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22 December 2023
Ben handed the glass pipe back to Ryan, holding it in for as long as he could. He didn't want to look like a pussy, but he couldn't help it; his eyes were watering like crazy and his lungs were burning. He coughed uncontrollably. Fumbling blindly for the water bottle, he took a mouthful, but spat it out in a mist as he coughed again.
Ryan sat against the chimney, one leg dangling over the edge of the roof. He leaned forward, picking up the lighter as Ben wiped his eyes. He took a long drag from the pipe and leaned his head back, looking at the few stars that had begun to peek through the dusk above. It was a great night, probably the last one before winter.
Ryan turned his attention back to Ben. "Hey, at least this time you didn't burn your thumb," he said, grinning, as he set the pipe and lighter on the roof. "It's all yours, when you're ready."
Ben shook his head. "I'm good for a while, thanks."
"What made you want to smoke all of a sudden?"
Ben wiped his eyes. "I always wanted to try it. Christie never let me." He looked down at the street, laughing quietly. "Like I needed her to say it was okay. I don't remember her asking my permission when she fucked Eric."
Ryan laughed. "Yeah. Well, she's not your problem anymore."
Ben reclined on the roof, watching the oranges and reds above fade to darker blues. "Do you ever wonder how people can be like that?" he asked. "How can someone just have complete and total disregard for another person like that?"
Ryan looked back up at the stars. "Yeah, I think about that sometimes. One hundred billion people on this planet, and 99% of them are complete assholes. Sometimes I think it's all connected: overpopulation, reincarnation, and people acting the way they do." He paused for a moment, glancing over at Ben. "I've got this theory. It's like, God only has so many souls; some are good, some are bad. When a person dies, their soul goes into the next person being born. But there are way too many people on the planet now, and He just ran out of souls to put in all of them. There are some good people, and some evil, but the rest don't even have a conscience to guide them at all."
Ben sat back up as Ryan continued. "Trust me, man. People like Christie are empty, just vessels in the shape of humans, hollow where the soul is supposed to be."
Ben stared at Ryan for a moment, his gaze still pointed upward to the heavens, unmoving. He didn't quite follow what his friend was talking about, but it seemed to fit. He picked up the pipe again as he watched the cars below.
Ryan sat against the chimney, one leg dangling over the edge of the roof. He leaned forward, picking up the lighter as Ben wiped his eyes. He took a long drag from the pipe and leaned his head back, looking at the few stars that had begun to peek through the dusk above. It was a great night, probably the last one before winter.
Ryan turned his attention back to Ben. "Hey, at least this time you didn't burn your thumb," he said, grinning, as he set the pipe and lighter on the roof. "It's all yours, when you're ready."
Ben shook his head. "I'm good for a while, thanks."
"What made you want to smoke all of a sudden?"
Ben wiped his eyes. "I always wanted to try it. Christie never let me." He looked down at the street, laughing quietly. "Like I needed her to say it was okay. I don't remember her asking my permission when she fucked Eric."
Ryan laughed. "Yeah. Well, she's not your problem anymore."
Ben reclined on the roof, watching the oranges and reds above fade to darker blues. "Do you ever wonder how people can be like that?" he asked. "How can someone just have complete and total disregard for another person like that?"
Ryan looked back up at the stars. "Yeah, I think about that sometimes. One hundred billion people on this planet, and 99% of them are complete assholes. Sometimes I think it's all connected: overpopulation, reincarnation, and people acting the way they do." He paused for a moment, glancing over at Ben. "I've got this theory. It's like, God only has so many souls; some are good, some are bad. When a person dies, their soul goes into the next person being born. But there are way too many people on the planet now, and He just ran out of souls to put in all of them. There are some good people, and some evil, but the rest don't even have a conscience to guide them at all."
Ben sat back up as Ryan continued. "Trust me, man. People like Christie are empty, just vessels in the shape of humans, hollow where the soul is supposed to be."
Ben stared at Ryan for a moment, his gaze still pointed upward to the heavens, unmoving. He didn't quite follow what his friend was talking about, but it seemed to fit. He picked up the pipe again as he watched the cars below.
artid
79
Old Image
4_7_house.swf
issue
vol 4 - issue 07 (mar 2002)
section
pen_think