~~~
After careless bandaging, he walked out of the house, carrying nothing but Patches’ small collar and several kitchen knives. He had no idea what he would use those for- to kill someone?
To kill himself?
~~~
Adriyan had no guess as to how long he had been walking, when he came to an intersection of a main road. There, a flier caught his eye, advertizing “The Greatest Show Unearthed.” He smiled bitterly, remembering the poem he had written five years before. It seemed like a relic from the past- from a different life. ‘How did it go?’ he asked himself, trying to remember his words and Valentine’s tune.
A thin figure was on the other side of the road, hanging up more of the same fliers. Adriyan was too lost in thought to see them. The black haired person reached up and straightened the top hat he wore, then hung up yet another paper on the light pole.
“Welcome to the lower berth, the Greatest Show Unearthed. We appear without a sound, the darkest show around…” Adriyan sang, very quietly at first and slightly louder at the end.
The other person jumped, dropping the fliers everywhere in their shock. “What the…?” They muttered, eye wide as they spun around.
Adriyan pressed the palm of one of his hands to the flier. “… We will leave you in a daze-“
“Madness, murder, dismay. We will disappear at night with blood on the concrete.” A voice finished from directly behind Adriyan, who jumped in a manner similar to the flier-hanging owner of the voice. “How do you know that song?” The boy demanded.
The taller male spun around, then froze. The face he was looking at… it couldn’t be…
Both teenagers stared at each other, each caught in the other’s gaze. Blue eyes met red, then the smaller boy’s gaze dropped and looked Adriyan up and down.
“…. Adriyan….?” he whispered, meeting his eyes once again.
Adriyan’s eyes were wide, dumbfounded. “Valentine?”
The pale, black-haired boy stared, then broke into a grin and lunged at Adriyan, wrapping his arms around his neck. “It is you! It really is!” Insane giggles filled the air as the two toppled to the ground.
“Wh-what’s with the fliers?” Adriyan asked, unable to keep the grin from his face.
Valentine giggled. “Didn’t you listen to your own song? The Dark Carnival is in town~” He stood. “I’m the ringleader! But… we don’t have much of a cast. We’re still looking for members. So far, there’s a fortune teller, and someone for aerial acts. But that’s about all I’ve been able to round up… Hey, hey! How about you join? You have good aim, right?” The teenager giggled excitedly. “You could throw knives! You’d like that right?”
Adriyan was silent, looking away from his former best friend.
The grin was frozen on Valentine’s face, but his eye looked disappointed, yet hopeful. “… Right? Adriyan? ...O-or not…” The grin fell from his face. “… Unless you, you know… had a family and all…”
“It’s not that…” Adriyan looked up at the half moon overhead, trying to keep his eyes dry. “Today… Patches…”
Valentine noticed the collar in Adriyan’s hand, and his eye widened. “She died? I’m sorry… I guess it’s not the time…” He turned and began to walk away. “I was just hoping…” The ringleader sighed. ’Just hoping we were still friends…’
“Wait, Valentine!”
The boy stopped and looked over one shoulder, his expression crushed and downcast.
“Would you… have a spot for a runaway…?”
Valentine’s eye widened, and a grin quickly grew on his face. “Really?! Of course we do!” Valentine broke into insane giggles. “How do you think we all got together?”
He reached back and grasped Adriyan’s hand, dragging him behind him into the dark. “Just wait until you meet everybody! Marionette and Hinabi…” Valentine rambled on and on excitedly, giggles interspersed.
Adriyan smiled. A group of people who got along with Valentine…? Yes, he had finally found the place where he belonged.
~Fin.~
