Affinity and Vice

Chapter 1

Being 19 is a lot like getting hit by a bus and living with broken bones that barely function. I would know all about it. My life is always two seconds away from bursting into flames. Why, you might ask? Well, that's because I do not know how to follow instructions. More like I choose not to follow instructions. Whoever said rules are meant to be broken is my idol. My life would be a lot easier if I wasn't like this, but hey, what's a life without risks?

"Peaceful! That's a life without risks," my buddy, Ravi, shouts.

Ravi doesn't know what he's talking about. He's a softy. He's been like that since we were kids. Would never hurt a fly. He would, however, follow me to a dark empty parking lot in the middle of the night to support my out-worldly expeditions. He's a good friend but I could do without the constant whining. Harper, don't do this. Harper, don't do that. Harper, that's dangerous. Harper! You'll get yourself killed. Capitalism already makes me want to jump off the roof. I might as well die doing something I'm passionate about.

"Spying on the council is not a passion," Ravi deadpans.

I beg to differ. Asking questions about the council is forbidden in this town, which is exactly why I'm going to know everything about these wretched invaders.

"Keep your eyes on that window," I say. We are currently hiding in the bushes behind an abandoned parking lot. What's ahead of us is a warehouse, and if we squint our eyes just right, we can clearly see through the window. A yellow light bulb illuminates the space and three men are carrying boxes somewhere.

It's a chilly night. I tighten my jacket for some heat and look at Ravi who is shivering. I almost feel bad for his predicament. If we weren't childhood friends, he would never be here.

"Tell me why we are doing this?" he asks. "The paper won't buy our story anyway. No one in this town will say anything about the council. We can't make any money off of this."

I get his point. And every word he says is true. No one will buy our story, not even the local paper where we work as interns. "We can always sell it to someone outside this town."

We live in small boring town called Hillsville where nothing happens. It's an old-fashioned isolated town surrounded by hills and the forest. People who live here most certainly die here too, no one bats an eyelash to anything, and people go on living their mediocre lives, never stepping out of their comfort zone. All this changed when the mayor of our town decided to invite guests into our land four years ago. Who are they? Where did they come from? No one knows the whole truth. Some say they are divine beings, and of course, in a town like this, divinity is accepted with open arms and without a second thought.

I stand straight to get a better look but Ravi pulls me down.

"Sell it as what? No one will believe us, even if we somehow get proof. People believe the mayor's story anyway."

The official story is that these foreigners, who are governed by their own council, are seeking refuge in our town, and that they will leave some day. But I don't buy it. I would never. Unlike Ravi over here, I am difficult to brain wash.

"Look," I start. "There is something fishy going on here. I know it. I just need to see for myself."

Ravi runs his fingers through his hazel brown short hair. "You have a problem, Harper. You should just let some things go."

"I can't," I say with conviction as I look at him. "No one in this town questions anything."

"And you shouldn't either."

Ravi is a wuss. Ignore him.

Greatness comes from paths that were never taken, which is exactly why we are here in this abandoned parking lot at midnight. My ankles and knees hurt from crouching for so long. But I can't give up. Behind us is a thick forest. We are in the outskirts of town. It's dark, so we are unlikely to get caught, but if anyone sees us, we can simply run into the forest. I know these woods like the back of my hand. Been exploring them since I was a kid though there are certain areas that even I haven't explored.

"What exactly are we looking for?"

My gaze does not waver from the men carrying boxes out of the warehouse. "I don't know. Something unusual."

"There's nothing unusual about this. They are going to tear down this warehouse and use the land to build a hospital."

"A hospital? Isolated from the town? You don't think that's unusual?"

"No. I don't." He holds my arm and forces me to face him. I am no longer in a playful mood after seeing the look on his face. "The council is not to be messed with, Harper. I've heard stories about people who go against them."

I know he's looking out for me. Maybe I should listen to him. "You're right. Maybe they are emptying the warehouse to tear it down. And maybe they will build a hospital. And maybe I'm just over-thinking."

I have gotten desperate lately with the idea of making money. Maybe that's why I keep doing things that others categorize as 'unhinged'.

Ravi nods. "We should go home."

"Yeah," I purse my lips. "You should. I'll stick around for some time."

He looks skeptical. "Are you sure? We have already been here for two hours and nothing has happened."

"Exactly. Nothing happened. A few more minutes won't hurt, right? I need to do this for the peace of my mind." I say. "You should definitely go home though. Get some sleep."

He still looks skeptical. But I know he's tired. We had a long day at work and I shouldn't have dragged him here in the first place. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! Go now."

Ravi takes a few seconds debating what to do in his mind. He lightly pats my shoulder before taking careful steps away from the bushes and into the forest. I watch his fade into the darkness and only hear his faint voice. "See you tomorrow, Harp!"

With that, he is gone. I look at the empty spot next to me. It would be nice to have a partner in crime who is just as passionate as me, but since I don't have any other choice, I shift my focus back on to the window. Ten minutes pass, and then thirty. Nothing happens.

I yawn, feeling my eyelids getting heavy. Checking the time on my wristwatch, I decide to head home. Today is just one of those filler days I guess.

A loud thud.

I look back at the window and see a man being dragged in by two of the men who were carrying boxes. I crouch further into the bushes to stay concealed. The men force the short pudgy man who is being dragged down on a chair in the middle of the room. I must've missed when they brought it in. The man who walked in next would definitely be the story of the town.

Tall, dark hair, lean and muscular, in black clothes and a leather jacket, is none other than Finley. He is popular amongst the girls. A walking Greek god, they call him. He is also the only known face of the council.

If I stick around a little longer, all my dreams might just come true.

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