Overdue Apology // Short Digital Circus Fan Fiction

Overdue Apology (Short Story)

Twitching eyes, gritting teeth, and faint voices were in the background. These were all sounds that only Pomni could hear, sitting at the table with all the others. The gut-wrenching feeling kept sinking inside her heart. There was no exit. No exit! It was a fake, made by the oblivious ringmaster. Did he mean to create the exit door? But all those never-ending doors, the various shades of the hallways, and the computer she glanced at kept haunting, taunting her. It was too good to be true.

"Hey, Pomni!" an irritated voice hollered out.

The jester flinched a bit at the voice. She was taken back to her miserable situation in what is now virtual reality. It was the purple cartoony rabbit with an unpleasant grin on his face. Jax.

"Huh?" Pomni stammered blankly, trying to pull herself together.

"Are you going to finish that?" Jax questioned her, pointing at the low-poly typical dinner meal.

"Uhh, no. I'm not hungry." Pomni stuttered and sighed pathetically.

"Suit yourself." Jax gobbled the meal up with his fanged yellow teeth.

Pomni became revolted. She was trapped, entrapped in a world with all these circus freaks. These freaks had mangles of tangled, colorful ribbons, saturated shapes, unusually lanky heights, and bulging eyes. She was part of the weirdness now. Everyone is so bizarre.

Everyone is a freak except for the only person thoughtful enough to comfort her upon her arrival at the circus. She was the only person who attempted to welcome and calm her down, only to be interrupted by sudden swearing. That person was Ragatha, the patched-up ragged doll with a button as another eye. Though odd, Ragatha seemed endearing and welcoming when she talked to Pomni. Would it be wrong to assume that the only ragdoll made her comfortable, even giving her a short feeling of ease? Indeed, she isn't just a "rag dolly," and that comforting was her only job.

However, Pomni couldn't help but glance regretfully towards Ragatha at the end of the table. As Ragatha conversed with Kinger, the towering chess kingpiece, about the latest adventure, she noticed how Pomni kept staring with those large, guilty eyes. Melancholy, Ragatha looks away, then recollects herself to continue her conversation with Kinger. Pomni quickly glimpses away, almost closing her eyes to forget what happened. But how could you forget abandoning someone, twice, after they were so kind to you? Even after apologizing to Ragatha as she was glitching in pain, Pomni was too fixated on finding the exit as soon as it appeared. She was going to leave everyone behind to escape this wretched, eye-straining nightmare finally. Did she even consider bringing the others as well? The anxiety of no escape and the shame of abandonment kept infesting Pomni's mind. It slowly translates to her uneasy smiling face. An unpleasing smile with teeth begins to form on her face again.

Hours had passed. The pixelated plates soon began disappearing from the dinner table. This shaking feeling kept building up inside Pomni's mind and body. She couldn't shake it off and go on with her day. She has to apologize; otherwise, something terrible will happen again.

As the circus members dismissed themselves from the table, Caine, the ringmaster, suggested to everyone that they should take a break after today's adventure and delightful dinner. That was oddly considerate, in Pomni's opinion. Maybe she had a chance to talk to Ragatha. She could finally get this feeling out of her skin. She could finally be at ease and, perhaps, make a new friend.

Suddenly, Pomni contemplates thoughts of the opposite.

Maybe I would mess everything up. I could say the wrong answer to everything. She probably HATES me now. I could fumble this opportunity to make amends. Something terrible WILL happen again.

This despair is eating at her. She places her hands on her head, and her eyes become scribbled swirls filled with doom. She must do everything correctly. She only has one shot.

Ragatha was right there, about to head to her room. Behind Ragatha, the poor jester tries to pace along the way. As the others lead to their rooms, Pomni attempts to remain in the main cast's crowd. She wouldn't want the other's attention on her pitiful attempt to talk to Ragatha.

As Ragatha was about to open her door, she heard a small voice.

"Excuse me, Ragatha?" Pomni shyly attempts to communicate.

Ragatha, surprised to hear the jester's voice again, turned around and saw Pomni twiddling her fingers and looking up at her.

"Oh, it's you." the rag doll lamentably says as she tries to glance away from Pomni. She tries to smile and look toward the jester. Pomni shamefully looks down and attempts to rebuild her posture.

"There's something I have to tell you." Pomni stuttered, still fiddling with her fingers. She is a wreck after today's adventure, just for her. Her eyes had drawn wrinkles and drooping dark eye bags. But she had to try at least to talk to Ragatha.

"Yes, what would you like to tell me?" Ragatha commented with a patient and forgiving smile on her face.

Pomni begins to stutter. Too many "wells" and "I's" were spouted out. She kept looking down towards her slightly trembling legs. It took a while to build up courage for this moment, but now, it was not as bad as she thought.

"Okay, here it goes. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for leaving you again. I was so selfish to leave you behind just for that exit. That stupid exit wasn't even real. I went somewhere and..." Pomni rambles, then pauses.

Ragatha was shocked to hear this from Pomni, wondering what she could have seen out that door. Pomni quiets down a bit. She couldn't tell her about what she saw; it was all fake, right? She could not tell how maniacally she laughed after discovering a grim situation, including the never-ending void. The blood pumping and wheezing cackle was a nightmare to hear, even hearing from herself.

Pomni continues, "And I was taken back here by Caine. I had forgotten about you until you were dragging on the floor. Oh God, I can't even imagine the pain you had to go through. Dragging yourself all the way to get some help." Pomni squints her eyes, guiltily remembering such an awful moment. She could only cringe at her previous actions.

"Oh Pomni..." Ragatha replied with a woeful voice.

"I'm really sorry for what I did. Are you okay? You have the right to be upset at me. I understand if you never want to talk to me again after what I've done." Pomni gloomily apologizes.

"Well, I was upset. I was in agonizing pain. I didn't know where you were after a long while. Then, Caine fixed me. Though, I can't blame you. You were frightened, and you are still new to this place. I'm okay now. Thank you. Everything is okay, Pomni." Ragatha answered with a gentle smile.

How could she not hate me? How could someone who was left by me not hate me? Pomni kept weighing these thoughts.

Ragtha noticed a remorseful feeling in Pomni's eyes. Pomni's eyes almost teared up just by her response.

"Even after everything that happened today," Pomni muttered.

"Everything is okay," Ragatha repeated softly.

"Besides, it's still your first day. I can't hold a strong grudge against you," says Ragatha as she tucks her hair calmly.

"Really?" Pomni stuttered. Her two colored eyes widen, reflecting light, shining with hope, surprised by the kind rag doll's words.

"I mean it. It's all okay now. " Ragatha replied with a soft chuckle. Pomni also nervously chuckles, then sighs with relief. She could not believe how someone kind, dear, and forgiving towards her could exist, especially in this multicolored and overstimulating prison. Finally, she could feel at ease.

"Sorry, we didn't get to greet each other properly. With all the shenanigans that go on around here, hehe." Ragatha suddenly spoke, still with a smile that was a bit giddy.

"O-oh. It's fine! I'm glad we're okay now." Pomni responded nervously but softly giggled.

Ragatha slowly but happily asks Pomni, "Would you... like to be friends?" She extends her hand as she smiles sillily, awaiting Pomni's answer.

"I would like that." Pomni proclaimed also with a goofy smile on her face. She gives a thumbs up to Ragatha as an approval of their new friendship.

With the two smiling at each other, they finally felt at ease after a hectic day at the circus.