"What's going on is Vic is to scared to having a puffing contest with me?" Stewart said, "With all of us...I bet that we could out last him." Stewart stared at Vic. "He's stingy...actually in one of these rooms slept Bards, and Bards hid space weed under his pillow....I could go get some of that," Stewart said, "We'd still out puff him."
"You want to have a puffing contest with him? What the hell is wrong with you people?! no offense to anyone, especially Vic, but is getting high really the best thing to do right now?" She looked directly into Stewart's eyes, "Whats wrong Stewart? I'm your friend...you can trust me."
"You should really be nicer," Anna said, crushing his joint and tossing away the ashes. "Or next time it might not be your smoke that gets crushed. You feel me?" "I see," Vic said calmly. There was a time when he would have gotten really angry over that sort of thing, but not today. Emotions took a backseat to logic. "You think you're the only one who can handle your little space weed...I'm sure I could handle more of it," Stewart said, "Unless you're to scared to take less puffs then me. Try me or are you scared to lose," Stewart said. Vic grinned from ear to ear. "So that's how the game is played?" He reached into his pocket and took out a bag of the gnarliest s*** he'd ever smoked. Black leaves with white zebra stripes and purple polka dots; it even had little red vines growing out of it and looked wild as hell. "I'll start you off on this," he said, "if that's okay with mom and dad." He glanced at Donovan and Anna. "There's enough to go around. You can make it a family affair." He handed it to Anna, who seemed so eager to snatch his s*** before. "Have fun. And say hello to the green monkeys for me."
"I'm fine with taking some of that stuff...and I don't need Anna's or Donovan's permission," Stewart stared at Jenna, "I think that we have fought aliens, run in with Divers, chemical spray......doing this is fine, I'm fine and I don't want to talk about it Jena." Stewart stared at her and then stared at Anna. This wasn't at all like him, but somehow it gave him some sort of freedom. He always spent his time pleasing everyone, why didn't he deserve something for it?
"Fine, do what you want." There was no sarcasm in her voice, she honestly meant it. As stupid as this was, Stewart needed somthing and this seemed to be that something. "We can talk later if you want, or not talk if you don't....But for god's sake all of you make sure you can still be alert enough for aliens in the morning. Anyone not smoking want to talk?" She held up her hands in invitation.
"You want to have a puffing contest with him? What the hell is wrong with you people?! no offense to anyone, especially Vic, but is getting high really the best thing to do right now?" She looked directly into Stewart's eyes, "Whats wrong Stewart? I'm your friend...you can trust me." "You're wastin' your time," Vic said. "Stewart's long gone." He looked at Stewart. "Go on. Dive in, tough guy." He'd given him one of the most powerful halucinogens he'd ever encounted. Once they set fire to that s***, the next ten minutes for whoever caught wind of it was going to be Heaven or Hell -- there was no in between. "You should probably step back," he said to Jena. "I'm fine with taking some of that stuff...and I don't need Anna's or Donovan's permission," Stewart stared at Jenna, "I think that we have fought aliens, run in with Divers, chemical spray......doing this is fine, I'm fine and I don't want to talk about it Jena." "You've fought everything but the monster within. Time to see what you're made of, man. That s*** will turn your brain inside out and show you things you never knew were there." He laughed again. "I'm ready. Are you?"
"I'm ready....I'm ready," Stewart said. Truth stung a bit. Stewart had never fought the beast within very well, even as a child. But he said nothing. He just stared at Vic. He was going to accept this challenge like any other challenge and he was going to succeed this challenge.
Anna couldn't help it; she doubled over laughing, the bag of Vic's "space weed" clutched in her hand. For long moments all she could do was sit on the floor, tears streaming from her eyes as she laughed herself silly--maybe she had gone mad. She didn't even care. When at last she stood up she pulled some of the stuff from the bag and peered at it. She thought about asking what it was, but decided not to. Instead she tossed it to Stewart, grinning reassuringly.
Shaking her head slightly Jena backed up until she was leaning against a wall. Then she slid down it until she was sitting on the ground, if these insane people were going to get high it wouldn't hurt to have a some-what sane, but not high person. Not to mention the fact that it might be mildly entertaning, and she could think right here just the same as in her room.
Stewart took out the lighter and grabbed the roll. Truth was he never really dealt with drugs before. Only watched his father one time. He lit the end and stared at Vic. "There," Stewart said.
Vic handed Stewart the lighter, not quite sure if the kid would know what to do with it. Stewart lit one end of the bundle of leaves in his hand and returned the lighter to Vic. "There," he said. Vic stifled a laugh. Fortunately, this was some strong stuff; you didn't have to roll it and smoke it, just light it and wait for the smoke to rise. There was already a small cloud beginning to form. Vic wafted some in his direction. He really didn't want to get caught up in this mess, but he knew Stew wouldn't do it if he didn't. He could already feel it taking effect. It was even more potent than he remembered. Pretty soon, weird s*** would start happening. He stared into Stewart's eyes to see if he was feeling anything yet.
Anna smiled at Stewart, beginning to wonder if he was going to chicken out. It didn't really matter to her at this point--this stuff would do her good. She rolled a bit, took Vic's lighter and caught the space weed alight, then she lifted it to her lips and inhaled deeply, coughing slightly as she swallowed the smoke; it had been a while since she'd smoked anything. Those rough-edged teenage years, the ones she'd hoped to never return to. But at the time weed at been her comfort--weed of a very different variety, though. Either way, she breathed in the smoke and blinked, feeling its potent effects almost at once. "Come on, Stewart," she urged, grinning.
Jena closed her eyes. She really didn't want to see the two of them being so stupid, but if it helped Stewart...Turning her mind away from those toughts she tried to concentrate on something else; but she thought of Vic instead. Without even realizing it she found herself unconcisouly drifting in pleasent recollections of how his arms felt around her, strong and comforting. And how different and wonderful her had been around her....But she stopped her thoughts there. What if he was no different than Marcus, what then?
Stewart had never done drugs before. He smelled his father's smoke though during poker nights. So it wasn't a big deal inhaling the smoke. It really was weird, but he stared at Vic. He didn't even know if he was feeling anything or not. Weed was weird like that too, at least to him. "Are we here to smoke clouds or actually smoke the real thing?" Stewart asked.
"Are we here to smoke clouds or actually smoke the real thing?" Stewart asked. "You're not here to get high, man," Vic said. "This is totally different from getting high. Think of it as Dr. Vic's psychotherapy." Pretty soon his brain would start painting pretty pictures and he probably wouldn't even see Stewart anymore. Stewart would be going through the same thing. They'd all be whisked off to their own little fantasy lands, constructed of all the bits and pieces buried in their subconscious. Everything they loved and hated would be laid out before their eyes in an insane panorama. Vic began to wonder if Divers hallucinate too. If so, Stew was in for one hell of a surprise. Doesn't he realize that thing is messing with his brain? If not, he'll see it soon enough.
Stewart stared at Vic. Stewart eyes seemed to be wondering. It reminded him of those hippie movies. Or the surfer guys. Stewart still thought this was just weird. The hold weed on him in the air, had the same effect...none. Stewart just stared at them. This was getting ridiculous. Wait? What? Did he really think that it was ridiculous? Or was that something else? Maybe he just wanted to deny the hold the drug on him or he really wasn't feeling it. Dedward he heard the voice in his head. It had to be the Divers again.
Anna stumbled backwards, sitting down on one of the beds as Vic's magic hallucinogens began to work. Before she lost her mind entirely she could clearly tell that she liked this place, whatever it was. What she saw was a mixture of reality and god knows what. It was her tree-fort back home, the one she'd had when she was a kid to escape from her brother. But hanging from it were purple and pink polka dotted ponies, hanging from their tails and talking animatedly to one another about the weather. Anna could picture herself as a young girl again, playing in her fort, but now she had ponies to accompany her. She had to hand it to Vic, this stuff was good. With that in mind she took another drag of the sh*t.
The room grew brighter and brighter until Vic found himself standing in broad daylight. The sky was clear blue, with fluffy white clouds drifting overhead. He was in a field of flowers; pink ones, purple ones, red ones, blue ones. But none of them looked like any flowers he'd ever seen. They started to grow larger and larger until they towered over him, like monsters. Their petals became razor sharp, like fangs and their buds became snarling faces. They were like ravenous beasts ready to devour him. "Yo, wassup," he said, not speaking aloud, but talking to them in his mind. The flower monsters were pissed; they'd attack any second now. "Man, y'all need to chill wit' all that s***. I just showed up an' you all mad an' s*** like I did sumthin' to you. I don't even know you, man." The flowers backed up a little. "Man, where's the remote? I'm tryin' to watch a movie up in this b****." One of the flower monsters waddled over to him and handed him a television remote. "Thanks, man. I won't be long. Just lemme see what's on." Vic laid on his back among the warm green grass, surrounded by happy flowers. He pointed the remote at the sky and clicked the 'on' button.
At first it felt as if the drugs were taken a hold. He certainly felt lightheaded and almost as if he were being touched by a deity. He could see the cars his father owned, that little old swing, and that house in the country side. He remember the sound of trumpet as he practiced every day, the consistent nagging of his parents because they wanted him to be more successful. The always pleasing one another. The world, he was descending back in time, as he began to age much slower and much quicker. Then he saw a world he was familiar, but how it had no beaches, no water. Just creatures that didn't look human. It almost felt like a panic attack the kind he normally had, he wasn't even aware of the pain he was in. Only that his vision was semi-black and semi normal. He could see farther, hear father, taste better, the inside of his mouth almost felt nearly thicker with saliva, what was the sensation. * * * Reese was staring at Keira. When he could hear something in the hall? Someone screaming in pain. "Keira can you hear that...who's voice is that?" Reese asked.
Vic stood up. There wasn't anything interesting on. He tried to watch some cartoons, but it was no good. "What's the point?" he said to one of the flowers. "He's never gonna catch that d*** roadrunner. Why does he even try?" He shut it off and took a look around, trying to make sense of what's what. "This ain't tha remote," he said, taking a good look at the thing in his hand. It felt strange, yet familiar; powerful yet so very comfortable to hold. It's a gun. He realized the 'remote' was actually his handgun. "Man, why you ain't say sumthin'?" he yelled at the flowers. "You had me pointin' this s*** all over the place. Somebody coulda got killed, man. He stuck it in his pants and began looking for his railgun. It must be around here somewhere. This crazy dream would be over in a few minutes, but a lot could happen in that time. There were two other nutcases hallucinating too. God forbid one of them get their hands on it.
Who are you? Dedward? Who is Dedward? That is you and I. You mean you as in... Yes. But... No buts, you and I are no one How? Hush. What? Are body is now one, since you lit the plant that stimulates our third growth. You mean actually forming with the body? Yes. Why didn't the scientist... Because they didn't think it was important, they thought we didn't use the plants....what makes a drug to you was our natural food source.
Just like always, Anna's fun at her tree-for was ruined with the appearance of her brother. The magical, polka dotted ponies spat fire at him, but he walked right past without being effected. "Hey there, Annie." He sneered, grabbing the bag of cookies she kept in her fort and holding them above her head, chomping on them. "Give it back! Give it back!" she cried. "Not unless you get on your knees and beg," he teased, still waving them meanly above her head. He put one in his mouth, grinning as he bit into it. "You know what I want, give it to me and I'll give it to you." "No you won't," Anna whined. "You never, never give me anything. I always do what you want, I never tell mama, and you never give me what I want. And you hurt me. You always hurt me. Give me my cookies!" And in a way that things can only happen in hallucinations, Anna suddenly found that she had six inch long fingernails, so she did the first thing that came to mind and tore at her brother's flesh with them. He screamed in agony, blood pouring everywhere and coating Anna's face, yet she grinned. And then her brother's face was replaced by Ian's, the lying scumbag who had taken her heart and destroyed in like she hadn't even known was possible. And her hallucinated claws ripped through his skin, too. Broke his perfect face, crushed his muscled body, and destroyed his whole body as he had done her heart. And she grinned, wider and happier than she had in a long time. "Die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die..." on and on she muttered, shredding him and laughing as he screamed, tears rolling down her face as she laughed; rolled down her face as she had her revenge.
Vic walked a few paces to the right and found himself alone in a desert -- an all too familiar scene. His flower friends were gone. The crazy cartoons that had been playing on the skies vanished, leaving an expanse of pale blue sky and a fierce sun. The billowing sand reached up to his knees. It was like wading through heavy mud and it was only getting worse, rising higher and higher as the winds blew harder. A storm was coming. As if out of nowhere, he came upon an armored truck -- a Hummer -- overturned and trapped in the rising sands. There were soldiers pinned inside. "You gotta help us, Vic," one of them said. "It was an ambush," said another. "They're coming to finish the job." "You gotta take 'em out Vic." "You're the best man we've got." Over the sand dunes he could see the enemy approaching; children with assault rifles, hurrying to reach the downed truck and finish off its occupants. The enemy never played fair. There was a sniper rifle standing upright in the sand beckoning him. One of the soldiers pointed to it, his face twisting into a corrupt smile. "Take it. You have your orders." "That's all I came for," Vic said, turning his back on the dying men and walking over to the rifle. "I followed your orders last time and what did I get for it? Sleepless nights and restless days. Never again. Thanks for the gun, but I'll be the one to decide who to use it on." He pulled the rifle from the sand, feeling as though he were King Arthur retrieving Excalibur. The scene vanished. Everything went dark as he returned to the real world and the dank halls of the science lab. The last thing he heard was the sounds of the soldiers screaming as the children opened fire on them, then the dream vanished completely. Vic stood there for a moment, holding the railgun in his hands. The herb had worn off and he sure as hell wasn't about to take another hit. He could see Anna in the room, going nuts. Stewart was standing exactly where he'd been when Vic last saw him; he hadn't moved an inch, but his eyes had a vacant look in them. He was definitely somewhere doing something. Vic went over to where Jena was and took a seat by the wall. He'd gotten through it. Now he just had to wait for the others.
Keira could hear the noises, too, like something was going on in the other room. But what? What were they up to now? Obviously they weren't themselves, for she heard the sound of Vic's voice, talking as if he were high again. "I don't know . . . I heard it, too," she said softly, listening more closely. Reese acted as if he wanted to go in the room and see what was going on for himself; plus, he was probably still mad about their "conspiracy". This would be the perfect opporunity for him to get his revenge, now that they were probably all high. But what was that scream of pain? "Don't go in there, Reese," Keira added, subconsciously placing her hand on his. When she realized what she'd done, she abruptly moved her hand away. "I think they're all high," she said, changing the subject.
ashriek of pain cut throuh her thoughts, it was probably a goiod thing, she was jsut thinking in circles, sorting nothing out; just upsetting herself. The screaming stopped and she opened her eyes, Vic was muttering and holding a gun, Anna appeared to be gogin insane and clawing at the air, and Stewart had a strnage vacant look. She pulled her head forward from leaning against the wall and watched them for a few minutes. A couple minutes later Vic seemed to come back to reality again. He walked over to sit next to her. "So, when will it wear off of them two?"
