Karma Smith never felt like he was the same as his father.
He used to think that was a bad thing.
Karma thought that he needed to be exactly like his father. Strong, brash, violent, mean. But that wasn't who Karma was, or who he wanted to be.
And...
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Chapter Ten - Realizations __________________
Unlike most mornings these days, Karma woke up before the rest of the Grimes home. It was an early morning, which was always karma's favorite. Right before the sun rose. So he quickly hoisted himself out of bed and slipped on his boots before stepping out onto the porch.
The chilly air smacked Karma's face as he stepped out, flowing through his curly hair and into his eyes. He shuffled over to the large swing to his right, sitting down with his knees tucked into his chest.
A soft warm glow began to spread over the sky as the sun began to rise, waking all those who sleep across the land.
a soft knock stole Karma's attention.
Carl stood in the doorway, his hair messed up and his eyes tired. He furrowed his eyebrows as if silently asking Karma what the hell he was doing awake.
But Karma didn't answer him,
"C'mon," He started, patting the spot on the swing next to him, "You're gonna miss it," He added with a soft smile, turning his focus back to the sky. Carl shook his head, but followed Karma's wishes and sat down next to him. They both stayed silent for some time, enjoying each other's presence while watching the new day arrive. Eventually, though, a question escaped from Carl's lips.
"you missed a good hour of sleep for this?" He asked. It wasn't a sarcastic question, he was genuinely asking. And karma knew that.
"Yeah. I like how the sun looks when it's rising. When no one watching. Makes me feel all poetic and shit," He said, wrapping his arms around his knees and placing his chin on top of them. Carl hummed in agreement and turned his gaze back to the sky. Karma's stomach churned.
"I get that," He finally answered. "When I was younger. Maybe a year into... all of this, I was walking in the woods and saw a deer. A really pretty one," Carl described. Karma turned his head to watch the teen, but his eyes stayed on the sun, "it was something out of a movie. but it didn't last long. I was shot just a few moments later." Karma's eyes widened.
"What?" He asked, clearly shocked, moving his head to look at carl clearer. Carl chuckled softly,
"Yeah. It's one of the reasons I don't take the time to appreciate things like this anymore. I'm kinda scared that something bad's gonna happen again." He said, finally turning to face Karma. the other boy stared in awe.
"Wow," Karma exclaimed. Carl nodded. "well, you don't have to worry now." He continued. Carl tilted his head, confused. Karma gestured to the sun, which had now fully risen. "you made it. the moments over, and nothing bad happened." Carl looked at the sun intently, and then a small smile cracked across his face.
