Lori and Brad took her out to lunch and told her they had been seeing each other.
“We don’t want to hide it anymore, Sam,” Brad said munching on some fries.
“Honestly, Sam, we thought you kinda knew,” Lori said taking a sip of soda.
“It’s really our families, Sam,” Lori said. “They’ve been pressuring us to hook up for years. It’s because of a merger of—”
Samantha walked away in tears devastated. Brad was her first love, first kiss, first… everything. But what hurt most was Lori’s betrayal. She never saw it coming. It seemed like she didn’t care. She tried to hang on but could not stand the sight of them on the same campus. She slowly stopped participating in school. She stopped doing assignments and eventually stopped showing up altogether. Chico State suspended her scholarship indefinitely.
Two years later, most of her volleyball buddies from high school were doing well.
She checked her email to see if there were any messages back from the fast-food restaurants she had applied to.
Samantha got out of email and checked her bank account. She wanted to cry: -120.00 USD
It was that damn $93 Philosophy 101 textbook. She had $7 in her account when she bought the book. She forgot to deposit the $100 her mom had given her to get the book.
The bank had subtracted an additional $20 for a non-sufficient funds fee. She did not want to ask mom for more cash. She had to find a way to make money.
Here she was living with mom and about to ask for money. Mom was supportive of everything she wanted to do. Mom blamed Chico State for suspending the scholarship, but Sam was a smart young woman. She knew that she only had herself to blame. She kind of felt like a burden and a failure. A failure in relationships, a failure in school and a failure in life overall.
Chapter 9:
Gina’s Surprise
Samantha lost track of time. She was playing CandySmash on her phone in the dark. The light of the phone flashed on her face. She wanted to forget.
“Sam, you home!?” The front door of the house shut. It was mom.
“Yeah,” Sam’s eyes didn’t move from the game.
Mom came to her open door, “Did you eat?”
“Yeah, mom. Thank you,” she kept staring at the screen. “Wow. You are back late. What is it 8:50 pm?”
A text message from Gina popped up in front of her game:
You cuming?
Bring the car ;)
“Oh, shit,” Sam spun out of bed. “Hey, mom. Can I borrow the car?” If Gina was asking for the car, that meant they would be in the back seat exploring. She’d almost forgotten about her date.
“Sure, honey,” mom said easing into the lazy-boy in the living room.
Sam watched her a moment. Mom was getting old. She’d always seen her as a strong, young single mom. Now she seemed gray and tired. She had to do something for her to help her retire. She had to stop being a burden.
“Where you going, Sam?” Mom put on reading glasses and opened a National Enquirer.
Samantha laughed, “Why do you read that crap?”
She peered at her over her glasses, “Why do you watch reality shows?”
“Touché,” Sam nodded. “Going to meet up with a friend downtown. BRB.”
“Ok, I gotta work tomorrow so just have it back before 6:30 AM. Yes... 5 hours from now.”
The last time Gina had a “secret” to show Sam, she pulled her into the women’s bathroom at college, pushed her against the door and gave her the most sensuous slow kiss she had ever had. She kissed a girl and she loved it.
Samantha had been reluctant to get too close to anyone. She was hoping this thing with Gina would be different, but it was too early to tell.
She pulled up to a parking meter in downtown near the corner of 4th and Main. Mom’s beat up gray-blue car stalled before she could turn it off.
“Oh, damn,” Sam saw that the “check engine” light was on. Sometimes it just turned on for no reason. There were lights on the dashboard, but would it start? She turned the key, gave it a little gas and it started. Samantha closed her eyes and let her head fall against the headrest. She reluctantly turned it off.
Gina jumped in the passenger’s seat. She looked amazing. She was braless and perky on this cold autumn night. She was in a white sleeveless scoop neck, skin-tight jumpsuit, a whole-body yoga one-piece that was too damn cold to wear. White always made her bright red curly hair look like flames.
“Shit,” Gina rubbed her hands together and blew on them for warmth. “So cold out there. You’re late. I have been out here waiting for like 10 minutes.”
“Sorry,” Samantha turned off the car and tucked the keys in her coat pocket. “Here. Take my coat? I love what you’re wearing, but it’s too cold for that. Where’s Noelle?”
Gina shivered and almost snatched the coat, “She’s inside already.”
“Inside where? Where we going? I’m not dressed for a club if that’s your plan.” Sam was wearing jeans, furry winter wear boots, a red sweater with a red scarf and a fuzzy earflap beanie.
Gina’s face lit up, “Oh, god. Samantha! You’re gonna love this. This is going to change your life. It’s going to blow your mind and change your whole perspective…”
Sam smiled, “What is it?”
“Ok,” Gina got out of the car. “Just follow me. I’ll show you. You’ll have to see for yourself. Let’s go.” She jogged off down an alley.
“Wait, hold on,” Sam jumped out of the car and fed the meter dropping quarters on the way.
“Okay,” she thought. “Cold, dark alley, beautiful girls… doesn’t sound like a horror movie at all.”
By the time Sam caught sight of Gina, she was entering a grimy grey metal door formerly painted red. The door slammed behind Gina.
Before Samantha could knock, the door opened. Gina opened the door and pulled her inside.
It was the back of a lounge packed with young people her age. They looked familiar. People she’d seen around campus. The lounge was lit with candles and soft backlighting. The people’s silhouettes danced on the cherry wood walls like shadow puppets in the flickering candlelight. Chill step was playing somewhere muffled in the distance. The smell of incense wafted through the air. Samantha found a seat on a couch. Two books, Allegory of the Cave by Plato and a book called Simulacra and Simulation occupied a place on the couch. She moved them to a nearby coffee table.
Gina grinned and pushed Sam into the low fluffy couch next to a bearded hipster and his chatty girlfriend. The hipster gave a tightlipped smirk as Gina plopped on Samantha’s lap. The hipster had the suppressed tortured look of a man dragged to a baby shower and forced to watch Oprah with the ladies during Monday night sports. His eye was twitching and he was sipping out of a flask he had brought. He was doing it for his girl and Sam could see why. His girlfriend was a cute little bespectacled girl in a short skirt.
“Don’t I know you?” Sam asked her after staring too long.
“Do you go to C.C.?” The little lady asked.
She looked like Velma from Scooby-Doo.
Sam snapped her fingers, “That’s where I know you from. Castaneda College. Software Development, right? I’m Samantha,” Samantha smiled and offered her hand.
“Shiori Mikio,” she smiled and took her hand and returned the smile, “Small world.”
“Hey, girl,” Gina smiled and touched Shiori’s arm. “Good to see you again.”
Her hipster boyfriend ignored them all and took another long drink of the mystery flask.
“Where’s Noelle?” Sam whispered to Gina. Gina pointed to an unrecognizable version of Noelle. She had on a willowy gown with a plunging neckline. Her white blonde hair was in a ponytail. She was making her way around the room pouring drinks. Her cheeks were red and she seemed a little too happy.
Noelle did a tipsy bounce over to them once she saw Samantha and Gina. She squealed in excitement, “Samantha! Hey, girl. Come here, follow me.” Noelle pulled Samantha out from under Gina
who protested.
“We have beer over there on tap. You like beer, right?” Noelle asked handing her an empty glass.
“Yes, but have dri—”
“Shut-up for a second,” Noelle’s whisper came in harsh. “See that big ass man with the goatee? Tall dark and handsome. The bald one with the chest and the arms. The one giving me the ‘I am going to take you’ eyes.”
“He’s not even looking over here, Noelle,” Sam said.
Noelle got defensive, “You know what, Samantha!?”
She was now loud enough for everyone to hear.
“SHHH! Are you drunk?” Sam whispered.
She stifled a burp, “Don’t change the subject. Go to that cute guy by the keg. Go over there and see what’s the deal with him. I asked his sister. But she is acting like she doesn’t want me to pursue him. Like jealous. Like weird and shit. So, I am asking you to find out. Inquiring minds want to know.”
Samantha sighed and walked over to the keg and filled up her glass. She took a sip and had an immediate regret that almost made her burst into laughter.
Noelle’s prey was beside her chuckling, “not good, right?”
“No,” she agreed. “Not at all. Don’t know why I was expecting something good.”
“Only here because my sister told me that there was free beer. Do you know Ebony?” He gestured to a caramel girl who had her hair in a ponytail. She looked too young to be serving beer. Next to her Noelle’s horny bloodshot eyes stared like she wanted to eat him and drink his blood. She should not be drinking around guys. She couldn’t control herself.
“Oh-uh. No. This is my first time here. A friend of mine dragged me along. I’m Samantha, by the way.” She offered her free hand.
“Xavier. Just call me X,” he smiled, shook her hand and raised his glass of bitter suds. “Free beer. This is literally the only reason I came. Not sure what I expected the cult beer to taste like,” he said. “Did you join?”
Samantha asked, “Join? I’m sorry. Join what? I thought this was like a jazz club or something.”
Xavier laughed, “Your friend didn’t tell you,” he nodded. “You’ll see.” He walked back to have a seat.
Chapter 10:
Simulated Family Cult
A handsome young man in a dark suit jacket and no tie walked out. Sam almost choked on her beer and spit as she saw the young professor walk out in front of the couches. It was no big deal. She just didn’t expect to see him here.
The professor patted her on the back and handed her a cloth kerchief from his breast pocket, “You ok. Yes, the beer is not good, folks. But it is guaranteed to get you tipsy fast.”
He got a couple of laughs from the ladies. Gina was on her feet and wiping Sam’s face.
It was the briefest of moments caught in the corner of her eye. Samantha saw Gina cup the professor’s hand just before she wiped her face.
“Whoa. Don’t drink so fast,” Gina said. “Come sit by me.”
Sam looked at Gina then she looked at the professor.
“You ok, babe?” Gina guided her back to their place on the couch. Gina was back on Samantha’s lap but now she felt like a ton of bricks cutting off circulation to her legs.
The professor addressed the room, “My name is Priest McKenna. I recognize a few of you from the class! Quest complete!”
“Stay through this short lecture and I’ll have another quest for you,” he smiled and got a few chuckles. “I’ll cut right to the chase, folks. I did a lecture today about the possibility of this world you’re living in being a simulation. This isn’t a new idea by the way. Modern science recognizes that this might very well be a simulation. I am here to tell you that it is. This place, this lounge, this terrible tasting beer, this world… it’s a simulation. It’s more like a role-playing game… an RPG. Each of us is playing a role. What I want to do is offer each of you a chance to possibly master your role in this life. You’ll be able to have a better role if you join me.”
This was not what Samantha was expecting. She thought that it might be a live-band, some chill hip-hop/jazz fusion or some trippy Euro electronica. Maybe a night of flirtatious dirty dancing with the girls. Now she wasn’t sure where this was going. What worried her was that Gina and Noelle were REALLY into this shit. So, it wasn’t something they could laugh and joke about. They seemed to know this guy well and had been here many times before. It was flattering that they seemed to have thought her worthy enough to invite her into their inner circle, but not cool that it seemed to be some sort of religion. She took a sip of the horrible bitter beer.
“Ok,” the bored bearded hipster next to Samantha interrupted. “Is this a ‘fake woke’ personal development course? What is this? Is it a cult?”
Shiori shot him a “what the hell are you doing!?” look. She looked shocked and embarrassed.
“Cult? More like a Family Cult,” Priest laughed. “No. Look it’s not a religion or cult. It’s the truth.”
“How much?” The hipster asked. “Is there like a collection plate? What’s the cost of this ‘truth’?”
Priest finished a sip of his beer and replied, “Good question. The cost is high. But you won’t be paying with money. The price is this,” he pointed to his head. “And this,” he pointed to his heart.
The hipster laughed, “I’m not sure what that even means, man.”
Priest looked at everyone, “What I mean is that it will cost you your awareness and it will change your sense of reality because you’ll see from the perspective of a different role with new powers,” he took another sip of beer.
Xavier stepped forward, “I think he means that we play roles like at work, school and home. Not necessarily like wizards, warriors, dungeons and dragons and stuff like that. Right? Or…”
Priest smiled, “No, I mean wizards, warriors and stuff like that.”
“Ooookaaay,” Xavier said. He sat down, shut up and drank his beer.
Most of the people scoffed and walked out. The hipster laughed out loud as they watched the people leave.
“Anthony!” Shiori glared.
“No. Shi. It’s fine,” Priest set his drink down.
The hipster stood and grabbed his coat, “So what’s your role? You a wizard?”
“No. My class is a cleric. But my main role is a game master… It’s more of a mantle really because -,”
Samantha interrupted, “A game master… isn’t that like a referee or like a facilitator of an RPG. That’s not a class.” She moved Gina from her lap.
“In this system,” Priest gestured around the room. “The game master is a role that—”
“Ok, dude. I’m done,” the hipster had his coat on. “Shiori, get your shit, let’s go. NOW.” He grabbed her to help her to her feet.
She snatched her arm away, “Anthony!?” She looked disgusted. She got to her feet shrugging his touch away. She walked over to Priest and touched his chest.
“I am so sorry,” Shiori pleaded with Priest shaking her head. “I didn’t know he—”
“We are leaving right now,” Anthony went to grab her and Priest knocked his hand away.
“Don’t touch me you, son of a bitch,” Anthony punched Priest in the face. Priest stumbled to the ground holding his nose.
“Anthony, NO!” Shiori screamed going to Priest. Gina, Noelle and three other women where at Priest’s side.
“I said let’s go,” Anthony said shaking the pain and saliva off his fist. Shiori’s eyes were brimming with tears as she kneeled by Priest’s side.
A few more people walked out not wanting to get involved with this nonsense.
“Alright,” the hipster nodded and smirked. “You wanna stay here with this weird ass cult bullshit, fine. I’m outta here,” he walked toward the door. He turned to point at her, “And I’m telling your mom about your goddamn cult.” He left and slammed the red door.
A few others followed the hipster. There were only a few people left. Xavier had been jamming popcorn in his mouth and sipping beer grinning
through the entire exchange. He walked over, “You good, bro? You almost got knocked the hell out.”
Priest had strands of hair out of place. He had flecks of blood on his ruffled suit jacket and white shirt. There were dark circles under his eyes. He removed his hands from a bloody nose, “Yeah. I think he broke my nose.”
“Yeah, looks broke, man,” Xavier said helping him to his feet. He smiled and said, “You should have just thrown a few lightning bolts at him or something. Isn’t that what you guys do?”
“X, that’s not funny,” Xavier’s sister said handing Priest some napkins.
Priest looked a little embarrassed, “Well, first of all, I don’t do projectiles.”
Gina was mopping the blood from his chin. It was the look in her eyes that gave it away. She cared for this guy. They were more than friends. Sam felt like a knife was in her belly. All she wanted to do now was get out of there.
“Why not just heal yourself?” Samantha asked. “You’re a cleric, right?”
Priest walked over to her.
“Cleric… yeah,” he said. “My abilities have been out for a while… but I’m sure they’ll be back soon.”
“Well, when you get your powers back call me. I want to see that, man,” Xavier smiled.
Priest touched his nose and winced, “Look, I know you guys don’t believe me. It sounds crazy.” Gina dabbed his nose with a napkin and gripped his arm. “But I can prove it. If you come with—”
“How did you even get a job at the college?” Samantha said in disgust. “You have no idea how crazy you are.”
Priest and Samantha stared at each other in an awkward moment of silence. She moved her gaze to Gina who slowly let go of his arm. Gina could not look her in the eye. She looked down at Samantha’s feet and away.
Lost Portals Page 6