Chapter Twenty-Nine: Buzzzzzzzzz

A Chapter by Emunah June.

When all else fails, BUT OUT THE ALCHOHOL!!

Once I got to Dietrich's stand, I noticed two things:

1) I was sweating (I grabbed Alfons' coat by accident)

2) There were twice as many people there.

Everyone chattered away excitedly over the paper. "Yo!" I called, and a few men turned around. One man, Hunswigg, turned around and passed me a can of beer.

"Edward! Come celebrate with us!"

I stared at the beer, wondering what it would be like to get drunk and party the day away with these guys. I mean, Koda was off doing something else, and Al...wait, Al. Where was he? I shrugged it off, guessing he was still sleeping. That or on his way to Alfons' house. Or lost. I snickered at the thought.

I opened the can and took in a deep sip. I liked the taste and was about to drink some more before a man behind me took the can away from me. "Hey, no drinks for minors!" he shouted, drinking up the rest of it.

Hey...that was my beer.

"I'm of age, you know," I said, and a few drunks around me made a whistling noise. "It's Eztle aint it?" one said, and thats when I put two and two together:

I'm of age...Eztle....

"Oh you guys are sick," I said, and everyone started to laugh. I threw some money on the stand and Dietrich handed me a newspaper. Hunswigg put his arm around me. "Read the headline, my friend! I'll get you another beer if you'd like," he said. I fancied a beer, so I read the first page:

Heroine Comes? The Saviour of Shamballa

Earlier today, the one who was said to open Shamballa arrived.

"She's the final key," reports a frequent member of the Thule Society. "She's got all the information we need."

This girl has no name, but is said to be 18 years of age. She's young and promising, and has said she can open the door to Shamballa with her magical skill. If her boasting holds true, then it's estimated that all Munich residents will be living in paradise by midnight. If false, then...well, it's merely false.

Amelia Eckart had a lot to say on this situation. "I want to thank every sponsor who entrusted their faith in us. Our work...our progress...it all belongs to you. Now, because of our frequent money supply, everyone in Munich shall benefit."

Is this heroine real? Are we getting our hopes up? Only time will tell.

"This woman...this alchemist...she is the last thing we need," reports Eckart when asked about how useful this girl was. In follow up, she added with a sly comment that the girl had all the "provoking" she needed.

In other news...

Were these people serious? Not only was alchemy unaffective on this side of the Gate, but this 18-year old was probably just lying to get the attention. And all these men drinking...!! "Hand me a beer," I said, and Hunswigg passed me a can larger than before. I popped it open and began to drink the sweet liquid by the gulps. "Stupid girl...stupid," I mumbled, tucking the paper under my arm and taking another sip. This stuff was addictive!

I walked back home, surely and steadily, taking an occasional sip along the way.

Life was good, suddenly. All I needed was a can of beer. Duh, why hadn't anyone TOLD me about this magic drink?! It made all my pain wash away. I wasn't worried about Koda. I wasn't worried about Al. Life just started to be more colourful and joyus. I smiled, sipping again. Mmm mmm mmm! Daaang. I really liked this! When I was all out, I hastily threw the can into a nearby trashcan and rushed into a near convience store to grab another.

Now I was on my second can, and it felt great.

By the time I was halfway through with my second can, my head started to feel...lighter than usual. I felt like laughing at everything, and my heart felt like it was racing. I drank in larger sips, and once I was out I searched frantically for another store. But I was already home, so I let it be. I walked inside and threw the paper on the table. I sat on the sofa, enjoying this new sensation.

"Wow...Ed...you look...strange."

I could hardly hear Alfons say this as I leaned my head back and started to laugh. Alfons sniffed the air, then grunted. "You smell like beer!" he commented, and I burst into a fit of giggles. "You're buzzed," Alfons said a minute later, and I shrugged.

Whatever this was, I liked it.

I wanted some more of it.

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