December 21st, 1965

After a week of traveling, Elijah has finally made it to San Francisco.

Standing in Chrissy Field, he looks out over the bay at the Golden Gate Bridge, which glows in the late afternoon sun. He is awestruck by the view as he gazes upon it for the first time.

To Elijah, everything seems brighter and more vibrant here than it ever was back home in Ontario. There is a certain energy to the place that he can feel in his bones. The people seem looser, more laidback than in New York, especially more so than in Colorado, where the people seemed to be hardened from the cold mountain air, or Nevada, where the people seemed to be driven only by money and the growing casinos.

A cool breeze blows off the water, making him shiver as he stands watching the boats travel beneath the bridge.

"I was expecting it to be warmer," Elijah says to no one in particular. "But it's a hell of a lot warmer than it's gonna be back home so I guess I shouldn't complain."

He stuffs his hands in his pockets and begins walking towards Marina Boulevard. He takes in his surroundings as he walks. People are bustling about while others hang out on park benches or in the grassy areas dotting the cityscape. Some of them sit alone, smoking cigarettes or talking among themselves, some walk in pairs or small groups of three or four chatting away loudly. Elijah notices many girls wearing long, colorful dresses and flowers in their hair.

Elijah chuckles, finding it all so strange and interesting. He hasn't noticed that he's been walking for over an hour when he turns off of Green Street. He's been admiring the buildings and how many are beautiful Victorian designs. When he reaches the corner of Green and Grant Steet, Elijah stops and looks up at a small coffee shop. A simple, hand-painted placard reading "Coffee Gallery" hangs above the door, swaying gently in the breeze that carries the distant sound of folk music. The exterior, with its brightly painted facade adorned with murals and the warm, inviting glow of its interior lights. He also notices another sign that reads "OPEN MIC TONIGHT".

A bell jingles overhead as he enters the cafe, and Elijah is greeted with a smile from the cashier. She has long, straight brown hair and freckles all over her face. She wears a buttoned shirt tied up just above her navel and a short pleated skirt.

"Welcome! Can I help you?" The girl asks with a wide grin.

"Yes, uh, could I get a coffee? And I saw there's an open mic tonight." Elijah asks.

"There sure is! First come, first serve. Coffee will be thirty-six cents. Cream and sugar are there too." The girl informs him. "We're always looking for new people to perform! There's usually always the same people every week."

"Yeah?" Elijah smiles back at the waitress. "Thanks. I think I may give it a shot tonight, then."

"Awesome! Here's your coffee. If you want to perform, sign up is in the back corner. Starts in about 2 hours." She winks at him and goes back to reading her magazine.

"Thanks," Elijah tells the girl, picking up the coffee. He walks around the café looking for an empty table. Finally, he finds a table with only two chairs at the very front of the room. Elijah sits down and takes a sip of his coffee. It tastes good, but not too strong. He puts the cup down and leans back in his chair, observing the various patrons of the coffee shop.

***

Later that night, more people have piled into the coffee shop for the open mic. Elijah sits at his table, tuning his guitar and preparing himself mentally to perform.

A man steps onto the stage and clears his throat as he approaches the microphone. The audience quiets down to hear him speak.

"Hello everyone. Thanks for coming out tonight." The man begins. "I hope you enjoy the show. First, we have a newcomer to the scene." The man looks over to where Elijah sits, "He is coming all the way from Canada and he wants to share something with you guys. Give it up for Elijah!"

The man gestures towards Elijah's table and the audience applauds enthusiastically.

Elijah gets up and walks to the stage, feeling nervous. He takes a deep breath as he reaches the microphone and adjusts the height of it slightly before beginning to speak. He notices that unlike in New York, the other artists are sitting in the audience actively watching the show rather than lingering in the back smoking.

"Hi, everyone." Elijah greets them. "My name is Elijah. I'd like to sing a song I wrote about living in New York."

The crowd gives another round of applause in response, making him feel less anxious about being onstage. Elijah strums his guitar once before beginning to play. His fingers move swiftly across the fretboard as he plays the opening chords to "New York Ferry Reverie".

His voice carries throughout the room, echoing off the walls and bouncing back to him from every direction. The sound reverberates in Elijah's chest as he sings and he gets lost in the music, completely forgetting where he is.

Elijah's eyes drift shut and his shoulders begin to sway slightly. The audience remains silent, listening intently to Elijah's performance.

After about two minutes, Elijah opens his eyes and finishes playing the song, finishing the final note with a flourish of his hand.

"Thank you." Elijah exhales, satisfied. The audience claps loudly. Some even whistle and hoot as they stand up from their seats. "Thank you very much," he repeats, grinning sheepishly. He instantly notices how much more responsive the California crowd is compared to the ones he encountered in the east. He then begins playing a cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright".

After finishing the cover, Elijah takes a break to catch his breath. He takes a sip of water, noticing that most of the audience members are paying attention to him. Several girls glance in his direction, smiling and whispering to each other.

Elijah can feel the energy in the room building as the excitement rises. He thinks about the final song to play but then has a flash of a memory to back in New York City.

***

"Here's one you all may know," Elijah says, his hands moving across the frets.

He breaks into an upbeat strumming pattern for a familiar song. He starts playing The Beatles' "She Loves You."

As he sings, once the crowd recognizes the song, a low murmur falls amongst them. It almost sounds like booing, but Elijah ignores it and continues playing. He smiles at the audience, closing his eyes to keep focused. He begins singing the chorus with gusto.

"She loves you yeah, yeah, yeah

She loves you yeah, yeah, yeah."

As Elijah sings the second verse, he feels something hit his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he sees that it was a wadded-up napkin that someone threw at him. This time, the booing is loud and clear. Elijah carries on but can hear heckles from the audience.

"Pop shit!" Someone yells out.

"That's plastic, man! Plastic!" Another adds. "Fuckin' sell out!"

The atmosphere turns tense. The audience jeers louder, shouting insults towards Elijah. They start throwing things at the stage. Some of them laugh and point.

Elijah stops singing abruptly, the noise becoming overwhelming. The crowd becomes even more restless as they grow louder with their heckling. Elijah can't take it anymore, grabbing his guitar and jumping off the stage to run for the exit.

As Elijah leaves, the audience starts booing and booing. Some throw empty beer cans at him, but Elijah ignores them all. He bursts out the door, running into the dark street and disappearing down a side alley.

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***

Elijah snaps back to the present, where he begins to sweat. He wonders if he should try the Beatles again, but quickly decides to go for it. The crowd already seems more open-minded and accepting.

Elijah breaks into a version of "A Hard Day's Night", this time with no booing. The crowd cheers and sings along to the song. After a minute or so, he concludes the set, bowing before leaving the stage. The audience applauds with genuine enthusiasm as he walks off.

"Bravo, bravo!" A man calls out as he passes by. Elijah thanks him politely and sits down at his table. He breathes deeply, feeling drained yet proud of himself.

He catches the eye of a blonde girl who is still clapping. Elijah gives her a nod and a wink as he grabs his cup of water to take a swig. The girl blushes and giggles as she looks away.

A young man dressed in a long-sleeve striped shirt and faded jeans with thick curly blond hair approaches Elijah's table.

"Hey, man! That was killer. I really dug that Dylan song you did." The man says, extending his hand to Elijah.

Elijah takes it and the two men shake firmly.

"Thanks. I appreciate it. I'm glad you enjoyed my set." Elijah replies with a smile.

"No problem. You're one of the better performers I've seen around here, actually. I dig your style. I'm Tommy."

"Elijah. Nice to meet you." Elijah replies.

Tommy nods. "Listen, man. You staying anywhere close by? My friends and I were gonna hang out. Maybe smoke some grass later on, if you're interested. You could join us?"

Elijah's interest perks up at the mention of marijuana. He hasn't smoked any since Chicago and could use something to chill him out after his performance.

"Yeah. Sure, man." Elijah agrees. "I literally just got here into town today, so I was thinking of finding a place to crash somewhere."

"What?! No, man! You can stay at my place until you find something. Come on. Grab your stuff, I'll give you a ride home. Let's go!"

Elijah is taken aback by the friendliness of this stranger but appreciates it nonetheless. He grabs his guitar and stands up, following Tommy as he makes his way through the cafe and outside to the parking lot.

In the parking lot, Tommy points towards a beat-up old Chevy station wagon. He pops the trunk and Elijah places his guitar inside, slamming the lid down hard.

"Let's roll, man." Tommy smiles, getting into the driver's seat of the car. Elijah follows suit, climbing into the passenger seat next to him.

As the vehicle sputters to life, Elijah peers out the window and sees a group of people on the corner in front of the coffee house. They are all in their late teens and early twenties, with long, straight hair and flowing clothes. One of them stands out from the rest because she is wearing a large, billowing purple dress that reaches her ankles. She also has flowers in her hair. She smiles at Elijah, waving to him. Her red lips are parted in a grin.

The engine revs, and the car pulls out of the parking lot. As they drive down the road, Elijah watches as the girl disappears behind the corner. They drive for about 10 minutes before arriving at a small apartment complex.

"Here we are, man. Home sweet home!" Tommy declares as they pull up to the curb. He parks the car, shutting it off before stepping out. Elijah grabs his guitar from the trunk before heading towards the building with Tommy.

They enter into the apartment and Elijah instantly notices how different it is to the cold, grey apartments in NYC. On the walls, there are paintings of various abstract designs, mostly consisting of colors such as yellow, orange, and green. A record player sits atop a coffee table near the entrance. Next to it lies a bong made from an empty wine bottle, the resin floating near the bottom of the bottle. The furniture itself is mostly a light wooden material with blue floral printed fabric cushions.

A rail-thin hippie girl in a black beaded top and skirt wanders over to greet them. She has long brown hair and bright green eyes. She smiles as she reaches out her arms, hugging Tommy tightly.

"Welcome home, babe!" The girl says in an enthusiastic tone. "How was the show?"

"It was groovy, love. Check out our new guest, Elijah, this is my old lady, Brenda." Tommy introduces them.

Brenda wraps her arms around Elijah, hugging him too. Elijah hesitantly hugs back, a bit caught off guard by the woman's affectionate demeanor.

"Welcome! So nice to have you here, Elijah." Brenda greets him with a grin.

Elijah returns her smile awkwardly before turning his attention towards Tommy.

"Thanks for letting me crash here for a while." Elijah says gratefully.

"Not a problem, man." Tommy responds casually. He looks at his girlfriend and grins. "You want some grass, baby? Spider and Buzz should be here soon. We're gonna party hard tonight."

Brenda claps her hands together in excitement. "Sure thing, Tom!"

"Come on, man. You wanna toke up with us?" Tommy asks Elijah.

Elijah nods eagerly, following the couple to the kitchen table. As they walk, he notices more people entering the apartment. A few girls wander over to greet them with friendly smiles and warm hugs. With them are two mean-looking men with leather jackets, one with long hair and the other with short bushy hair. Elijah can see that one of them has a spider tattooed onto his neck while the other has a skull on one of his arms. The man with the spider tattoo has long shaggy brown hair that reaches past his shoulders and blue eyes. The other man with the skull tattoo has short black hair styled in a crew cut and is slightly shorter than his counterpart.

The girls, both wearing dresses like the one Elijah saw earlier, introduce themselves to Elijah as Patty and Lisa. The two men look at him with interest but don't say anything.

"This here is Elijah. He's an artist. From New York, dude!" Tommy says proudly. The others stare at Elijah silently, eyeing him up and down suspiciously.

Patty breaks the tension by reaching out and embracing Elijah warmly. She has shoulder-length reddish-brown hair that frames her pale face beautifully.

"Oh, you poor boy! Welcome! It's been a while since we had someone from 'back east'." She exclaims. Lisa then joins in on the embrace as well.

"Well, hello to you too, ladies." Elijah smiles at them.

"Let's get some grass on the go, man!" Spider, the taller of the two guys with the tattoos, suggests.

"Dig it! Have you smoked before, Elijah? Can you hold your smoke, brother?" Buzz, the shorter man asks him.

"Well..." Elijah says sheepishly, "I've actually only smoked once before..."

Everyone stares at him in disbelief. Tommy raises his eyebrows in surprise and even the girls seem surprised. Elijah laughs nervously as he tries to explain himself.

"I, uh, it was back in Chicago and these dudes offered it to me... I'm sorry."

Spider and Buzz exchange glances before chuckling. "Tommy, man...where do you find these squares?" Spider asks in a playful tone.

"I can handle it, man." Elijah defends himself, not wanting to feel like he is being judged or pitied.

The group breaks out into laughter. Elijah sighs, unsure if this is a good idea, but decides to join in anyway.

"Far out..." Buzz remarks, impressed.

"We're all cool. No worries. You dig us, and we dig you, Elijah. Just having fun, man." Spider adds, wrapping his arm around Elijah's shoulders.

"Alright, alright. Enough with the chitchat! Let's get fucked up!" Buzz interrupts, pulling out a bag full of weed.

He places it on the table and everyone gathers around to watch as he expertly rolls several joints. Once finished, he distributes one to each person who is eager to accept it."

Elijah finds himself sitting beside Lisa on the couch in the living room. She places her hand gently on Elijah's forearm as she smiles sweetly at him. Elijah feels a warm sensation in his stomach upon making contact with her skin.

"Make yourself comfortable," Lisa says in a soothing voice before leaning forward to take a hit of the joint being passed around. She exhales slowly, letting out a wispy cloud of smoke that hovers above them before fading into nothingness.

She passes the joint to Elijah. "Take it easy now," she advises, watching carefully as he puts the joint to his lips.

Elijah takes a big inhale and coughs immediately after, trying to catch his breath. The room suddenly starts spinning and everything looks fuzzy. He continues smoking, however, ignoring his discomfort and trying to prove that he can take it like the rest of them.

"That's it, that's it." Lisa encourages him. "Nice and steady."

Elijah nods his head slightly, closing his eyes as he enjoys the pleasant feeling that begins to wash over him. It feels just like back in Chicago, only this time, he's in a nice warm place surrounded by people who are enjoying the same thing he is.

As Elijah takes another puff, he notices that the room appears brighter somehow, almost as if all of the furniture has been coated in a thin layer of glowing white paint. The air smells sweet and fragrant, making his nose tickle a little bit.

Elijah starts giggling. Everyone turns to look at him, but nobody seems upset by his behavior. Instead, the others all start laughing with him, and the entire room fills with laughter.

***

It's been a few hours, and everyone is still smoking and having a good time. Elijah and the rest of the group continue passing the joints around, taking occasional breaks to drink beer.

"So Elijah," Tommy says slowly, his eyes squinting as he stares directly at Elijah, "What are you looking for here in Frisco, man?"

Elijah glazily stares up at the ceiling before answering, "I just want to play music...I couldn't make it in New York but maybe I can here?"

"Totally, man. But the folk solo bag? I think you gotta drop that. You know what you need to do?"

"What's that?" Elijah asks curiously.

"You need to find a group. That's what's happening here."

Elijah contemplates Tommy's words for a moment before agreeing. "I guess. I don't really know anyone else though."

"You could just put up some posters around town looking for cats," Tommy says, smiling, "Actually, Spider knows someone who posters, dontcha, Spider?"

Tommy looks down on the floor where he sees Spider, Buzz, and Lisa all passed out. Tommy laughs.

"Hey, Elijah, looks like you can hold your grass," Tommy says. He playfully kicks Spider. "You hear that, Spider?"

Spider just rolls over and grumpily mutters, "Get fucked..."

"Yeah, you should definitely, man. You should get some sleep too." Tommy tells Elijah.

"Okay," Elijah mumbles, standing up, his vision still swimming a bit. "Where can I go?"

"There's a mattress in my room, but my girl and I are gonna have a lot of fun with it." Tommy tells him with a snicker.

Elijah rubs his tired eyes. He stumbles to the hall, entering the first bedroom on the left. Inside the room is a bed that's occupied by Patty, one of the girls who was with Brenda earlier in the evening. She is completely naked, sprawled out on her side, her bare breasts exposed. She turns over, flashing Elijah as she smiles.

"You look like you've never seen a naked woman before." Patty teases him.

Elijah shakes his head quickly, "Well...I uh-" he cuts himself off before turning away bashfully.

Patty laughs loudly, her giggles echoing through the empty room. She sits up and grabs Elijah's arm.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, lover boy," she warns him jokingly. "We've had a long night. Let's go to sleep."

"Good idea." Elijah replies.

Elijah lies down next to Patty and pulls the covers over both of them. She nuzzles up to him and rests her head on his chest. Within seconds, he falls asleep.