Descent into the Abyss

Chapter 17

In the early hours of daybreak, the four individuals stood in the streets of Portsmouth watching the sun creep over the horizon.

"Alright," Greg said. "Let's get these supplies out of the building so we can load them into the wagon."

"Hold up and let me hit this real quick," Damien remarked, lifting a small metal box up with his hand.

Greg sighed, shaking his head as he turned with Debra on his heels; Marcus following a few strides behind.

"Yo!" Damien called out, Marcus turning to see him waving him back.

"Yeah, Damien?" Marcus asked, walking up to him as Damien held the box to his mouth.

A few seconds passed, Marcus waiting with curious patience until Damien lowered his hand, exhaling. A cloud of smoke billowed out, filling the space between the two of them. As the smoke wrapped around Marcus's head, catching in the wind and being pulled away, a lingering scent stayed.

"Want a hit? I saw ya eyeballin' it when I pulled it out."

"What is it?" Marcus asked, pondering the options.

"Some one hundred percent home grown, home processed concentrate," Damien answered with pride, smiling as his eyes suddenly bulged and a fit of coughing overtook him.

"Try it," He gasped, reaching his hand out as he clutched his chest and took a deep breath, steading himself.

"Marcus," Kou whispered. "Be weary. People will say one thing and do another."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Marcus replied to the both of them, smiling as he reached forward.

"There's a button on the side. Just hold it and inhale," Damien instructed, watching with teary eyes. "You'll be able to taste it once you start actually inhaling it."

Marcus nodded, bringing the mouth piece up to his lips. Hesitant, yet curious, Marcus inhaled with slow caution, waiting for the taste. Warmth and then an earthy taste, almost as if a speck of dirt had been on the tip of his tongue, filled his mouth and lungs. Mimicking Damien, yet knowing better than to match any smoker with their intake, Marcus inhaled for a few seconds then pulled the box away. 

"Are you okay, Young Marcus?" Kou asked as Marcus began to exhale.

Nodding, yet feeling the tickle in the back of his throat, Marcus struggled to exhale the entirety of his hit. His eyes caught Damien's, who stood smiling and coughing.

"Here," Damien said reaching for the box. "Gimme that back and sit on down for a minute."

Coughing and gasping, Marcus sat down waving away the smoke and Kou's mental concerns. The creeping euphoria began to take hold as Marcus gripped his knees and took slow breaths.

"Marcus?" Kou asked, worry at the forefront of his mind. "Are you alright?"

"I'm al-" Marcus gasped, pausing to stop a fit of coughing. "I'm alright."

Damien nodded, chuckling as he walked away, back towards the duo of Greg and Debra.

"Goddamn!" Marcus whispered to himself, catching yet another cough.

Standing only made the sensation transition into dizziness, which spun the world until Marcus sat back down.

"Are you sure you're alright? Because that behavior says different." Kou remarked, his mind searching the area around them.

"Even if they can feel my mental link connecting, I can still feel them at a far greater sensitivity than they'd be able to detect. This will allow me to detect them and even hear their projected thoughts, but not directly touch their minds." Kou explained as Marcus stated into the morning sky.