Racing Dreams

by rainTickler

The pointed striped tents of Circum Somnia, the Circus of Dreams, veils runaways in a silken sheet of color. Karkat and his group goes into hiding from a man who is forcing them to play a game. He thought he was hidden, however the hints that the man might know where they are is unsettling. Kankri leads a roadtrip to find himself more tangled with the game than he ever wanted.

26. Sweet Nights

Dinner was okay, but she was better. She didn't have uncomfortable fold up chairs and loud chewing involved in her.
She was perfect, in every way.
Her smile, her grace, her beauty. The way she walked and the way she talked. The way her eyes were so full of life despite her vision impairment. The way she dressed in some of the craziest clothes, yet managed to look so good in them.
And he had to protect her.

He was aware of how stupid he sounded, even in his head, but he couldn't help it. Looking at her from under the stars was more special than seeing the shooting stars that hid below the indigo veil any day. Or night, he supposed.
He wondered if the sun would one day be a shooting star.

Then, he mentally slapped himself for his brief stupidity.
Karkat wondered how he had never noticed her before she started walking to the bus. Before they became friends, and before the game. It had seemed like they knew each other forever.

Part of him held him back. He had drug her into this and tore her from the safety of her family. He had done this to all of his friends, and now all of them were facing a consequence. All because he wanted to win and wanted to be better than an unfortunate boy whose body was dumped into the lake.

Karkat opened his eyes, into a pitch black room that blanketed him with a cold that ripped at his skin. The site was too much.

He tried to think of happy thoughts. Like when he first saw Terezi walking down his street. Like when he accidentally cuddled her in her treehouse. Like when he kissed her tonight.

He moved, knowing Sollux, Dave, and John were somewhere in the room with him. It made him somewhat uncomfortable. The trailer was small, placing them close together. Though they all had their own sleeping areas. The couch, the floor, the bed, and the hammock, he knew it wouldn't be long until the softer surfaces were shared. He was lucky to get the couch this time. The windows needed redone, they leaked bitter air. The floors were scraped beyond whatever repair sanding did. The walls were smoke-stained, and it smelt like an attic.

Still, he was here with Terezi, and one of these nights, he was going to go out and see her.