03-22-2023, 10:37 AM
His roommates were slightly annoyed as he abandoned them in Manifesto to cruise with the rich and powerful. But they forgave him when he shelled out some money for some lesser drugs they had wanted to score but had no cash. They shared and Cruz for the first time in his life felt like things were going to be alright.
Except nothing was alright. Ever since he'd found that coin he couldn't stop thinking about it. And now he saw it everywhere. In things that weren't there. He even saw it in the hallucinations that the shrooms caused when his friends shared their stash.
University was so much different when you didn't live at home with your parents.
Despite the lack of sleep and lack of studying his grades hadn't faltered -- yet. He imagined he'd hear from his grandfather the moment they did.
But it didn't matter. At least not tonight. Tonight he followed the signs. Followed the laughing skull and the terror of the other side down and down into the depths of a place he never thought to imagine himself in.
He'd taken Raffe's advice -- to look the part. Cruz had even managed to enter a thrift shop and come out with an outfit he liked and so had his friends. They didn't accompany him this night. They had gone to Kallisti. When free tickers were available and to one of the hottest shows in town they jumped at it. But it wasn't like he hadn't seen Nox dance... he had. Many times and really wasn't his thing.
So alone it was down in the depths of the thrumming music of a place called the Devil's Lair. It was fitting and hard enough to find. And there was no loss of dealers to find something more fun to hang with. But for now Cruz just danced. Hands and bodies writhed around him and it didn't matter in the moment whose were where it was all good.
Except nothing was alright. Ever since he'd found that coin he couldn't stop thinking about it. And now he saw it everywhere. In things that weren't there. He even saw it in the hallucinations that the shrooms caused when his friends shared their stash.
University was so much different when you didn't live at home with your parents.
Despite the lack of sleep and lack of studying his grades hadn't faltered -- yet. He imagined he'd hear from his grandfather the moment they did.
But it didn't matter. At least not tonight. Tonight he followed the signs. Followed the laughing skull and the terror of the other side down and down into the depths of a place he never thought to imagine himself in.
He'd taken Raffe's advice -- to look the part. Cruz had even managed to enter a thrift shop and come out with an outfit he liked and so had his friends. They didn't accompany him this night. They had gone to Kallisti. When free tickers were available and to one of the hottest shows in town they jumped at it. But it wasn't like he hadn't seen Nox dance... he had. Many times and really wasn't his thing.
So alone it was down in the depths of the thrumming music of a place called the Devil's Lair. It was fitting and hard enough to find. And there was no loss of dealers to find something more fun to hang with. But for now Cruz just danced. Hands and bodies writhed around him and it didn't matter in the moment whose were where it was all good.