Every time I close my eyes I got an instant replay of bullets shredding Kevin's head. It would take 2 runes, bullet and shield to make sure the same wouldn't happen to me, but I just couldn't do it. For one thing, I wasn't sure it would stop a big bore rifle, and more importantly was the opportunity cost. Would the partial security of the double rune be worth the other 2 runes I could have made? How likely was it anybody was really gonna shoot at me? I'd made it 18 years so far bullet free and I want planning on messing with the cops or going hunting with Dick Chaney anytime soon. Bullet shield would have to wait.

No, I had been inspired by a spell from one of the board game posts I'd read the other day. They called it mend but the rune was called restore. I'd pulled it from the akashic field and visualized cracked glass melding together, microscopic wires rebuilding in a circuit, rust flaking off to leave unblemished metal, and even batteries slowly losing memory and becoming receptive to a charge.

In the end the repair rune looked a lot like the regrow rune I'd put on my arm, which seemed fitting. I dug around in my closet and pulled out a battered Nintendo VR rig that hadn't worked since I was like 7. The game device went on top of the rune on my bedside table before I settled in for bed.

It had taken forever to fall asleep. There had been a persistent fear that I'd drop off only to find myself back in the trials, but eventually exhaustion won out. The alarm on my phone was a brutal reminder of just how long it had taken. I sat up in bed, groggy but resigned. Mom had told me school was canceled today, although counselors would be available. That was a big no thanks for me, but I still couldn't go back to sleep. Skipping cardio one day wouldn't kill my conditioning, but two in a row would start a habit.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Gym shorts, an under armor shirt and my tennis shoes had me dressed enough for public, but before I left I checked the VR rig. It fired right up and I spent 10 minutes looking up instructions on my phone and factory resetting the game device. I tossed it into my backpack, that was my seed money.

It was still dark out when I made my way downstairs and started my run. Instead of my usual route deeper into residential areas and eventually to the school I headed west toward the river. It was a lot longer route, skirting the edge of the industrial district and eventually moving into the desire side of the commercial district.

I ran for an hour, and then cooled down at a fast walk for around a half hour more. The sun had come up and I could see all the sights the city had to offer. Here was vomit on the sidewalk in front of a bar, over there a hot mom jogging behind one of those sprung baby strollers with a dog the size of a moose trotting along beside her.

I turned my head to watch the mom go by across the street and inadvertently made eye contact with one of the street people hanging out in front of the metal reclamation place. He gave me a big gap toothed grin and I looked away and sped back up.

Eventually I saw the sign in the distance, and made my way over to one of the payday loan/pawnshop storefronts that littered this part of the city.