Last ride

CatNap and Dogday stepped onto the carnival grounds just as the sun sank behind the horizon. The lights flickered on one by one, painting the empty fairground in streaks of neon that danced across the cracked pavement. Excitement buzzed in the air, but CatNap felt a chill that had nothing to do with the evening breeze. Ahead of them loomed the roller coaster—its steel tracks twisting and diving like the spine of some mechanical beast. The screams of riders carried over the carnival music, sharp and frantic. Dogday grinned, tugging CatNap toward the entrance, but CatNap froze, his stomach twisting. A sudden, violent image flashed in his mind: the coaster tearing apart, screams, sparks, and falling metal. He knew, instinctively, that this vision wasn’t just fear. It was a warning.