“This could be yet another normal story. ”

It has been over a week since Anon entered Volcano University. The days flew by faster than the speed of light. Murkiness of the sky became a usual nausea show. Meeting professors like they are his neighbors in his apartment complex. Meeting his class like they are nothing more than a hoard outside, typical strangers on the street. Going in and out like at work. The cycle commenced, and things were getting their designated places in this gear system.

Firstly, Anon had to pick the “activities” he will attend until the end of his studentship. The student council, consisting of young and smart people, gave him the list and told him to pick at least one activity and report back in less than two days. Without thinking much, Anon chose swimming and music classes. Only a couple of days afterwards, when his choice was applied, he understood the benefits of what he chose. He always wanted to swim properly, since anything can happen in life. And music… Music was chosen rather of retrospective passion than actually learning an instrument.

Secondly, he adapted to the whacky schedule of the university. So many things were a novelty to him, and he didn’t know how to utilize the time he received properly. Most of his actions were driven with confusion. But, slowly, as the days went, he adapted his being to the time. It was nice to have control of what you do and how you do it with the strict limit of time. And, thirdly, he found himself a weekend job as a barista in a café near where he lives. It’s always nice to have an additional load of cash. Now, all that’s left is sticking to the plan and going through everything like it never was there in the first place.

The sky was bright, autumnally clean. The pale sun reaches inside the wagon, piercing the weak shield of stained glass and into Anon’s eyes. The wagon is packed with people, going to their workplaces. Silent and stiff. The green coat feels unnecessary. Anon’s mind is as clean as a summer nature landscape. No intrusive thoughts, no bad memories – nothing at all. Just like the sky outside. Just endless comforting purity.

Anon looked at the time. Half an hour before the first period, he will make it in time. Listening to the ambience around became quite tiring, so to dissolve this boredom he reaches inside his coat’s left pocket, pulls out a case with wireless earbuds, settles them inside his ears and plays music he downloaded. The quality of the record is quite good, with the vocalist telling his soothing ballad somehow mixing well with the overall environment. Anon looks outside.

And, as the singer asks Anon a provocative question, it strikes him. His mind deafens the surroundings even more, even the music has become insignificant before this thought. His righteous isolation drove him to do everything that led him to today, to who he is now and to who he could be tomorrow. His constant desire to be left alone made him choose not for his own benefit, but for the benefit of building this wall, behind which he hid himself for a long amount of time. The contradiction, the confusion – what if this plan he has committed himself to is the reason everything went to shit?

He left this thought as far away as he could, to concentrate on today. He felt enough pain already. Doubting the reason for his actions is just a different type of pain. And what will it lead to, anyway? Understanding the reason wouldn’t just magically untie this knot on the rope of his life. It wouldn’t make him bear this easier either. Right now, clarity can’t do anything. And, as much as Anon knows, it wouldn’t even in his darkest day.

He feels the train stopping. The platform slowly appears in his field of view. Anon stands up, leaves the wagon into the crowdy tambour. It’s hard to stand there, but he finds a sweet spot and waits before the train finally stops. The doors open wide, and the passengers leave. Anon steps outside the stiff steady air straight into the moving cold, he quickly finds the exit and descends from the platform onto the streets, keeping up his quick pace.

The building was easy to spot. Only now, walking to it, Anon noticed it was standing on a hill, making it top over other buildings. The significance of the building definitely played its part. Approaching it, Anon notices the usual hoarding on the concrete stairs. He quickly rises to the entrance, but, before entering, stops and checks his time. Twenty minutes remain. He moves aside, whips out his pack of cigarettes and lights one up.

Blissful nicotine spreads across his entire body. The morning sleepiness kicks in again. A huge cloud erupts from his mouth, thawing in the infinite blue of the autumn clear sky. Pale sun still strikes his eyes with its weakened light. It’s nice to take a stop, to look at others, to realize the difference of one from many. It brings some hope. Hope that’s not all was lost, and some things remain intact from all the days spent. Hope that something can be done to change the course of life.

Anon looks at the time again. Fifteen minutes remain. He takes out the smoldering filter, the remains of his cigarette, pushes it into the ashtray and enters the building. Quickly, he reaches the dressing hall, where he leaves his coat, and then, out of the dressing hall, straight to the staircase and onto the third floor. Despite smoking, he still has a lot of lung capacity. A nice thing to have in swimming and running.

He finds the door, already preoccupied with his classmates, stands nearby to not draw any attention. To pass some time again, he takes his phone, opens up some social media and some imageboards to check whether something happened. And something happening there was – there was a life, on its own, governed by nothing but passion and will to create and obliterate. Anon envies this life, something he wanted to have since the very moment he got his hands onto stable internet connection and the beauty of being anonymous.

The artificial bell strikes the beginning of the first period. One by one, classes leave the hallways into their designated rooms. So happens to Anon and his class. A young woman in a lab coat quickly approaches, makes her way to the door and opens it for the youth to enter. Slowly, the class and Anon make their way inside and take their seats, with Anon picking the farthest and the loneliest available seat. Soon, the lady closes the door and begins her rant.

It was hard not to fall asleep. If there was a contest for the most monotone voice, the winner would be known every single time – this young lady in a lab coat, explaining something Anon has lost traction in. Not even famous bloggers and youtubers could explain some online drama more monotone than her. To not entirely fall asleep and draw unnecessary attention, Anon hides his phone on the desk and browses away, hoping that the time would pass quicker.

And passed quicker it did. So much so that he found himself outside, walking on the first floor to the swimming pool. Realizing where he is and where he goes, Anon abruptly stops and looks around. The hallway feels lively on its own, without his existence. He opens the schedule he saved onto the phone and double checks it. Everything’s right – two periods have passed, now it’s ten minutes before his “activity period”. Which is swimming.

Now it feels weird. Like organs twisting, twitching, melting inside his body. The uncertainty that can come in the following two hours is frightening. A thought about ditching this class entirely, hoping that nobody would notice his absence is nice, too nice in fact. But he wants – no, needs to be here, otherwise he’s doomed forever. He needs a degree to have something more than a shitty job somewhere at the bottom of the sea. And he wants to draw less attention to himself – his absence in this situation would only make him a topic to discuss. And what could draw little to no attention better than a faceless human in swim shorts amongst a group of athletic dinosaurs?

Anon hides his phone and enters the men’s locker room. Blue tiles going up on the floor and the walls, all the way to the plastic ceiling with two powerful blinding lights. It reeks of chlorine water. Lockers across the room don’t have any keyholes, but some kind of knobs – some lockers have their nobs in horizontal position, some in vertical. If there is no locking system, then the swimming class is either too frightened to steal something or working on the basis of honor (which is a novelty).

Anon comes to the locker wall, finds himself an empty locker. Out of the bag he pulls out his swimming shorts; he puts the bag inside the locker, as deep as his hand can reach. Then he begins to undress, and in this very moment another student rushes inside, not bothered by the picture of a human naked to the waist. Only now, noticing that student, Anon looks at himself, only to be reassured that his body isn’t in poor condition. He looks rather athletic. That half a year he spent in a gym to spend his time and try to recover definitely played their part.

— Merde! Made it just in the nick of time! – The student said.

Anon kept paying no attention to the student, continuing undressing. Soon, nonchalantly tossing his daily clothing inside, he takes the swimming shirts and quickly puts them on. Before closing, he checks the time on his waterproof watch – he still has around ten minutes before the class starts. Fear of getting late changes the perception of time. He reaches into the bag far away in the shadow of the locker, takes his phone out, closes the locker and takes a seat on the small simplistic bench.

Time slowly went by, as Anon, dissipating inside his own thoughts and memories, takes a look around the internet in search of a thing that will hook him. No messages on the only messenger. Nothing new on imageboards and some other social networks – same shit every day. This could be perfect – Anon, his phone, and the locker room, with its masculine ambience. The student nearby, currently undressing, is the only thing that ruins this picture-perfect moment of loneliness.

Suddenly, a hand appears on the peripheral of his vision. The student, already changed into his swimming shirts, sat beside him on the bench, looking around on his phone, almost the same way even. Now this is the most frightening moment. Trying to not get distracted, Anon still looked at the hand. Pale bright blue of the scales was calming, friendly. Sharp fingernails, looking like needles, look like they definitely could dig into his flesh with an ease. This singular picture feels horrific, but, somehow, out of place. As if that student, as much as Anon could possibly know about him, wouldn’t do it in a lifetime.

— Nice watch, by the way. – The student said.

Anon curses his life. This is a conversation he cannot avoid. What if the student isn’t what he thinks he is? What if that freshman has already made his ways into the political scene of the entire university? Absurd, yet possible. Still, the response is needed.

— Thanks. – Anon responded.

— Are they waterproof? – The student asked. – Definitely they are, since you didn’t take them off. How much did they cost you? A hundred bucks? Two hundred?

Anon notices the vivid French accent in that student’s voice. As much as his cringe receptors could’ve peaked at this moment, he didn’t feel them turning on. Maybe, they’re gone entirely.

— Around two hundred. – Anon answered.

— Oh, right.

Anon got up, opened his locker and tossed the phone back into his bag. The student did the same. They both locked their lockers in a strange unison.

— Fuck, where were my manners?.. – The student said, and came to Anon with his arm stretched out. – Name’s Leo.

— Anon. – Anon responded, absently, shaking his hand.

Leo smiled a bit. No anticipated plasticity, only benevolence. Anon feels that the absence and nonchalancy in his voice were definitely out of place. The remains of what was spent guilt weakly slap him across his mental face.

Without speaking a singular word, Leo quickly leaves the locker room into the showers. Anon follows him, catches a glimpse of Leo storming straight into the pool. Before continuing, Anon looks around the shower room. Eight cabins, separated by tall walls, closed off with curtains. Remembering the desert that is his bald head, he feels slightly offended. Only to then brush this unnecessary feeling and step inside the grand cathedral of peace that is the swimming pool.

It was spacious. Ambience of water spreads around. The smell of chlorine slowly makes its way into his lungs. Infinite blue all across. The only missing thing could be windows on the ceiling, to show the bright baby blue autumn sky. Despite the nauseating feelings, Anon feels that this is his place to be, his little home in this world of carnivorous lamb. This is where he needs to be, this is where he deserves to be. Swimming below the surface and feeling the blissful inalienable dreamless.

Looking around, he notices Leo amongst others, standing in a group. A tall athletic dinosaur instructs the group on how to behave and what to do in an emergency situation. Anon, as quickly as he can go on this slippery floor, meets with the group, only to find out he was late to the party.

— …and that’s it. Putting this short to all the people that came in late – don’t be an idiot and be ready to assist others when an emergency arrives. If something really bad happens, like a fight or something, call me or my assistant in. You got it?

The group responded. Anon remained silent.

— Alright. Enjoy then!

The group of fifteen male and female dinosaurs ran into the pool like children. Anon decided to take a second and stepped away, resting onto the wall. Leo did the same thing.

— What did he say anyway? – Leo asked.

— You heard him. – Anon responded. – Behave and be out there for others. Simple as.

Leo nodded. Only now, looking at his profile, Anon notices how long his beak is. And how long and fish-like his tail looks. And how much hydro aura he has. As if he made for water, and, definitely, for this swimming pool.

— How did you get here, Anon? – Leo asked, his voice cutting through the splashes and the chatter.

— As everyone would. Sent an application, waited, got accepted.

— No, no. I mean, entirely. I know you’re not from these places.

— Oh, alright. Well… I changed schools for a long period of time. My last school was Volcano High.

— Volcano High? – Leo asked, surprised. – That school where…

Before Leo could say something that will reflect in Anon’s shin with immense amount of phantom pain, he responded:

— Yes.

Leo noticed the hesitance in Anon’s voice, and switched the theme of the conversation. They continued chatting for around fifteen minutes, breathing in this sweet chlorine air and looking at the crowded pool. All before Anon heard:

— Leo!

Before Anon could come to his mind, he spotted a blur of motion, running into Leo. Anon took a step back, to notice a pink raptor tightly hugging Leo.

— Sage! – Leo said. – Not in public!

The pink raptor took a step back. Anon, standing beside the scene, notices the height difference, with Leo being a good six inches higher than the pink raptor named Sage.

— Sorry… – Sage said.

— It’s fine. – Leo said with a lovely smile. – I know you were missing me.

— Of course I was!

They chatted for a small bit. Anon, feeling how personal that conversation is, decided to mute them in his mind until Sage left the picture, leaving Leo and Anon alone. Anon returned to his position.

— That was Sage for you, – Leo said, pointing out the pink figure in the pool, spending time nicely. – I have known her from… kindergarten.

— Are you both in a relationship? – Anon asked.

— Oui… I mean, yeah, we are.

— And you don’t sound like you like it.

— No, I like it! It just… feels weird. With her always storming a way to me, hugging me tight in the public, yada, yada, yada… I just want to keep it private, you know?

— Like in the old times or something?

— Yeah, like in the old times. Our relationship must be kept between me and her.

— And yet you’ve told me that.

Leo looked at Anon with worry.

— You’re not going to tell that to anybody, right? – Leo asked with pleading eyes.

— What? Why the fuck would I do that? – Anon said. – Of course not, don’t worry.

Leo sighed in relief.

— What about you? – Leo asked. – Do you have a relationship?

The word made his shin hurt. Anon winced a bit, barely enough for Leo to notice.

— Had a relationship? – Leo rephrased the question.

This only made the situation worse.

— Oh, I get it. – Leo said sympathetically. – No need to answer.

The phantom pain let go. Anon sighed and continued gazing with Leo upon the crowded pool.

 

***

 

This day soon came to a close. The last period passed like nothing, and before he made his way to the train station, Anon decided to spend some money on some fast-food, to celebrate this day going fine. Near Volcano University, there were a couple of good and popular fast-food restaurants. Anon went to one of them, spent a good amount of cash on his order, put the paper bag filled with high-calorie delight into his bag aside other things and left the restaurant, slowly walking to the train station.

Now his plan is in a risky position. With Leo and Sage appearing in the picture, the only thing Anon could do is hope that they would leave him alone after some time, disappearing in the crowd. Anon couldn’t fail, and yet he didn’t want to be an asshole, nor did he want to get some broken bones. And what if they wouldn’t go away? What if they will stay, become friends with Anon, feeling like it is a necessity to give this grim human some people to tell his problems to? That is a nightmare that can surpass Lovecraft.

Anon stepped onto the concrete platform. It was empty, with some figures standing far away. Ten minutes remaining before the train would arrive; Anon takes his pack of cigarettes, lights up one, takes a drag and lets out a cloud. Strangely, he doesn’t feel the relief nicotine always brings him; his nerves are still under tension. Believing that his feelings have dulled from the new acquaintance, he focused his attention to the cold evening. It was cold, but he didn’t feel like freezing. And it wasn’t the coat.

Leo. Sage. A pair made in heaven. So bluntly reminding him of the other pair he knew from high school, that didn’t make it to today. Thinking about the correlation, the metaphor, he didn’t feel the pain in his shin. As if it is something that is completely fine to think about. As if it is some kind of a second chance. Whatever it was, they’re definitely the reimagination of her brother and his manipulative girlfriend, made for him to understand that not all is lost.

The train arrived before Anon could come to any conclusions. He brushed this thought aside, making his way inside the warm wagon. He took his favorite seat – closest to the window, so he could look outside on the city falling asleep. The dark picture calmed his mind down, removed the unnecessary thoughts. Everything became clear and blunt again, and the only thing Anon was worried about is him returning home and consuming that pack of top tier fast-food heaven before going to bed.

He felt the train stopping and stood up from his seat. The tambour was empty, and Anon stood as close as it was possible to the double doors. The train stopped, the wagon opened its double doors; Anon left, stepping outside on the concrete platform. The days strangely feel warm. – Anon thought. – Indian summer? Possible. Still won’t ditch my jacket. What if the following day would be cold as balls? Those fucks can predict one shit, only to then for other shit to happen.

The apartment complex slowly arose amidst other buildings. Anon walked to the complex, entered, took the lift, got onto his floor, unlocked his apartment and went inside. This process is something he will crave on some long days in the university. It’s a bane for all the students – desiring for the day to shorten, so they could arrive back in their sweet little apartments, where they weren’t bound to some rules. That was their little island in the villainous world.

Leaving his jacket and the boots, Anon made his way into the small kitchen. The anticipation made his stomach growl. He took out the paper bag, delightfully reeking of food, took out everything there was onto the table, threw the paper bag into the bin under the table and began digesting the food, examining the darkness of the sky outside his windows.

“ Sometimes, even the scariest day will be the best. ”

 

***

 

“ The plan on its own isn’t as bad as others would think. Besides, that is what someone would wish to accomplish. But recently it feels alien for me to think about it. Why’s that? Whatever. I’ll stick as much as I can to the plan. Whoever Leo and Sage are for me, I’m not interested in being friends with them. ”

Before anyone would notice, Anon closed his notepad and hid it deep inside the bag.

The cafeteria was crowded as always. Many students sit across many tables, eating and speaking nonstop. Their voices, echoing, felt like a headache bell. Muting them inside his mind, Anon slowly makes his way across the huge line, exiting it with a pile of food. Now it’s about finding himself a desolate spot, where he could eat uninterrupted. And before he could spot any, a voice cut the sheet of clatter.

— Over here!

Anon looked around and spotted a blue arm stretched up, calling him in. It is Leo. Anon felt like ditching the cafeteria entirely, eating in a different place, but he doesn’t like to be put in a bad image. (He remembered what happened years prior, and that made his shin hurt a bit.) With dread across his face, he slowly made his way to the blue liopleurodon, accompanied by the sugar rush of that cute little microraptor. Before sitting down, he settled the tray with food on the table, shook hands with Leo and, expecting everything, sat down.

— Alright, time to properly introduce you two. – Leo said. – Sage, this is Anon, a freshman like us. Anon, this is Sage, my girlfriend.

Anon felt the sheer hesitation in Leo saying that.

— Happy to know you! – Sage said with an infinite smile. Her aura could melt any vampire.

Anon nodded. He took the utensil, but before he could begin eating he saw Leo whipping out his phone and standing up. On his face was a worried expression.

— Sorry, Anon, need to answer.

Anon didn’t say anything. Leo disappeared from the picture, leaving him and Sage alone. Anon felt Sage’s eyes trying to pierce his thick skin, but didn’t have a desire to talk. He kept on eating nonchalantly, hoping that she would remain silent until Leo will return, but, all of a sudden, she muttered:

— Never had a human friend… Raptor Jesus, this is so exciting!..

Anon looked at Sage. She looked like she was about to melt from the excitement. Her long tail was moving from side to side. That’s what he feared the most. Anon feels like his world is shattering apart, into little bits. His plan didn’t even last a month.

Sage noticed the betrayed look on Anon’s face.

— Anon? Is everything okay? – She asked.

— What?.. Oh, yeah, everything’s fine.

He continued to eat, feeling the weight of her gaze on him.

— Do all humans have no hair? – She asked all of a sudden.

— No. – Anon responded.

— So… you’ve just lost in the genetic lottery?

— That’s harsh…

— Sorry, didn’t mean it!

Anon swallowed the last piece of his meal. So far, he enjoyed it.

— Volcano University has some good meals, isn’t it? – Sage asked, smiling.

— In comparison to where I was, yeah.

Waiting for Leo was tiresome. He wasn’t returning for the past ten minutes. Sage, with a face stuffed with worry, kept on looking around every ten seconds.

— Leo, what happened to you?.. – She muttered from time to time.

Anon, on the other hand, took out his phone to spend some time online, but suddenly felt dreadful just looking at the main page of his browser. His fingers couldn’t tap away searching for something online. Is it because of Sage and Leo? – Anon thought. – Is it because my plan is now turned to dust? He sighted and returned his phone back into the pocket of his pants.

A few minutes later, Leo returned to the table. He sat down in silence, looking rather sad. As if he was told something he never wanted to hear. Whatever the reason for his sadness, it affected Sage too. She slowly wrapped him with her hands and her tail and pulled him into a hug. For a few seconds they were silent, and for those few seconds Anon felt the bile envy, because of which his shin hurt even more.

— Leo, what happened? – Sage finally asked.

Leo sighed. Anon became worried too.

— Leo, – he said, – you better tell us.

Leo looked at Anon with pleading eyes, but soon reached into his pocket, took out his phone, unlocked it and gave it to Anon. On the screen was a post in the official Volcano University group, announcing the anticipated first concert of a freshmen group named “Tennant”, previously known as “Swamp Babies”.