#2 - Gold

Ava saw the tent from her window earlier this morning. The gold that glimmered so brightly, it made the sun seem dull. It was mesmerizing, it captivated her attention as she ate her usual breakfast, a heaping bowl of blueberry oatmeal and strawberries with whipped cream. 

The circus was all anyone could talk about. It appeared out of nowhere. A seemingly vacant edifice that materialized out of thin air. It rose with the sun, and, according to the flyer that was on the lamp post, it would be disappearing with the sun, too. 

It was about 7 o’clock now, and Ava stood inside of the black iron gates, clutching her ticket and her camera in one hand. The gold was like a magnet, drawing her closer to the main tent. She slipped inside, her blue eyes widening. Rows and rows seats lined the inside. It seemed to contain the entire universe with its size, like there was nothing more grand than this circus. 

Ava trudged up the stairs to to the top row, and found a seat right in the middle. She wanted to be able to see everything, to get the broader perspective. She didn't want to miss a single thing. 

In the center of a ring stood two small children. They couldn't be older than ten, but one was completely engulfed in flames, and the other was building a castle of ice. Jaw agape, Ava took a picture, in fear that if she didn’t, she would wake up tomorrow and thought she dreamed the whole thing. 

It was then that she saw him. The boy from the tattoo parlor she had seen around town a few times. The night owl that seemed to sleep less than she did. Just looking at him, she felt warm, knowing that there was a familiar face in the sea of strangers who understood what it meant to be an artist. He was drawing in a raggedy notebook, his head buried in the pages. 

He was missing everything. 

“Hey!” Ava shouted at him. “Look at the world around you. You might overlook something incredible.” 

He turned his head slightly, and offered her a small smile. “Sorry.” 

And with that, he closed his notebook.