The Amazing Digital Circus Episode 10
Pomni stares at Ribbitâs abstracted form behind the aquarium glass. Her multiple eyes staring at her, Pomni wished she knew what she was thinking⌠She looks back at Zooble and Caine and double checks their arms are secure around her waist.
Caine nods back and snaps his fingers, allowing Pomni to permeate the glass and touch Ribbitâs form. Immediately she is hit with a flash of light.
Pomni was not met with a hallway lined with doors this time. Instead, she saw pews, rows of pews as far as the eye could see, the altar was nowhere to be found from where she stood.
All the seats were empty, but she could hear⌠something. Someone was speaking, right into her ear, but quietly. The unwanted church attendee tried her best to ignore the equally unappreciated whispers and distracted herself by looking out the windows. The night sky spun forward, stars zipping in cycle, but day never coming.
One window stuck out, outside was not the night sky. The digital circus was right through the window. Time for a detour.
Pomni was now in the perspective of Ribbit, Ragatha before her. She felt Ribbitâs voice speak through her head.
âHow did you handle the times you felt lonely?â
Ragatha smiled too happily, âI was never really alone! I had Kinger always!â
âBut Kinger⌠isnât always there. How did you deal with the times you felt no one understood you?â
Ragathaâs smile weakened but quickly reignited. âThe best way to help yourself is to help someone else first, thatâs what I learned!â Ragatha recoiled at some reaction on Ribbitâs face. âAh- but you have us too you know! So, you yourself donât have to start helping others, I mean⌠Everyone else has different ways of coping so I am sure we could find something that works for you-â Another voice interrupted, a deeper voice.
âHey Rags! Could I see you for a sec?â
âOh! Uhm, Iâm kind of chatting with Ribbit right now...â
âCome on! You know I wouldnât ask you if it wasnât importantâ, he said sarcastically. âYouâre like the third most useful person in the circus!â
Ribbit looked away from the voice, but she could see a yellow glove grab Ragathaâs hand.
Pomni was back on the opposite side of the window. She kept an eye out for any more windows walking further into the church.
What felt like nearly an hour of walking was gifted with another window. This time was not the circus, but real-life footage of a toad. Across the toads back were punctures where her offspring sprang forth, but there was one specifically that caught her eye. One toad wasnât a toad, a round head was struggling to escape it's all too small hatch. The tadpole preserved and burst out revealing a size even greater than what she imagined, a size so great, its exit ripped the toad apart. The scene ended right there.
Pomni continued, getting more antsy as more and more time passed yet she couldnât see the end. The best time waster she had was her own thoughts now. And came the memory of the first time she explored an abandoned building.
She slammed the door of her apartment angrily, having just finished a shouting match with her now ex-girlfriend. The day was still long, and she did not care to angrily walk under the hot sun, she didnât want to go too far regardless, it was her own apartment she angrily walked out of after all. Abby just wanted to be alone while she packed her things. Her eyes rested on the boarded-up windows across the street. For years they remained that way on the brick building.
Touching the doorknob, she was surprised to see her effort was rewarded with a turn. The musk of dust and mildew hit her as she slid in. Inside, Abby could see that not all the windows remained boarded, and the sun shone through in rectangular patches across the floor. The space was barren, of furniture, design, even trash⌠Only the tenants from time revealed themselves. There was nothing here, nothing she could learn, no one remembered where she walked.
Pomni snapped back from Abbyâs memories when she saw the end. The altar was within eye shot and Pomni ran.
A mistake. Below her knees came no sensation, yet she was moving forward. She was fighting for each step to float. Every bit of effort was rewarded with an inchling of progress. Pomni was barely moving, but the altar was getting closer as if the church was rotating for her. Close enough that she could see someone. She could see them.
Ribbit was kneeling at the altar.
Finally, Pomni felt her feet weigh downward on the floor and her movement sped up. She stumbled past Ribbit. Pomni had to lift herself up and turn her head back to look at them when she saw her eyes were blackened, multicolored eyes zipping in random directions, pupils dilated in fear.
âRibbit?â Pomni asked hesitantly. This didnât happen with Jax, how could she awake Ribbit? She looked down at Ribbitâs clasped hands.
Grabbing each wrist, she tried her best to pry them apart.
She muttered to herself âCome on, itâs not like you can hurt her like this, pull!â Still to no avail.
Next, she inspected their fingers, she traced across them with her index. The slightest movement occurred at the touch of their index to hers. Pomni sat down to have her hand overlap onto Ribbitâs, and a hand finally gave way as Pomni took its place and before she knew it, she had interlocked hands with Ribbit.
With three blinks, Ribbitâs eyes returned.
