Monkeys riding bicycles. Lions leaping through rings of fire. Sea lions balancing balls on their noses. One act after another, each more dazzling than the last. The crowd erupted in applause.
Then, right at the peak of the performance, a woman came tearing through the crowd like she'd lost her mind.
She grabbed at every person she passed.
"Have you seen my daughter? She's wearing a white princess dress. She was right here waiting for me just a minute ago."
One by one, people shook their heads. No one had seen her.
The woman's face crumpled with guilt. She slapped herself, again and again.
"This is my fault. This is all my fault."
"I shouldn't have gone to the bathroom and left my daughter out there alone. This is all my fault."
The woman slapped herself across the face, leaving an angry red handprint on her cheek.
Everyone's hearts clenched at the sight.
Someone in the crowd spoke up, telling the woman to call the police right away—if a trafficker had taken her daughter, every second counted.
The woman choked back her sobs, wiped her tears with shaking hands, and pushed her way out of the crowd.