Soul Walker: #ONC Finalist

Mission 18: Covert

Carmine awoke in a bacteria infested stall of the underground club. He was surrounded by mysterious fluids and spills that he did not have any interest in investigating further.

The obscene graffiti that decorated the stall brought on an ear-splitting headache. He felt something wet on his face. He touched it and when he pulled his hand away he realized it was covered in blood, "Damnit."

He did a mental check of his extremities and was answered by a searing pain in his shoulder. It felt like a giant had slowly twisted it out of place. He attempted to move it, but it hung limply at his side. Agony and a cold tingling sensation were at war in his arm. It flipped back and forth between the two. He tried moving his right arm again, nothing happened. "Damnit."

He grabbed his shoulder with his other hand. Took a deep breath and pulled. He screamed with the movement of his shoulder. Too slow. He schooled himself as his shoulder continued to hang uselessly by his side. He eyed the disgusting graffiti-covered stall and grimaced. He took a deep breath and used his good hand to lift his arm in between the stall and the door. he kicked the door shut and held it with his foot. He bit his lip and closed his eyes. He took one more deep breath and jerked his spine. He screamed and felt nausea seize his body, as he contributed. White pain consumed his vision, and then the pain abated. His arm now responded to him, slowly but he was able to move it.

He used his good arm to heave himself up off the floor. He staggered as his head adjusted to the height change and examined his reflection in the mirrors, "he there handsome." He joked with himself as he examined his ashen skin, bloodshot eyes, and a bloody nose.

He grabbed a rough paper towel and soaked it in water. He dabbed it gently at the blood on his face grateful that it had apparently bled itself out while he had been lying unconscious on the ground. He then glanced at his smartwatch it flashed eleven o-five pm. He had been out for several hours. "Crappy club goers." He cursed and spat blood into the mirror. "See a man passed out and bloody on a bathroom floor." He dabbed off the rest of the blood, "and do what?" He spits more red liquid. "Jack shit that's what."

He took a deep breath and shambled his way to the door. Just before he reached for the handle it burst open. Two figures who were utterly enthralled with each other pushed through. They barely noticed him as they slammed their way through the bathroom making suction noises until they found their way into a stall. He rolled his eyes as the moaning began and took his exit.

He pushed into the club. The dancing lasers and technicolor lights played havoc with his vision. He stumbled forward using the wall for support. Searching for two familiar faces. He only found Derrick, without Meg, looking rather stressed on a bar stool. 

Carmine straightened his spine. He scanned the room in an attempt to find Meg among the writhing and twisting bodies. A man pushed past holding his mouth while chanting and pumping his fist. Carmine rolled his eyes and muttered "idiot". He scanned the room again in search of her tell-tale crimson crown of hair. It was nowhere to be found. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he turned back to Derrick. How is it Meg be missing, I am mangled, and he is sitting unaffected?

He walked up to the bar and forced his way into a stool next to Derrick. The man was positively covered in sweat. This place was overcrowded; but, the temperature of the room did not justify his current level of perspiration. This only happened when Derrick was nervous. Carmine looked for other telltale signs. The little tick of his fingers on his knees, check. He also had a way of never making eye contact when he was lying. 

Carmine leaned into his ear "Sup."

Derrick jumped. His breathing hastened. Carmine forced on his best debonair smile. "Have you seen Meg?"

"She left," Derrick's eyes were on the bartender, "met some cute rocker guy and just bounced."

Strike one, He thought. Meg is many things but a bad friend is not one of them. She would not 'bounce' without saying goodbye. Especially not when this night was in celebration of Derrick's recovery. He gave Derrick a knowing grin, "damn that sucks."

"Dude!" Derrick exclaimed, emboldened by Carmine's reaction to his lie."What the heck happened to you?" Derricks eyes were full of genuine concern, but not shock.

"Oh, I was in the mosh pit." Carmine had been navigating the political waters of his father's company for years. He had taken theater in high school and the skills of that endeavor had served him well as an adult. Not well enough. He could see suspicion in Derrick's eyes. Strike two.

Carmine has always felt a pang of pity for his cousin. How could he not? He literally always got the short end of the stick. He watched the tortured boy grow up into the shell of a man he is today. Always flinching at the shadows and cowering in the light. Derrick was never cut out for this world. To no fault of his own, he was never strong enough, and the Elementalist knew that. How could he not? He knew everything.

"If she left why are you still here?" Carmine asked him 'bro to bro' he knew Derrick had a small crush on Meg. One he doubted would ever be reciprocated after this.

"I was enjoying the music," Derrick spoke in a sad attempt at nonchalant. 

Strike three. "Well, I am going to head out. You want to come?" Carmine smiled warmly, he was struggling to mask the lack of sincerity. He knew his eyes were lying. His blood was boiling. There was one thing he did not accept from a friend. He could accept lies. He could accept abandonment his father taught him how to handle that well. He could handle many things, but in his world betrayal was the deadliest of sins.

Derrick shook his head and gestures at a pretty blonde across the room. "Nah bro, I think I'll stick around." He winked at him and elbowed him on his bad arm. Carmine gasped at the movement on his arm but had turned in time for Derrick to not see it. "Coward," the insult was lost in the chaos of the music and drunken patrons. He had to find Meg.

Thank you for reading! I really appreciate any and all comments/votes/shares!