Mirror Majesty

23: Of Secret Societies and S.O.C. Parties-- MARCUS

Despite there being live footage, hundreds of videos, and eye witness accounts, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Event so named by internet trends as #GobbleGate was believed by most of the world to be an elaborate government hoax. Yet, amongst the scrutiny and the attempts to disprove the videos and accounts, people's imaginations ran wild.

Parody music videos, memes, and the occasional end of the world rant fueled the minds of the young and old. Aliens were a popular topic across social media. Many calling the event the first contact with an unknown cosmic race. The President even made a formal address ensuring the world that the news was fake and nothing appeared in the skies over New York. And like with all strange occurrences that had no meaning in rational thought, those present during the event began to doubt their own experience, some coming forward saying they imagined the whole thing. Perhaps, they did believe what they saw but that type of thinking never made anyone famous. It only made you crazy.

Marcus parked his car in a gravel parking lot somewhere in downtown Beaumont. The radio host had a caller who claimed to be at the event that morning.

"So you were there?" said the radio host. "What did you see?"

"I saw the same thing everyone else saw. Nothing but blue skies."

"But what about all that shattered glass and all the video footage? Surely that is proof enough something happened."

"Nope. Fake news. I hear some people were paid to scream and run to create mass hysteria."

"That seems unlikely," said the radio host.

"You know what also seems unlikely," said the guest sarcastically, "the sky opening up. That's crazy talk. I was there."

Marcus turned off the radio. His finger hovering over the button as if waiting for it to turn back on. Nancy sitting in the passenger side seat glared out the window and winced at the place around them.

"There is nothing nice about this part of the city. Old, dingy, and falling apart. Why did we come here again?"

Marcus sighed and turned off the car engine.

"Because, Nancy, this is the location Brice said to meet for the SOC party. You want to learn more about what's going on do you?"

"Yeah, yeah," she snorted. "I still can't believe I agreed to this adventure. To think I could be shopping with my friends or going to the movies. Instead I'm going to some lame party to meet with a bunch of nerds."

Marcus shot Nancy an irritable look.

"You need to get off your high horse and start taking this seriously. You saw what happened this morning in New York. You heard what everyone is saying."

"They are saying it was a hoax."

"It's real, Nancy, and you know that." Marcus grabbed his sweater from the back seat. "It's the same thing that's been happening here and that time in Los Angeles. Whatever Hope started is affecting everywhere. This is big and it's just gonna get worse."

"And unfortunately for us, we are caught in the middle of it. I just want to forget about it. Go back to our old lives." Nancy dropped her chin to her chest. "I knew I should have taken the shortcut that day. If I never saw Hope disappear I wouldn't know about any of this. I'd be safe at home with no crazed secret agents chasing after me."

"I consider it to be luck," said Marcus checking the time on his phone. "It's a chance of a lifetime. I mean... we got to learn that magic is real."

"Yeah," said Nancy rolling her eyes. "What a treat."

Suddenly a hand knocked on the passenger side window. Nancy shrieked and flailed her arms. It was Jorge and Laura. Nancy opened the door and jumped out.