Exploring Centralia: Chapter 1

Description: this is a fart fetish novel based on the hypothetical scenario of what would happen if the only law prohibited people to do or say something to others or to their property against their consent, while allowing everything else.

Chapter 1: A Smelly Start

...

Tree City, Centralia. January 1, 2020 (Wednesday).

Miyoko and Lauren were having lunch together happily, when suddenly Lauren was feeling a bit gassy.

"I need to fart", she said, giggling.

"Go ahead let me see what you can do", said Miyoko.

*pppfffsssttt*

A silent but deadly fart like a thick noxious stinky fog spread across the room. It was very stinky by human standards, but Miyoko could somehow handle it, even though she wanted to gag a little but she wanted to show her endurance to smelly farts. That fart was so smelly normal people would immediately leave the room, but it was pretty mild by Lauren's standards. The stench spread across the room, turning it into a stinky hell. There was no way an average person could have lasted more than one minute, as it was simply too smelly for an average nose.

"You must have an iron nose to handle my farts, even though this one wasn't that bad!", said Lauren, surprised by the fact Miyoko was (apparently) not affected by the noxious eggy stench.

"I've done worse than that", said Miyoko.

"I mean, me too, in fact this one was a rose compared to the ones I do during bad days", said Lauren, giggling.

(Wow, if that's true, she's very good at farting), thought Miyoko.

"So, what should we do now? I'm getting bored", asked Miyoko, who just finished her lunch.

"I don't know", said Lauren.

(Good), thought Miyoko sarcastically.

It was probably going to be a long boring day as usual.

"Are you gassy right now?", asked Lauren.

"No, not now, maybe later", said Miyoko.

Miyoko and Lauren were laying on a couch (scope disambiguation: each is laying on a different couch) and looked at the ceiling doing absolutely nothing. Neither was asking herself why life is so boring. At least they kept each other company and weren't as lonely as other people in the country.

Nothing much happened, their thoughts were mostly empty, and looking at the ceiling did nothing to inspire them. This was definitely going to be a long boring day. Boring but not lonely, because Lauren had Miyoko near her, and Miyoko had Lauren, they just weren't talking or doing anything. Most days were as boring as today, so they were used to it, even though Miyoko was getting tired of this emptiness she was feeling inside. She wanted to do actually something.

"Hey Lauren, what if we do something? I mean, anything", said Miyoko, who just got tired at looking at the ceiling.

"What do you want to do?", asked Lauren.

"Like, living an adventure like the ones of the books I read", said Miyoko. Lauren laughed.

"I'm sorry friend, I think you read too many fantasy novels", said Lauren.

"I mean, there has to be something interesting to do, we can't look at the ceiling all day", said Miyoko.

"We definitely can", said Lauren.

"I refuse to do it, I'm leaving", said Miyoko, getting up from the couch.

(Okay), Lauren thought.

Miyoko went outside in the "streets" and got sad, because even though she was surrounded by hundreds of people, still she felt alone, because they had such neutral relationships with her, their expressions were cold. She realized she can't live an adventure alone, so she returned in her home with Lauren.

"How was your adventure then?", asked Lauren.

"I still haven't, I need you to be around", said Miyoko.

"Uhm, okay", said Lauren, getting ready to go outside.

They both went outside, hoping something would happen. They walked around the "streets" and Lauren noticed it was full of things to do.

"So, perhaps you were right", said Lauren.

"I told you!", said Miyoko, smiling excited.

"What do you want to do?", asked Lauren.

"I want to live an adventure", said Miyoko.

"What kind of adventure?", asked Lauren.

"Let's party!", said Miyoko.

(Okay), thought Lauren.

Sadly, they didn't know where the party was, and also didn't know whether they would have been welcomed or not. They were just walking around and choosing something to do that both agreed it was the right thing to do. Most things seemed boring to them, especially to Miyoko, who wanted to live a real adventure. Reality can be much more underwhelming than fiction anyway. Miyoko didn't know which kind of adventure she wanted to live. She was feeling hopeless, knowing her life would always been boring and meaningless. She kinda wanted to return home and look at the ceiling again, but she knew that was not the right thing to do. She wanted to have a purpose in her life, something to look forward to everyday, and finally she'll be happy.

"Let's just walk around, we'll have an idea eventually", said Miyoko.

"Okay", said Lauren.

They kept walking around looking at the hotels, restaurants and markets. It looked like there was nothing much to do after all, so, what did characters in fantasy books do anyway? They fight against evil overpowered bosses and live adventures with their allies, using their swords and magic. Miyoko knew that was not possible in real life so she kept her expectations low. Miyoko wasn't that bored now, but she felt something interesting was missing from her life. She wanted to fully enjoy what the country had to offer instead of looking at the ceiling all day.

"It looks like we can only eat and work", said Miyoko, disappointed.

"We can have fun anyway", said Lauren.

"How?", asked Miyoko.

"I'll think of something, let's just walk and look at the city for now", said Lauren.

"That's fine", said Miyoko.

Actually, Miyoko was feeling alright walking through the city with Lauren, even though she wasn't doing anything special. Perhaps staying with a friend feels good even if you don't do anything.

Everyone seemed in a hurry, and Miyoko wondered where all those people were going, and why they were hurrying so much. She asked herself why can't people just relax and enjoy their lives, but probably there's nothing anyone can do about that. She hoped for a bright future for herself and that she'll live interesting adventures soon, but that's the best-case scenario, reality is much harsher than that. She knew she would have found a boring job and live a miserable and meaningless life. She was feeling hopeless.

"I used to feel happy many years ago, but now everything seems to have lost its magic", said Miyoko, disappointed.

"Don't worry, the magic never dies!", said Lauren, smiling.

"I hope so", said Miyoko, keeping walking in the "streets", trying to smile but not so successfully. She thought there was something magic in being young, that eventually fades away as one gets older. She hoped Lauren could make Miyoko find the magic back. When Miyoko was a child she used to look at the night sky and wonder about how was life like in other planets. She wanted to go to the other planets but only the astronauts could go there with expensive technology. Miyoko sat down on a rock with Lauren, she sighed and Lauren was rubbing her back to comfort her. Miyoko smiled and looked at the overcast grey sky, wondering what's beyond the sky, and how many worlds are there. Surely at least nine thousands.

"What now?", asked Miyoko.

"I have an idea to get some money", said Lauren, giggling.

"That is?", asked Miyoko.

"We'll tell people, that they can smell our farts, if they can handle it, they get one gold coin, if they can't handle it, we get a silver coin. They'll think it's a good deal and we'll get rich. I have a gold coin", said Lauren.

"What if that person can handle your gas?", asked Miyoko, worried.

"Then it's over, but at least we tried!", said Lauren, excited.

Miyoko sighed. "Yeah, we can try", she said.

Lauren started writing on a giant sign and was standing still on a square. People were looking at her and ignoring her after they read that sign. It looked like there was no use: no one wanted to smell farts.

"So, it's been like, 7 minutes, and no one has shown up", said Miyoko, hopeless.

"Let's wait", said Lauren, smiling.

They were waiting for minutes, but no one was showing up, and Miyoko's hope was fading away, while Lauren was excited and daydreaming about money.

One gold coin is the equivalent of 10 silver coins, and of 100 copper coins. Possessing one gold coin means you can buy one item considered "for rich people". Miyoko was really afraid to lose that coin: she wanted to buy a PlayPort with it. At least she could have had some fun in a so boring world. Miyoko thought, that Lauren could at least increase the reward: one silver coin is definitely not much. But Lauren knew what she was doing. Or at least she thought so. In a world where people are divided by economical status, there's no equality. "What if everyone had the same income, and private property were abolished?", questioned Miyoko to herself. She wanted a world like that, where there's no poor or rich. That would be heaven for her (or that's what she thought). In the meanwhile, a total of 14 minutes have passed and no one has shown up yet. Miyoko has lost all her hope. She was a bit hungry and wanted to eat ramen. Lauren was also a bit hungry and wanted to eat broccoli and beans.

Suddenly, a person show up.

"Hello", said the person.

"Hi! Do you want to try this challenge?~", asked Lauren, smiling mischievously.

"Sure, we can start", said the guy.

"Wait... how old are you? I need to be sure you're old enough", said Lauren, a bit worried.

"I'm 17 years old", said the guy.

"I'm sorry but, you're too young!", said Lauren, proud.

"The age of consent is 13 here", said the guy.

"Please, be serious", said Lauren, rolling her eyes.

"It's true", said the guy.

"Don't joke", said Lauren.

"Ehm... Lauren... he's right. There has been a debate of what should be the age of consent in Tree City. Some said it should be set at 18, but most opposed, because the desire for sex starts at a much younger age. Animals cannot agree to sex with humans", explained Miyoko.

"That's right", said the guy.

"Doesn't this cause problems?", asked Lauren, confused.

"Are you new here?", asked the guy.

"This country is governed a strange ideology: basically you can do everything you want, except doing or saying something to others against their will", explained Miyoko.

"Everything? What about incest?", asked Lauren, curious.

"Why would incest be illegal? And we need to start the challenge", said the guy.

"That's okay", Lauren sighed, "Come here, put your nose in my ass"

The guy did what Lauren said: he hoped Lauren's farts wouldn't smell that bad so that he could get that gold coin.

*pppbbbfffrrrttt*

A stinky nostril-assaulting stench went right on that guy's nose. He started gagging and had to surrender to the stench, putting his head away. He gave Lauren a silver coin and said:"I didn't expect it to smell that bad", and walked away.

"I won!", said Lauren, proudly.

Miyoko smiled and touched Lauren's shoulder in sign of approval.

"Another 9 and we'll have two golden coins!", said Lauren, happy.

"Be careful, though, if any person can stand the smell, you'll lose one golden coin. It's pretty risky", said Miyoko.

"Nah... nobody can handle the smell of my farts", said Lauren, proudly.

"But we could still be unlucky", said Miyoko.

"You have a pessimistic attitude, cheer up!", said Lauren, smiling.

They were waiting still on a square: Miyoko was hopeful while Lauren was certain, that they'll reach two gold coins eventually. Only time will reveal the truth and who was right.

Miyoko was still feeling empty inside: this was not the kind of adventure she wanted to experience. She wanted to do something real fun but she didn't know what exactly she wanted to do: she was thinking about the tales she read as a child, she wanted to be a hero and save the world, but from what? She couldn't define "evil" in a satisfactory way, and even if she could, she wouldn't have been able to locate it in spatio-temporal coordinates. She was thinking, that perhaps watching people smell Lauren's flatulence was the most adventurous thing she herself could ever do. But did Miyoko hold the opinion, that her adventure was epic enough? Certainly not.

"Are you having fun?", asked Miyoko.

"A little, but the real fun is yet to come!", said Lauren, excited.

Miyoko really hoped, that she herself could have fun, but she was getting bored.

"I'm getting bored", said Miyoko.

"Don't worry, you'll have fun eventually", said Lauren, smiling.

"Hopefully", said Miyoko, shrugging.

They kept waiting but no one seemed interested in smelling Lauren's farts. Everyone ignored the two girls, "how come?", thought Lauren, because she thought, that people thought, that it would have been a nice chance for them to win a gold coin. She thought, that perhaps the offer didn't look enticing enough.

"Perhaps I'm doing something wrong", said Lauren, confused.

"No, it's just, people don't want to do it", said Miyoko.

"Hmm...", mumbled Miyoko, thinking.

"There's nothing we can do", said Miyoko.

Miyoko thought, that money can't buy happiness, but it can definitely help finding new adventures, therefore she would have liked to have a good amount of money. However, she didn't know a good way to get money fast, but that was obvious, if there was a way, everyone would be rich.

Lauren was waiting for 28 minutes but no one show up, meaning she was getting less money per hour than in an average job. She was starting to fail to see a point in doing that, but perhaps the reason was that deep inside she loved to make others smell her farts, as opposed to doing a normal job. Perhaps having fun was worth getting less money. She didn't know whether she wanted to be that rich, but two gold coins are definitely something to be proud of, so she decided to continue doing that until she would reach that goal. Living in Centralia was a bit boring for both Lauren and Miyoko, and perhaps there were a few people who thought living there was fun, but Lauren started to understand that doing something with someone else is more fun than doing it alone. People are social creatures, after all, and in solitude they perish.

"Hello", said a young girl.

Lauren was a bit startled.

"Oh... are you here to smell my farts?~", said Lauren, grinning and ready to receive another silver coin.

"Sure", said the girl, smiling.

"You seem a bit young, how old are you?", asked Lauren, a bit worried.

"I'm 15 years old", said the girl.

"Oh, okay. I assume it's not against the law if you smell my farts", said Lauren, proud of her newly acquired knowledge.

"Why should it be?", said the girl, smiling.

"Back where I lived, it definitely would have been illegal", said Lauren.

"Why?", asked the girl.

"The government set the age of consent at 18 years old", explained Lauren, as she still had to get used to this weird culture.

"I see. But here in Tree City it's legal, so don't worry, we can do this if you consent, as long as both are above 13", explained the girl, smiling.

"Ok-kay then...", said Lauren, still a bit worried.

"Can I put my nose in your ass?", asked the girl.

"S-sure", said Lauren, nervous.

The young girl did that and Lauren let out a rancid fart.

*pppbbbfffsssttt*

The girl couldn't stand the smell of hot putrid broccoli and put her head away to breathe in fresh air, then gave Lauren one silver coin.

"I hope you're happy now", said the girl, smiling and slowly walking away.

Lauren was indeed feeling happy, with 2 silver coins being earned in a relatively short amount of time.

"My gas is deadly", said Lauren, grinning proudly.

Miyoko was feeling like the adventure she and her friend were living was not that epic. She wanted to feel important and do something that would change the lives of today's people's descendants. But how is it possible to do such a fantasy thing in the country? Better stay focused on real life and not imagination. Miyoko knew what was the problem: she wanted to be a hero but the country she was living in was as peaceful as ever. She then understood that she should be happy because of the peaceful living conditions, and that she shouldn't try to so hard to be an unnecessary hero. Better enjoy this adventure.

Lauren wondered when will another person come to smell her farts. The town had a bit of a boringly sad vibe, and Lauren wanted to bring some laughter into town, but of course it would have been extra hard to do so, especially because forcing someone to laugh would be a law violation.

Fog started to appear, and the visibility was gradually decreasing. Still, Lauren felt optimism that she would get the so desired two gold coins, all she had to do was to keep waiting.

Miyoko was deeply thinking about the world in a mental state that was almost meditating. She asked herself if the current state of world was the best of the possible worlds and whether suffering was already reduced to a minimum. She asked herself whether most people have a desire for the world to be different than what currently is. She thought that the world was already the best possible, and that it was not contingent for it to be so. Nothing is contingent, she thought. A deterministic worldview that implies reality didn't happen by chance, but rather, the Universe is still and future is merely another dimension to which we all unwillingly travel.

"Are you okay?", asked Lauren to Miyoko.

"Yes, I was just thinking about something", replied Miyoko.

"Good", said Lauren, still waiting for another person to come smell her farts.

Lauren was deeply thinking about eating broccoli in a mental state that was almost hungry. She asked herself if she could clear a room with her gas after eating broccoli, and she knew the answer. "No one can stand my farts", she thought. That was an inductive inference based on the reaction of people who smelled her farts before, implying she would eventually get two cold coins.

Miyoko was getting bored of such waiting, and wanted to do something. She asked herself "why do people get bored?" but couldn't find any answer. "Perhaps life is limited and our soul is asking us to enjoy our life, and that is the purpose of life", she thought.

Lauren was also getting bored and sighed weakly. She thought that there was nothing she could have done to relieve this boredom: surely standing still with a sign and waiting for something to happen wasn't the most fun choice she had made. In this case, the only thing she had to do was thinking. "Perhaps if I talk to myself, I will be fine", she thought. She wasn't interested in the meaning of life or philosophy: she just wanted to have fun. Ever since she moved to Centralia, she had to adapt to the "culture", which, considering the individualism that is ubiquitous in the country, it means she had to adapt to culture changing (sometimes drastically) from person to person. She kinda missed the predictable sense of collectivist social norms of the country she was previously living in, as social norms in Centralia were unpredictable because they were different for each person. On a positive note: because of the individualism, there was also a great deal of tolerance that far exceeded that of the country she was previously living in.

"I'm hungry, let's go eat some broccoli", said Lauren to Miyoko.

"Good, I was getting melancholic doing nothing and thinking", said Miyoko, smiling.

"Me too", said Lauren, laughing.

They both started walking to a restaurant.

"I think you should give up on the thought of getting two gold coins, it seems to be a really tedious task", suggested Miyoko.

"No, giving up is not part of my style of life!", said Lauren, smiling and proud.

"That's okay", said Miyoko.

They entered the restaurant and both ordered broccoli with cabbage, and orange juice as a drink.

"I'll have really bad gas after eating this", said Lauren, giggling and taking the first bite.

Miyoko smiled.

"Do you ever get bad gas?", asked Lauren.

Miyoko blushed.

"I... uhm... sometimes", said Miyoko, embarrassed.

"That's okay", said Lauren, smiling.

Lauren finished eating, hoping the meal would make her really gassy.

They both finished their meal at some point, with Miyoko eating a bit slower than Lauren. Then they paid the meal and left the restaurant.

"Let's go home", said Miyoko.

"Agreed", said Lauren.

They started walking home. Home is really a familiar place for most people in the country, a place where you are comfortable and can relax after a long day of work. But in the country Lauren was previously living in: home didn't always mean safety. Safety was considered an utopia in that country. The way home wasn't that long, but both Lauren and Miyoko were quiet and not talking much. Miyoko wasn't even thinking anymore: she was tired and wanted to relax on the couch. Even looking at the ceiling for the rest of the day was a nice perspective: much better than standing up and doing nothing like they were doing before, that was really boring. Miyoko needed to do something relaxing, and she was thinking about asking Lauren to massage her back, but feared that Lauren refusing it would hurt Miyoko's feelings too much. Lauren has all the right to say "no" since coercion is prohibited in this country, but that would hurt Miyoko's feelings indeed, so Miyoko was hesitant to ask. However, Miyoko then understood, that the benefits outweigh the risks, so she decided she'll ask her that as soon as they'll get home. She had to accept it when someone says 'no' and try not to feel sad when that happens. No's are a part of life, anyway. Miyoko wasn't sure whether she liked her life or not: she thought it was quite boring and wanted to change it.

They finally got home.

"Ahh, it's good to finally be home again, after a day of hard work", said Lauren, smiling and lying on the couch. "I'm sleepy", she said.

"I think I'm sleepy too", said Miyoko, lying on another couch and closing her eyes.

Miyoko woke up after a few hours and decided to play videogames on a handheld console with 256 videogames in it. Each videogame was obviously made in less than 48 hours, as the quality was very low but still fun to play nonetheless. Some games were extremely similar, just with a different tileset. That console only cost 3 silver coins so it was fine. Most games had no goal, you could only walk around. With a free market, anyone can sell videogames. Anyone can sell anything, for that matter. What Lauren did today (i.e. asking people to smell her farts in exchange of money) wouldn't have been possible under an authoritarian regime, at least not without the due permits. Nobody should interfere with transactions. Miyoko and Lauren both wanted to be rich, but first they had to start their own business.

Lauren woke up, but was still a bit sleepy.

"Lauren, we need to start our own business", said Miyoko.

"Hmm... we'd need to pay someone to make a building", said Lauren.

"We don't need that! No one prevents us to do that outside!", said Miyoko, grinning.

"I mean, would something like that ever be succesfull?", asked Lauren.

"It's risky, but we can try", said Miyoko.

Lauren smiled. "Agreed!", she said.

"Great! We could let people smell our farts. You know how many people like that!", said Miyoko.

"But I already have a job", said Lauren.

"It's okay, I can try first, then if I'm succesfull, you leave your job and join my society", said Miyoko, smiling.

"Sounds like a good idea", said Lauren, smiling.

Miyoko wanted to be rich, but would she be willing to share money equally with Lauren? At first she thought so, but only time will tell. Miyoko was still at high school and had no job yet, but she started fantasizing about her future business, which, according to her imagination, will be extremely famous and will have thousands of customers everyday, bringing a wild amount of money to her wallet. She was lost in her daydreaming.

"Are you in trance?", asked Lauren, giggling.

"No, no. I was just thinking", said Miyoko.

"Is it okay if we watch a movie on Flixura?", asked Miyoko.

"Sure", said Lauren.

"What about you rub my back?", asked Miyoko.

"It's okay", said Lauren, smiling.

They both sat on the couch, put on a movie "Satanic Weed Sexpocalypse" and started watching it. Obviously, the quality of the movie was really low, but it was okay for them. Lauren started rubbing Miyoko's back and she (Miyoko) was enjoying it. "Thank you", said Miyoko. Lauren just smiled and kept rubbing her back. It felt really good, indeed, especially after a stressful day. Miyoko was on school holidays and lessons will resume on Monday, January 20. Since there's no national school holiday, every school decides the holiday on their own. Some schools don't have "summer holidays", but they have them in other seasons. Sunday is not necessarily a day of rest, it could as well be Thursday or Tuesday. There is zero regulation about that. It's the student's responsibility to agree or disagree with the rules. If the student doesn't agree with the rules, they should find a better school to study in. Actually, there's virtually no regulation about anything that doesn't violate the law. Hospitals can hire unskilled doctors, drugs are legal, gun possession is unregulated, food can have extremely low quality etc. and drunk driving would be legal, but there are no roads to drive on so it doesn't apply. Surely living in Centralia can be very dangerous if you're not careful, that's why you should always check the reviews of everything. Or better, move to a different country. Centralia is not a place for the living, but still less dangerous than some other [existing] countries nonetheless.

'Satanic Weed Sexpocalypse' is a very fun movie: Miyoko and Lauren were enjoying it.

Lauren wondered whether moving to Centralia was a good choice. Sure, that law sounds enticing, but is it enough to govern a country? Lauren didn't notice anything bad happening yet, so she was happy. But this doesn't mean nothing bad will happen in the future.

The movie ended and Miyoko wanted to do something: boredom was assaulting her senses, she didn't even know what to talk about with Lauren. She asked herself how to have fun, but she didn't get any answer from her own mind. Lauren, on the other hand, was feeling fine and satisfied of her own life.

"Are you bored?", asked Miyoko.

"Yeah", said Lauren, "I've been holding one for hours", she said, smiling.

*pppbbbfffrrrfffbbbpppbbbfffrrrttt*

A huge, loud and long fart was blasted by Lauren. The smell was putrid, sharp and noxious. Miyoko did her best not to gag. (Perhaps this is not boring?), thought Miyoko.

"Great one!", said Miyoko, fanning the air around her.

"Maybe I should enjoy the little things", said Miyoko.

"Sure! Do you need a hug?", asked Lauren, smiling.

"Yes", said Miyoko, feeling loved and comforted.

Lauren hugged Miyoko and they both felt good that they were friends. Making friends in Centralia is often difficult due to the "incompatibility", that is: if two people's rules contradict each other, then those two people are incompatible and can't interact with each other. Neither Lauren nor Miyoko had too many rules. As a general trend, the more rules a person has, the less likely it will be that they'll form a friendship with someone else. One must be careful when befriending a manipulative person, as they can manipulate you into changing your own rules therefore being able to abuse you with your consent so that they're not violating the law. This is similar to what some search engines do in other [existing] countries: they manipulate people into collecting all their data. It happens in Centralia as well, though.

"I'm inviting Hukura and Yuki at my home next Friday", said Miyoko.

"Can I invite Juliet and Katie, too? Well...... they live in another country but I'm pretty sure they can come here!", said Lauren, with begging eyes.

"You can", said Miyoko, smiling.

"Great! They're also very gassy, like me!", said Lauren, excited.

"You're lucky", said Miyoko.

Miyoko sighed in sign of boredom and was reading an Internet article on her smartphone about hugs being good for your health. "If only people hugged more in this hell of a country", said Miyoko, sighing in sign of dissapointment. "I think hugging is not a common human behaviour", suggested Lauren. "Maybe you're right", said Miyoko, still disappointed. "But hey! Look at the bright side: there are some other countries with far less hugs", explained Lauren, optimistic. Miyoko smiled.

The population of Centralia is infinite, but there is no census: information about "citizens" is unavailable. Therefore, Centralia has no place in international rankings, just like every infinite country. There are no roads in Tree City, no artificial lighting nor that much of an urban infrastructure, but perhaps there are roads in other Centralian cities, but Miyoko didn't know about that. Such a wild place Lauren and Miyoko were living in, but it was indeed a reality worth living in. It kinda felt like a unusual contrast between modernity and primitivism. From the outside, Tree City looked like a tribal village, but inside the homes: Internet and electricity were in every house. As they say:"Don't judge a book by its cover". People don't pay taxes in Tree City, therefore no land not owned as a private property can be modified.

"Hello, Juliet, wanna come here at my house to have fun?", asked Lauren on the telephone, happy.

"Lauren! Where the hell are you? I thought you were dead!", said Juliet, worried.

"I can't talk about this, just go to 1st street", said Lauren.

"I'm a bit scared of going there, I mean, are you there?", asked Juliet, worried.

"Yes! Go to 1st street", said Lauren.

"I'm coming", said Juliet.

"Just be quick, or they will...", said Lauren, before the signal was getting disturbed.

"What? Lauren!!!", said Juliet.

"...", the signal was disturbed and Juliet couldn't hear Lauren.

Lauren convinced Juliet to go to 1st street (where there's a secret organization that makes people travel between parallel universes). The fun has yet to come. Now, Lauren hopes that even Katie will come at her house.

"Hi, Katie, wanna come here at my house to have fun?", asked Lauren on the telephone, happy.

"Lauren! You are alive! Where are you?", said Katie, excited to hear Lauren again after she (Lauren) was supposed to be dead.

Lauren was really happy to see her best friends again, and couldn't wait to see them as she was really looking forward to that epic moment.

Juliet was a bit of a geography geek. She knew a lot about every country, but she wasn't aware of the existence of parallel universes. Katie and Juliet met in a building in 1st street.

"Are you here to meet Lauren?", asked Katie.

"Yeah, she told me to come here", said Juliet.

A man told them Lauren was waiting beyond the portal.

So, Katie and Juliet are travelling together to Centralia. It's a long trip, but it's worth it in order to see their best friend Lauren again. They would metaphorically climb the highest mountains and cross the seven seas just to see Lauren's smile again.

Friday. January 3, 2020.

Katie and Juliet arrived at Tree City at 7:17 A.M.

"What the hell is this place?", said Katie, disgusted and surprised.

"This is Centralia? I think. That man said something like that", said Juliet, nervous.

They started walking towards Lauren's house. Juliet was nervous. People were walking through the "streets", it looked like they were used to such primitive conditions. Juliet knew nobody could kill her without her consent, or at least, that's what the man exained them, but she still was afraid, knowing everyone can buy a gun there. Katie already missed the urban infrastructure of her hometown. She felt like she was living in a poor third world countryside.

"Why did Lauren move here?", asked Katie, confused.

"I don't know. Perhaps she wanted to feel true freedom?", said Juliet.

They almost reached their destination. Katie had never heard of this place before, and she was surprised to know there are other places other than Earth. Juliet was afraid that someone was going to shoot her, but luckily they both have almost arrived at Lauren's house. Juliet asked herself whether she would have been safe at Lauren's house. She thought the risk of getting harassed or killed was always there. She was feeling uncomfortable and wanted to leave the country as soon as possible, while Katie was more disgusted than scared.

They finally arrived at Lauren's house. Juliet was too afraid to ring the doorbell as she thought an explosion would occur, so Katie did that instead. Nothing bad happened. Lauren opened the door and invited Juliet and Katie in.

"G-good morning", said Juliet, blushing with shyness.

"Hello", said Miyoko, smiling.

Neither Juliet nor Katie have ever seen Miyoko, Hanaru, Hukura and Yuki before. Juliet was feeling uncomfortably shy while Katie was fine.

"Lauren... it's good to see you", said Juliet with a shy smile.

"Hug?", said Lauren, smiling and opening her arms.

"Yes please", said Juliet, hugging Lauren.

Juliet was feeling more comfortable now but she had yet to know Miyoko and her friends.

v

"Hello", said Juliet to Miyoko, shy.

"Hi, you're Lauren's friend, right? My name is Miyoko", said Miyoko, smiling.

"My name is Juliet", said Juliet, still shy.

"Do you want to chat with me?", asked Miyoko, opening for a conversation.

"Uh... sure", said Juliet, nervous.

"So... this country... are drugs legal here?", asked Juliet.

"Yes, but I don't recommend you to try them. They are really bad for your health. Stay away from them especially from hallucinogen drugs. They are the worst by far", warned Miyoko.

"Oh... I was just asking, I'm not interested in using them... m-more interested in knowing the laws of this country, you know", said Juliet, slightly shaking from nervousness.

"That's good. The only law of this country is that you can't say or do something to others against their will", explained Miyoko.

"What if someone violates this law?", asked Juliet.

"They go to jail", said Miyoko.

"So, basically, you can do anything that doesn't violate this law?", asked Juliet.

"Exactly", said Miyoko, smiling.

"So, you can walk naked in public?", asked Juliet.

"Yes, public nudity is no big deal here. You can have sex in public. It's not anything like any other country. We have true freedom here", said Miyoko, smiling... "But freedom comes with a price", she added, with a serious face, "We have no roads, almost no urban infrastructure, we have no health checks on hospitals: many people get injections with unsterilized syringes and get HIV. It's pretty bad here compared to Gaian countries", explained Miyoko.

"What are Gaian countries?", asked Juliet, confused.

"Gaia is the reality you come from, and honestly, I wouldn't go back there", explained Miyoko.

"Why?", asked Juliet, naively.

"Because Centralia is supposed to be top-secret in Gaia. Gaian governments don't want citizens to know what's outside, and if they discover you've been to Centralia, they will kill you. Please, stay here", said Miyoko, serious.

"Why is it top-secret?", asked Juliet.

"Because governments are afraid to lose their power", explained Miyoko.

"But at least they could show it to us like a scientific discovery!", said Juliet.

"Ancient philosophers have been knowing these places for millennia", said Miyoko, "Governments just want to hide things they don't want people to know"

"Do you agree with them?", asked Juliet.

"No. I think the whole Pan is to be made known", said Miyoko.

"What is Pan?", asked Juliet, curious.

"Pan is everything. Everything you can imagine, exists" said Miyoko with a sad expression on her face.

"Why that face?", asked Juliet, worried.

"Pan has everything you can imagine, including the worst things ever. Immortal people getting tortured forever...", said Miyoko in a sad tone.

"N-no!!!", exclaimed Juliet.

"We can't help them. Let's just think about Centralia", said Miyoko.

"Girls, plus Hanaru who isn't a girl, but, anyway, I need to let one out", said Katie.

"Do you need to fart?", asked Miyoko.

"Yeah", said Katie.

*pppbbbfffrrrttt*

A horrid smell quickly spread across the room, making Miyoko and her friends panic.

"It's so much worse than Lauren's", said Miyoko, holding her nose with one hand, covering her mouth with her other hand, and gagging.

"I can't breathe!", complained Hukura, while Yuki's eyes were watering.

Hanaru tried his best not to show any discomfort, but failed miserably after 10 seconds, gagging and crying from the noxious smell. They all eventually went outside to breathe fresh air while Katie was giggling.

"You stunk up my private property", said Miyoko, a bit upset.

"Is that a violation the law?", asked Katie, giggling.

"Well, considering the smell is this strong, yes, but you didn't know, so it's okay, however, never do that anymore!", said Miyoko.

"Uh, boring. But it's okay, I don't want to go to jail because of a law violation", said Katie, rolling her eyes.

"That's good. If you want a place to have fart contests, I know a place where we can go", said Miyoko, smiling proudly.

"Where?", asked Katie.

"In an abandoned hospital nearby. People say it's infested by the ghosts of children who have died there due to the poor hygienic conditions of that hospital. Since so many people died there, everyone boycotted that hospital by not going there anymore and it has been closed. There might be some people inside such as homeless, drug addicts, ghost hunters, or simply people who are interested in going there like us", explained Miyoko.

"I don't like it", said Katie.

"But you cannot stink up my private property anymore, it's my rule", said Miyoko.

"Isn't there a place where drugs addicts don't go?", asked Katie.

"Hmm...", said Miyoko, thinking, "Perhaps I can ask a friend if I can borrow his upstairs"

"Hello, Kenji", said Miyoko on the telephone, "Can we borrow your upstairs room?" --- "Oh, well, we have to do a fart contest" --- "Come on... please..."

"He said no", said Miyoko, disappointed, "I swear I'm gonna pay someone to build a building where we offer a service: letting people smell our farts. I just need tons of money", said Miyoko.

"Don't you need a license to do that?", asked Juliet.

"Uhm... this is Centralia we're talking about", said Miyoko, laughing, "Of course I don't need any license", said Miyoko, proudly.

"So, what do we do? I want to have a fart contest!", said Katie, sad.

Miyoko sighed.

"I'll change my rule. You can now stink up my private property, if that makes you happy", said Miyoko.

Katie jumped in happiness.

"Thank you so much, Miyoko!", said Katie, overwhelmed by joy.

Everyone entered Miyoko's private property (i.e. house) but the smell of Katie's fart still lingered in the air.

"Now, if anyone has to fart, let's do this! Everytime someone has to fart, it has to be in someone else's face, and they can't refuse to smell it! The first one who leaves this house before the fart contest is over pays the dinner at the mexican restaurant for everyone. Only one person can leave, the others will be forced to stay. The fart contest will last until 6 P.M. If anyone is too scared and disagrees with these rules, leave now", said Katie.

"Everyone agrees?", asked Miyoko.

Everyone said yes.

"Then, fart contest starts", said Miyoko.

"I've been holding one since this morning. Katie, come smell it", said Juliet, blushing.

Katie put her nose in Juliet's butt. She had no choice, as she agreed to the rules.

*ppppttttfffftttt*

A strong rancid smell was wafted into Katie's nostrils but eventually it spread across the room. It was not as strong as Katie's but definitely eye watering. Everyone except Juliet and Katie had trouble breathing in these noxious fumes. Yuki was probably the most sensitive to the smell as she was almost going to throw up.

Katie noticed Yuki's sensitivity to the smell and she had decided, that the next time she'll fart on her face. Basically, everyone gave consent to be possibly facefarted without consent, so that's fine. No guilt trips.

Katie was trying to do her best not to gag at Juliet's fart, but damn was it difficult.

"I have one coming!", said Lauren, "Juliet, come here!"

Juliet had no choice. She put her nose in Lauren's butt and waited for her usual toxic blast.

*pppbbbsssfffttt*

Juliet's eyes were watering but she had to smell it, because she agreed to the rules. Everyone agreed to the rules but they probably underestimated how bad farts can smell: it's all fun and games until someone throws up.

Only Katie had a plan: to make Yuki leave as soon as possible. Nobody else had a plan, they just attacked randomly. Why everyone agreed to this torture, it would be a mystery for most.

It was a few minutes already without anyone having to fart. The tension was high.

"So, we can do something else in the meanwhile, just not to get bored. What about watching a movie?", suggested Katie.

"Okay", said Miyoko, interested.

They put a romantic movie and started watching it. Miyoko had to fart.

"Katie, I have to fart. And you have to smell it", said Miyoko, excited.

"Okay, okay", said Katie.

Katie put her nose in Miyoko's butt and she (Miyoko) farted.

*puuuutttfff*

It was like a weak smelly explosion that stunk up Katie's nose. (Damn, I've been attacked twice already), thought Katie. How unlucky was she. It was gonna be total chaos, just like the stereotype of "anarchy". It was like a battlefield where a war was being fought. A war with no winners nor losers, only olfactory torment for everyone.

A war where everyone gave consent to be attacked. Everyone had the possibility of not participating in this battle, but they all agreed to fight each other. Now it's too late. Yuki was trying to regain energy by staying away from the attacks and hoped no one would fart on her face for a long time. She didn't know Katie had something stinky planned for her. The others were attacking randomly. Katie wanted Yuki to leave so nobody else would have the chance of escaping after Yuki and true hell will start. Katie breathed Miyoko's flatulence in, knowing Yuki's gonna have a really bad time thanks to Katie's awful gas. Everyone was ready to attack as soon as they could. The fight has only just started, and by 6 P.M. everyone in there will know what true disgust means. Breathing is necessary to survive, but what if the air is almost unbreathable due to very smelly farts? It will be a painful day, but they don't know it yet. They think it's just a fun game. Perhaps it is, depending on the perspective.

Katie has by far the smelliest farts of the group. She can easily clear a large room full of people, and the smell lingers for several minutes. Being facefarted by her means you will be traumatized forever. Juliet and Lauren also have very smelly farts. Lauren can make a large room very stinky with just one fart. Miyoko has smelly farts, but not as smelly as Lauren's. Yuki, Hukura and Hanaru have average farts, with Hanaru having the smelliest farts of the three. It was only the beginning, and most were unaffected, but it would take a long time until 6 P.M. and everyone will get their fair share of farts up to their noses. Organizing a fight for fun? That's common in Centralia, even combined with gambling. There can't be any favourable outcome after this fight, except for the fact they'll get a dinner at a mexican restaurant for free. Katie hoped she would feel the "smell of victory", that is, her own gas. For Katie and Juliet, this is the most fun day they ever had while abroad. It just takes the right people to have fun, after all.

Hanaru was ready to fart on someone. He ordered Lauren to put her nose on his butt.

(I wonder how bad his farts will smell), thought Lauren.

*pppbbbfffttt*

It smelt pretty bad, but manageable without gagging if you were careful about your breathing.

"I'm impressed", said Lauren, "Your farts smell really bad. But it's no match for Juliet and Katie's gas", she continued. Her eyes were watering a little bit she resisted. The smell eventually dissipated so Lauren could stop smelling Hanaru's butt. Lauren felt slightly lightheaded but overall it wasn't a bad experience, just a bit smelly. A bit too smelly. (I wonder if Miyoko's farts are worse than Hanaru's), wondered Lauren. Hanaru hasn't got facefarted yet, but the fight will last all morning up into the evening, so that everyone will get a chance of being facefarted. No one is safe. Is this a party or a war? Perhaps both, but probably it's going to turn increasingly more similar to the latter as time will go by.

Katie was about to unleash toxic biological warfare on Yuki's nose.

"Yuki, get ready!", said Katie with a mischievous smile while Yuki trembled in fear.

"No! Girls, don't do that on Yuki! Do that on me! I'll be Yuki's shield!", said Hanaru, proudly.

"Fufufufu, an alliance, uh?", said Katie, with an evil smile, "I'll make sure you'll deeply regret being Yuki's shield", said Katie, walking towards Hanaru, who still showed bravery despite Katie's serious intentions.

"This is your end!", said Katie, as she pointed her finger to her own butt to request Hanaru to put your nose in there. Hanaru did that.

*pppbbbrrrtttrrrbbbppp*

Hanaru quickly turned his head away but Katie forced his head on her butt with her hands while Hanaru squirmed.

"Nooo!!! Gah!!! It smells terrible!!!", cried Hanaru.

Quickly, a nauseating rancid smell spread across the room while everyone was deeply scared seeing Hanaru's pleads for mercy.

(Oh my Property, it must smell totally awful at point blank range. Poor Hanaru), thought Miyoko, worried about her boyfriend.

Hanaru was on the floor squirming. He couldn't think straight anymore, he was suffering so much. He was probably unable to smell farts anymore. In that case, Yuki was vulnerable.

"This is what happens when you smell my farts up close~", said Katie, smiling mischievously. The quality of the air quickly deteriorated.

"I'm leaving", said Juliet, about to throw up. She quickly went to the door and left. Miyoko locked the door. There was no way to exit now.

"Nobody leaves now", said Miyoko, serious. Everyone except Katie panicked. It was only 11:19 A.M. so there were almost 7 hours left to end this hell. The war is far from over.

Juliet could finally breathe fresh clean air and was feeling better. (Damn, Katie's gas is potent), thought Juliet. She walked around in town and was attracted by a store with a cannabis sign. (What do they sell there?), she wondered. She went in there.

"Hello", said Juliet.

"Hello", said the seller, smiling. "Need anything?", she asked.

"Uhm... what do you sell?", asked Juliet.

"Take a look. We have a large selection of soft and hard drugs", said the seller.

"Do you have any hallucinogen?", asked Juliet. Her heart was beating fast.

"We have LSD among others", said the seller.

"I'll buy one LSD", said Juliet, nervous about the effects.

"Is it your first time trying? You sound inexperienced. I can explain", said the seller.

"Yes please", requested Juliet.

"Here is one stick of LSD. It is a german acronym that means 'lysergic acid diethylamide'. You put this under your tongue and it starts having effect in around 30 minutes. You'll start hallucinating for around 12 hours. It can be either a pleasantly euphoric experience, or a scary experience. The scary experiences are called 'bad trips', and can have harmful effects on your mental health even after the effect of the drug is gone. It's 3 silver coins", explained the seller.

Juliet was trembling in fear, but she wanted to try it anyway. She was very afraid of having a bad trip.

"Here are 3 silver coins", said Juliet, paying the drug.

She put the stick under her tongue and waited.

"Thank you for buying", said the seller, smiling.

"You're welcome", said Juliet, forcing a smile. In reality, she was deeply scared, even though she hid it. She was curious, though. (What happens, happens), thought Juliet.

She left the store and waited for the drug to have effect. She looked at the sky and at the houses. Everything looked normal. She was walking around the town and waiting. She was strangely feeling happy, she thought she will look at life from a different perspective now.

She was feeling truly free now, a feeling that she had never felt before. She could do whatever she wanted, as long as it did not violate the law. It was easy. (Life is so easy here), she thought, happy. She was feeling lonely, thought, and wanted to return home with her friends, but they were fighting a stupid and stinky war and she had to wait until 6 P.M. to return home with Lauren and the others. (Nevermind), she thought, (I will enjoy life even if it means staying alone). She kept walking around random streets. She still was afraid of being harassed due to her being in a weird country, but it was okay. She breathed deeply, exhaled and kept walking. Danger was constantly near, but will something bad happen? Perhaps Juliet was considering a worst case scenario. She knew the anxiety wasn't due to the drug, because she had it before, too. (Is this coutry dangerous?), she wondered, walking around a city that looked like a poor country-side suburb.

She was feeling a bit sad, too, because she was feeling lonely. Completely alone, her day couldn't have been worse. Or at least that's what she thought. She was feeling okay while in Miyoko's house, although disgusted by the strong rancid smell by Katie's farts, but now she's feeling much worse. She kinda wished she hadn't left. She knew no one else in the entire country, let alone in this small town. She was starting getting depressed, and didn't smile anymore. She wanted to sit down but there was nowhere she could do that while outside. She went to a playground for both kids and adults and sat on a swing. She wanted to cry, but there were other people in the playground, mainly teenagers who were checking their social media and occasionally chatting with each other. (Fuck, they're having so much while I'm so sad and depressed. I'm about to cry), thought Katie. She sighed and left the playground, looking for a place where she will at least partially belong.

'There's no place like home', goes a saying. Katie missed her home already when she landed in Centralia, but now she was missing Miyoko's house. At least she could talk with her friends early in the morning. Now she's completely alone, even though she's surrounded by dozens of people, because those people had a neutral relationship with her: they weren't even looking at her. Humans need to socialize, otherwise their mental health will worsen. It's weird how knowing you'll be alone for 6 more hours can have a significant impact on your emotional well-being. Those hours feel like an eternity. Walking alone in these lonely "streets" is not a pleasant experience. There's no fun. Juliet wondered if there was any place where she could meet new friends. Like, a cuddle party! She have heard about them being in Centralia! A cuddle party: that's exactly what she needed. Soft warm cuddles, no matter if they were strangers, physical contact would have been truly appreciated at moment.

Time seemed to never pass: being alone slows down your perception of time, just like school. 6 hours under this altered perception of time feel like an eternity. Juliet was feeling awkward by walking up and down the "street", but standing still would have been awkward, too. Definitely she didn't know what to do, perhaps she could buy a book to read in these hours? This way she could feel somewhat better. Or going somewhere where she could socialize, no matter if they were strangers. Or maybe it does matter, since it's Centralia we're talking about. Juliet found the people here to be very weird sometimes, but that's due to the individualism that lets everyone to be themselves. If you are yourself in Gaia, people won't like you. Only Centralia will let you be yourself. Juliet seriously thought about buying a book, but she decided she'll do that later. How unpleasant it feels to walk outside alone! She could send Lauren a message on Cheerapp, but she (Lauren) is probably busy fighting.

Juliet and Lauren were true friends. Juliet felt strong emotions towards Lauren and Katie: the three are a very happy group of friends, and Juliet knew they'll never hate each other. Juliet wanted to hug Lauren and Katie. She really needed a hug right now, but she had to wait almost 7 hours. Juliet decided to use it as a reminder: never travel alone: the loneliness is too unpleasant. Juliet knew some people actually travel and/or live alone and wondered how they could endure the overwhelming feeling of emptiness that's only perfectly natural when you're isolated from human social interactions for a long time. She remembered a cartoon that she watched when she was a kid: it told the story of an old person who lived alone on a mountain. He eventually died alone and nobody remembered him. She wondered why she was thinking about that. Gotta have happy thoughts in order to ameliorate her negative state of mind. Gotta have happy thoughts, or else...

She suddenly heard two dogs growling behind her, which startled her. She looked behind her. No dogs to be seen. (What the fuck?), she thought. She could have sworn two dogs were growling behind her! She decided not to mind and keep walking. Even in the most popular section of the town, the density of people going outside was low. No more than ten people, even in the most popular "street" among teenagers and young adults. Juliet thought it was quite gloomy and depressing, but decided not to mind and keep walking around this town which she thought was infested by negative energy. She eventually realized that these negative thoughts were no good for her and started searching for positive things of this town: such as nearly unlimited freedom. That's a good thing! In addition, one must consider that people here can be pretty happy, it's just Juliet that's feeling awful. Juliet realized there was no way to look at the bright side when you feel sad. It's useless.

She needed to talk with someone or else she was about to cry. Juliet is quite emotive: she's not afraid to show her true feelings, whether it is fear, sadness, anger or happiness. She wondered how Miyoko usually feels. She might look like she's feeling okay from the outside, but deep inside only Miyoko knew how she was feeling. Juliet wanted to be friends with Miyoko and be in an intimate friendship where they could talk about their deepest feelings without any shame nor embarrassment. Juliet's eyes were watering. No, not because of any smell. Because of emotions. She had cozy nostalgic memories of when she was at middle school. It was the best time of her life. She was happy and free of worries. Everything was good back then. It was like the sun was metaphorically always shining bright and warming her soul. Then the cold darkness gradually arrived. At first, it only lasted for a few days, but it lasted longed each time it arrived. Only her best friends can melt the ice inside her soul.

Juliet went near a place where live music is usually played. Tomorrow a symphonic death metal band will play there. (Sounds fun), thought Juliet, and walked away. She decided she will spend money and go there. It was not exactly her type of music, but she wanted to try some Centralian entertainment. After that she wanted to try a bit of everything she might like, just to enjoy life at the highest degree. She wanted to go back to her country, but she decided she might even stay in Centralia for a long time if she enjoys life here. She'll either miss her home, or Lauren, and had to choose one of the two. She decided it's better to miss her home than her best friend. She wanted to bring Lauren back home, but ultimately it's up to Lauren. It's Lauren's choice to stay or go, but Juliet will do her best to persuade her, to live happily again just like the old times. Juliet was thinking about how Centralia was free, but with all negative sides of true freedom. She still thought a bit of coercion was necessary.

Juliet sighed and looked up to the sky, which was green. A purple cloud resembling a human face was laughing at Juliet. She immediately looked down and was paralyzed by fear. Was she going crazy? She didn't understand what was happening. She didn't want to look at the sky anymore, insteading she was looking at the grass, hoping she wouldn't see anything scary anymore. She thought this was one of the worst days of her life, but decided to carry on and force a smile. They say that if you smile, you'll be happy, but they don't realize that if A causes B, B doesn't necessarily cause A. Juliet definitely knew that, but decided to try anyway. Her breathing was fast and heavy, but she tried to calm down anyway. It was all okay, she thought, but even she wasn't sure about that. Things were pretty bad but she was sure they would be back to normal pretty soon. She would wait until 6 P.M. and she'll be safe in her own home. She wondered why Miyoko and Lauren would let her outside with no company. She thought they were being a bit cruel.

Juliet looked up at the sky again. It was blue and the clouds were normal. Why did Juliet see a purple cloud that was laughing at her? She tried to understand what could have been a possible reason, but didn't remember. These things never happened to her before. Was it Centralia's fault? Perhaps this country is infested by a negative energy that makes people crazy, or maybe she just needed to sleep. Then, she remembers something. The LSD! Could it be? Miyoko warned her to stay away from drugs, especially hallucinogens. But Juliet did exactly the opposite, and now she must face the painful consequences of her misbehaviour. (Oh no, the seller told me the effects last for 12 hours, does it mean, this is only the beginning?), thought Juliet, almost crying. It was only the beginning of a painful journey into madness and fear. (I hope the effects don't get any worse later, if it stays like this, it's manageable), thought Juliet.

She checked her phone to know what time it was, and the phone told her it was 0F:61 I.M. It was starting to get annoying but she supposed it was like noon, so 6 hours left to return home and 6 more hours for these effects to end. She kept walking around, wondering if she could endure the hallucinations without becoming insane. It was all relatively calm, but as the saying goes:"There's a calm before a storm". Juliet hoped the effects were not going to worsen and that she could endure 12 hours of this, but she was very vulnerable at the moment. She couldn't predict when a hallucination will occur. They will just happen, and Juliet couldn't do anything to prevent them. 12 hours of fear might feel like an entire lifespan, especially when your mind is altered by psychedelics that alter your perception of time and space. Juliet looked around, but everything seemed to be normal. She wondered whether it was because it was only the beginning or if LSD isn't really that potent. Juliet thought the second option might have been more likely.

She looked at the grass, and she felt like the grass was the wall of a prison she couldn't escape from. She kneeled and started punching the soil, hoping it will break and that she'll finally start being free. The soil didn't break, rather, it became the only thing that existed along with Juliet. Everything else was pitch black, and Juliet started floating through the grass. She touched a tree and it disappeared. Everything was full of colours that were slowly moving. There was no distinction between the ground and the sky anymore, in front of Juliet there was a lot of white grass, behind Juliet there were two dogs growling and honestly she didn't want to look behind her. Between the white grass and the coloured shapes there were people with goat faces that were floating and rotating slowly. Juliet was trying to escape from those goat faced people but they noticed her and started chasing her, but Juliet couldn't move as she had a very heavy school bag on her shoulders.

She lost her teeth, which looked like bees. The goat faced people were quickly approaching but Juliet felt a sense of heaviness in her legs and couldn't walk, like as if she was underwater. She could hear the colors of smells: synaesthesia! She tried going upstairs, but the stairs were endless, and the more she went up, the more she was feeling weak. She eventually feel asleep, was she dreaming all this time? She woke up in her bed. She looked at herself through a mirror, she was relieved to know she's still 11 and all these years have been a dream. She heard a voice coming from the mirror, and then she realized it was still the LSD that was making her go crazy. She had 360 degrees view of her bedroom, she could see things in front of her and behind her at the same time. Behind her, inside the closet, two dogs were growling. She felt in danger and went into her bathroom to brush her teeth, but she had no teeth anymore.

I know where you live.

Juliet was seeing circles and squares of different colours, and she felt touched.

She felt touched by a hand, she looked behind her and a horrifying demon looked at her. She nearly fainted from fear. Instead, she threw up rainbows. She tried to follow that rainbow but it was endless. It was raining menstrual blood with a goat face and two dogs growling behind Juliet. The dogs were always behind Juliet, no matter what. She turned back, but the dogs were still behind her, and they were getting closer and closer. She heard Lauren's voice. "I hate you", said Lauren to Juliet. Lauren was laughing at Juliet.

Don't look at yourself through a mirror tonight.

Juliet's heart was beating fast, it was the only thing Juliet could hear, and each beat created a person with a goat face moving vertically. Eventually, goat faces were everywhere, and the dogs that were growling behind Juliet finally attacked her. That's the last thing Juliet could remember, before everything turned into a deep fluorescent green. Nothing happened then.

Don't look behind you.

Chapter 2