Page 85 of Til Def
“Raven, take this next left,” I say, staring down at the map in my lap. The evening, summer breeze sweeps through the open window beside me, carrying the scent of dusk. The sun is setting, casting a warm orange hue across the horizon.
She turns the steering wheel, and I lift my head to look at the road ahead, a long path shrouded by woodland. Then I see it—bright lights flickering through the trees in the distance.
“We’re going to the carnival?” Penny shrieks from the back seat, clapping her hands excitedly.
I chuckle, glancing back at her, then shift my gaze to Raven. The glow of the colored lights dances in her blue eyes, and I can’t help but smirk before turning back to the road. Looming above the archway ahead, the sign stands cold and clear:
“Welcome to Oddity Carnival & Cirque.”
Memories swirl to life in my mind, broken but vivid. I remember a time long ago when my dad dumped me at a massive stone building—some kind of castle filled with kids. I must’ve been about twelve. For around a week, I stayed there, surrounded by other children.
That’s where I met them. A couple of boys who, for that brief moment, had my fucking back. We stuck together, a disobedient little crew, running rings around the sickos in charge. We made their lives hell, pulling pranks and causing chaos.
For that one week—despite the pain and fear—we managed to carve out something that almost felt like fun. All four of us bunkered down in a tiny room, talking late into the night.
But during my madness, I’d buried those memories deep, too consumed by other things to think about the past. Even those rare, passing moments of light had been drowned out by the darkness.
As the car pulls closer to the carnival gates, I feel a mix of nostalgia and unease rising within me.
I never thought I’d see them again. Their names escape me now, lost in the fog of time, but I remember their faces. They were about my age back then, maybe a little younger, I don’t know. It was six months later when I came here as a kid with my dad to watch some messed-up horror show that I saw them again.
I remember spotting them amidst the mayhem of the carnival lights. They looked different—older somehow, tougher. They were just starting out, working here as performers or maybe something darker. We didn’t speak. We weren’t allowed. I wasn’t allowedfriends.
But as we locked eyes across the carnival grounds, we shared a moment of unspoken understanding. A simple nod that said more than words could, before life pulled us apart again.
I never saw them after that.
Not until the weird-ass messages started coming during my warpath. Those three pairs of spiral eyes staring back at me through my window still haunt my memory. At the time, I didn’t put two and two together. I had no clue who the hell it could’ve been.
A month after everything went down, I sent a single text to that number—a wordless expression of gratitude for having my back in the shadows. Just one word:
Respect.
I didn’t expect a reply, but I got one. Just one simple emoji.
??
As soon as I saw it, the memories came crashing back. It all clicked.
It wasthem.
The kids from that short week of rebellion. The ones who’d stood by me in the darkest hours. And now? This fucking carnival. It was theirs. They reign here, I just know it.
As we pull up, I glance around through the windscreen, taking in the huge circus on the backdrop of the starry sky. The Ferris wheel, the rollercoaster and all the amusements. This carnival is buzzing with life and screams.
I unclip my seatbelt and glance at Raven and Penny.
“Just so you know, this is a fucking horror carnival.”
“Even better!” Penny squeals before bolting out the back door.
I chuckle before looking at Raven beside me as she studies me with a grin. “What are we doing here?” she raises an eyebrow.
“Having some fun…” I say, winking before stepping out of the car.
The summer air wraps around me, carrying the sweet aroma of popcorn and candy on a warm breeze. I pull my hood up, hiding under its shadow as I meet Raven at the front of the car. Sliding my arm around her shoulders, I pull her close and press a kiss to her forehead. Together, we head toward the madness ahead.
As we step through the gates, the carnival hums with chaotic energy. Performers in garish costumes dart around, leaping out to startle unsuspecting visitors. One jumps toward us, making Raven flinch and bury her face into my side. A smirk tugs at my lips. She doesn’t find it as funny as I do.
