Specific Speculation: 2024 Smack Down Antology

Qualifying round

Tw: Mention of drug use (weed) & some swear words. Just putting this here just in case so no one can come to me telling I didn't warn them. No, I do not promote drug use.
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A loud slam of the door. Billy has finally arrived. Of course, an hour later than scheduled. But we are expecting nothing less of him.

"Guys," he than announces himself as he finally comes down the basement. We all turn our heads to him. He looks puzzled. Distressed, even. His eyes are no longer filled with drug caused wonder.

They are still red though, so he has definitely smoked some.

"I just saw the weirdest shit on my way here".

He just stands there, arms limp. Not quite staring into the abyss, but definitely not focussed on anything in the room.

"You sure you're not just halucinating?" Carlos teases, his grin wide.

"Listen, I know I might've smoked some but-"

"Some?" Lola pitches in, "Bitch, you're high as balls like usually".

Billy ignores Lola's judgemental face.

"I promise I am not halucinating. Now let me finish my story for fucks sake!".

Both Carlos and Lola put up their hands in defence, but remain silent.

"You know that vague alley we use as shortcut during the day? Because it gives creepy vibes after sundown?"

We either hum or nod in agreement.

"Well, I passed through anyway because I didn't wanna be more late than I already was. And when I walked through, like, nothing was there. No trashcontainers, no broken streetlamp, nothing. Only these, like, cubes that lit up? They seemed to be in the places of everything else".

We all stay silent, not sure what to do with Billy's story. Honestly, it seems to specific to be halucinations. Maybe he is just fucking with us. But on the other hand, I have never smoked weed. So I don't know how halucinations are supposed to be. I can't help to raise my eyebrows at this. And the others look just as skeptical.

"The doors from those buildings had disappeared and I swear I saw one of the walls vanish for like, a second", he then adds. He seems less convinced in himself by every word he utters.

We, too, lose more faith the longer he speaks. I will, however, not waste this opportunity to get free beer out this.

"How much do you want to bet it's still there when we look," I ask, my sly smile creeping its way into my voice.

"Aramis," Loki stops me before Billy can answer, using my full name rather than my nickname I go by. Her piercing green eyes look at me sternly. "We have to think about this properly. We need something we all enjoy.

"When we win, you'll get us a crate of beer," I begin. I look over at Lola, who doesn't like beer. Her face looks unamused, but although that is how she always looks, it is now directed at me.

"If you lose," I then quickly continue, trying to make my plan clear to the others. Lola's eyes immediatly light up.

"If you lose, you'll quit weed".

Billy thinks about the offer. For quite a while. Shit. He might see through my little joke.

Then he extends his hand toward me. "Deal!".

We all scramble enthousiasticallg towards the alley. But when we arive, we are at awe.

The alley is dark, as usual. But the rest is immensely different. It is empty. Not even a stubborn dandelion growing through the smallest crack in the asphalt. Only weird seethrough cubes lit orange. If you see closely, sometimes the wall flicker, as if they glitch.