It’s fascinating really. The bioluminescence of these mushrooms is mesmerizing. But not for their hue alone. It’s the images that appear when you look that really intrigue me. Those…figments of reality.

-From Professor Shokolov’s Journal, 2nd Entry

AxEl walked across the streets of the city, looking around for any would be buyers. He shot glances at every sort of person he could find that day, hoping to see someone who would be accommodating enough to buy from him.

When he rested against a wall, he saw a young worker walking out of the store in front of him. He held in his hands a rolled up poster that he splayed against the glass windows of the store. On it in bold lettering was written this,

“The Slayers

Are Coming to Barksight!

Buy your tickets now, before they’re sold out!”

AxEl examined the poster closely, accidently pushing aside the worker next to him. The man simply shook his head in annoyance and went back inside the store. Oh, yeah! I can’t believe they’ll be performing in my town! AxEl thought to himself.

Immediately he tried dialing up Nook to tell him about the event, but was stopped by the unread message on his phone. Another text from Kel it seemed.

Be sure to have my money in the next weeks, kiddo! That’s all!

A subtle reminder of the situation he was in. Going to see a band he liked would mean that he would have to deal with Kel. AxEl had been slightly successful in the past few days, selling to junkies and impressionable teens from around town. But that wouldn’t be sufficient if he wanted to make this endeavour profitable.

But if I sell at the concert itself…

Those big shows always invited substance abuse of all kinds. It’s just a cigarette. There’s much worse bullets out there than mine, I’m sure.

AxEl looked down at his supply, still up to par. He shuffled away from the streets and continued trying to find buyers. The pickings were thin, so he welcomed the distraction from his phone. AxEl picked it up and Nook was on the other side of the line, holding in his excitement.

“AxEl! Did you see the posters?” He asked gleefully.

“You’re right I did. Can’t believe they’d pick quaint old Barksight!” AxEl replied. He couldn’t hold back his own amazement, especially around someone so expressive.

“They said it was the trees on the mountain that attracted them. Guess those old stumps are good for something after all.”

AxEl chuckled over the line and listened quietly as Nook continue speaking.

“I just bought some tickets right now. Two of them. You up for going?” Nook asked expectedly. AxEl felt his stomach drop.

“Ah….Sorry, Nook. Busy that day,” he replied. AxEl fiddled around with his jacket pockets as he spoke.

“Are you sure about that? If it’s homework of any kind, I could help you do it?” Nook asked.

“Nothing like that. Just….personal business,” AxEl replied.

“I see…”

“I’ll talk to you another time, Nook.”

“Sure.”

The line closed and AxEl was left standing by himself once more. Another complication. He couldn’t let Nook catch him at the party dealing. It was one of the things that he decided that he would never compromise on. Keeping his lives separate was for the best, after all.

****

His mother didn’t suspect a thing. A young man going to watch a band perform was nothing out of the ordinary, even in a small town like theirs. What had stung most was the cost of the tickets themselves.

AxEl was thankful to the God Mirage that he had gotten his early, since the price skyrocketed after a few days. He pocketed the little slip that he had gotten and walked towards the concert hall, decorated on all sides by cars and motorcycles.

Some people loitered outside, content to wait until the music began proper. Some of them held cigarettes in their hands, which made AxEl wonder. He walked towards the entrance to find a giant sign that said in clear bold letters, “No Smoking Allowed.”

That’s not going to be a problem as long as I’m not the one smoking. A man stood at the front of the hall doors. Muscular and focused, he was a wall that separated any unsavory folk from entering the auditorium.

AxEl stepped up to the man and flashed his ticket. The security chipped away a piece of the card before handing it back to him. “Hands extended,” he ordered AxEl.

AxEl obeyed without question. The guard did an almost courteous search, barely trying to find anything. Isn’t security supposed to much tighter around these things? And after all that time he’d spent hollowing out his jacket, it felt almost insulting to be underestimated.

The guard seemed satisfied and let AxEl through without any further hint of opposition. AxEl nodded to the man and moved past him into the hall.

To his sides he found hallways leading to other parts of the hall. In front however, was another set of double doors that he assumed would lead to the performance. He took a peek inside and found but a few people standing around. Though their equipment was there, the band itself hadn’t arrived, so AxEl felt a slight pang of disappointment.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

He caught a cool wind blowing his way from outside the doors, which made him shiver slightly. Another downside of removing the stuffing from his jacket. Before he closed the door, AxEl caught eye of a small stand set up near the back of the auditorium.

AxEl looked down at his wallet and considered if he could afford anything, but sighed and instead just closed the door in front of him. He wandered around the halls of the venue until more people started flooding in. Checking his phone, he realized that the time for the band to perform was fast approaching, so he decided to head in and start.

****

AxEl had to admit he was impressed. After only a few moments, people flooded to him for their smokes. Sure, the numbers present made it difficult when he bumped into one of the smokers and felt almost burnt. After a while though, people gave him berth and let him sell to them.

He kept himself far from anyone he thought was familiar. A few times, he even thought that Nook had spotted him, which made him all the more alert about his surroundings. Though it hurt a bit to not join his friends in dancing, AxEl kept to his work.

He handed out blunts to whoever would hold up the cash. Swipe it away, put some smokes in its place. After a while the entire concert hall began to heat up from the body heat everyone was emitting. AxEl took a small blunt himself and began smoking it, just so he wouldn’t get hurt from the heat.

He felt that inner warmth spread around him as he focused on selling. A hefty sum was earned that day, and AxEl grinned like a mad dog when he padded at the cash in his pockets. Most everyone in the concert hall was smoking at this point. AxEl found it funny that so many of them had caved in.

But then again….How did everyone have a blunt? AxEl’s mind was a bit hazy, but even he knew that he hadn’t sold that many smokes. The number he carried on himself had seemed much smaller. He shrugged it off as him just not paying attention and finally began to enjoy the party himself.

He moved along with the rhythm of the music, shouting and laughing all the while. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he lost himself in the movement of the night. That was, until, the doors burst open.

A man stood behind them, illuminated by the light of the hallway behind him. The pale light shined down upon his overalls, stark against the wilder clothing of the audience. He looked to be an officer, and none too pleasant of one. He had a stern expression about his face as he surveyed the people.

The band had stopped playing. For what reason, AxEl didn’t know. The hall grew eerily quiet as another younger man walked up to the first one. He handed a megaphone over to his superior and stood aside as the man spoke.

“Attention! This concert is cancelled! We’ve been tipped off about mass Bullet abuse at this venue and have come to investigate. Stay calm and you will be let go cordially!” he said, before lowering the device to his side.

AxEl swallowed unconsciously. He stood in place until a voice finally brought him to life. Run, it said.

And so he did. The entire hall erupted in screams as people ran every which place they could. The doors were flooded with people, despite the officer’s intent. People clawed at each other to leave the concert as soon as they could.

AxEl followed one of these streams of people into the hallways, running by the windows as he did so. Outside, he saw several more officers stationed. Hope of leaving quietly left him. Were he to get caught, it would ruin his entire life. Kel would figure out and might take action against his mother. He’d be kept in prison for at least a few years.

But that wasn’t the biggest fear he had….the biggest fear he had was that he would break his mother’s heart. The sight of her eyes filled with regret. Her sadness at losing someone so close to her. He couldn’t bear that shame. And he wouldn’t have to, as long as he was smart about this.

AxEl left the group he was running alongside, stepping into the nearest bathroom with hands shaking. He looked into the mirror and found a messier face stare back at him. He entered one of the stalls and locked himself inside.

AxEl tried to get his head on straight, but his hands shook vigorously. He clamped them together but couldn’t get them to stop. Think, think! What would help me calm down?

Another smoke fell from his jacket pocket onto the ground. It almost dared AxEl to smoke it, the way it was placed so innocently on the tiles. Just one. Then I can make a plan.

He lit the blunt and took a puff off of it. One turned into two and before he could stop, AxEl had taken a few too many smokes. He felt nauseous as he dropped them into the toilet bowl. Staggering back, he placed a hand on the stall’s knob. His hand crushed it and AxEl fell backwards onto the floor.

He tried pulling himself up, but the door instead fell along with him, ripped off of its hinges.

“What was that!” someone said from outside. AxEl got on his feet and stared at the mirror for a moment, noting how his eyes had shifted to a smoky grey. The door pushed open and AxEl bolted through before the other man caught sight of him.

He pushed the officer out of the way, surprised at how light the man felt. His body felt light as he brushed past him. His hood was on him in the next second. He rushed through the doorway, euphoric with his speed.

The scenery zipped past him until he arrived at one of the entrances.

“Stop!” someone shouted, but AxEl didn’t bother to look. The men standing in the middle of the room, with the door a few feet behind them. AxEl thought for only half a moment before deciding to leap.

He soared over them and landed on the other side, still running as he did.

“Hahaha!” he let out a laugh in surprise. I can’t believe that actually worked!

He was out onto the parking lot in the next second. A few officers stood there, some that AxEl recognized. There weren’t many in the town, so it wasn’t difficult.

They all fumbled for their weapons as AxEl ran past them. A few shots were fired, but AxEl didn’t note them. He felt good. Amazing, even!

He ran and ran, looking back every once in a while to see a few straggling cops. AxEl followed the path along the road, but when the sirens of the police car rang behind him, he knew he had to pick another path.

To his left was a series of trees. AxEl knew the forest better than most, so he decided to dip into them. He weaved between the trunks of the forest, brushing his hand along the ones that he barely missed.

After a while, he felt exhausted and drained. He slowed down. He even sat down, despite the tension in his mind recently. Near the stream is where he took shelter. AxEl dipped his hands down onto the pond, noting how the glow in his eyes had receded. It now barely shined in the reflected water.

AxEl took a sip of the water, then sat back and thought. He’d promised himself not to use Firewire himself, since he needed to sell it. But he never realized how euphoric the feeling was. Running around with the speed of a car, the strength of a bull. It felt…great.

But now the Firewire wasn’t in his system anymore and he couldn’t distract himself any longer. The cops would know what his hoodie looked like. They could probably sniff out the stink from it as well, if he dawdled any longer.

He could wash it perhaps. But that was still evidence he kept on himself. His mother might find it while cleaning. She watched the news enough that he thought he couldn’t hide the similarities.

He put his hands in his pockets to fish out the money he’d earned, but found nothing.

“No…”

Alarmed, he searched more thoroughly, turning the entire jacket inside out to look around it. The only thing within those pockets was a single stick of Firewire. “Nononono,” he muttered to himself as his suspicions became increasingly true. AxEl threw the jacket onto the ground and shouted a series of expletives at the top of his lungs.

No one was around to hear the sorrow that came after. AxEl knew that he had to dispose of the jacket. He thought that he should remove his other clothes as well, not caring of the fact that would leave him almost exposed in the dead of the cold night.

He threw them all into the river, setting them going along the water’s path. AxEl knew his way home, so he began his trek towards there. His eyes glazed over and he walked almost robotically towards his destination.

There, he tried not to wake his mother. He snuck into his room without her knowledge, then took to bed almost immediately. It had been too long of a day.