Oct 15 2050 Friday
It was a Friday afternoon after school. Vera and Eros were waiting to head to the mall with Anima.
Anima was getting changed in the house after he had just come back from school, ready to go on the shopping trip.
The wind was loud and powerful; the weather was good.
The ocean tides were high.
Eros and Vera were waiting for Anima to come out and saw him running.
Vera: Heyy Anima, what's up?
Eros: What's good, loser?
Anima: Wassup, let's start heading to the mall.
Eros, Anima, and Vera were heading to the mall. They could feel the nice Miami sun (nickname: Central City) and the wind blowing.
The mall, called Central Mall, was only a 10-minute walk from Anima's area, so they walked there.
The city was lively and energetic. It was quite a busy day as well. Eros, Vera, and Anima started walking there.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the mall.
The mall was huge; it took up an entire city block. This mall was near one of the biggest hospitals in all of America.
The mall had all glass windows; you could see all the shops. There were about 9 layers inside the mall.
They were mostly at the mall to get camping equipment.
Anima, Vera, and Eros entered the mall. They were excited.
They had visited the mall a couple of times, but never together.
Vera: Wow, sometimes I forget how huge this place is.
Anima: Big ass mall.
Eros: We should get something to drink.
They walked to a shop that sold drinks.
Anima: I think I'll grab a Coca-Cola.
Eros: I'll just grab some water.
Vera: Yeah, same here.
After they grabbed drinks, they started exploring the mall for a bit.
Eros: Yo, Anima, we should buy some new clothes, come with.
Anima: Sure.
Anima and Eros went to a clothing shop to buy new clothes.
They went into the shop and started trying out some new clothes.
All of a sudden, they heard fighting going on in one of the sections.
Anima: WTF???
Eros: Do I see two grown men fighting over a pair of pants?
Anima: Seems like that.
Eros: Oh well, let's just check out and leave.
Anima and Eros checked out of the clothing shop, and Vera was waiting for them.
Vera: Over here, guys.
Vera started waving at them.
Anima: Did you buy something?
Vera: Yeah, I bought new perfume.
Anima: Oh, nice.
They started walking through the first layer, mostly clothing shops and things of that nature.
They started walking through the mall, wondering where the camping section was.
Anima started using a big iPad on the wall to find out where the camping section was.
Anima: Looks like it's on the 5th floor.
Eros: Alright, cool, let's start heading there. While they were walking, they saw a suitcase shop.
Vera: I actually need to buy a suitcase; I don't have any at home.
Anima: Alright, don't take too long like you always do.
Vera: Shut up.
Eros: Me and Anima went to that shop and bought some new clothes, what do you think?
Vera: I think they look good.
Anima: Let's head to the camping section.
They were going up the escalator to head to the camping section. While all three of them were riding the escalator, Eros asked to see the list Mr. Kirin gave them for the camping trip.
Eros: Yo, loser, do you have the shopping list for the camping stuff?
Anima: Yeah, one second.
Anima pulled it out on his phone. He had the list saved on a notes app of what materials to buy.
Vera: Let me see the list.
Vera started checking out the list and started naming all the supplies that they needed for the camping trip.
Vera: Let's see here, we need tents, sleeping bags, portable chargers, coolers. Also, we need to buy food unless we go hunting, if you guys are down.
Eros: I would, but Anima's too pussy.
Anima: I'd rather die than go hunting.
Vera: Anima, you should grow a pair.
Anima: Says you.
Eros could feel this awkward tension between Vera and Anima.
Eros: Cough, cough, anyways, anything else?
Vera: Also, it says we need water.
Anima: Alright, let's go buy this shit and go to the food court. I'm hungry.
Eros: Let's go.
After they went shopping for the supplies, they decided to head to the food court.
Anima: Finally, I can get something to eat.
Vera: Wait, just one more thing, Anima, I need to buy something.
Anima: Oh my god, I'm so hungryyyyyyyyyyyy.
Eros: Loser, shut up, what are you going to buy?
Vera: I need a suitcase. Me and my parents are going on vacation to China in a month. We're going to stay there for a week.
Anima: Rich ass parents.
Vera: Shut up.
Vera lightly smacks Anima in the head and crosses her arms.
Vera: It will only take 10 minutes.
Vera headed to the shop with suitcases, and there were two suitcases she was choosing between: a bright crimson suitcase and a midnight purple suitcase.
Vera was unsure what to pick.
Vera: _The bright pink one is really pretty, but the midnight purple one is also pretty and it reminds me of AnimAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WHY AM I THINKING ABOUT HIM?_
Vera suddenly hears a mysterious voice behind her.
???: Having trouble deciding?
Vera: Uh, yeah...
Vera: My name is Vera, nice to meet you.
Rebecca: My name is Rebecca, pleasure to meet you too.
As Vera was deciding, she looked at the pink suitcase and noticed a mysterious, creepy feeling around the suitcase.
Vera: _That suitcase creeps me out, never mind._
Vera waved on Eros and Anima, who were on their phones.
Vera would wave at them.
Vera: Hey guys, I'm done!
After that, they would go to the food court, then back home. It was becoming evening time.
Later at night, they would stay up and play games since it was a Friday night.
Oh yeah, by the way, Vera bought the midnight purple suitcase.
Perhaps it was a good thing she didn't buy the other one.
Rebecca would walk out the store behind Vera with that pink suitcase.
---
It was a black room, nothing but darkness.
Inside, only one thing was there.
It was a clown.
A jester.
The only noise that was being made was the bell on its hat.
Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding
It filled up the empty space.
Jester was thinking about how to reach the man that seemed unreachable, how to connect to the man.
Jester: What's one thing that he would want more than anything?
A desire is what Jester was thinking about.
Everyone has desires.
What was Cassius' desire?
The man in a clown mask would think.
Think.
Think.
Think about Cassius.
His blue eyes.
His voice.
What his presence felt like.
To find remnants of him.
Something.
Anything.
Anything he cared about.
Something he gave a fuck about.
Then finally, an image popped into his head.
Of a boy, purple eyes, black hair.
He would use fire magic to make the photo in his head real.
The photo was surrounded by a white border with a big box under the photo.
With the boy's name.
No, the boy's _full name_.
Jester: Hello there, Anima Augustus.
Chapter 34 End