1000th Anniversary

Chapter 2: Chemist

But I'm not sure I can think straight anymore... Does the treatment wear off? And if so, did Dr. Lorenzo know? What else is he hiding from us? My head is spiraling with conspiracies, but Jase breaks me out of my thoughts with a loud, "PAISLEY!!"

"What do you want!! I'm thinking." I shout in his face.

"What do you mean you're thinking?" He says mockingly, "You just cut your hand!! CUT!! That's not supposed to be possible!" He explains gesturing to my hand.

"I know, I know." I mumble. I'm in a state of shock... Disbelief... Astonishment... I don't think I can find a word that can really show the unbelievable situation I'm in. The biggest "law" in my life, in everyone's life, just broke... What am I supposed to do in a situation like this? Panic, worry, cry?

Bing! A notification from my phone, it reads... "Dear people of the world, I have gotten several reports of treatment malfunction, and it seems it is starting to wear off. I had no idea this was a possibility and I apologize to everyone for this detrimental mistake. I'm afraid we only have about a week or so before the treatment wears off fully, and we go extinct. So please, say goodbye to your loved ones and make the most of the time you have left. But I'm afraid if you're working for Lorenzo factories, you still cannot leave the workplace. Cheers, and goodbye.

Sincerely, Dr. Lorenzo."

"That no good son of a-"

"Paisley!" Jase shouts cutting me off. "It's not his fault, he didn't know."

"Yeah, yeah, but did you read what he said at the end!? 'I'm afraid if you're working for Lorenzo factories, you still cannot leave the workplace'!?!?" I explain angrily "It's the end of the world and he's still making them work like slaves!"

"Well we both know the system they've created for factory workers is unjust, that's why we left, remember?" Jase explains.

"Yeah but it's just crazy to me that they make such an unjust system knowing that almost 80% of the world has to follow it," I explain, shaking my head in disappointment.

"Well that's why we're outlaws, criminals, 'bad guys'," He says sarcastically. "We don't follow their rules!"

"You're so cheesy, I swear," I sigh. "But not wanting to be a slave in a factory shouldn't make us criminals," I protest.

"Well it did, and there's nothing we can do about it. We chose this life, now we got to live it." He shrugs.

"Yeah I guess, but we're not gonna have a life to live for very long," I say. "Oh yeah, that's true." He replies sheepishly. "I reckon we do something about this! We can't just let the human population die," I protest.

"I mean... we can..." Jase mumbles.

"Jase. No." I say firmly. "Anyway, you're the smart one here, make a potion or treatment or whatever to revert everyone back to normal," I ask.

"I'm not a chemist, I'm an engineer," He answers, sounding a bit offended. "But I know I guy you might be able to help," He mumbles quietly.

"You do!!" I ask, excited.

"Yeah..." He starts, "But he... well he doesn't like me much,"

"Why? What did you do?" I question, raising an eyebrow.

"Well... You were asking where I got the seriah from, and... I may or m-may not have stolen some from him." He stutters.

"Jaseeeeee," I whine.

"It's fine, I'm sure if I apologize, he's gonna be cool... maybe, possibly, perhaps, probably... not." He stammers.

"Well, if he can help us we have to go. I don't care about your beef with him,"

"Okay..." He agrees, walking off towards the stairway up.

"Wait, wait, wait," I stammer, reaching my hand for his shoulder, "You're not gonna tell me anything about this guy before we go off and ask him for help?"
"I did tell you 'something about this guy'," he remarks. "He's a chemist, and I stole from him."

"Well duh! I mean general info, like his name and stuff," I explain.

"Oh yeah, his name's Ezray, he's a criminal, and he has this like really weird obsession with collecting dolls," he ranted, waving me off and walking back towards the stairway.

"Ah okay good to know... Though that last part was a bit unnecessary," I add.

"You said general information. Him being a generally creepy dude is something I thought I would add," He chuckles. I give him an eye roll, then walk off with him up the stairs back into the alley. It's night already? I think to myself. Well, I guess I've gotten used to that. Used to time. How hours mush together, how days can feel like weeks, but years can feel like seconds. Time feels... well, nonexistent, after living this long. It feels like a match that's always lit but never burning. Like-

"Pais, snap out of it!" Jase snaps again breaking my train of thought.

"Sorry, sorry," I apologize. "Where is this Ezray guy, anyway?" I ask.

"Not too far from here, actually. He lives in the sewers right next to where Sally's Donuts used to be." He explains.

"Ah, okay. That's gonna take us like what, 12 or so minutes to get there on foot?" I ask.

"Mhm!" He responds.

"Oh shoot- wait, we need to get our mask!" I gasp. "We're fricking criminals remember? What if someone recognizes us?"

"Oh shoot, you're right-" He agreed, Running back down to go grab our ski masks. I sit on the railing next to the stairs while I wait. Remembering what happened the last time we got caught. The silent drive to the prison was worse than the silence in the cell itself.

"AHHHH!!!" I hear Jase howl from down the stairway.

"Everything okay down there!?" I ask, startled by the sudden sound.

... No reply

"EVERYTHING OKAY DOWN THERE!?!?!" I repete, much louder than before.
Silence..... Panic courses through my body. I know nothing bad has happened to him... So why Isn't he responding?