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- Herausgeber: WS
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
He destroyed the world. Now he must save it.
Devin Skye wakes up 300 years after accidentally triggering a global nuclear disaster. Thrust into a harsh, post-apocalyptic landscape, he uncovers the truth about his father's involvement in a dangerous military project: a floating tower occupied by genetically enhanced super soldiers that will be used to subjugate the remaining survivors. As Devin races to prevent its activation, he befriends the resilient villagers of Iron Cove and faces off against mutated creatures while
battling his own demons. With each step forward, he unravels a complex web of sinister plots, mysterious technology, and ancient mysticism. When Devin learns of the three crystalline orbs needed to destroy the tower, he finds himself caught in a deadly race against time. As the clock ticks down, he must confront his past mistakes and make an impossible choice. Will he find redemption, or will his quest
end in failure, dooming what remains of humanity?
The Legacy of a Fool marks the explosive start of Justin Henderson's reality-bending science fiction saga and was honored with the prestigious Literary Titan Book Award. If you're drawn to tales of personal growth, advanced technology, and nail-biting suspense, you'll be enthralled by his masterful storytelling and unique take on a future turned upside down.
Grab your copy and dive into this futuristic odyssey today!
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Seitenzahl: 561
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
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The Legacy of a Fool
By: Justin Henderson
The Legacy of a Fool
Copyright © 2024 by Justin Henderson
All rights reserved. This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact: [email protected]
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
First Edition: 2024
ISBN: 979-8-9920298-0-2
To my dedicated wife and best friend Elizabeth.
Without you, this book would have never become a reality.
And to my late grandmother, who never stopped believing in me.
Table of Contents
Prologue – To Mr. and Mrs. Skye
Chapter 1 – Holograms and Hovercars
Chapter 2 – How Devin Went Viral
Chapter 3 – Rita Parker’s Journal (Sept. 20th, 2054)
Chapter 4 – The Hobo and the Holo-vid
Chapter 5 – A Highland City Sentinel News Excerpt
Chapter 6 – Cosmic Energy
Chapter 7 – A Selection from Aydin Culpepper’s Notes
Chapter 8 – Chance and Happenstance
Chapter 9 – The Final Farewell
Chapter 10 – Aydin’s Letter to Oren Mendel
Chapter 11 – Sarina’s Diary (Sept. 21st, 2354)
Chapter 12 – Devin’s Logbook (Entries 1-4)
Chapter 13 – Leo’s Request for Assistance
Chapter 14 – Breakfast and Bad News
Chapter 15 – The Pumara’s Den
Chapter 16 – A Midnight Meeting
Chapter 17 – Daggers in the Dark
Chapter 18 – Sarina’s Diary (Sept. 24th, 2354)
Chapter 19 – Old Hunter’s Path
Chapter 20 – Darkovian Hospitality
Chapter 21 – Dread and Daring in the Dead of Night
Chapter 22 – Drake Thorne’s Message to Zandria Volkov
Chapter 23 – Rescue Impromptu
Chapter 24 – Devin’s Logbook (Entry 5)
Chapter 25 – All Work and No Play
Chapter 26 – Sarina’s Diary (Oct. 1st, 2354)
Chapter 27 – Devin’s Logbook (Entries 6-7)
Chapter 28 – Crystal Energy
Chapter 29 – A Detour to Disaster
Chapter 30 – Sarina’s Diary (Oct. 6th, 2354)
Chapter 31 – Fervor of the Faithful
Chapter 32 – Crystal Vision
Chapter 33 – Devin’s Logbook (Entry 8)
Chapter 34 – Frantic Flight
Chapter 35 – Devin’s Logbook (Entry 9)
Chapter 36 – The Goddess Revealed
Chapter 37 – Anamnesis
Prologue
To Mr. and Mrs. Skye
Monday, March 16th, 2048
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Skye,
My name is Laura Simpson. I am your son’s guidance counselor at T. I. Kellerman. I hope this letter finds you both doing well. The reason for this correspondence is to let you know about some recent changes in Devin’s behavior that I and other members of the faculty have been growing very concerned about.
For the past few months or so, we’ve noticed that Devin has been rapidly falling behind in his classes, and he hasn’t been attending his scheduled courses regularly. When he does show up, he is generally inattentive and obnoxious. On the surface, it seems like he’s more interested in impressing his friends with crude jokes and rude behavior than he is in getting a proper education. Unfortunately, every time an attempt is made to address these issues, he becomes argumentative and lashes out. As a result, many of the students have reached out to me and other members of the faculty to express their frustration and annoyance, citing that Devin’s disruptive behavior is affecting their ability to stay focused while in the classroom. Subsequently, a number of their parents have also contacted the school in the hopes of finding a solution.
I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but his continued unexcused absenteeism is not just bad for his academic record, it can result in his expulsion from the school. In a worst-case scenario, it could also mean legal trouble for you, as truancy carries the potential to be treated as a criminal offense if left unchecked.
Mr. and Mrs. Skye, it is not my intention to burden you with undue worry regarding your son, however, his behavioral issues don’t seem to stop with the above-mentioned items. Just last week, his recklessness resulted in a minor explosion in the science lab. Apparently, he thought it would amuse his classmates if he created a dangerous, pyrotechnic display by lobbing a chunk of potassium into a tub of water while the teacher was away from the classroom. As impressive as it might be that he had a strong enough understanding of chemistry to pull off a stunt like this, the potential risk of physical harm he subjected himself and his classmates to cannot be overlooked.
Because of this latest mishap, my own credentials as a guidance counselor have come under scrutiny by both my coworkers and my superiors. After all, Devin has been meeting with me each week for the past month and a half, and that’s supposed to make a difference. Just the other day, the principal, whom I consider to be a close friend, jokingly teased me, saying that I had better get a handle on his wild antics before he goes out into society and “blows up the world.” Even though I’m sure this jest was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, I could sense a hint of real concern beneath it.
To sum things up, many of the faculty members are getting annoyed with Devin’s misbehavior, and the school’s environment is beginning to suffer for it. For example, some of the younger students on campus now look up to him for all of the wrong reasons – they seem to think he is “cool.” A number of them are even trying to mimic his ways, which is obviously creating problems in their own respective classrooms. So I’m sure you can understand when I tell you that something really needs to be done!
As you already know, your son used to be one of the top students in his class. He has always been extremely bright, and underneath his childish antics, I know he has a heart of gold. I’m just not sure what has gotten into him lately. Nonetheless, I firmly believe that this news must be as concerning to you as it is to me.
With that being said, I would like to schedule a meeting with you so that, together, we can take a closer look at these negative changes and lay out an appropriate plan of action to get him back on the right track. Here at T. I. Kellerman, we realize that it’s not unusual for a kid of his age to act out, as the overwhelming need to be accepted by one’s peers can often result in these types of situations, but we also know that things can turn around if the proper amount of care and support is given.
Please contact me so that we can discuss how to best approach this situation in person. I look forward to hearing back from you soon!
Sincerely,
Laura Simpson
Guidance Counselor
T. I. Kellerman
Chapter 1
Holograms and Hovercars
Year: 2054
Location: Highland City, Earth 2.79
Devin Skye was in a funk. He had just turned away from the brightly lit holo-display in front of him to gaze out the window to his left when he noticed that the sun was quickly sinking behind the tall skyscrapers in the distance. Throwing his headset down on the desk with a loud clang, he jumped up and began racing around his tiny apartment, pushing and kicking clothes and other random objects to the side, frantically searching for something nice and clean to wear. He cursed himself out loud for not watching the clock and, instead, allowing himself to get carried away with Dungeon Destroyers, a computer game that he had become hopelessly addicted to. Right at that moment, he was supposed to be with his best friend Erick helping him to throw a house party, however, as things stood, he was already running at least an hour behind schedule.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have been in the least bit concerned about arriving late to any kind of party or social engagement, let alone one of Erick’s casual get-togethers, but this night was different. If everything went according to plan, there was a chance that he might finally hook up with Tonya Mitchell, a cute twenty-year-old with long, wavy brunette hair and smoky brown eyes who worked at an Atlantean diner across the street from his place of employment.
Just a couple of days prior, he had bumped into her on his way to the hoverbus landing, and she cheerfully asked him if he was going to be at Erick’s big party. It wasn’t exactly an invitation for a date, but in Devin’s mind, it was close enough. Truth be told, up until that point, she hadn’t taken much interest in him at all, and his attempts to “woo” her hadn’t exactly been successful. However, inwardly, he believed that she was finally falling under the spell of his unique brand of charisma and charm. Yes, it would only be a matter of time before she realized that he was the man she had always been looking for.
Finally, Devin mused to himself as he attempted to shake out the wrinkles in a well-worn pair of blue jeans. Tonight’s the night that it’s gonna happen. I can feel it.
He turned to face a disorganized shelf and located a can of Intense Vibes, a cheap body spray he had scooped up from the bargain rack at a local pharmacy. After removing the plastic lid with a pop, he began to spray the jeans down profusely in an attempt to mask a faint moldy odor that seemed to emanate from the fading denim.
When he finished, he quickly pulled the jeans on and began scanning his bedroom floor for a decent shirt that might be hiding in plain sight. However, having no such luck, he moved on to scavenging through a messy heap of clothes lying next to the foot of his bed. As he nearedthe bottom of the pile, he managed to fish out an olive-green sweater that didn’t appear overly dirty.
Perfect, he thought to himself as he held it up and examined it at arms length. He then flattened it out on his bed and promptly emptied the last of the body spray onto it. Within a matter of seconds, the thick, vaporous fumes filled the small room like a cloud, andhe found himself hunched over in a violent fit of sneezing and coughing.
“Good lord, man!” he exclaimed with a wheeze as he straightened up and took a moment to catch his breath.Maybe I’m overdoing it?However, he quickly shrugged away the thought and concluded, Nah… The scent is bound to wear off long before I get to the party.
After throwing on a pair of brown leather shoes that were a mix of casual and dress and finding a belt to match, he took a moment to assess himself in the dusty mirror hanging on the wall near his computer desk. With shaggy locks hanging down over his ears and wavy bangs dangling in a mess just above his pale blue eyes, his tousled light-brown hair was in serious need of a trim. He also hadn’t shaved in nearly a week, which did nothing to improve his unkempt appearance. Try as he might, he just couldn’t convince himself that this new “starving artist” look he was sporting was going to do much in the way of catching Tonya’s eye. Nonetheless, he mentally reassured himself that his stellar wit and magnetic charm would more than make up for it.
Taking another look at himself, he said out loud, “You’ve got this, man.”
At that moment, he caught sight of the reflection of the digital wall clock hanging behind him and began to panic. It was nearly seven o’clock! Time was running out, and he needed to hurry if he was going to make the hoverbus on time. He then made a sincere but futile attempt to arrange the mop on his head with his hands. After coming to the bleak realization that there was nothing more that could be done about his appearance, he hastily turned away from the mirror and raced over to his bed, where he found his phone, wallet, and key card lying in a small pile on the cluttered nightstand. Scooping them up, he swung around and made a beeline for the door.
Unfortunately, his apartment was on the top floor of a ten-story high-rise, and this was only going to slow him down. To make matters worse, upon exiting his room, he spotted one of his neighbors entering the elevator down the hallway to his left just as its sliding doors were beginning to close.
“Dang it!” he whispered under his breath. “I don’t have time for this!”
Slamming his apartment door shut, he bolted in the opposite direction towards a broad white door with the word STAIRS stamped across its center in bold black letters. Thrusting the door open, he lunged forward at breakneck speed and proceeded to leap wildly down each flight of stairs, two and three steps at a time. About halfway down, he stumbled face-forward on an untied shoelace but caught hold of the metal railing just in the nick of time, saving himself from what surely would have been a medical emergency. He briefly stopped to tie his shoe and then swiftly continued his mad downward descent.
All was going well, with only two flights of stairs to go, when a startling realization stopped him dead in his tracks – he had left his bus pass lying next to his computer! And, just like that, his vigor and energy vanished with the speed of a flipped light switch.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” he abruptly shouted before bending over and placing his hands on his sides, huffing, puffing, and trying to catch his breath. He then lifted his head and scolded himself in an exasperated whisper, “Devin, you idiot! Now, what are you going to do?!”
Wiping the sweat that was pouring from his brow and looking utterly defeated, he proceeded to slowly saunter down the next flight of stairs – there was no use in hurrying now, the hoverbus he had planned on catching would be long gone by the time he arrived at the landing. He would just have to cut his losses and hop on the next available shuttle at 7:30 pm.
The trip down to the lobby, over to the elevator, back up to his apartment, and then back down again cost Devin another fifteen minutes. To say that the evening was off to a bad start was an understatement. By the time he reached the double glass doors that led out of the building, the sun had disappeared behind the skyscrapers, and it was beginning to get dark.
As he shoved the doors open, a gust of chilly autumn air whipped through the entryway along with a small whirlwind of orange and brown leaves. The crisp evening breeze sent slight shivers up and down his body, which prompted him to tightly fold his arms together in an attempt to stay warm. He briefly paused and wondered if he should go back upstairs and grab a jacket before heading out but, after glancing at the time on his phone, decided that this was definitely out of the question. Turning to face the wind, he began making his way down the long stretch of sidewalk that bent around the building and led towards the hoverbus landing two blocks away.
Outside of the gusty breeze wafting in and out of the shadowy walkways that ran between the tall buildings lining the quiet street, the trip to the hoverbus landing was actually quite pleasant, and Devin probably would have enjoyed it had he not been hung up on thoughts of Tonya and what he was going to say and do when he got to the party.
In the sky, directly above him, delivery drones, surveillance drones, and communications drones quickly whizzed by, traveling in every conceivable direction. Their intermittent flashes of luminous reds, yellows, and greens made them resemble large alien fireflies flitting to and fro through the night. Further in the distance, floating just above the city’s glowing skyline, a handful of passenger zeppelins that had beenoutfitted with festive rainbow-colored lights could be clearly seen as they driftedacross the sky like great ships navigatinga vast electric ocean. And, adding to the evening’s surreal tranquility, the air around him was permeated by the sound of a type of soothing meditative music that always played in and around the busy urban centers, an effect achieved via the small speakers attached to the trees and color-changing LED lamps that lined the city streets. At that particular moment, the street lamps were glowing with a calming lemon-yellow iridescence, which made everything look and feel like a video game dreamland.
Yes, Highland City at night was truly a sight to behold, and Devin knew it. Nonetheless, he wasn’t really in the mood to pay attention to it, appreciate it, or even give it much thought at all. So lost was he in his own world, he didn’t even notice the surveillance drone that was silently hovering just a few feet above his head as it scanned and recorded his every last feature and movement. He also didn’t notice the long, cylindrical transport craft that was drifting away from the landing at the end of the block. No, his mind was on one thing and one thing alone: the brunette beauty waiting for him at Erick’s house.
Devin approached the landing just in time to spot the taillights of hoverbus #3 fading into the distance, getting smaller and smaller as the shuttle quickly accelerated from view. Not understanding, he checked the time on his phone. It was nearly 7:30 pm, the time when the transport was normally scheduled to arrive. Something wasn’t right. Scratching his head, he began to ponder his dilemma. A minute or so passed before it finally hit him – it was Sunday, which meant that all of the shuttles were running on an alternate weekend schedule! He immediately began to wonder how he could have overlooked such an obvious detail when he made his plans with Erick. As things stood, there wouldn’t be another hoverbus arriving for another twenty minutes or so. With a loud sigh, he threw his hands up in disgust.
What a mess! he thought to himself as he checked the time on his phone once more, a bitter scowl sweeping across his features.
Having nothing left to do and no other travel options, he shuffled over to a steel bench positioned near a lamppost that had been indiscriminately decorated with stickers, graffiti, and local advertisements. In an attempt to ward off the chill night air, he folded his arms together and began circling the lamppost while he perused over the ads, a habit he had fallen into after the first five or six times he had missed his shuttle.
After taking some time to traverse through the sketchy realm of guerrilla marketing and street art on display before him, he noticed a small flier flapping in the breeze that featured one of his favorite bands of all time, Dream Demons. Apparently, they were going to be in the city the following Friday night to play a free show at The Angry Bean, a coffee house and music venue that a lot of the local bands frequented. It was the first place they had ever given a live performance, long before they had grown to become a major force in the underground thrash-funk scene.
For a brief moment, Devin was overcome with excitement and forgot all about the evening’s setbacks. Lifting up his cell phone, he zeroed in on the flier and took a quick snap of it, his plan being to post the picture on Holo-Life, the go-to social media app that all the people his age were using. He quickly sat down on the nearby bench and began contemplating how he might go about asking Tonya to accompany him to the show.
Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes and imagined introducing the girl of his dreams to one of the greatest thrash-funk bands to have ever come out of Highland City. A lazy smile crept across his face. He would find a table near the stage, buy her a drink, and let the magic happen. It would truly be a night to remember, the best part of it all being that it wouldn’t cost him anything more than a few cups of coffee! It really couldn’t get much better than that.
Suddenly, his whimsical daydream was interrupted by the low hum of electricity emanating from a long cigar-shaped transport that had drifted into the landing, hoverbus #27. Devin’s eyes popped open, and his head snapped forward just as an automated female voice came across a loud speaker located to the left of the oval-shaped entrance: “Passengers, please form a single file line to the right side of the entryway. Do not attempt to board the shuttle until all previous passengers have disembarked and the red light above the entryway has turned green.”
The oval-shaped door slid open with a whoosh, and a small staircase unfolded from the opening, lowering itself to the ground. The hoverbus hung perfectly still, floating about two feet above the pavement. A circular light above the entrance was currently glowing a bright shade of red.
As Devin stood outside the entryway and waited for any passengers to disembark, he took a moment to gaze back and forth, peering into the long row of circular windows that ran down the length of the metal tube to make sure his favorite spot near the back hadn’t been taken. There only appeared to be a small handful of individuals on board, and they were all sitting near the front. No one was disembarking.
Perfect! he thought to himself as he removed his bus pass from his wallet.
A moment later, the automated voice came across the speaker again: “Passengers, please have your bus passes out and ready for scanning. Only one passenger may board at a time. Please remember to use caution as you climb the entryway steps.” The light above the entrance turned green, and the voice continued, “You may now proceed with the boarding process.”
Devin straightened up and climbed the steps. As he passed through the entryway, a bright beam of blue light swept up and down the full length of his six-foot frame. It disappeared with a small beep, indicating that his bus pass had been detected and that it matched the biometric data it had accrued from his person during the scan.
Immediately, the automated female voice came across the front interior speakers: “Welcome aboard, Mr. Skye. Please take your seat.”
Half ignoring the chipper voice, Devin brushed his messy bangs away from his eyes and coolly shuffled down the narrow walkway towards the back of the hoverbus, nodding and smiling at a young couple, who glanced up at him casually as he passed by. A few rows behind them, to his right, he noticed a middle-aged woman staring intently at the display of a brightly lit laptop, seemingly transfixed by whatever it was she was looking at. She had dark gray hair that was pulled back with a headband, and she was dressed in business-friendly attire, a black blazer over a silken white blouse and black dress pants.
As he approached, she suddenly snapped up from her computer with a startled expression and gave him a sharp look. Wincing her eyes, which had begun to swell and water profusely, she crinkled her nose and covered her mouth with her hand. The second he passed by, she broke out into a tumultuous fit of sneezing. Eyes wide open in embarrassment, he thought of the body spray he was wearing and quickened his step, all the while hoping and praying that the cheap scent would tone down before he arrived at the party.
After he found his spot, a well-worn, leather-cushioned bench to his left that sat three rows from the back, he plopped down and slid over to the window. He then forced his hands into the crease formed between the back and the seat and felt around until he managed to locate the seat belt that had been shoved in between. With a short tug, he yanked it out and slid it behind him, snapping it into the connector to his left. This trick he discovered would fool the sensors into registering that he was buckled up.
After getting comfortably situated, he sat back and stared out the window, thinking about Tonya and the upcoming party. Unfortunately, he found it hard to focus, as his thoughts were repeatedly interrupted bythe sound of the woman in front of him blowing her nose into a handkerchief in between short bouts of sneezes and sniffles.
Finally, a loud beep came across the interior speakers that was followed by a message from the automated female voice: “Passengers, please fasten your safety belts and make sure that all personal items have been properly stored and secured. Travel will commence in exactly two minutes. We will be arriving at landing number nine on the corner of Grant Street and Stone Avenue at 8:10 pm. As always, thank you for using Highland City Shuttles!”
At this, Devin picked up his cell phone, which had been lying beside him, and began to scroll through his text messages and notifications. The interior lights of the hoverbus dimmed from a bright white to a mellow orange-yellow. A moment later, the automated systems took over. A slight shifting sensation could be felt as the shuttle lifted and started drifting towards the corner of the landing. After making a sharp turn, it began to accelerate down the long street that ran towards an entrance ramp to the hoverway, an eight-lane thoroughfare that circled the whole of Highland City. Withexits and entrances that adjoined to every major street throughout the sprawling municipality, the hoverway was, quite literally, the only practical way to get from one side of the city to the next.
Seeing that there was nothing interesting on his phone, he gazed out the window while the hoverbus quickly gained momentum. It wasn’t long until the shuttle was flying down the hoverway at 150 miles per hour, the maximum speed limit that all public transportation vehicles were required to adhere to. In the adjacent lanes, he watched as one hovercar after another zipped by, flying at speeds that had to be at least two to three times faster than his own. In his mind, the sensation of speeding down the hoverway would never get old, and soon, he was lost in a daydream, in which he was cruising around the city in his very own hovercar, the Polaritron 360X.
His thoughts began to drift, If only my parents were even half as reasonable as Erick’s parents or any of the other adults in my life, for that matter, I wouldn’t have to catch rides on this stupid shuttle. Why they’re making me save up my own money to buy a hovercar is beyond me. It’s not like they can’t afford to help me out. It’s ridiculous. They’re so outdated and old-fashioned. The daydreaming smile on his face morphed into a frustrated frown.
I don’t need to be taught a financial lesson. What I need is the ability to get around this city when and where I want to! At this, he huffed and physically crossed his arms. If they really want me to make something of myself, I need the freedom to do so, and this stupid bus is only holding me back! Rolling his eyes, he let out a disappointed sigh. I swear they act like we’re living in the 1900s or something.
All of a sudden, the notification alert went off on his phone. With a slow shake of his head, he forced his personal resentments aside and swiped up to see what it was. A new video had been posted on Holo-Life by Erick. Holo-Life was short for Holographic Life, the star feature of the social media app being that it gave its users the ability to post and share three-dimensional, holographic videos at lightning-fast speeds.
Laying his phone flat on the palm of his outstretched left hand, he pushed the play button with the other. A quick burst of light shot up about six inches from the screen and morphed into a full-color, three-dimensional display, complete with sound. Not wanting to distract the other passengers on board, he quickly adjusted the phone’s volume to a lower setting.
It was a video of the party, and everyone in attendance seemed to be having a great time. Apparently, Erick had decided that an oldies theme would be the order of the night, this being made apparent by the old school decorum that had been hastily taped to the ceilings and walls and the bass-thumping music from the 2020s that could be heard blasting through a home stereo system in the background.
In the living room, some of the partygoers had gathered around a beer-pong table and were laughing hysterically at a match between two girls that had gone awry. Close by, a group of others could be seen loitering and chatting around the bar that separated the living area from the kitchen. They were all sipping on mixed drinks from martini glasses that glowed in various shades of blue, red, and yellow, an effect created by the luminescent strands of black lights that swooped down in wide arcs from the ceiling. Standing at separate corners of the three-dimensional display, Erick and three of his buddies could be seen simultaneously recording the party, their individual videos having been uploaded to Holo-Life at the same time so that the program’s artificial intelligence system could extrapolate the data needed for the creation of the holo-vid currently being watched.
As Devin spun his phone around to get a better view of the party, he spotted Tonya strolling out of a darkened hallway near the kitchen. Immediately, he could feel the elevated beating of his heart as it thumped in his chest and sent a rush of blood to course throughout his body. Dressed in black high heels and a shimmery, form-fitting jumper that gave off a slight neon-blue iridescence beneath the black lights, she looked more beautiful than ever. Her dark brown hair was parted down the middle and had been styled in large, wavy curls that hung loosely around her lightly tanned face. A sparkling jeweled necklace that sharply refracted the glow of the party lights traipsed down across her chest, and a pair of matching bracelets adorned each of her wrists. He had never seen her dressed in anything so alluring before and could hardly believe that she might be doing all of this for him.
As he intently watched her saunter across the kitchen floor, glowing drink in hand and crooked smile on her pouty lips, the video came to a stop. Closing out the display, he added a comment below the post:Looks like a great party, bro. I’m on my way!
Chapter 2
How Devin Went Viral
The remainder of the trip flew by without incident, and Devin arrived at the hoverbus landing on the corner of Grant Street and Stone Avenue at exactly 8:10 pm, just as scheduled. After disembarking, it only took him another ten minutes or so of brisk walking to make his way down Stone Avenue, hook a left on Canterbury Lane, and then veer right onto Becket Court. Erick’s party wasn’t easy to miss, as nearly every window was lit up in his parent’s two-story brick house that stood proudly at the end of the cul-de-sac.
Upon drawing closer, he noticed that the party was much bigger than anything Erick had thrown together in the past. A cluster of hovercars filled the driveway in front of his parent’s three-bay garage and spilled out onto the street, forming two lines that ran up and down both sides of the block. Normally, Erick didn’t throw parties that involved more than just a handful of close friends, and he almost never hosted them on Sunday nights, due to the fact that people had normal lives to return to on Monday morning. But this night was different, as the classes he was enrolled in at the local university had been temporarily suspended after a main waterline broke and flooded the campus. Coincidentally, both of his parents also happened to be away on business outside of the city and wouldn’t be returning for a few days. There would literally never be a better or more opportune time to take advantage of their big, empty house. If everything went according to plan, they’d return home and never know that anything out of the ordinary had taken place.
As Devin strolled up the front sidewalk that led to the house, the thumping of a loud kick drum accompanied by a funky bassline grew louder and louder. When he approached the stairs that climbed the front porch, he could hear the muffled sounds of chatter and laughter coming from inside. Smiling inwardly, he thought to himself, This is gonna be awesome!
Picking up the pace, he began to climb the staircase towards a big oaken door that was brightly lit on each side by two antique-style wall lamps. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a wet snapping sensation burst across his forehead, leaving his face and chest drenched in an icy cold liquid. A split second later, a colorful barrage of water balloons came rocketing down from the sky, exploding on him and all around him, sending frigid shocks to course up and down his body from head to toe.
Abruptly ducking and covering his head with his arms, he swung around and dashed for cover behind some nearby bushes. Unfortunately, he tripped on an untied shoelace before he got there and fell, arms sprawling, right into the dense foliage. The sound of young boys laughing hysterically came from somewhere above. Rolling over and peering up from the ground, he spotted one of Erick’s younger brothers, Finn, and a handful of his friends pointing and jeering from the second-story balcony.
“Are you freaking serious?!” Devin hollered as he forced himself up and wiped his drenched hair away from his eyes.
“Got ya, sucker!” Finn retorted before swinging around and scampering indoors with his buddies.
Devin was officially ticked off. Soaked from head to toe and shivering, he made a vain attempt to wipe the dirt, leaves, and dead grass off of his soiled clothes before reluctantly heading back towards the stairs. Each step forward produced a squishy noise that left a sopping wet footprint behind. After reaching the porch, he removed his shoes along with his socks and placed them in a small pile near the door.
Sighing, he peered down woefully at his bare feet and thought, I guess this is how it’s gonna be. He then shook his head with an angry frown and whispered, “What a disaster!” before reaching out to turn the aged brass door handle.
A wave of bright yellow light beaming down from the crystal chandelier hanging in the middle of the foyer hit him full in the face as he opened the door and caused him to squint. Almost immediately, a petite, blonde-haired girl in a pink knit sweater, blue jeans, and tennis shoes came scurrying down the foyer staircase, her golden ponytail and glasses bouncing as she held out her arms to greet him. It was none other than Penny Nylund, Devin’s childhood neighbor and backyard playmate, wholater became one of his closest friends.
“Devin! I’m so glad you made it!” she exclaimed.
Devin took a step back and held his hands up in warning before she reached him. “You don’t want to hug me, Penny. I’m dirty and completely soaked!”
Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, she put her hand over her mouth and gasped, “Oh my gosh! What on earth happened to you?!” She proceeded to march forward.
“One of Erick’s little brothers and some of his buddies ambushed me when I got to the front porch,” Devin replied with a scowl as he crossed his arms to ward off the cold.
“Oh, no,” Penny said sympathetically. “You must be freezing to death! It’ll be okay though.” She quickly brightened up. “At least you’re here! I was so worried you weren’t going to make it.”
Unfolding his arms, he forced a laugh. “Yeah, I’m here, alright.” His teeth began to clatter.
“Clarissa was also supposed to be here, but she bailed on me after she found out that her new boyfriend wouldn’t be working tonight. I was actually going to leave – I mean, this isn’t exactly my crowd.” She briefly glanced towards the living room before continuing, “But then, I saw your message on Erick’s post and decided that I just had to stick around!”
Her blue eyes twinkled as she stepped forward to grab Devin’s arm and pull him through the doorway. Suddenly, she halted.“Pew wee, Devin! Were you attacked with cheap cologne as well?!” She quickly took a step back and covered her nose. “That’s awful!”
He hung his head and sighed, “No… That was all me.”
Raising an exaggerated brow, she playfully giggled and said,“What on earth were you thinking!? You smell like a sweaty stripper or something!”
Lifting his head with a chuckle, he bantered back, “And I guess you would know all about that, wouldn’t you, Penny?!”
Penny put her hands on her sides, cocked her head, and rolled her eyes. She then pulled him through the entryway and into the warmth of the house before quickly shutting the door behind them. Changing the subject, she asked, “So did you hear that the Dream Demons are coming to town next week?”
Devin lit up at this, however, inwardly, his thoughts were already racing to Tonya. He quickly averted his gaze away from Penny and towards the crowd gathered in the living room at the end of the hallway. “Yeah, I did. It’s pretty cool, right?”
“Yeah, it is. So I was thinking –”
He abruptly cut her off, “Hey, Penny, I need to talk to Erick for a minute. Do you know where he’s at?”
“Oh, he’s been hanging out by the bar with one of his friends from the university, some guy named Darin, I think.”
“Oh, right on.” Devin slightly bit on his lip. “Listen, I want to talk about the concert with you a little bit later, but I’m going to find Erick before this party gets too out of hand. Is that alright?”
“Yeah… Sure… I guess,” Penny stammered. “What’s your deal anyway?”
“It’s nothing. I just feel bad for getting here late. I was supposed to help him set things up, you know?” His gaze darted back and forth as he reached up to scratch the back of his head.
“Oh, I see,” Penny said, her voice tinged with a trace of disappointment.
“I’ll find you in a bit,” Devin saidas he forced a smile. He then peered up the stairwell to avoid her eyes and threw in a quick, “I promise,” before swiftly turning away and shuffling down the hallway towards the living room.
Penny shook her head as she moped over to the staircase and slumped down on the bottom step. With a sigh, she began to scroll through a feed on her phone.
When Devin reached the living room, some of the partygoers stopped what they were doing to glance over and see who the newcomer was, however, no one bothered to greet him. A couple of guys near the beer-pong table looked him up and down and exchanged skeptical glances when they noticed his muddy clothes. Smirking, they turned away and focused their attention back on the game in front of them. A few of the girls standing near the back wall began to giggle and whisper when he caught sight of them staring and pointing at his bare feet. His eyes lowered, and his heart sank into his stomach.
Shaking his head in frustration, he silently reprimanded himself, What on earth am I doing?! Everyone here is dressed to impress. Meanwhile, here I am, sweaty, dirty, wet, and walking around with bare feet. What a catastrophe!
He had just about decided to call the whole night off and was turning around to find Penny when Ericksuddenly appeared at the end of the hallway by the kitchen and shouted, “Devin, my man! You finally made it! Ha ha!”
Devin’s eyes lit up when he saw his buddy briskly strolling towards him in a red Highland City University hoodie and a pair of black jogging pants. Almost immediately, he was able to tune out the crowd of “snobs” all around him. He quickly called back, “I’m going to kill your little brother the next time I see him!”
Erick began to laugh but stopped when he reached the entryway where Devin was standing. Looking his friend up and down incredulously, he said, “Yeesh! What did you do to yourself? Did you slip and fall in a mud puddle on your way here or something?!”
Devin shook his head. “Not exactly. I’m so sorry for showing up like this, man. When I got to your front porch, Finn and his gang launched about twenty water balloons at me, and well… Things got a little crazy after that.”
Erick cocked his head and shot Devin a mischievous smile. “They kind of remind you of us back in the day, don’t they?”
Devin responded with a laugh, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Someone really should have put us in our place back then, right?”
“Nah, that’s just the way it goes, bro,” Erick replied, a cool smile on his face. Suddenly, he crinkled his nose and began sniffing at the air. “Is that you?!” Leaning back, he shot Devin a sharp look from beneath a raised brow.
With a slight shake of his head, Devin sighed and cast his gaze towards the floor.
Erick leaned forwardand, in a quieter tone, said, “Hey, listen, I don’t know if you realize this, but that cheap body spray you’re wearing reeks, man. That’s not gonna work. Why don’t you let me run upstairs and see if I can find you something clean to wear, alright?”
Glancing back up, Devin shrugged and said, “Thanks, man. I really appreciate it.”
“No worries, bro!” Erick returned as he reached out and gave Devin a quick pat on the shoulder. He then squeezed past his old friendto make his way towards the foyer.
However, just as he began heading down the hall, Devin stopped him. “Hey, Erick, I was just wondering if Tonya Mitchell was still here, by any chance?”
“Yeah, she’s around here somewhere. Why do you ask?”
“It’s nothing. She just asked me if I was going to be at the party the other day, and I was hoping I’d run into her.”
“Right on, bro. No worries! I’m sure you’ll run into her. But you probably don’t want her seeing you like this, right? Let me head upstairs now so we can get this party started!”
Erickspun back around and jogged towards the staircase. Penny, who was still perched on the bottom step, abruptly stood up and got out of the way. Devin, briefly glancing in her direction, noticed that she was glaring at him with eyes that did nothing to hide her disappointment. Acting as if he didn’t notice, he abruptlyshifted his focus back to the party.
Now that Erick had sort of indirectly introduced him to everyone, the tension in the air seemed to lighten up a bit. Breathing a sigh of relief, he coolly shuffled past the partygoers and made his way to an overstuffed white chair that was located in a far corner of the room, away from the crowd. Ignoring the fact that it probably wasn’t a good idea to sit on a clean white chair in his current wet and muddied state, he plopped down and took a moment to see if there was anyone there that he actually recognized.
After a quick scan of the living room, bar, and kitchen, he didn’t see any familiar faces and figured that nearly everyone in attendance was somehow associated with the Highland City University crowd, as many of them were proudly wearing the school’s signature red hoodies, sweaters, or jackets that bore the insignia of a fierce bald eagle’s head with the letters HCU stamped underneath. This triggered his mind to wander back to his parents and the situation they had put him in.
His parents had made the decision that they weren’t going to pay for him to enroll in classes at the university, citing that his grades didn’t warrant it. However, as a compromise, they promised he could attend later if he proved he could get his grades up at the local community college. HCU also happened to be where Tonya went to school.
How much different things might be if my parents weren’t so lame? he thought to himself as he shook his head. But it’s no use; they just can’t be reasoned with. Instead, I have to take night classes, part-time, at a crappy budget school while simultaneously holding down a dead-end job. It’s completelyludicrous!
Devin sat back in the comfy chair with a frown and began to run this conundrum over in his mind when, all of a sudden, his train of thought came to a screeching halt. It was Tonya. She had just appeared at the entrance of the dark hallway near the kitchen with one of her friends, a tall girl in a black party dress with almond-colored eyes and long, silky blonde hair. Sitting up straight, he zeroed in on the situation. Someone or something had clearly caught their attention. Turning to her friend, Tonya gestured towards the bar and whispered something in her ear. Her friend nodded with a sultry, mischievous smile and then turned away to walk back down the darkened hall. Meanwhile, Tonya made her way towards the bar.
As Devin intently watched the girl of his dreams saunter across the kitchen floor, hips swaying, his eyes began to widen. She was moving in the direction of a tall, sharply dressed guy with styled dark-brown hair and an athletic build, who appeared to be a few years older than everyone else. He was sitting casually on a stool near the end of the bar while leaning forward so that he could better listen to one of his buddies, who was in the middle of telling a story just a few feet further down.
Devin’s jaw dropped in stunned astonishment as he watched Tonya slowly sneak up on him from behind and startle him with a kiss on the cheek. She then wrapped her slender arms around his broad shoulders and whispered something in his ear. Almost immediately, his eyes broadened, and a look of pleasant surprise overtook his features. Grabbing his hand, she beckoned for him to stand up. For a brief moment, they gazed into each other’s eyes. He then downed the drink that had been sitting in front of him and pushed himself away from the bar. All of the color drained from Devin’s face as he watched them make their way, hand in hand, towards the hallway and disappear into the shadows within.
Right then and there, Devin’s heart fell out of his chest and splattered all over the floor. He felt like someone had crept up from behind, stuck him with a knife, and left him there to die. Without a single rational thought left in his mind, he forced himself out of his chair and proceeded to march across the living room and towards the kitchen hallway. What he was going to do or say when he caught up with them, he didn’t know, but he just couldn’t believe his eyes, and he had to find out what they were up to, even if it meant sacrificing what little was left of his crumbling pride and dilapidated dignity.
After entering the darkened hallway, he began making his way towards the far end, where dim yellow lighting filtered through a set of frosted window panels on each side of a door that led out to an enclosed deck. With just a few steps left to take, he suddenly heardsomeone call out his name.
Halting and turning around, he spotted a familiar face under a mop of curly, shaggy red hair poking out of a stream of bright light that waspouring into the hallway from an open doorway to his right. It was one of the students from the community college, a guy he had taken a couple of classes with named Jared.
“Devin! I thought that was you,” Jared said as his facelit up with a cheesy grin. “What are you up to, buddy?”
For a moment, Devin didn’t know what to do. Feeling caught between making an utter fool of himself and crying, he just stood in the hallway in a state of stunned silence.
Jared’s expression quickly transformed from one of mirth to one of concern. “Are you alright, man?”
Devin stammered, “Yeah… Yeah, I’m alright.” He paused to think for a second. “I was just going to check out the back deck to see if Erick had the hot tub going.”
Jared smiled slyly. “Oh, dude, trust me, you don’t want to go out there right now. It’s full. You know what I mean?” He arched his eyebrows a couple of times and giggled mischievously.
“Oh… I… I see,” Devin stuttered. “I didn’t know.”
“It’s all good, buddy. Why don’t you come in here and hang with us? We’ve got something special if you’re feeling up to it?” Jared’s eyes darted towards the room, as if to indicate that he was hiding a naughty secret.
Devin hesitated and briefly looked over his shoulder at the back door before reluctantly turning back and quietly responding, “That sounds cool, I guess.”
With a quick motion of his hand, Jared beckoned him forward. “C’mon man! You look like you could use some cheering up, and I think I’ve got just what you need.”
For a brief moment, Devin somehow regained a small part of his sanity, if only just enough to compel him to walk away from the back deck and towards the open doorway.
When he entered the room, a small home office, Jared was standing beside a shady-looking character who was casually leaning back in a desk chair. Wearing black combat boots, torn blue jeans, and a denim jacket with a handful of biker-themed patches sewn on the front, the stranger had both of his hands crossed on the back of his shaved head, partially covering a garish tattoo of a snake that slithered back from his left temple, down behind his ear, and coiled around his neck. In stark contrast, Jared was dressed in a pair of black and gray cross-trainers, a red HCU basketball jersey, and shimmery gray jogging pants. Right behind them, Devin spotted a row of shot glasses and a large plastic bottle of cheap vodka lined up on the computer desk.
“So what are you guys up to?” Devinasked nervously as he eyed the stranger up and down with suspicion.
“Oh, you know, just hanging out and messing around on the computer,” Jared replied nonchalantly. He nodded towards the holo-display sitting beside him and produced a sleazy grin.
Devin glanced over at athree-dimensional image of supermodel and exotic beauty, Corina Yvette, wearing a skimpy bathing suit and crouching down on all fours in an erotic pose. “Does Erick know you guys are back here?”
“Nah, but it’s all good, brother,” Jared replied with a chuckle. “We’re not doing anything wrong. And, besides, what Erick doesn’t know isn’t going to hurt Erick. Am I right?” He casually glanced over at the bottle of vodka.
Jared’s friend snickered and spun his chair around to face the desk. He then unscrewed the bottle cap and poured out three shots.
Meanwhile, Devin poked his head through the doorway and desperately tried to see or hear if anything was happening out on the deck. A lithe shadow briefly obscured the dim light emanating from the window panels. Turning around, he asked, “What’s going on back there?”
Jared shook his head and chuckled as he paced forward. Firmly grasping Devin’s shoulder, he pulled himinto the office and shut the door with a click. Immediately, the sound of the music and the party taking place in the living room dropped to a muffle.
Hestared at Devin curiously. “Why do you ask? Does it have something to do with that smoking hot brunette who just walked by with some older dude a few minutes ago?”
Devin shot an uneasy glance at the closed door behind him before cautiously nodding his head.
“You don’t need to worry about it, man. They’re probably just having a little fun. You know what I mean?”
Stiffening up, Devin sharply retorted, “No, Jared, I don’t know what you mean!”
Jared threw his hands up defensively. “Hey, whoa, man! You need to tone it down a bit! What’s your problem, anyway? Is she your girlfriend or something?”
Devin lowered his eyes andslowly shook his head.
“Oh, okay. Then why are you so worried about it? They’re grown adults, and they can do whatever they want. It ain’t none of your business.”
Not responding, Devin continued to stare at the floor, a look of defeat and worry sweeping over his features.
Upon seeing this, Jared rolled his eyes and, in a calmer tone of voice, said, “Look, bro, I don’t know what they’re doing back there, nor do I really care. But, if they’re having some alone time, why should someone like you barge in and ruin things? That’s just uncool.”
He shuffled back over to the shot glasses sitting on the desk and picked one up. “Besides, if it makes you feel any better, I’m pretty sure that they’re notalone. I watched a blonde girl, some other couple, and a cute ginger walk back there earlier.” After swiftly guzzling down its contents, he picked up another and held it out towards Devin. “Here, take a shot. It’ll help calm your nerves.”
Sighing, Devin took the shot glass from his outstretched hand and slowly raised it to his lips. He briefly hesitated before tipping it up and pouring the foul-tasting liquid down his throat. Almost instantly, the vaporous smell and astringent aftertaste of grain alcohol permeated his nasal cavities and flamed up in his chest, causing him to cough, sputter, and wince.
Jared’s buddy snickered out loud at this and began pouringDevin another shot. He took one for himself as well.
Devin gazed down at the clear liquidand swished it around in histiny glass, wondering just what it was he thought he was doing. A brief, tense moment passed by then, with a shrug, he pushed away his nagging thoughts, lifted the glass, and chugged it down like a champion; this time it tasted a little smoother.
Jared casually sat down in another desk chair beside his friend and cast a hard stare at Devin. Then, leaning back,he half-asked and half-stated, “Now, that’s a lot better, isn’t it?”
Devin allowed himself to crack a guarded smile as he shuffled over and sat his empty glass back down on the desk. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“So do you want to party, or what?”
Devin cocked his head. “What do you mean? Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
At this, Jared’s buddy snickered out loud and turned to pour a few more shots.
Leaning forward, Jared clasped his hands together and shook his head. He then responded with a toothy grin, “No, Devin. Not yet. We’re just getting warmed up.”
Turning towards his buddy, he motioned at a front pocket on the denim jacket he was wearing. His buddy grinned broadly, exposing a missing front tooth, and nodded in understanding. Reaching down into his pocket, he produced a plastic bag full of little blue pills.
Jared shifted hisgaze back towards Devin andpointed at the bag. “Do you want one?”
The effect of the vodka was starting to kick in, and Devin’s inhibitions were beginning to loosen. He glanced suspiciously at the bag and responded with a couple of questions, “What are they? Are they safe?”
Jared laughed out loud, “Ha ha ha! We just call them babyblues,and they’re about assafeas anything else. You know what I mean?” Chuckling, he turned towards his buddy. “Am I right?”
His buddy gave him a short nod and snickered; a sly smile crept across his features. He then opened the bag, carefully removed three pills, and proceeded to pass them out.
“One for each of us,” Jared said as he popped a pill in his mouth and swiftly washed it down with a swig of cheap liquor. Following Jared’s lead, his buddy picked up a glass, made a silent toast, and proceeded to do the same.
Jared then handed a fresh shot to Devin. “Bottoms up, buddy!”
Seeing that his new companions had each taken a pill, Devin threw all caution to the wind and decided that he might as well follow suit. After all, what did he really have to lose? His whole night was already an epic failure. What harm could it do? He took a deep breath and slowly placed the pill on his tongue. For a hesitant second, he once again considered the consequences of his actions. Then, with a resigned shrug, he tipped his shot glass up and washed it down.
Jared promptly stood up, shuffled over to Devin,and gave him a firm and hearty slap on the shoulder, which caused him to cough and sputter. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about!” Chuckling, he grinned broadly from ear to ear.
Another twenty minutes or so passed by, and s
