There's a first time for everything, and i mean everything.
Tripping out on a psychedelic drug is one thing. But having a gnarly trip, getting a cash reward and then marked a hero seems like pure fate. This guy had it all, not to mention the story that has proved once and again good things come in all forms.
Kicking back in rural Manitoba, it was an average night with infinite possibilities- boys’ night in the country at a local’s house-but this time an ounce of mushrooms hit the mix. The prairie air was calm though the anticipation to drop the zoomers was building. Dusk set in and unlike regular nights the boys could feel one another’s energy as they choked down the foul-tasting fungi, hardly noticing its compelling stench amid their excitement.
Time crawled until the first sign of unusual ambiance, then BAM suddenly Jason started tripping. Getting high was the mission but his trip was too steep, far beyond comfort. The striped earth-toned wall paper was scrolling as if it were an old fashioned movie projector spinning out of control. He struggled to keep a steady focal point but was convinced that the couches were not the same couches he and his friends had sat on moments before; nothing was the same to him. He had crossed the threshold to another dimension, a place he knew was a reality but rarely had access to. Tonight all he wanted to be was himself again, unaware and back to normal. Jason insisted it was crucial for him to get home immediately. He was severely intoxicated, so he knew the only feasible way home was to walk. The dilemma was that the only way home was the highway. From within their own hallucinations, his friends attempted to retain him within the basement walls, but Jason would not have it. Overcome with claustrophobia and uneasiness he stormed out of the house and into the night.
What seemed like moments later, Jason's companions received a phone call from a very disturbed Jason in his climax, “There is a fucking gnome following me home! I swear to God a fucking gnome!”
Jason's friends replied, “No man, you're just tripping, keep walking make it home ignore the gnome, don't look back it's not really there.” Jason would not accept the fact that the gnome was a figment of his imagination and eventually the phone call ended without agreement. Jason continued his walk, perpetually leering and dodging into shadows, covering his tracks. Finally he couldn't handle it anymore, the gnome was persistently skulking in his wake, and no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't shake him. In his drug-induced paranoia, he decided to pick the gnome up, both to put an end to the gnome’s pursuit and to prove to his friends of it’s existence.
Approximately two hours later Jason arrived home at last. He cautiously made his way up the gravel drive and anxiously unlocked the door. His goal was to quietly reach the second floor without dropping the creature or making any noise. Lacking balance he stumbled up the stairs one foot at a time, clutching the gnome. His room felt safe and peaceful. His futon looked inviting, and he embraced the atmosphere. Still high, he decided to securely place the gnome in his closet, but not without proper provisions. He challenged the stairs once more, this time for a bowl of milk. Sketchy and exhausted, he entered his bliss once again, setting the bowl of milk in the closet for his new found friend.
Satisfied, Jason closed the closet door and fell into bed. He woke up late in the afternoon the next day rubbing his stomach, which had extreme gut rot. Ignoring it, he carried on with his morning ritual. While trying to piece together the previous night, he pried himself out of bed, brushed his teeth, and washed his face. He entered into his room again, he laid back on his bed observing his surroundings, simply trying to relax, and scanning his environment he heard something coming from the closet. As he sleuthed, he sensed this would play an essential role to remembering last night's events. He walked taking deep breaths with each footstep until his closet. The curiosity was increasing, Jason was experiencing deja view. Carefully he turned the knob to the door not knowing what he would find. He peeked into the small crevasse slowly pushing the door, little by little. He caught a glimpse of something, something that seemed to be flesh colored. “Shit” he thought to himself. He quickly closed his eyes, “OK...one...two...three” he opened them with hesitance. He gasped! Sitting there in his disbelief was a curled up child! Jason could not comprehend it at all. He contacted the authorities to assess the quandary he was now in. Evidently the child who was currently in Jason's closet was a local child with down syndrome who had been missing, roaming the highway for days. The parents had put out a search party using all of their resources trying to find their boy. The parents were so grateful that they bestowed a large award up on Jason. One would wonder what interlocked this odd pair and caused this chain reaction of random occurrences. Whatever it truly was, it was meant to be. A great payoff for a night he can hardly remember, could life get any better? We didn't think so, ALTHOUGH I STILL HAVEN'T TOLD YOU THE BEST PART OF THE STORY... The bowl of milk was gone.
