I saw it move. I swear on my integrity as an archaeologist I did. I wanted to see if there were any differences between the mushrooms and so went to find new samples. There, in the luminescent glow I saw a vine shift ever so slightly. I haven’t returned since. It seems absurd to consider this, but could the plant itself…be alive?

-From Professor Shokolov’s Journal, 15th Entry.

“AxEl, what are you doing?” asked Nook. He’d brought down a seat for himself and rubbed at his head as he questioned his friend.

“Just sit and watch, Nook. And remember the steps. Once we get started, you’re going to need to,” AxEl replied. All Nook saw was him handling some cut bits of mushrooms in some sort of solution. AxEl twirled the vial around the mix the plant together with the liquid, watching as the blue hue bled into it.

“Since when did you learn how to make those future seeing pills?” Nook asked.

“They’re called Prophecy. Check the book and you’ll see it written there,” AxEl answered without turning his back. He kept running the vial through machines, so Nook decided to busy himself with the contents of said book.

On it were written some unspecific instructions on how to synthesize the drug itself. Images dotted the pages and the writing was scratchy. “Same handwriting as some of the outgoing letters,” Nook noted.

“So, it was the professor by himself then. Doesn’t seem like he wanted to share his discovery, eh?” AxEl remarked back. He moved from one machine to another and the beads wrapped around his necklaces clacked.

Nook looked over from the book and eyed the necklace with a confused expression. “You’re not much for fashion, AxEl. What’s with the necklace?” he asked.

AxEl shifted a bit uncomfortably. “Well, I kind of found them in a drawer down here. They looked nice so I just took them,” he answered.

“We’re supposed to be hiding you down here, AxEl. Don’t just steal stuff!” Nook said.

“We’re already using the old man’s lab to make drugs. Is this really so much worse?” AxEl replied.

Nook sighed. “I just hope he doesn’t come back and report both of us.”

“Couldn’t. We know his little secret now,” AxEl replied. “Now come on, I’m done making the pill. Come here and try it out.”

Between his fingers he held a blue capsule. Nook was hesitant to take it, but AxEl dropped it right in his palm and looked at him expectantly. Nook popped the pill in his mouth and swallowed it, feeling it tug at his throat as it went down.

Then the images appeared. AxEl’s voice appeared, but distorted. “So, how does i-“ Then Nook heard AxEl’s normal voice overlay the phantom sound. “So how does it feel?” he asked.

Nook looked at his hands, the images that bombarded his brain, and felt it all confusing. It felt as if he was trying to focus on two tasks at once. No normal person could split their attention well enough to do both at the same time.

“Disorienting,” Nook said. The words were something he heard before he said it, which befuddled him.

“It was like that for me too. Weird how it feels, huh?” AxEl asked. Though he looked calm, AxEl was clutching his necklace with his free hand. The other one was held firmly onto Nook.

“Yeah, weird.”

Then as fast as they had changed his perception, the images slowly vanished. Nook returned to normal sight and looked around at the lab to confirm that everything was back as it should be.

“So, what do you think?” AxEl asked.

“This stuff could be dangerous if it’s in the wrong hands,” Nook replied.

“But-“

“Which is why it’s a good thing it’s in our hands instead,” Nook said, putting a hand on AxEl’s shoulders.

“But there are a few things we need to talk about,” he added. They both came to an agreement quite quickly.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

“We can’t sell it to gangs. Not to officers, not to anyone who can actually use it to do some harm,” Nook said. “Not in large amounts either,” he continued. On and on they agreed upon how they would distribute it and to whom. At the end of the day, they felt like legitimate business partners.

****

“Well, there doesn’t seem to be much wrong with him?” The doctor said. He was holding a pen in front of AxEl’s eyes, and moving it around and letting him follow.

“Blood pressure’s normal too, and all he has are surface level cuts. Is there anything more specific that you’re having a problem with, son?” He asked.

AxEl looked back at him and answered. “No? I feel pretty fine. I guess my teeth feel kind of loose, but that’s about it?”

“Hmm, we checked your teeth and they seemed to be well enough. How often do you brush them?” the doctor asked.

“Barely ever,” FenEl answered for him. “I do brush them!” AxEl said back.

“Well, be sure to make that a habit then. I’ll prescribe you some medicine, but otherwise you’re free to go.”

The doctor undid the patch he’d put around AxEl’s thick arm, then ushered them out of the office with a note in hand. AxEl looked it over and found it mostly empty.

“Should we go pick these up?” he asked his mother.

“I can do it on my way back from work. If the doctor says its fine, then I don’t see any need to rush,” FenEl answered. He read over the prescription list once more by himself in the passenger’s seat, wondering what processes it took to produce these kinds of medicine at a mass scale.

Soon enough it would be AxEl working on making those pills. And he dreaded to think how much time it would cost. Nook was new to the process and AxEl himself wasn’t the best person for making them. But they had to make do with what they had.

****

AxEl walked out of the lab and up the stairs to a tired Nook laid on the couch. “How many are we up to now?” he asked.

“About 30? You think that would be enough for one night?” AxEl asked. “If we can find people to buy them? Sure,” Nook replied.

“And are there any people you know who want to try it out?” AxEl asked. “I’ve got a few buyers from when I was dealing around the school, so I could call them up,” he explained.

“Selling to the students?” Nook asked.

AxEl felt a twist in his guts. “No, not from the school themselves. Just some junkies,” AxEl replied. He didn’t want to get anyone who wasn’t already a user of Magic Bullets involved.

Nook seemed similarly uncomfortable, so he spoke up. “Now that we’re so close to actually selling it, do you think we should?” Nook asked. He looked up to AxEl for guidance, something he didn’t know if AxEl could provide.

“As long as we don’t sell to the same person too many times, they can’t get addicted. That’s what we agreed on, Nook.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right, we just need to be smart about not overusing it,” Nook replied. Nook’s phone rang from the table and he picked it up.

“Nook, I’m heading over to the place itself right now. Brought along a few guys and girls, so this better be fun, alright?” LorEn said from the other end.

Nook looked over to AxEl and quirked an eyebrow. He looked back down the stairs and folded his arms. “Ready enough,” he answered back.

“We’ll be there,” Nook replied. They stuffed every pill that they could find into a bag they’d brought with them and left the house.

The place they’d be meeting at was an offbeat road connecting to the town. It was far enough from the town that no one would find them without looking. They’d picked the one at the exact opposite end from Shokolov’s house. The less connections someone could make between them, the house and the pills, the better.

LorEn was a handsome young guy, rebellious and lazy. Dark skinned, wore his hair straight and was equipped with some tasteful leather. He and his crew were making themselves comfortable around the roadside. They held sodas in their hands and chuckled as jokes were exchanged between them. “Oh there he is!” LorEn said out loud as AxEl and Nook walked up the ramp towards them.

“And you brought a real dealer along with you. What’s this about?” he shifted his gaze from Nook to AxEl in a second. “You got some more blunts to sell us? I’ve been itching for one for a while now. Same rate, yeah?” He asked AxEl.

“Nah, not this time, Lor. I got something new to show you guys,” AxEl replied.

“Really?” LorEn scratched at his head. “Any of you guys hear about this?” he looked back and asked his friends. A series of head shakes and muttered No’s arose.

“Well, I’ll bite. What is it?” he asked. Nook took out a handful of pills from his pocket and held it towards the whole group. They crowded around his hand but didn’t take.

LorEn picked up one of the pills and sniffed it, which got a chuckle out of Nook and AxEl both. “It’s not a candy, Lor,” Nook said.

“Then?”

“Just pop one and you’ll understand,” Nook replied. LorEn put the pill in his mouth and swallowed it. Everyone gasped as his eyes started glowing an ashy grey.

“Oh,” LorEn said, as he began to move his hands.

“Heh, Haha! Oh this is awesome!” He sped up his movements, focused intently on his arms as he did. The others were just confused as they watched the man lost in his own world.

“Hey, Lin! Say something,” he said, looking at one of his friends that Nook didn’t recognize.

“Uh, How ar-“

“e you feeling, huh?” LorEn finished.

“How did you know that?” A girl asked from beside him.

“Nook wasn’t kidding. Take the pills. You guys are going to love this!” Lor said. Nook and AxEl watched as their classmates enjoyed the trip. Every movement they observed filled them with glee. Two of them even started play fighting, something that got Nook curious.

But it was then that LorEn’s trip ended, and the others followed not soon after.

“Now I see what you were talking about, Nook! This stuff is great! Now come on, hand me another one,” LorEn asked.

“Next one’s going to cost you,” AxEl interrupted.

“Aw, what do you mean?” LorEn asked.

“Can’t give them away for free, Lor. You understand how it is. Now you still want more?” AxEl asked.

“Tsk, cheapskate. Fine, I’ll pay up. How much for another round for all of us?” LorEn asked as he started to fish his wallet out of his pants. AxEl and Nook smiled at each other as the bills started filling their hands.