It doesn't take long for Jayson to find himself behind the Sam & Mann grocery store. There is nothing special about it. Its rectangular shape, large dumpsters, and loading area are all standard construction. The loading area is slick with old oil, rotting trash and lots of cigarette butts. The smell is thick and foul, and hidden bugs buzz as they consume the refuse. When Jayson approaches one of the dumpsters, he sees two rabbits leaning against the wall. They are wearing the red and blue striped shirts of the Sam & Mann store employee uniform. Their eyes are dilated and oddly creepy smiles are on their faces. Their warped tags say Howard Hall and Harold Hale.

Jayson stares at them. They stare back.

“Dude... Do you see what I see?” asks Howard.

“Dude... Do you see what I see?” asks Harold.

“Dude... I asked first.”

“Dude... First is the worst.”

“Second is the best... You're right, dude. My mind is blown.”

“I know, right? What do you see, dude?”

“I see a monster with angel wings, dude.”

“Really? I see an angel with monster wings, dude.”

“Bruhhhh~” drones the pair in unison.

Howard and Harold extend their hands to Jayson. In them are the blue Reel Sight pills, slightly glowing from the sunlight reflecting off them.

“Come see with us, thingy dude,” says Howard and Harold in unison.

Jayson hesitates, and then approaches them.

“Free sample, monster dude,” says Howard.

“You'll see a better world, angel dude,” says Harold.

“Reel Sight is better than real sight,” says Howard.

Jayson takes the pills. His hand trembles. He looks up. Howard and Harold are still smiling at him, but their eyes are glazed.

Jayson throws the pills away as far as he can, and Howard and Harold look at each other, still smiling.

“Dude, the monster doesn't want to see,” says Howard.

“That's a shame. Every angel needs to see,” says Harold.

“I've seen enough,” says Jayson.

Jayson hurries away, and rounds the corner, passing Trafford Augustine, who is at a C-Cola vending machine, holding a bag of groceries.

Jayson sits on a bench near the front door and stares ahead, clutching his cosmic wood sword tight against his chest. His heart is heavy, his breathing is strained, and for the briefest of moments, he sees Lexanne slithering through the parked cars.

While Jayson sits in his borderline comatose state, Trafford drops ten bucks on his lap, and then goes to his rental car and starts watching people.

Jayson dumbly looks at the money on his lap. And after a couple of blinks, he realizes what it is, and he remembers that Lexia wants twenty bucks. He inspects the bill, and while doing so, he notices a pawn shop across the street, called "Peter Piper's Pawn Place."

Jayson hums to himself, grabs Claribel's radio from his pocket and walks to the shop. There is a camera watching the front door and its position gives its view of a wide area.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

A bell jingles when Jayson enters Peter Piper’s Pawn Place. The pawn shop is cluttered with various objects clumped together in designated areas, and dirty ceiling fans spin lazily above while numerous TVs display various shows and movies.

Jayson goes straight to the shop owner, who is behind the counter, watching a detective show on a smaller TV. The owner is a 70 year old, rough male rabbit coincidentally named Peter Piper, and he is also enjoying a peck of pickled peppers.

When Peter sees Jayson, he smiles and leans on the counter while muting the show.

“Why hello there, Hobo. Looking to sell?” asks Peter.

“I am,” replies Jayson.

He puts Claribel's radio on the counter, and Peter takes a large bite out of a pepper.

“How much for this?” asks Jayson.

“Where's the rest of it?” asks Peter.

“This is all I have.”

“What am I going to do with one radio?”

“Sell it for an upcharge?”

“You're assuming I want to buy a radio with no partner.”

“Humor me. How much is it worth with a full set?”

“Eighty.”

“I'll accept ten. Then you can sell it for forty.”

“I ain't buying it.”

“Well…”

Jayson looks down and sees a blue book with flowers wrapping around a tree. Its date has faded away, and the gold letters are flaking off, but there is enough to spell Bliss Town Academy Yearbook.

“How about a trade? It costs you nothing and I get rid of the radio,” says Jayson.

“What could I possibly trade for one radio?” says Peter.

Jayson taps on the glass counter, right above the book. “That yearbook. Bliss Town Academy. Nobody wants to buy a yearbook, and I bet you only have it because one of your employees was dumb enough to buy it. Maybe because of a sob story for gas or food money?”

Peter scoffs. “Why do you want a yearbook?”

“Why do you want to keep a yearbook?”

Peter is silent, and Jayson waits patiently for the pawn broker’s retort. Several more seconds pass, and Peter releases a heavy sigh and slaps the counter.

“Alright. Whatever. You can have it,” says Peter.

Peter eats another pepper, unlocks the display case and puts the yearbook on the counter. Jayson slides the radio forward and takes the book.

“Pleasure doing business,” says Jayson.

Peter grunts in reply, and Jayson exits the store. Once outside, Jayson goes to the alley neighboring Peter Piper's Pawn Place and flips through the pages. His hands tremble, and after some seconds, he stops and stares at the page he wanted to see.

The longer he stares at the contents, the more his eyes water. Soon, tears roll down his cheeks, he puts his fist to his mouth and slides to the ground.

((((O)))))

The sun is bright, and faint cracks grow across the sky. No one knows where they came from or what their purpose is, and scientists have been stumped to silence. But Jayson doesn't pay much attention to it. The sky is cracking. Who cares? He's got more important things to worry about.

Things like making a house made of twigs and leaves on the edge of the park while everyone else plays around their sports, playground antics or gymnastics, or hangs out at their vehicles. His twig house is very important and he will not be distracted.

“What are you doing?”

The voice is simply charming, and successfully distracts Jayson from his work.

When he looks up from his twig house, his mouth immediately dries. A female rabbit matching his teenage years stands in front of him, her dark hair cascading around her soft white face, dark eyeliner and shadow surrounding her brown eyes, wearing a dark dress with white spiderwebs stitched all over it.

Jayson's eyes flick up and down her body, processing what he is looking at, and she stares at him intently. Her eyes drift to his little house made of twigs and leaves, and she kneels down for a closer look.

“Aren't you a little old to be playing with twigs like this?” she says.

“No,” says Jayson. “This house is a work of art. Two bedroom, two bath masterpiece.”

“It's a bunch of twigs.”

Jayson carefully lifts the leaf roof and shows her the inside. Furniture is made of nut shells and twisted grass, doors made of more leaves and twigs, and inside is a stick man leaning against the wall, near a table made of tree bark.

“I stand corrected. This is cool,” she says.

Jayson smiles. “Thanks.”

She extends her hand. “Lexanne.”

Jayson grabs her hand. “Barnabus Bloodburger.”

Lexanne tightens her grip. “Fine, then I'm Lexicon Doomspeaker.”

Jayson puts his other hand over hers and gives it a firm squeeze. “My middle name is Skullmuncher.”

Lexanne puts her other hand over his. “And mine is Bloodwater.”

Jayson pulls his hand out from under Lexanne 's grip and places his hand on top of hers. “Very nice… But in all seriousness, my name is Jayson.”

Lexanne smiles, and slides her hand out to put it on top of his. “Oh, that's a nice name.”

Jayson repeats his previous move. “Thanks. Want to get a milkshake?”

Lexanne thinks for a moment. “Sure, why not?”

Jayson smiles and stands up, still holding Lexanne’s hands and gently pulling her up to her feet. “Sweet. I know a great place nearby!”

And so, Jayson escorts Lexanne away, both smiling and feeling light in more ways than one. Today is a lovely day.