If At First, Chap 1: The Mark of Aetas

If At First
By Leus

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EPISODE ONE:
The Mark of Aetas


The oldest of the gentlemen fell to the floor, smoke pouring from the blackened hole of melted flesh and bone sinking further and further into his skull. His blue eyes fixated on a distant point and his expression faded to nothing.
"Shit!" the young one cried out. He rubbed his forehead where his own scar glowed bright, then continued to run his fingers through his slicked black hair in a panic. He stooped to the floor by the side of his fallen associate, but the man next in the rotation kicked him in the back.
"Get up, fool!" the older one commanded. "The ritual is not complete!"
Kaje was surrounded by them. Three men--well, two, anyway--walked around him in a clockwise circle, chanting. Kaje could barely move. The exertion of all of his strength could result in the lifting of a finger, but it would quickly be put back in its place. Terrified, Kaje watched the men as they seemingly danced around him, taunting him.
One by one the men stepped over the body and continued chanting in a language foreign to Kaje.
After a while, Kaje felt something. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt. It was as if he'd been anchored to the earth; connected to it in a way neither he nor any other man alive had ever been. His breath deepened and grew more rapid. Finally, the chanting stopped and the men stood still.
Kaje felt tired. Had the binding spell not been holding him in place he'd have most likely collapsed to the floor. But soon it passed and he felt energized. Empowered. Ready.
The older man stepped forward bearing two SMGs. He held them each by the barrel and outstretched his arms, offering them to Kaje. Kaje didn't know what to do, at first. He'd almost forgotten he could move. But he reached for the weapons and his arms followed suit. Soon he felt the cold steel at his fingertips.
"What are you doing to me?" Kaje inquired, both timidly and intimidating, glancing over to the young man who was once again by the side of his fallen comrade.
Instead of answering Kaje's question, the man waved his hand in a circular motion and disappeared. No, wait, he hadn't disappeared. The entire room, everyone and everything in it had. Maybe Kaje himself had disappeared.
Kaje was now in a different room. In front of him stood a man. He was middle-aged and balding. He wore a wife beater and tattered shorts. Sweat stained his sides and chest. He was quickly packing money into a briefcase. He hadn't seen Kaje yet.
Kaje stood there, motionless. He didn't know what to do. At the man's side he saw the silver glint of a handgun. Confusion flooded Kaje's mind. He was lost.
By chance, the man in the wife beater glanced at Kaje. "What the fuck?" the man exclaimed, reaching for his sidearm. Kaje still held the dual SMGs, but he'd forgotten about them. When the man in the wife beater raised his weapon to Kaje, Kaje put his hands out in front of him in a desperate and futile attempt to block the imminent shots. Only too late did he remember the two heavy weapons he held.
A shot rang out and a bullet caught Kaje in the shoulder. He staggered backwards and dropped both his guns. The man in the wife beater began taking steps towards Kaje and firing...

* * *

Kaje woke up gasping and sweating. He felt his right shoulder. No hole. No blood. Hurt like hell, though. He also had a pounding headache, but the feeling of energy the dream had given him remained. He still felt empowered. He still felt ready.
He got out of bed, opened his eyes as wide as he could and shook his head rapidly. Breathing deep, he tried to pull himself back into reality. But he could not shake the memory of the dream. It seemed so real. What he felt in the dream he was still feeling.
And at the same time, he felt more awake than ever.
He walked to school. He would've driven, but the school was only about four blocks from his house. Today was his first day of his senior year in high school. He had his collar popped, his khakis sagging, and his brand new Teva flip flops slapping his feet with each step. Despite his terrible dream, today felt like a great day to Kaje. His headache had subsided, his arm was fine, and he was ready for action.
The sun was bright. Kaje had forgotten to bring his shades, but it didn't matter. He stepped through the front doors and made his way to chem. class.
After class, he was walking through the halls when he heard someone calling in the distance. "Kaje!" the voice rang, resonating through the hallways, mixed in with the interminable chatter of teenage students.
"Kaje!" It was louder now. Closer. Kaje turned around. Standing before him was his friend, James Turner.
"Jimmy Mother-Fucking T!" Kaje cried out, extending his hand for a mock handshake. Jimmy grabbed Kaje's hand and they shook ferociously, grinning like fools. "Aaahh, man, how was summer in Italy, man?" Kaje inquired excitedly.
"Fuck yeeaaah!" Jimmy replied, drawing out his words and raising his eyebrows indicatively.
"Fuck, man, I missed you," Kaje said.
"I missed you TOO, BRO!" Jimmy said, grabbing Kaje in a manly hug and smacking him on the back a few times. Kaje joined him in the masculine moment of affection before they both drew back. "How's my man K.G. been?"
"Fuckin' great, too, bro," Kaje replied. "I haven't stopped moving since summer began, though I haven't really gotten anywhere," he added with a chuckle. "The boys really missed you, too."
"I know, dude, that's why they're throwing me a welcome home party tonight at Scheuch's place.
Kaje frowned. "Damn, they told you about that already?" he asked.
"Hell, man. It's me. I knew it was coming. I just called around and asked where it was going down," Jimmy replied.
"Good point," Kaje said, grinning.
"Man, have I got some tales to tell you, bro," Jimmy said, putting on a mockingly solemn expression and nodding slowly.
"Well you'd better fuckin' tell me at that party tonight, man," Kaje said, an equally serious expression painting his face.
"Remind me. I'll probably be too inebriated by the time you get there," he declared loudly, followed by laughter from both parties.
"Well, I'll talk to you later, man. Gotta get to my next class. Hey," he said, pointing at Jimmy, his face lighting up. "First day of senior mother fucking year man!"
Jimmy returned the enthusiasm. "Fuck YEAH!" he proclaimed in a roaring manner, tipping his head back towards the ceiling. His roar subsided and he put up his hand in a non-specific parting fashion. "Peace, bro," he said.
"Peace," Kaje replied, turning. They both walked away. Kaje entered his second period class.

* * *

“Hurry, Theodore,” Timothy ordered. “We can’t be late. Did you get the books?”
“Yes, father,” Theodore replied. “And set the flames and mixed the ingredients and spread the salts, but why are we doing all this? If this really works, the boy will have it already when we get him.”
“It works!” Timothy insisted in an angered and offended tone. “And we have to intend to actually do it, I’ve told you.” He sighed. “Yes, unless this boy is some sort of ‘superhero,’ he’ll probably already have had the mark long before he gets here. He’s probably died dozens of times. But if this really will be the first time he’s met us, we must perform the ritual, though we will have no memory of it later, and it will have arguably never happened.”
Theodore nodded. Timothy turned and leaned inside the open door. “Rog, we’ll be back later,” he called inside. There was no response. Timothy closed the door and locked it behind him.

* * *

Towards the middle of class, the teacher had stopped talking and the students were milling about. They were probably intended to use that time for class work, but no one really did that. A pretty girl made her way over to Kaje’s table.
“Hey,” she said to him.
Kaje raised an eyebrow and looked her up and down. “What do you want?” he said rudely.
She smiled. Kaje rolled his eyes, and she giggled. “What’s your name?”
“Kaje. Spelled K-A-J-E but just pronounced ‘CAGE.’ None of that “kah-jey” shit. I’m not Japanese,” he replied. She stared at him expectantly, but he said nothing else. Instead he pulled out his cell phone and began text-messaging people. Finally, she clicked her tongue in sarcastic exasperation.
“Fauna,” she said. “Pronounced Fauna.”
“Bullshit,” he said, looking up. “What are you, a porn star?”
“Well fuck MY name, what kind of name is Kaje?” she retorted, putting a funny emphasis on his name.
“Real name’s Jacob Greer,” he said. “I’m called Kaje because it’s a re-arrangement of my name, Jake. And no, nobody fucked it up that way as a baby or any cute story like that. Just the way it is,” he said.
“Weird,” she replied. “You going to that party tonight?”
“You kidding?” Kaje responded. “I practically organized it. Who invited you?” Fauna put on an offended face. “Just kidding,” Kaje said after a few seconds. “Probably.” He went back to texting on his phone. “Just make sure you bring some alcohol.”
“Fine, Kaje,” Fauna said, emphasizing his name again.
Kaje paused and looked up at her again, staring into her eyes, trying to figure her out. “Bitch, you know me, don’t you?” he asked her after a minute.
“Of course, dumbass. You’re Kaje. Who doesn’t know you around here?” she rhetorically inquired.
“Yeah, I admit, I was a little surprised when you asked my name. But I couldn’t have been an OPENLY pompous jackass, now, could I?” he replied.
“Oh, of COURSE not,” she replied sarcastically, referring to his clearly bored and hostile attitude throughout the conversation. Kaje cracked a half grin and rolled his eyes. Fauna got up to walk away. She then turned. “I’ll see you there,” she said, walking away.
Kaje chortled. “If you’re lucky,” he called after her. He kicked back in his chair and contemplated. Yeah. He’d definitely get on that chick.

* * *

“But won’t he know we’re coming?” Theodore asked his ancestor.
“Most likely. He’ll probably know exactly when and where we’ll be, too. So keep alert,” Timothy replied.
“But what if he’s ready? What if he’s armed himself?” Theodore questioned.
“We’ve got weapons. But they’re only for intimidation, remember that,” he replied.

* * *

Kaje pulled up to Jimmy’s house in his blue 95 Chrysler LHS. Jimmy was already trotting down the steps, but Kaje blared the horn a few times anyway just for fun. Jimmy opened up the door and sat down in the passenger seat.
“Just thought you’d pick me up in your grandpa’s car?” Jimmy joked. Kaje laughed, flipped him off and pulled responsibly onto the road.
“Shut up about my car already. You know I hate it as much as you do,” he replied. As soon as he got around the corner and out of sight of Jimmy’s house, Kaje slammed the gas to the floor and took off, engine roaring. Jimmy chuckled and grabbed the Oh Shit Handle.
They sped along for a few minutes, then Jimmy reached into his pocket and pulled out his pipe. Kaje looked at the clock. 10:04 PM. Jimmy packed a bowl, then grabbed the end of the glass pipe between his lips and flicked a lighter over the end, sucking when the flame held. Soon it was cherry and Jimmy was inhaling deeply. Kaje glanced over.
“Hell, man,” said Kaje, rolling down the window as Jimmy finished his drag. The bowl glowed and smoke danced upwards towards the roof of the car. Jimmy shrugged and extended the joint to the driver’s seat, his lips pursed and sealed tight. Kaje took it between his fingers and Jimmy continued holding the breath.
Kaje took a soft drag, letting the flame go out, and held the smoke for a moment before leaning over and blowing it out the window. Reaching an intersection, he stopped. He turned to Jimmy. “Stop sign,” he said. Jimmy nodded, eyes wide and grinning. Kaje grinned back. “How was it?” he inquired. Jimmy’s eyes widened even further and he gave Kaje two thumbs up, nodding more vigorously. Kaje laughed. Jimmy still didn’t breathe. “I can’t believe you’re still holding it,” he said. Jimmy shrugged. Kaje sighed and tapped the wheel, looked both ways, then took off. Finally, Jimmy turned and leaned out the window, letting out a powerful and exhausting exhale. Barely any smoke was visible.
“Fuck. Yeah. Man,” said Jimmy, a stupid grin on his face.
Kaje laughed again. “Was that the one already?”
Jimmy nodded. “It was the one for now. I’m going to be pretty baked,” he replied.
“Gimme the lighter,” said Kaje. Jimmy passed it to him and Kaje took another hit. Then he passed the pipe and lighter back to Jimmy. “Alright, that’s enough for now,” he said. Jimmy wordlessly put the equipment away.
About five minutes later the duo pulled up to the party. The party was already underway, more or less. It wasn’t bumpin’ yet, but it was a definite shindig.
Kaje turned the doorknob and pushed the door slightly open, almost unrecognizably so. He then kicked the door and it swung open with a triumphant thud. Everyone turned to look. Kaje fell forward onto his kicking foot and took another step before stopping and striking a manly pose. Jimmy walked in behind him and passed him, making his way into the room with his hands in the air.
Everyone cheered.
Kaje and Jimmy made their way down the hall. They passed by the main bathroom, and Kaje glanced in. The trashy girls were already drinking and taking extacy. Kaje smiled. It was going to be a good night.

* * *

“I’m afraid, father. What if we made this boy too powerful?” Theodore persisted.
Timothy groaned. “Theodore, it’s a one-time risk. After this our sleeper agent will be there for us whenever we need him, posing no problem for us,” Timothy reassured his son.
Theodore sighed. “What if he can’t beat Roderick and his men? What if we’re the weaker link?” he insisted urgently.
“Theodore!” Timothy snapped. “Shut your whimpering mouth,” he demanded. “I understand your concern, but he could prove to be valuable—“
“Yes, yes, quite the virtue,” Theodore interrupted. “But is it worth it? Have you really thought this through?”
Timothy glared. “Do not interrupt me, and do NOT question me. Do as I say. I am your father and your boss in this business. If I fail then you can take over and do it your way,” Timothy said, his words dripping with frustration and nerves.
Theodore turned and faced the road. The two finally pulled up at the house. Theodore looked at the clock. 10:31 PM. Many cars littered the driveway and the streets around the house. Yelling and music came from within.
“Now,” said Timothy, “we wait.”

* * *

“Gentlemen,” said Dwayne Scheuch, “welcome. On any other day this would be my dad’s office, but today, my good friends, it is…” Dwayne paused, looking back and fourth. Finally, he finished. “The V.I.P. lounge.”
Everyone knew what was coming, but they made their various expressions of approval anyway.
There was J.C., the big bald black guy who always had a dub to sell and a story to tell. There was Dwayne, the owner of the house and the gracious host. There was Jimmy, the man of the hour, and there was Kaje.
“No more V.I.P. boys?” Kaje asked.
Dwayne leaned back in his father’s leather chair and propped his feet up on the desk, grabbing a bong off the shelf behind him. “Not yet, anyway,” he said. “Bowl’s already packed. Let’s get going.”
“Go for it,” Kaje said. “And give me that,” he said, pointing to the bottle of Jager that sat open on the desk.
Dwayne laughed and pushed the bottle towards Kaje with his foot. Kaje grabbed it and took a swig, then passed it to Jimmy, who gratefully accepted.
“Bleah, that’s the stuff,” Kaje said, grinning and shaking his head.
“You are such a bitch, Kaje,” J.C. said.
“Hey, fuck you. I like the taste now. It’s just still… ‘Shocking,’ let’s say,” Kaje defended himself lightly. Dwayne’s bong bubbled from the other side of the desk.
“Whatever,” J.C. said, chuckling. “Gimme that shit, Jimmy,”
Jimmy had taken three swigs already. He belched and extended the bottle in J.C.’s direction. J.C. grabbed it and began drinking.
“Bong me,” Jimmy said. Dwayne has just pulled the carb. He finished and passed it to Jimmy.
Dwayne looked at the bottle as J.C. drank. “Look how much you drank, Jimmy, you alcoholic,” he joked.
Jimmy laughed. “Fuck yeah, man,” was his only response before lighting the bowl and inhaling.
Kaje looked all around him, then kicked his feet up on the table and pushed his chair into a reclining position. J.C. grabbed the bong. Soon the air was thick with smoke.
The noise from the rest of the house continued to pick up. “GB’S IN THE KITCHEN!” someone announced at some point, followed by much cheering.
“Hey, that sounds pretty good,” said Jimmy. Kaje was in the middle of a bong hit. Jimmy put the bottle on the table and stood up.
Kaje finished early and coughed the smoke out. “Man, you’re abandoning the V.I.P. boys?” Kaje whined.
“I’ll be back, man,” Jimmy said. Directly following, Jimmy was out the door.
“Well, there goes the man of the hour,” J.C. said.
“Whatev,” said Dwayne. “You heard the man. He’ll be back.”
Kaje readied the bong again, struck the lighter and took another huge hit. After blowing out the smoke, he sat expressionless for a moment before speaking.
“Man,” said Kaje. J.C. and Dwayne turned to look at him. “I had this fucked up dream last night.”
Dwayne laughed. J.C. leaned forward. “Tell it, man,” J.C. urged.
“Okay, so, I was in this weird room with these monks or something, except they were in business suits. They were walking around me in circles, chanting, and one of them died because a random hole just burnt through his head. Then all of a sudden I felt this… Incredible power…” Kaje trailed off.
“Whoa,” J.C. said, amazed.
“Yeah,” Kaje said.
“Did they have sunglasses?” Dwayne inquired.
“No,” Kaje replied, “but they did have business suits. They were casting a spell on me or some shit and all of a sudden I felt this incredible connection to the earth, like I was a part of everything.”
“I feel that, man,” J.C. said, dragging out his words and nodding.
“Yeeaaah,” Kaje said, “and then suddenly they handed me two guns and teleported me to a drug deal or something.”
“What kind of guns?” asked Dwayne.
“I don’t know,” Kaje answered, “but he teleported me somewhere and there was this sleazy dude packing money into a suitcase. And he shot me, and I think I died. He shot me in the arm and when I woke up my arm hurt and I had a headache. I think he shot me in the face. And it felt like real life. Remember that connected feeling I felt in the dream? I still felt it when I woke up. I’ve felt it all day.”
“Yeah, man, life is good,” J.C. said.
“No, it’s different,” Kaje insisted. “I feel practically invincible.”
“It’s called being a teenager,” Dwayne said. They all laughed.
“No, it’s different,” Kaje repeated. “It’s like something really happened to me. All day shit has seemed familiar to me, like I’ve experienced it before. And a lot of stuff happened in the dream before what I told you that I can’t remember. I think it’s all connected somehow. I think maybe I’m a psychic! I can predict the future! At some point I really am going to see a guy get a hole burned through his skull and have to fight a drug dealer with dual SMGs, and who knows who else. My life is taking a turn that I can’t come back from. I think I’m a superhero,” Kaje concluded.
J.C. and Dwayne stared blankly at Kaje. “How much have you had to drink, man?” Dwayne asked finally.
Kaje shook his head as if coming back into reality. He coughed. “Obviously not enough,” he said. They all laughed again. Suddenly Jimmy burst through the door, causing everyone to jump.
“FUCKIN’ MIKE IS JUMPING OFF YOUR BALCONY DUDE!” Jimmy screamed.
The V.I.P. boys cheered and staggered out the door, smoke pouring out into the hallway. They passed some frat boys playing beer pong, and Jared, the fat kid no one likes, taking a swig from a forty. From the balcony they could hear whooping and hollering. The boys shucked and jived their way out the sliding glass door.
“Mike, don’t do it, man!” Dwayne said weakly, laughing the whole time.
“WOOO!” Mike yelled and jumped. There was a huge splash and the boys leaned over the railing. There was a pause.
“WOOO!” Mike yelled again, fainter this time, as he was three stories down.
“FUCK, MAN!” Dwayne yelled down. “MY PARENTS NEVER WASH THAT FUCKING POND!”
“EWWW! YEAAAAH!!” Mike called up. Dwayne started laughing and grabbed his gut, leaning over. Kaje, Jimmy and J.C. laughed as well. Suddenly from within the party came an exclamation.
“FUCK YOU GUYS!” Jared yelled. “FUCK YOU! YOU KNOW THAT? I’M GOING TO CALL THE COPS ON THIS FUCKING PARTY, YOU LOSERS!” Everyone quieted down. Someone standing by the stereo hit the pause button to give Jared the spotlight. “GOD! FUCK YOU!” he yelled. “YOU FUCKING PIECES OF SHIT, WHY ARE YOU SO SHITTY FUCKS?” he shouted, becoming more incoherent as he yelled. Finally, he stormed out the front door, slamming it behind him.
There was a moment of silence, followed by a universal eruption of laughter from everyone at the party. The random kids began screaming and running around and the music started up again. Kaje, Jimmy, J.C. and Dwayne staggered back into the party.
“What the fuck happened with him?” Dwayne called out. Someone stepped forth from the crowd. It was Kenneth, one of the regular partiers.
Kenneth tried to speak, but could barely contain his laughter. After a moment of uncontrollable giggling, he finally was able to form the words. “I pissed in his beer!” he said, eyes squinted almost to the point of being closed. He tried to wait for a reaction, but before anyone else could have one, he took care of it himself with more raucous laughter. He staggered away and the V.I.P. boys glanced to each other, paused, then laughed heartily.
Suddenly, Jimmy’s eyes lit up. He jumped on the coffee table. “BEACH!” he yelled as loud as he possibly could, drawing out the word. “BEACH!” he repeated. After yelling it a few more times, he had the support of many partiers, and they were out the door.
Dwayne turned to J.C. “Wanna stay here and make sure it doesn’t get too out of control?”
J.C. looked at Dwayne through the slits in his eyelids and nodded. “But before you go, here,” J.C. said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a plastic bag with four joints inside. “On me,” he said with a smile.
“Fuck yeah!” Dwayne said, grabbing the bag and smacking J.C.’s arm. “J.C. the mother-fucking MAN. LET’S GO TO THE BEACH!” he cried. Dwayne ran out the door.
“Thanks, man,” Kaje said to J.C. “Sell much marijuana to these fuckin’ partier kids while we’re gone,” Kaje encouraged with a grin as if he’d come up with a clever idea. J.C. nodded, and Kaje walked out the door.
As soon as he stepped outside he heard a horn blaring. Dwayne hung out the passenger side of the window of some random car. “KAJE!” he called.
Kaje ran over and got in the back seat. “Whose car is this?” Kaje asked. Dwayne pointed to the driver. The kid turned back and waved. Kaje didn’t recognize him. “Hey, man,” Kaje said.
The kid smiled. “Hey,” he said, then turned to face the front of the car. He fumbled with the keys for a second, then stuck them in the ignition and turned them, starting the engine.
Three cars took off with squealing tires and flying gravel, followed by two more late-starters.
“So, what’s your name?” Kaje asked the driver kid as he sprawled out in the backseat. “I like your car. What the hell is it? Very comfortable.”
The driver was unresponsive. He stared blankly at the road in front of him. Dwayne gazed at the driver for a second, then came back to reality. He snapped his fingers in front of the driver’s face, and the driver gasped and turned, swerving the wheel. “ROAD!” Dwayne called. The driver turned his head back to the road and corrected his steering before wrecking.
“Fuck. Let’s not talk to the driver kid, Kaje,” Dwayne said. Kaje chuckled. Then laughed. Then laughed some more.
“Hey,” Dwayne said after a minute, pulling out the plastic bag. Only one joint remained. Kaje sat up.
“Oh, shit, did you bring the Jag?” he asked.
“No, man,” Dwayne said.
“Where’d all the joints go?” Kaje asked.
“I think I gave them away,” Dwayne said.
“Well light that one up!” Kaje ordered enthusiastically. Dwayne patted his pockets, and Kaje sat in the back, staring into space.
“I don’t have a lighter,” Dwayne said frantically after a minute.
“Oh, shit,” said Kaje. He patted himself down as well. “Me neither!” A look of horror spread across his face.
Dwayne thought hard for a moment, then turned. “Driver kid? Lighter?” he inquired in a primitive manner.
The driver didn’t respond for a few seconds, but then reached over and popped the dash. A bunch of paper and a lighter spilled out. “Fuck yeah, driver kid!” Dwayne exclaimed.
Dwayne lit the lighter and held the flame over the tip of the joint, sucking gently. Soon it began smoldering. Dwayne took a drag, then passed it back to Kaje. Kaje took a huge drag and held it, the joint in his hand, unused THC floating to the sky above.
Finally Kaje blew the smoke out, and the kid in the driver’s seat held out his hand instinctively as if to take the joint and hit it. Kaje laughed. “This is the only thing he responds to right away,” Kaje quipped.
He handed the kid the burning ganja, and the kid eagerly took a drag and blew it straight onto his closed window. “Oh, shit, man,” Kaje said. “Open the window.” The kid was once again unresponsive, and Kaje shrugged.
About twenty minutes and one joint later, the group of cars finally reached the beach. Kaje looked at the clock. 10:56 PM. It was almost pitch black, but one person parked facing the beach and left their headlights on. No one else was around, so the partiers ran into the darkness screaming and tackling each other. Jimmy came running up from another car.
“Kaje!” Jimmy yelled. Kaje and Dwayne turned to look at him. “Fuck yeah!” Jimmy said. He patted Kaje on the shoulder then ran off into the night as well.
Kaje grinned. “Fuckin’ Jimmy,” he said. Dwayne nodded.
Kaje and Dwayne turned to walk down the beach. “Mind if I join?” a voice came from behind them. Kaje turned. It was Fauna.
Kaje chuckled. “You,” he said, pointing.
“Me,” said Fauna. Kaje raised an eyebrow and looked to Dwayne. Dwayne shrugged, so Kaje motioned for Fauna to come along.
The trio wandered down the beach for a while. Pretty soon, the noises of the partiers died down. Kaje looked around at the darkness. “Where the fuck are we?” he inquired.
Fauna looked around too. “I have no idea,” she replied. “And where the hell is that other guy?”
“Dwayne?” Kaje asked.
“Yeah,” said Fauna.
Kaje looked around. Fauna was right. Dwayne was nowhere to be seen.
“I don’t know,” Kaje said, trailing off confusedly.
Fauna grabbed Kaje’s shirt and pulled on him. He staggered forward. She fell backwards onto the ground and pulled Kaje on top of her, rubbing his arms and back with her hands. “I think I’m going to be lucky,” she stated.
“The hell?” Kaje said, disoriented.
“I don’t know, let’s fuck,” Fauna said. She reached down Kaje’s pants and began rubbing his dick. Kaje groaned. He mindlessly pulled her shirt off over her head and sucked on her nipples.
After about five minutes, Kaje rolled off of her and moaned. “Fuck, man, I’m feeling pretty shitty,” he said.
Fauna sat up and frowned. “Thanks,” she said sarcastically.
“What time is it?” Kaje asked.
“I don’t wear a watch,” Fauna replied.
“I do,” Kaje said. “But it’s dark. I can’t see it.”
“Hmm,” Fauna said contemplatively. Kaje grabbed her shoulder and used it to lever himself into an upright position. She fell onto her back from the force, but quickly sat up again. Kaje’s pants were around his ankles. He looked down.
“Fuck,” he said. “Sand… Pants…” He pulled them up, buttoned and zipped them and danced his boxers into place. “Let’s go back,” he suggested.
Fauna whined, but agreed. The duo turned to walk back towards the noise and confusion. Kaje grabbed his stomach in pain. “Oww, man, fuck,” Kaje moaned. “That Jager was some good stuff.”
Fauna looked over. “Are you going to puke?” she asked, concerned.
“No, man,” Kaje said, staggering closer and closer to the light and sound. Suddenly he was tackled from behind. He fell face-first into the sound, the impact jostling him quite a bit.
“Uuuughh,” Kaje groaned incoherently from the ground, turning over to see who’d assaulted him. It was the kid who’d driven them there. “Fuckin’ you…” Kaje said weakly, pointing up at the kid.
The kid’s expression changed from joy and carelessness to shock and fear. “Kaje,” he said cautiously, not knowing what to do.
“Fuck it, man,” Kaje said. “Just help me up.” He extended an arm into the darkness, closing his eyes and grunting. Soon his hand grasped another and it pulled him forwards and upwards.
“Thanks,” Kaje said, dusting the sand from his clothes. He looked up. Once again he was looking at an unfamiliar face. “Who the fuck are you? Where’s Fauna and that dumb kid?”
“Kaje,” the guy replied, looking a bit confused.
Kaje rolled his eyes. “What the fuck ever, man, let’s just get back to Scheuch’s place, I wanna pass the fuck out,” he said. The new guy nodded and grabbed Kaje’s right arm, slinging it around his own neck to help support the drunken Kaje. Together the two walked back towards the cars and partiers.
Finally they reached a car. The guy reached forward and opened the back door for Kaje. Kaje fell face-first onto the seat and the guy shut the door behind him. Kaje sat up and looked around. The guy who’d walked him to the car opened the passenger seat door and got inside. The kid in the driver’s seat looked like he was wearing a suit. Kaje laughed.
“To Scheuch’s place, Jeeves!” he said, making a joke to himself, then fell to the left.
After about ten minutes, he sat up once more. He looked at the unmoving heads of the men driving him. The driver had funny-colored hair. “Stupid punk kid?” Kaje said aloud inadvertently. “No…” he trailed off. The man’s hair was grey. Kaje glanced to the right at the back of the other man’s head. He had black hair slicked back in a professional manner.
“The… Hell?” Kaje said. “Where are we?”
“We’re on the way,” the man in the passenger seat responded without missing a beat.
Kaje sniffed the air. It smelled funny. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He concentrated for a moment, and suddenly, he realized what it was.
“No marijuana!” Kaje exclaimed.
The man in the passenger seat groaned. “Why this one, dad? Why this kid?” he questioned the driver.
The driving man threw up a hand in frustration. “Will you shut up with that stuff? We’re almost there. Watch him,” the driver ordered. The passenger turned back to look at Kaje. In the well-lit car Kaje could see that the man wore dark sunglasses and stared emotionlessly from behind them.
“Fuck,” Kaje uttered. “They did have shades.”
“What’s he talking about?” the passenger asked.
“Probably just one of the other scenarios,” the driver responded.
“Shit,” Kaje said, getting scared. He didn’t want to go through this again.
They rolled to a stop after a couple of minutes. The driver and the passenger stepped outside. From within the car, Kaje heard a faint sigh, followed by a, “well, I admit, that was much easier than I thought it was going to be.”
Then the door next to Kaje was opening. Someone was taking him by the arm. It was the man who’d led him across the beach and sat in the passenger seat. Kaje was proud of his ability to figure this out. He was trying to focus on the situation.
As he was led inside, he looked around. Across the street he saw a bright yellow and white sign. He couldn’t make out what it said, though. Before he knew it, he was in a stairwell, and the door to the outside world slammed behind him. He was walked up the stairs and pulled backwards into a small room. He made both hands into fists and rubbed his eyes, trying to pull himself back into reality.
He turned to face the room. Before him stood three men. The two older gentlemen wore business suits. One had dark grey eyes, thick grey hair, and a scar across his cheek. He glared at Kaje. The other gentlemen had a softer and older look to him. His eyes were a deep blue and his hair white and thin. He had a bushy moustache. He gazed at Kaje as well.
The remaining man, the man who’d started this whole mess for Kaje, appeared to be younger than the other two. He no longer wore shades, but his black hair remained slicked back and professional-looking. He was clean-shaven and handsome. He wore an unsure expression. He looked past Kaje.
All three wore a scar on their foreheads in the shape of a star. It appeared to have been burnt on long ago.
“Now,” said the grey-eyed man, “we just need to start the ritual, and we will know if he already bears the Mark of Aetas,” he said. “Roger, would you do the honors?”
The oldest gentlemen turned to the grey-eyed man, nodded, bowed slightly, then turned back to Kaje. He opened the large book he held in his hands and cleared his throat.
After chanting a single phrase, he looked up and closed the book. “It is already done,” Roger stated.
“Well, then,” said the grey-eyed man, “no need to go through all that work.” He began walking over to the desk that decorated the room.
“What?” Kaje said. “No dancing and chanting? No glowing foreheads?”
The grey-eyed man looked up from what he was doing. Kaje pointed at Roger.
“He dies,” Kaje stated. Roger opened his eyes in surprise, and the young man furrowed his brow. The grey-eyed man picked up two SMGs by their barrels and began walking back towards Kaje.
“Roger dies,” Kaje repeated, “and you,” he said, pointing at the young man. “You are on the floor helping him, and he—“ Kaje paused to point at the grey-eyed man, “—yells at you.” The young man looked at his father and frowned. The grey-eyed man shrugs it off. He holds the guns out for Kaje.
“And then I go to the sleazy drug dealer and he shoots me in the face. Why do I have to do that?” Kaje pleaded while taking the SMGs in his hands.
“You don’t,” the grey-eyed man replied. He then waved his fingers in a circular motion and Kaje was gone.
Once again Kaje was in the room with the middle-aged man and the briefcase, and no matter how hard he tried not to be, Kaje was still quite inebriated. He was scared now. He wasn’t sure if this was his dream from the night before being recreated with intoxication, or if it was really happening, but either way, he wasn’t going to wait around and find out.
Before the man had a chance to notice him, Kaje raised both of his SMGs and fired. The man turned at the sound of the first shot but had already been hit by three bullets by the time he saw Kaje. He flailed about frantically, spasming with each hit he took. Finally he slumped lifelessly against the wall. Kaje breathed heavily.
“Roderick? What the hell’s going on in there?” came a concerned voice from the other room, growing louder, footsteps approaching. Kaje quickly and quietly sidestepped to the wall the door was on and waited.
The footsteps stopped and there was a pause. Then the door burst open and a man with a gun stuck his head in and looked to the right.
‘Bad choice, man,’ Kaje thought as he stared at the back of the man’s head, SMGs at the ready. He opened fire, and the first bullet caught the man directly in the face. He fell onto the floor, blood pooling under his chin.
“Shit!” came more voices from outside. Two more men popped in and were looking Kaje’s direction, but they didn’t have time to react; Kaje was already releasing a stream of bullets at the doorway.
Yet another man fell, and the last one ran. Kaje hesitated for a moment, not sure what to do. Then he dashed to the doorway, aiming his SMGs down the hall. He could see the back of the running man at the other end of the hallway. Kaje opened fire once more, but the final man was able to make it around the corner to safety. Kaje heard him dart out the front door and take off running down the sidewalk.
Kaje’s heart and mind raced. Now more than ever he felt the urge to puke, but he didn’t. Instead he followed his instincts and darted over to the desk, proceeding to stuff as much money as he could into his pockets. Once he felt satisfied with that, he ran out the door and into the night.
It was hours before Kaje found where he was. The daylight was finally peeking over the buildings. Kaje had thrown the SMGs in a trash can hours ago and vomited shortly after that. He was feeling sober but still very confused. Finally, he looked at his watch.
6:45.
Kaje emitted a sigh. “Well,” he said aloud to himself. He paused. Finally, he found the right words. “That was exciting.”
Right as he finished the words his cell phone rang. He pulled it out and looked at the caller I.D. It read “John’s Cell” Kaje answered it.
“Hey, man,” he said.
“Hey, are you still taking me bowling?” the voice on the other line requested.
Kaje paused as if thinking, then let out a regretful sound. “I fuckin’ forgot, dude. Sorry. I… I dunno, I had a fucked up night.”
John pushed some air out through his nose as if he were laughing slightly. “Wild night, eh?” he inquired.
“Somethin’ like that,” said Kaje, walking out into the middle of an intersection. He breathed deep and looked around. “I’ll tell you one thing, though,” Kaje continued, walking towards a familiar corner that led to his house. “I love the quiet of mornings.”
There was a pause. “Do I hear birds chirping in the background? Good god, are you still out?” John asked astoundedly.
Kaje chuckled. “Yeah,” he replied.
“What’s that sound?” John asked.
Kaje paused and listened. There was indeed a sound in the distance growing louder. Kaje couldn’t make it out at first, but then it became clear. It was the familiar sound of cheering partiers having a good time. “Holy hell, it’s partiers at seven A M,” Kaje informed John, surprised that anyone else had had a wild enough night to still be awake.
A big pickup truck came whipping around the corner, skidding slightly. Screams emitted from the truck, and they increased tenfold when the truck collided directly with Kaje’s chest then proceeded to roll over him thirty feet later when he finally hit the ground.

* * *

Kaje woke up gasping and sweating.