a very chilled-out experience

The room was filled with tattoos, dreds, torn clothing, and stiletto boots.

Lotta confusion.

Lotta tectonic plate shifting going on.

A California Kid mumbled about environmental politics, then got on his cell phone.

A Familiar Spirit with bunched-up panties and a booby bra shifted in her chair and flashed a Kool-Aid smile at the California Kid.

The Kid, whose long, bushy eyebrows added ten years to his face, folded his phone and placed it in his knapsack.

"I don't believe we've been introduced," he said with plenty of asexual tension.

The Familiar Spirit was unflappable. "Don't have a handle on your Dionysian spirit, do you...?"

"My what?"

"Your tendency toward drunken and orgiastic behavior... after the Greek God Dionysus..."

"Oh really?"

There was a pause that would have pleased Pinter.

Then the Familiar Spirit opened a pack of stale herbal cigs... She thought about offering the Kid one or even a drag from it for a millisecond, but she decided to save them for her birthday.

"You're straying too far from your personal truth," she said, lighting the butt.

The Kid cocked his head defiantly. "Oh really?"

"It's those weird noises you make... they mean you don't give a damn..."

The Kid, who usually had complete confidence in his abilities, was feeling a bit piqued; the last 3 minutes of his life had been completely drained from him, and he was desperately trying to figure out how to get them back.

"Well," he said. "I'm still here... I'm like a bad stain, man... I'm the same Kid I was in the sandbox in 1968..." He hesitated, then added. "It's a memory that matters..."

The Familiar Spirit took a long drag from the cigar and blew the smoke toward the equator. "Well, that more or less defines o.t.t., doncha think?"

The Kid's eyebrows narrowed.

"Over the top," the Familiar Spirit said, brushing ashes from her lap.

The Kid thought about becoming hostile for a minute, but he reminded himself he was a Buddhist... well, he was sort of a Buddhist... at least he had an appreciation for Buddhism... which was better than not being one at all...

"Are you not enjoying yourself?" the Familiar Spirit said.

The Kid folded his arms.

The Familiar Spirit nodded.

That was the moment we all looked at each other and welled up in the eyes.