Chapter Text
You have always been a bright kid. You got good grades in school and never really got into much trouble. Well, not much you couldn't get out of, that is.You were doing as fine as you could with the issue of your parents.
You were raised by a single mother who was always angry. She often kicked you out of the house for days on end to "think about what you had done." This is one of those times.
Now, you're stuck on the streets after another one of her outbursts. There are many more people outside than you had anticipated. You see a few people in some pink and black jester costumes handing out fliers for some kind of circus, which is probably why there are so many people out and about. You decide to walk down Main Street to visit a coffee shop you like.
You were never allowed to drink coffee, but you always loved the experience that came with it. By that, you mean the people. The staff at this particular coffee shop were extremely kind and always let you stay inside without the pressure of making any purchases. You sat down at your usual table.
"Hello, can I get you anything?" The server asked.
"Uh, one second." You look at the menu. You aren't usually there to buy anything, but you've decided to give yourself a treat just this once.
"Can I get a decaf vanilla latte?"
"Alright, is there anything else?"
"No, that's it," you say.
The server walks to another table to get their orders.
You look around the coffee shop. You know a lot of the staff and some of the regulars. The tables are nice wood, and the place smells like a mix of coffee and cinnamon. It's pretty busy for this time of day, but there's a lot more trash on the ground and tables. You feel a little bad for the staff here. One of the staff, Carol, is gone. You assume it's just an illness and let it be.
You look out the window, and there is a strange shadow with yellow eyes looking through. It quickly disappears, so you try to forget about it.
"Here’s your decaf vanilla latte," the server says, putting your drink down on the table.
"Thank you." You pause before adding, "Also, do you know where Carol is?"
"No," the server says. "She just disappeared. She isn't answering any calls."
"Weird," you say. "Well, have a nice day."
"You too."
The server leaves your table as you take the first sip of your coffee. You try to hide your face scrunching up. You didn't realize how bitter coffee was. You try to finish your coffee before paying and heading out.
You accidentally bump into one of the people in jester costumes on the street, the bells on their hat jingling at the impact. This time, it's a red one. They look okay, but they have a pink band-aid on their cheek.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you."
The red jester nods. He's surprisingly tall –taller than everyone else nearby. He looks rather sweet, although others think these guys are scary. You don't see what the fuss is about.
"Have a nice day!"
You head off to a different direction than you came in hopes to find where these jesters are coming from since you don't have much else to do.
There are a few buildings lining the street, including the coffee shop you just left. The windows have many things inside that you don't think you could ever afford. One of the buildings at the end of the street is an apartment. All the rooms have balconies and look fairly well kept.
You continue to walk down the street. There are a lot of fliers cluttering the asphalt. You pick one up. It reads, “The Freak Circus of Horrors.” You drop it again, watching it flutter to the ground. The street has almost ended by now.
You finally see the big attraction. It's a circus, obviously. There are numerous tents with a variety of colors. The main ones you can see are pink, blue, and the red big top. There's a man in a top hat at the front, presumably letting people in.
You want to see, so you slowly make your way over. The box office is rather close to the man in the top hat, but you get stopped before you even get there.
“Excuse me, but children aren't allowed into the circus,” the man in the top hat states.
“Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know,” you say honestly.
The man looks at you seriously. It's a little off-putting, especially with the black half of his mask now having a blue pupil.
“Alright, dear, just don't get any ideas.”
“Okay, thank you anyway.”
He seems at least a little pleased that you have manners, but he's still tense enough that you don't want to be in this general area in fear of getting in too much trouble.
You walk back up the street to who-knows-where. You have a strange feeling, like you're being watched. You turn around, but nobody's there.
The sun has almost set, but the street is still full. It's actually fuller than it was when you first went out. The smells of carnival food waft over through a crisp breeze. You almost want to sneak into the circus to get some, but you don't feel like dealing with the consequences. Either way, the prices listed on the box office were way too expensive.
You walk through an alley and climb up the fire escape of an abandoned building. The stairs are untrustworthy, but you still climb them. Once you get to the top floor, you climb through a broken window. Inside, the run down hallway ends in another set of stairs.
You climb up the second set of stairs and open the door to get to the roof. From the roof, you can see just about everything. You walk over to the edge and sit down, holding the rusty handrail. You kick your legs as you watch the sun steadily descend.
You still have that feeling you're being watched, but you don't turn around. It's just a feeling. It can't be that serious.
The sun looks gorgeous from the roof. It made the sky a beautiful orange with a pinkish hue. You keep watching as the colors fade into a deep indigo. You finally climb down when the first few stars appear in the sky.
You walk back to your house. The door is still locked. You walk into an alley a few blocks away and curl up beside a heater. You can barely see, but it's fine. You think you hear bells, but it could be just you. You don't realize it when you finally fall asleep.