Quote:
One day, in the very early morning hours, a strange, bluish fog rolls in. It floats low to the ground and is incredibly dense and incredibly cold. Anyone who inhales even a single breath from this fog will be met with a sudden, harsh sensation of sadness. It’s the worst part of the holidays—the Holiday Blues. The fog slowly spreads through the town and is gone by mid afternoon, but the sensation of sadness, loneliness, and nostalgia may linger for longer than that. Scientists are explaining the bluish tint as just being a natural phenomenon, but in Destiny City, ‘natural’ isn’t really something anyone should expect. Today would have been a good day to stay inside.
Caleb had never been one for sadness. It made him lethargic, lazy and inhibited his ability to take care of himself. Sadness left the house untidy, dinner uncooked (and takeout more preferable), and the television running just about every cute or happy movie he could think of to stave it all off. It was some damned bluish fog that rolled into town earlier that morning that started all of this. He'd just come down from the irritation and insomnia from the aurora (and the subsequent thunder that followed) and now this?
The strange, iridescent bead he'd picked up when the aurora dissipated was promptly given to a superior officer for examination, and Caleb thought nothing further of it. If they found something incredible about the thing, surely they'd disseminate the information down the ranks. All Caleb really cared about was whether or not he could get a good night's sleep.
On his way into Starbucks for his morning caffeine fix, bundled in heavy coats and scarf, the fog started to roll in. Low to the ground and of a distinctly bluish tint, the redhead was immediately suspicious. Thankfully, the people caught in it didn't seem to be harmed in any way. They continued to talk to one another, walking in groups or in pairs, without any obvious injury. Caleb initially refused to walk out in the stuff, watching the sickly soup from the warm safety of the coffee shop. The salon wouldn't wait, however, and paychecks needed to be earned. Though he owned his condo, Caleb still needed to pay for basic things like food and Netflix subscriptions.
With a sigh, and with his gloved hands wrapped around his precious hot coffee, the redhead braved what he assumed would be another White Moon senshi terrorist trick. He was sure the Negaverse took care of the damned aurora in some fashion so the people could get some sleep. He'd report this phenomenon to the superiors as soon as he could, but for now, he had to walk through it. Slowly, steadily, each step was filled with anxiety. It was only two blocks to the salon, but those two blocks seemed to drag on forever...
The sadness seeped into his bones during that walk, and even Lucia, who was a spunky and fiery thing, was subdued as he walked through the door. The siblings greeted each other in a tired manner. Caleb's mother was in the back, quietly crying to herself, unable to adequately explain why.
"It just overcame me," she stammered. "I'll be fine. Just give me a few minutes."
That day's shift dragged on unlike any Caleb had experienced in the past, and the walk back to the condo was a sad and lonely one. Plopping onto the couch, tossing his coat onto the floor like it was meaningless, the redhead briefly considered calling Cerisse. Would she understand this sudden sadness? Would she mind? With a sigh, he decided against it, thinking a slice of chocolate cake and some movie popcorn with some stupid comedy movie would suffice for now. He could increase his workout the next day to make up for the emotional calories.
WC: 525
