Eating my experiences (11)

TOME 12

Alex and I calmly approached the door of the pharmacy to ask the guard at the door a question "I need a med, how do I get my hands on an inhaler?" He glances at me as if he forgot where he was before fumbling for an answer.

"Oh...u...uh... Go to the pharmacy counter and ask." I felt he was the right person to press about his boss, about how to find them, as he seems to lack inhibition.

"So, I was also wondering, how do I give your boss a gift? I wanna get in their good graces." I've taken up the body language I often used to flirt, uncomfortably close to him, able to smell the whisky on his breath. Perfect.

"Oh, yeah, she lives in the 1010 pacific apartments, you can gift her there." I hadn't initially noticed the slur in his voice, but now I cannot unhear it, something I am glad of, were he not drunk he likely would have stopped himself short of giving me so much information. Unless this is a trap I hear in Gabe's voice, despite having left his head at home for safe keeping, something that throws my world off its axis. I press through the door, planting a small kiss on the bewildered guard, causing Alex to look over inquisitively.

"Gotta do what we can, right? Sometimes the very thing that puts me in dangers way, keeps safe as well." I say so casually it scares me. We are now standing in front of the pharmacy counter where I ask the armed man in a white coat "How do I get an albuterol inhaler? I have asthma" with a weak smile as I fear what price may come.

"Eh, honestly, just take it, there's not much value now, most the asthmatics died out, and it's not a psych med, so I don't really care." He had the airs of someone who was born with apathy, his light eyes half closed and shaded by his eye lashes.

"Th-thanks?" I say confused as he hands me three inhalers of various makes after disappearing for a mere moment.

"Honestly, we have way too many of these." are his final words before slowly lighting a joint while holding his cold eyes on mine. We began rushing back out the door, where I hope while holding my breath, fearing the front would be swarmed with guards when we got there, but instead there are still two, one on each side of the door. The guard I had ignored turned to me to purse her lips into a kiss before yelling in my wake

"What? No kiss for me, precious?" with a slither in her voice. I choose to ignore it, disappearing into the parking lot around the corner.

"Hurry up, Alex, I think I know where we're going, but we need to get far away from that woman, I have a bad feeling otherwise." We practically ran to the apartment complex, where I found the door locked and guarded. I would need to figure out a way into the complex, so I decide to play the part of a salesperson. I will be a weed dealer.

"Hello, I am here to see the boss about supplying the forces with weed. No cost of course, but I would like to barter for a guard with the leader, sound fair?" I spout in my best customer service voice.

"Hmmm, well, she'd probably be about that, actually, everyone is running out...alright go up" The man to the side, who was leaning against the wall said, unlocking the door "but just know, she will see through any ill will you may have." he added with a toothy smile, showing off his tongue piecing as it glittered in the sun. Alex and I walk into the lobby of the large apartment complex, daunted by the size of it all.

"Wait? What apartment?" I call out to the guards, a question in my voice

"The third floor" called the other guard as the door swung shut.

"Oookay? So the WHOLE third floor, in that case, let's do this thing" I mutter looking around the enormity of the ground floor. Alex nods, assumedly thinking the same thing as I am, isn't the whole third floor a bit...large? We start by wandering around until we find a map of the building that hasn't been completely scribbled out on the second floor, where we learn there are four staircases one on each wall of the floors. Each floor was more or less set up the same, with the open walkways creating a plus sign with the stairs being at the outside edges of the walkways. Each floor also seemed to have about 24 apartments and a storage area.

I scribbled the layout of the third floor, hoping to be able to escape with Zach. Alex and I crept up towards the third floor only to hear someone coming down. Crap. We chose to continue on, noting it would make us seem suspicious were we to turn around now. I steadied myself as I rounded to corner to see...Zach? Holding an embossed silver tray, his long curly hair falling across his cheeks.

"What? Zach? Why? What? Why are you here, I mean like just walking around." I don't think I had ever been more confused in my life.

"HAH! Nice to see you too!" He giggled as he scoops me off my feet with a sturdy hug. A hug I had missed. I hug him back, as my spine pops into place amidst his arms, when he sets me down, I see his kind brown eyes which fill me with joy. "Anyway, the boss thought I was cute, so I get certain liberties, like showers, and being able to walk around here as long as I do what she says." This sounds about right, women have always flocked to the comfort of his soul. During "regular life" he would be cut off due to the jealousy of their lovers. Something that always bothered the two of us.

"Okay, do you want to come back with us though?" I am suddenly fearing that he may wish to stay. "Just so you know Sarah and Gabe are dead." I add rapidly.

"Haha of course! I love you, let's get out of here!" The smile across his full lips is infectious and I find myself smiling brightly into his face, hoping we make it home in one piece, but getting out of here with the boss's prized possession would be easier said than done.

TO BE CONTINUED...