Childhood Dreams

*this is one of a few stories that I started a few years back. Bear with me. But I thought for you few readers who follow this thing, you might get some ammusment out of them. This is one of a some more to come:


Claudia climbed up the steep steps as she followed her dad to their seats. Heart pounding with excitement, she could hardly keep up. The smell of wine and food filled the arena. She had to keep reminding herself that she was here. She was at the coliseum about to whiteness the most popular game to ever exist. She was going to see a gladiator fight! Earlier that morning her mom was still nervous about her going, not wanting her nine year old daughter’s mind to be filled with these images. But the anxious beating of her heart that Claudia felt inside her was something that she had to feed.
As they took their seats, Claudia shyly maneuvered her way down the packed aisle. Right as she got to her place, the crowd that filled every seat available started cheering, making it seem like the whole arena was shaking! The beat of her heart grew faster.
“Are you alright? Are you gonna make it?” Her dad asked her as if he doubted her ability to stay.
“I am good, just really excited!” Claudia looked down at her chest, thinking that her heart was coming out of it, it was beating so fast.
“The gladiators won’t come out for awhile; there is some pre-game fights that happen before. So just sit tight and be patient.” Looking down at her with a half smile, he wondered what her reaction was going to be when she saw what the Roman games were really about.
Claudia took her gaze off of her dad and focused in on the center of the arena. The sun beat down on the crowd as the heat began to rise. Filled with sand, there were four doors that surrounded the arena down below, behind them where the caged animals and brave men that would fight. As Claudia dreamed of what these mighty warriors looked like and trying to picture which way they would come, the doors opened and the crowed screamed even louder. Claudia’s eyes were fixated upon the doors, looking at them back and forth, not wanting to miss a single moment.

Then, to her surprise, people came to the center. Not these grand men that Claudia had pictured in her mind. But these normal, small, people sheepishly walked onto the dusty sand. Confused, Claudia kept her eyes fixed on them, in particular a little girl, probably about her age, she guessed.
And then, the other door opened and out came five lions. Utterly confused and ultimately frightened, Claudia looked up at her father, “Dad, dad, dad! What is going on? Why are there those people in the field, why is that girl in the sand with lions? Where are the gladiators?” -the questions and confusion flooded in.
“I told you there was some pre-game fights before the gladiators come out. These are just slaves. They probably disobeyed their masters or are sick or old anyway. They are pointless. It’s ok. Just watch.” He said it so… so, normal.
“Are they going to die dad?” She asked it with so much grief and sadness in her voice. Was this what her mom was talking about? Not wanting her to see the horror of the games? With her dad’s mind not paying attention to her, she let the question go, already knowing the answer.
Claudia just stood there, not really sure how to act. Her dad accepted it, so it was okay. Right? With her eyes glued onto the little girl, Claudia could not think of anything anyone could do, especially someone who was so young, to deserve this. As the Lions started sauntering toward the people, the little girl ran behind a woman, Claudia guessed it was her mom. The Lions got closer and closer, knowing that these slaves had no means of escape.
As she watched, captivated by what was about to take place. The crowd’s screams of excitement and the roaring of the drunken men and women died around her. She felt as though she only could hear the little girl’s whimpers as she stood behind her mother. Claudia sat down, knees pulled to her chest and hands covering her ears. She didn’t move until her dad told her it was time to go home.