Lifespan Deathwatch

[Damien McEwan]

After setting down at one of Manhattan's Spaceports, Joaquin, Keighley, Alia and Jaina pile out of the ship and take a train ride to an area of town called 'Deep Ellum.'

Once the quad reach street level, Joaquin Turns to Jaina and pulls out a pineal crystal and holds it in front of her.

He speaks warmly to her as a close friend, but beneath it, is the tone of a teacher instructing his student.

"This is yours now." he says. "Couple it on the ring with your store key, and always keep it with you until the day you die...Do you understand?

"Yes."

"We need you to say the words."

"This stone and the key are mine now," she repeats in her own words, "and I will keep them warm until the moment I die and turn cold."

Joaquin smiles and says, "Now. Close your eyes, forget all of your thoughts, and open your mind."

Jaina takes a deep breath, slowly exhales and does as instructed.

He presses the pineal crystal to her forehead, just above her eyes, and continues:

"Allow this world to speak to your heart and trust it to guide you...and always remember: Everything is connected."

He takes her hand, places the crystal into her palm and closes her fingers around it.

"Aaaand...that's it." he says with a shrug.

Jaina opens her eyes and the other two women erupt with cheers, hugs, hoots and hollers of congratulations.

"I wish I could stay," Joaquin said, when his turn to hug her came around, "but the store gets mad at me if I keep her closed for too long."

"Oh, bulls**t!" she said without letting him go.

"He's serious, actually." said Keighley, waving her blonde hair off of her face.

"No!...REALLY??"

"As a heart attack in the middle of nowhere." Alia confirmed.

Jaina released him and said, "Alright then...weird, but alright."

"You girls go have a great time. Stay for as long as you like, and I'll see you all back home."

With that, he turned, descended back down the steps into the subway and was gone.

------

"OK Girl! This day is all you." Keighley said brightly. "What happens now?"

Jaina closed her eyes and lifted her head upwards, taking in her surroundings and forgetting all of her thoughts.

Off in the distance, she could hear the mantra of a street vendor:

"HOT DOGS! GET GET YOUR HOT DOGS HERE! MY KIDS CAN'T CLOTHE THEMSELVES! GET ON OVER HERE AND HAVE A HOT DOG!"

"There. We go that way."

When the trio got there, she bought a hot dog like a proper tourist and took a bite.

It was nothing like she hoped it would be.

She chewed, made a face that silently said, 'eww' and spit out the nasty glob into a dustbin by the wall. Looking up as she was wiping her mouth, she saw a flier posted of her favorite band playing a gig in the club right next to them.

And that's where they went next.

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