Cloud Chasers

sixteen | in search of lost time [pt. two]

The studio was on the seventeenth floor of a large building downtown. They left the door open for him to come in.

He glanced around the dim-lighted room, as he drew in a mix of Chinese food and coffee. From the textured walls to the floor rugs, to the abundance of consoles and screens on the other side of the glass partition, it was as he remembered it to be. Although, this was technically the first time he saw it, and he'd never been to a proper recording studio in his reality.

"If it isn't the man himself," a raspy voice called his attention. A tank top and baggy pants wearing smiley guy approached Chase with one hand holding a coffee mug and the other held out to him.

Chase shook it, eyes fixed on him until his mind installed every single memory of the band; all they'd been through, all its members, all its names and inside jokes. "Josh," he said to the guy he now knew was the drummer, returning the smile.

"Where in the hell have you been?" Josh asked, swiping his pink-dyed hair away from his face. "You were supposed to be here, yesterday, but you went m.i.a."

"I was in an accident," Chase said, scratching the back of his head.

"An accident?" a deep voice spoke from his right. He turned around to find Blake, the bearded coworker from the vape shop, who in this reality was the band's bassist. "Christ, you alright?" he said, patting his shoulder.

"I'm alright, yes," Chase said, taking in Blake's faux leather overcoat on colorful shirt style. "But it could've been fatal," he said with a smirk.

"Or maybe it was and you're just Chase's evil clone," a high voice said from behind. Chase turned along with his quivering insides. The band's other vocalist, the shortest one of the bunch, in a yellow rain coat that matched his hair color, stared with his dark brown eyes. "On a more serious note, I'm glad you're okay, Chase," he said with a nod.

"Thanks, Ryder," he said, silently sighing.

"Let's get to work, shall we?" Blake said with a clap.

"Guys," Chase said, staring into space while standing still in the middle of the room. He examined his memories, tried to make sense out of all the information he was getting. He reran some of the facts in his mind. "Seriously? We couldn't find a better name than 'the Chase Journey Experience'?" he asked, baffled.

"Well, what's wrong with it?" Ryder asked, frowning. "It's Xperience, with the X," he drew an imaginary X with his hand, "The Chase Journey Xperience. CJX, for short."

Chase cringed. "I don't like it, man. It's not original."

"Who else ever used such a name before?" Ryder asked.

"Well, hello? Jimi Hendrix?" Chase said, shaking his head in disbelief.

He ran his eyes through the room and saw all three of them with puzzled expressions. He examined his mind. He had memories of Jimi Hendrix, but they were probably all from his reality. "Never mind," he said. "We need something more inclusive of the whole band. I don't want to make this all about me."

"I don't get it," Blake said, pointing a finger at him. "You've been fine with the name, all this time. What's changed, today?"

Chase bit his lip. "Well, yesterday's accident. It was an eye-opening experience, you know? And, good lord, I don't mean an xperience," he mocked. "It was, like, an epiphany. We need a better name."

"Well, you're the boss. What do you suggest, then?" said Josh.

Chase shook his head. "I'm not the boss. Stop thinking like that. We're a group. You're not my subordinates." They were all frowning, but there was a hint of a smile on Ryder's lips. "How about, Hiraeth," Chase said.