On a night when the city was covered in fog, Pola saw lights from a distance. Stilt walkers shone their torches like skylights, and the smell of candyfloss and something hard to define wafted over the empty square. It was past midnight when she walked up to the hand-painted banner: "Night Circle Circus - for the brave only". She had not planned to enter. She'd just walked through the old park on her way back from the library, as it was the only place open all night. But something was pulling her there, a voice, laughter, unusual music. In front of the entrance, two guys in costumes with sharp make-up, maybe a year older than her, were handing out leaflets: - Do you have courage? Come in, you'll forget about falling asleep with fear - one smiled, presenting a row of silver earrings. Pola shrugged her shoulders. - What do I have to be afraid of? I was born on Halloween. Inside, the stage sparkled with colour. The first performance - acrobats on ropes, balancing high under the tent dome. Then a girl with a flaming hula-hoop, who was smiling so broadly as if she didn't feel the heat at all. Pola watched in awe, but with each successive number she felt more and more tension. Something wasn't right. The audience - in almost every row - whispered, as if they knew a point she didn't understand. During the interval, Pola squatted at the bar, trying to untie the pink glitter drink she had ordered. Someone sat down next to her. The boy she met at the entrance looked her in the eye. - Will you be staying here long? - He asked, and his voice sounded more serious than before. - I want to see the whole thing,' she replied, intending to be just as bold. - There will be a number at midnight that you won't forget. But you should know that ... He paused. Suddenly, the lights of the tent dimmed and the stage lit up with the glow of blue spotlights. Everyone fell silent. An unreal silhouette emerged from the depths of the arena - a figure in a sequined cloak and mask that glowed in the darkness. She stopped in the middle, raised her arms, and then the wind moved the canvas dome. The boy leaned over to Pola and finished in a whisper: - The most important thing is not to look away.... At this point, the audience held its breath, the lights focused on Pola, and the cape-boy pointed to her with a movement of his hand. Silence fell. What happens next is now up to her.