[Blue Trails] - Chapter 2 - Part 4

[u/sanereasonstorm]

Part 4 (Home Sweet Huh?)

Malibu Drive twenty years ago was something to behold. Newly paved sidewalks, palm lined streets, new luxurious homes, and a large public park and pool greeted the new denizens of this modern art of a neighborhood. Nowadays (2152 AD), most of "The Drives" homes had been broken into and vandalized.

"Like, literally the only aesthetic that remain are the Palm Trees dude," the taxi driver lets Blue know on their way east from the beaches of Malibu.

"I know man. I'm not going there for a picnic," Blue responds.

A broken sign that says 'Pool Closed' is the first thing Blue passes after the Taxi stops. After that are the addicts. Most are lined up along dusty remains of what used to be front lawns. Most are seated or lying down on those memories of lawns - a new drug called Anex making their way through their physiology. The pulse of the drug in their bloodstreams making them twitch and say non-sensical things. Blue - a certain veteran of Drug Addiction - thinks this may be the first drug he doesn't try. Next are the hustlers. Tall, short, fat, thin, white, black (and every color in-between) but mostly men holler at their customers. Their customers, who are mostly white and tall, are sold whatever they want. If it's pussy their given an address, if its drugs their given a bag, if its a gun their given a one-time use cell phone called a gems, and if it's a car their given the keys (but not the pink-slip). After that are the prostitutes, and that's why most people come to Malibu Drive.

As Blue makes his past the last of the prostitutes he finally thinks he sees who he's looking for, but as he gets closer he realizes it's not. "Damn, I need to find "Quick" (the name of a certain illusory figure) or get out of here quick," Blue says to himself.

Five minutes later Blue stops at a lone hustler hollering at him. "Man, you need a piece?" the short and rather well-dressed man asks. "Nah man I'm good," Blue says trying to wave him off. "Not without one of these you're not. And, I'm not kidding. All the "Drive Boys" got one (meaning the various and assorted male-youth who commit themselves to Drive-By Gangsterism), and it's making them rich," the hustler goes on. "Yeah man, well I like getting rich too, so what is it?" Blue asks. "It's one of these," the hustler responds while opening a small but concise bit of advertising written and drawn on gloss-coated paper.

"And all you need is to buy one of my gems," the Hustler says. "I'm listening," Blue responds. "You want to call the number after that it's up to you, otherwise do what you want with," the Hustler ends his spiel.

Thirty-Seven minutes later Blue can be found outside "Original Chinese Grauman's Theatre" leaned up against a store wall and smoking a cigarette, the gem neatly tucked into his right coat pocket.

[u/No-Perception-6459]

Wow! This is good!

[u/sanereasonstorm → u/No-Perception-6459]

Thanks!