Mitch decided to wait in the lobby and have a cold drink until the opera ended and Karissa came out. No point in going back inside - he'd been disturbed enough
by the poor performance and then the strange altercation he'd just had.
The patch of rough skin on his shoulder tingled, and, slouching against the wall nearest the main theatre doors, he absent-mindedly rubbed it.
The crowd began exiting, including Paco, an 18-year-old, who never missed a chance to see opera - any opera. Paco had a star-caliber singing voice, and he
knew it. And tonight, he'd been lucky enough to snatch the amulet thrown by one of the stars into the audience!
He'd managed today to drag two of his school friends with him, though, from their expressions and stifled yawns, they hadn't been as enthralled as he.
"Amigo, you are one strange dude, you know?" sniped Jorge, the tallest of the three. "I mean, I know you take special lessons and all, but that was one big waste
of my night. Can we at least find someplace to get a drink or a beeer and hit on some chicas?" Jorge nudged humberto, the third member of the group, who grinned
broadly.
"You know, you're an idiot tonight," paco snapped, totally unaware that he was still grasping the amulet, which was getting warmer now.
Mitch shook his head slowly. A sound similar to a bowl of Rioce krispies obscured his hearing, and he tried to twists his little finger in one ear to clear it, spilling
soda down his side and onto the floor in the attempt. "Uh -- dang nab it - where was what's her name - Kar - Kar -- is -s a?" he thought, dabbing at the wet spot
he;d created.
Mitch looked up, and didn't recognize anyone, or anythoing, for that matter. There was a sign over the open doors the aurience was moving through, and one over
the snack counter. Mitch could not read either of them. he was lost - absolutely, totally, completely lost. Mitch sniffled and wiped his sleeve across his nose.
A thin line of drool began to form down tone side of his mouth.
Paco and his friends stepped out to the sidewalk. The two non-opera fans stretched exaggeratedly, letting their shirts ride up to expose tight abs for the benefit of
the 'chicas.' Paco throust his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels, whistling a snatch of the final aria.
Paco was jostled from behind by the exiting crowd and stumbled forward, nearly onto a small dog that was sitting on the curb, perhaps hoping for dropped snacks
from the crowd.
"Hola, perrito," Paco said, patting the dog on the head.
"What you find there, Paco," Humberto asked, elbowing in for a look. "Hey, a puppy. Here, boy!"
He pinched off a piece from the center of his candy bar and offered it to the dog, who sniffed and gingerly took it.
"That's la vida sin dificil, eh?" Humberto asked his friends.
"Totalmente," Paco responded, reaching into his pocket to look for a treat for the dog. His fingers brushed the amulet. "Wouldn't it be great to just be a puppy,
man? I mean, like, just for one night - no problems, no worries."
Karissa had found Mitch, who was now clutching a column to balance himself. He had developed a problem walking, and, softly, was inadvertantly emitting
repetitious nonsense sounds. She tapped him on the shoulder.
Mitch's mind began clearing, but now his nose was getting cold, and he felt an odd sensation all over, not clammy, exactly, but as if thin hairs were moving and
wriggling about.