~The Shy and The Stubborn~ (the santa clause)

Chapter 9: his garden

A/N: at the start of the chapter, Justice is listening to the band Kashmir so here's my favorite Kashmir song! Enjoy! <3

-

Justice wasn't a frequent user of the devil's lettuce, but she was certainly the biggest user within her friend group. Combined with her tobacco smoking habit, she liked to indulge in some marijuana every once in a while, and she liked to grow it in her study as a little hobby of sorts. Usually, the weather wouldn't permit the growth of such a plant, but she always had a bit of magic up her sleeve. 

So there she was, on the floor of her lounge room, one hand threading itself into the carpet beneath her, the other with an exceptionally rolled blunt between her fingers as her turntable played her favourite Kashmir record, the one where David Bowie did a song with them. She forgot what it was called when she was like this, when her head was spinning and she could feel every nerve in her body individually and all at once. She liked how time moved when she was high, 'caterpillar time' a friend of hers described it as, where everything would go really fast, and then really slow, and like that over and over again, like time was slow when the caterpillar arched it's back, and it sped up when it flattened again. 

As the effects of the marijuana took hold, Justice felt a heightened sense of awareness and a profound connection to her surroundings. The fibres of the carpet beneath her seemed to come alive, each strand reaching out to greet her probing fingers. It was as if the room itself pulsated with an energy that resonated deep within her.

Lost in her altered state of consciousness, Justice's thoughts meandered through the corridors of her mind. She pondered the concept of time and how it appeared to morph and shift in unpredictable ways when she was under the influence. The caterpillar analogy her friend had shared resonated with her, capturing the ebb and flow of her perception.

In this state of introspection, Justice marvelled at the beauty of existence. She contemplated the intricacies of the universe, how everything seemed to be interconnected in a delicate dance. The music, the smoke, the carpet fibres—each element played its part in the symphony of her experience.

As the record spun, transitioning from one song to the next, Justice allowed her thoughts to drift further. 

Until...

Knock, knock!!

She sat up abruptly, feeling the blood rush up to her head, dizziness overcoming her at the disturbance. Her head whipped around so she could look at the clock on her wall, and though the walls seemed to be wriggling around her, she began to feel herself grounding once more. It was about 6pm. Who on earth was here at this time? Interrupting her indulgence, oh so late into the evening.

It certainly wasn't any of her friends, they never knocked. 

There was only one other person she could think of, and she hoped to god she was wrong.

Part of her wanted to ignore the knocking, and continue what she was doing in peace.

However, given everything that was happening at the factory, she figured she better answer it, just in case it was something really important. 

So, gathering all of the strength and the little social energy she had left, Justice grabbed her tray of forbidden substance and hid it away, then she turned her music down a little before she headed to the door.