Pursuing Nirvana.

f i f t e e n

The sleek black Mercedes pulled up a smooth concrete driveway, coming to a halt near the house. Jesse, who now seemed to be uncomfortable with the plan, exchanged glances with Tobias before stepping out of the car.

Grasping the silver handle, I pushed the car door open and hopped out, jogging to catch up with Jesse and Tobias who already almost at the top of the driveway. Crickets chirped aggressively from the nearby forest, as the sky was painted with the vibrant colors of a setting sun. The drive here must have taken a long while, for it was only mid-morning when we had arrived at the prison.

Jesse stared at his shoes as he walked, his eyebrows arched in deep thought. Clearly, he no longer had any faith in this plan. The disturbing part was that Tobias still did.

"Who's house is this?" I asked, joining the boys on the front porch

As usual, Tobias replied with an annoyed roll of the eyes while he fumbled around in his pocket.

Jesse turned to me with sad eyes, "Cody's."

Chills ran down my spine as the memories flooded back. As much as I wish it were possible, there's no way to bring Cody back. So it seems rather peculiar for us to be here, what could he possibly need from a dead guy's house?

Tobias grinned eerily as he located the object he'd been searching for. Pulling out a rather elegant key, he unlocked the front door of the house and pushed it open.

I shot a nervous glance towards Jesse, who returned it in seconds.

"How does he have a key to Cody's house?" I whispered, stepping closer to Jesse.

"They were roommates," Jesse replied, swallowing hard.

I nodded sharply before following Tobias through the doorway, Jesse on my heels.

........

Cody's house was incredibly charming, and it was clear that he was the most affluent out of the bunch. We entered the living room, filled with suave cream white furniture. A modern glass coffee table stood in the center, with a plush black rug underneath.

Past the living room there was a narrow hallway, through which Tobias hurried down and disappeared into a room. Jesse and I followed apprehensively to find that he'd entered a bedroom.

The bedroom was simple, a queen size bed stood in the corner of the room covered with a solid white comforter and pillows. The walls wore a couple tour posters from bands I'd never heard of, probably obscure indie music. A wide flatscreen hung on the wall across from the bed. Other than a couple pairs of jeans and some t-shirts scattered on the floor, the room was bare.

Tobias kneeled down by the bed and lifted up the mattress, reaching an arm far underneath. Minutes passed before he pulled out a large black trash bag, almost filled to the brim.

"Toby," Jesse cautioned,"You don't have to do this, man, there are other ways."

"I know I don't have to," Tobias retorted,"But I will."

Jesse ran his hands through his hair angrily, throwing his head back and muttering profanities.

"What is that?" I asked meekly.