CD: Clear as day

It was supposed to be a very linear plan: walk to the city, find the nearest police station and ask for help. Whatever was going on inside the circus seemed too big for the enterprise’s security personnel to handle on their own, especially when the security chief and the ringmaster were both out of the game, so reaching out was only a logical move. Heinrich wasn’t too sure what the police could do to help, exactly, but he wanted to believe they could do something.

As he passed the circus’ gates, he couldn’t help noting how bright the day seemed to be. He could’ve sworn the sky had been covered with gray clouds before he had left, yet now the sun shone as if it was midsummer. It made the Spiritomb frown – loyal to his typing, he wasn’t fond of strong sunlight. Ah, well, it was nothing he couldn’t tolerate. Compared to being stuck decades in the past, a sunny day was the least of his worries at the moment.

Or so he thought.

However, the farther he walked, the stronger the sunlight seemed to become. Soon enough he was forced to shield his eyes, but it only brought momentary relief as soon the brightness grew too great for his hand to block out. He tried turning his back to the sun to look for a shadow where he could stop momentarily to rest his eyes, but trying to look around only made his eyes hurt as the world around him seemed to be turning into blurred shapes drowning into a sea of burning radiance.

With pained hiss, he pressed his eyes shut, trying to cover them with both of his hands.

He had to go back.

He didn’t know where the thought originated from, but it had such power behind it that it made him turn around and set off in full sprint back towards the circus he had just left behind. Unable to see properly, he bumped into a few ‘mon on the way and got some curses tossed after him, but he paid them no mind. The searing pain in his eyes was growing worse by the minute, and if he didn’t hurry, he was sure his eyes would simply fry in their sockets from the burning light.

They’d fry, and he’d lose his sight. He’d be blind and lost in an era he didn’t even know. He’d-

Suddenly, the pain dispersed. Blinking and lowering his hands a little in surprise, Heinrich realized he was standing on the circus grounds again. Counting out after-images drifting across his vision, his sight seemed to have returned to normal.

“What the hell?” a shaky breath escaped his mouth. “What the-“

Something flashed in his mind. Words, followed by a small, shining object. Metal. A small flame.

Cigarette smoke.

Without much conscious thought, Heinrich reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a small lighter engraved with the circus’ logo. When he had went through the pockets earlier, he hadn’t thought much about the item – he didn’t smoke himself as he hated the smell – but now that he looked at it…

“A light would be nice,” he mumbled, the words feeling strange yet familiar on his tongue. “A light… oh, fuck me.”

His wish.

His backfire.

He wasn’t only working at the circus, he was bound to it – all because he had wanted a smoke.

Anger flared up in Heinrich. He was cursed to be stuck in this place? He was essentially held as a prisoner? How in the hell- that made no sense! Such magic did not exist, did it? It didn’t- it shouldn’t have.

And yet, with excruciating clarity, he knew that it did.

He stared at the lighter in his hand, tempted to just toss the cursed item away. Clenching his fist around it, however… he found out he was unable to go through with it. No matter how he glared at the lighter, something inside him told him that it was a prize. A valuable possession – not something to be thrown away in a fit of anger. Especially when the said anger was already fading away. Even when Heinrich tried to hold onto it, it slipped past his fingers and vanished in the air.

Although Heinrich’s logic claimed otherwise, he didn’t feel trapped or prisoned, despite knowing he couldn’t leave the circus – not permanently, at least. There was something in this circus that made the stay worth it. Made him feel… free, as contradictory as it was.

But what was it?

Heinrich glanced at the lighter again, but it didn’t seem to be willing to tell him more. Tsking to himself, he pocketed the item and set towards his room.

Maybe rest of his personal possessions would help him fill in rest of the story…

well that was a fun morning jog, wasn't it-

I was going to just post the pic but I felt it needed more so here we are

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Spiritomb / Pokémon (c) Nintendo
Halifax & art (c) me