beliefs. He wants the world to believe in magic once again.
And yet, what his patrons witness is real. Real people, doing real things. Things that are inconceivable to most, but real nonetheless. That’s because Dave recruits only Dream Travelers. People who can do what most can’t. Unique people. They aren’t magical. But to those who don’t know the difference, they are an inspiration. They appear magical. However, what most believe to be real magic is only the extraordinary which defines the Vagabond Circus completely.
Chapter One
Rain pelted the big top, gliding down the tent and gathering in puddles on the muddy ground. The crew had worked throughout the night to reinforce the oversized tent from the winds and storms. The earth it was bolted to was threatening to melt away, sending the bright green and blue tent into a mound of chaos. The Vagabond Circus had been on the road for three weeks and this was its first night in Seattle.
Tomorrow the city’s residents would have the opportunity to witness a show the people in Vancouver called “unbelievable,” “unreal,” and “more than a trick of smoke and mirrors.” The critics were speechless, as they were every year when the Vagabond Circus came through town. There was little to criticize and more than enough of the show to overwhelm the senses. No one understood half of what they saw at Vagabond Circus, but still they never looked away.
And yet in this year’s show there was something missing. The fifty people who came together to put on the show knew it. Its ringmaster, Dave Raydon, knew it. And the one person who could fill in the missing gap knew it after watching the show in Vancouver. But the audience had no clue there was anything lacking in the Vagabond Circus. They were ecstatic, leaving the big top with smiles that wouldn’t fade for hours. They had seen what they thought were tricks, not realizing everything about this circus was real.
In the shadows a boy stood under an old oak tree, only partially protected from the heavy monsoon. He watched in the dark as performers sprinted to their trailers. They were intent on getting dry and rested before the sun came up, marking a day of three shows. The boy was wet, but didn’t care. He was exhausted from hitchhiking and stealing rides on the train from Vancouver. But he was here. He’d followed Vagabond Circus. And soon he’d be ready for the next part of his plan.
Chapter Two
Steam rose off the flame-lit lantern when slanted rain trespassed into the open flap of the tent. Dave Raydon could have had his office in a trailer, like the ones he and most of the people in Vagabond Circus lived in. Instead he chose to erect a small, one-mast version of the big top for his professional space. It was large enough for a round table and a few chairs and decorated in the same neon green and teal blue as the big top which towered beside it. Dave could have also lit his office tent with the same electricity that powered the thousands of lights in the neighboring big top, but he enjoyed the charm of firelight. Dr. Raydon enjoyed the charm of many things that had died out due to technology. As the ringmaster of Vagabond Circus and also its founder, he was in essence “before his time.”
“Open your eyes, Dave!” a slender man said, jabbing his finger at a piece of paper lying on the table. “Look at the numbers. They don’t lie.”
“Numbers may not lie, but they also only tell half the story,” Dave said, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands over his rounded belly.
“Well, the only story I’m interested in is the one they’re telling me,” Titus said, tapping his finger repeatedly on the stack of figures detailing the hole the Vagabond Circus was quickly sliding into. “If you care so much about this damn circus then I encourage you to take this all more seriously.”
“I don’t just care about this circus, I have faith in it,” Dave said, his voice even and a strange contrast to that of the gentleman standing over him red-faced. “We’ve been through slumps and we’re going to weather this one.” A smile crooked up the corners of his thin lips, a glint of hope in his eyes as he gazed out the open flap of the tent. “This storm will pass, just as the
one outside will. Things will get better, just as the sun will rise and dry up the rain.”
“Oh hell, would you stop with the metaphors! Now really isn’t the time,” Titus said, snapping his fingers in front of Dave’s face. The seated man was almost lost in a daze as he watched the rain shift from a downpour to a steady sprinkle outside. “We need to charge more for tickets. We need to expand the show. Go bigger. Sell merchandise. Have more booths.” Titus leaned down low, finally gaining Dave’s attention, and when he spoke his mouth hardly parted for his words. “We need to evolve and stop operating like we did twenty years ago, don’t you get it?”
Dave shook his head of short brown hair, unleashing the water clinging to its ends. Titus stepped back suddenly and shielded his face with a raised elbow from the spray of droplets. When the taller man lowered his arm the shorter man stood, a mischievous look in his small light-colored eyes. “Evolution isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be,” Dave said. “It works for mammals and birds and fish, but in my opinion it isn’t suited for all organizations or in this case, the Vagabond Circus.”
“Your opinion is wrong!” Titus threw his hands into the air, his fingertips almost knocking into the low part of the ceiling overhead.
Dave took one large step, his short legs really reaching to close the space between him and the other man in only one stride. He threw his chin up and stared with bold eyes at the man who easily stood a foot over him. “I value your input, but at the end of the day my opinion, whether right or wrong, is the only one that counts. Is that clear?”
Titus didn’t say a word, only stepped back and roughly shook his head, his lips pressed together in a hard line.
“I think we’re done here tonight,” Dave said, his voice cordial once more. He turned and made for the open flap of the tent. “Please close up, would you?”
Chapter Three
The outsider stood closer now, just under the eaves of Dave Raydon’s office tent. The boy was disappointed that he couldn’t hear the conversation going on inside the miniature big top. The rain prevented him from making out the two men’s words, but he could discern that it was a heated conversation. When the shorter man strode out of the building the trespasser slid in closer to the tent, his shirt colliding with the wet material, drenching his backside completely. He stifled a curse and instead watched as the ringmaster trudged through the puddle-filled lane, head held high against the splattering rain. Dave’s figure soon grew indistinct as he neared his personal trailer and the boy lost sight of him completely.
