Demigods

One Fiery Night

“The most tangible of all visible mysteries – fire.” ~ Leigh Hunt

Blake stared at the two brands of beer sitting on the shelf as he pondered on which to choose. He sucked his teeth with squinted eyes, riddled with uncertainty. Blake didn’t noticed the man who walked into the store with his eyes darting back and forth between both packs of beer.

The man who had walked in seemed to be nervous which only added to his awkward appearance. He appeared very scruffy with unkempt hair and dirty clothes soaked in perspiration. The storekeeper shot him a suspicious glare as he walked past. The man approached Blake with a pitiful look and a humble gait.

“Hey, man.” He called out to the oblivious Blake.

“Oh. I didn’t notice you there.” Blake replied, backing away slightly.

The man fidgeted. “Could…Could you spare me some change?”

Blake reluctantly dug his hand into his back pocket and pulled out a dollar note. He offered the money to the man, biting down on his lower lip. The strange man suddenly slapped a bracelet onto Blake’s wrist, grabbed the money and bolted out of the store.

“What the f—”

Blake turned to the rapid footsteps approaching from the side of the store. Marcus came rushing up to him, rolling a cart full of toiletries.

“What the hell was that?” Marcus asked. “Did he rob you?”

“No. He just slapped this bracelet onto the hand and ran out.”

Blake studied the bracelet wrapped around his wrist. It was a bronze bracelet with strange inscriptions on it. The inscriptions spread all around the bracelet and converged back at the front of bracelet where an inscription of the sun sat.

“How do I get this shit off?” Blake rhetorically asked.

He rubbed his thumb over the sun on the bracelet and it quickly unclicked, clattering to the ground. He picked it up and studied it even closer.

“Looks like some ancient bracelet with hieroglyphics on it.”

Marcus swiped it in a flash. “Since you don’t need it, I could pawn this for some easy money.”

Blake sighed. “Fine, I really don’t need it.”

The two men stepped out of the store, carrying the things that they had purchased. They climbed into the back of a red Renault Captur SUV. Devin and Oliver sat at the front of the car, chatting between themselves.

Killian, who sat by the driver’s seat spoke first. “What happened in there? A homeless guy just ran out of the store like he just stole something.”

Marcus laughed heartily.

“This homeless dude walks into the store and asks me some change.” Blake began. “I offered him some money and he just shoves this bracelet onto my wrist before running out.”

The others study the bracelet which was now on Marcus’s wrist.

“You could pawn that for some easy money.” Oliver suggested.

“Exactly what I thought.” Marcus concurred.

Blake rolled his eyes. “Great. Devin, please drive.”

The night was still young when they arrived at Devin’s apartment complex which was just a few blocks from the store. The door to Apartment 316 gaped open and the four men walked in, slamming the door behind them.

All four men were sprawled out in the living room, clinging onto half-filled cans of beer. The apartment smelt of lavender laced with the scent of beer. Several art canvas hung over the walls, adding to the stylish bachelor ambience that filled the apartment.