Colossal Confessions

Chapter 15: Secret of the Shroom

"Alright. I don't want you to freak out..." Jasmine tried her best to remain composed.

"But you may have just drunk...magic mushroom tea." She bit her lip nervously. Levi's giggles stopped abruptly.

"What?"

"You may have just dosed yourself with a hallucinogen." She tried to keep her tone light to avoid any freak outs.

"You drugged me?" Levi's eyes narrowed.

"I did no such thing! Technically you drugged yourself. Who just drinks some mystery liquid without knowing what it is?"

"You know I like tea." Levi said glumly. He put his hand to his chest and looked panicked – his heart was racing.

"I think I need to lay down. I can't believe you idiots do this on purpose." Levi got up, staggering. Jasmine shot up and grabbed an arm to keep him from falling. She steered him to the couch and sat him down firmly. He looked frazzled and his breathing was shallow.

"Look at me. You're going to be fine. This will last a few hours and then it'll all be over." She coached him through a few deep breaths and he visibly relaxed.

"What now?"

"Relax and enjoy the ride."

**********

"It's like I can and can't feel my body at the same time." Levi lay on the floor, his hands behind his head.

"The walls are breathing you know. I think they stole my breath." She held back a giggle – what on earth was he talking about? Cyclops wound her way over to Levi and nuzzled him lovingly – given his disposition, she probably mistook him for a fellow cat. He laughed, a velvety rumble that came from deep within him, and scratched the cat affectionately. Jasmine smiled realising Levi's face didn't hold its usual tension – it was as if he was relaxing for the first time in his life.

Levi had had to fight for survival ever since he was a kid. He'd only been four when his mother passed away, and he had never known his father. His life in the underground had been far from a happy, healthy childhood. The only father figure he'd had in his life had been a notorious killer, and he'd left Levi as soon as he was able to fend for himself.

Levi often wondered if he was cursed and if he was doomed to be miserable. Everybody he had ever loved wound up leaving his somehow – most of them met untimely demises. At some point he'd vowed to never grow close to anybody again – but then he'd been forced into the Scouts and his outlook on life changed. His pessimism slowly faded, and though he struggled to let his walls down, he found himself creating deep bonds with some of his comrades. He trusted them with his life, and he came to think of them as family – they were all he had.

"How about we go for a walk?" Jasmine suggested. She'd resigned herself to being Levi's trip sitter, and given how content he seemed, why not show the guy a good time? Levi scooped up the fluffy white cat, cradling it like a baby, and made a bee-line for the front door.

"How 'bout we leave Cyclops at home?"

**********

Jasmine took Levi to her favourite spot – a secluded area by a riverbank. Old trees shaded the clearing from prying eyes, and the light from the moon beamed down, giving the space a magical aura. She sat down by the trunk of her favourite tree and looked up at the moon. Levi followed suit.

"Ever think we'll go to the moon?" He wondered out loud. She looked at him, her eyes warm.

"I hope so. Do you think there's titans up there?"