The weekend comes around, Salem working his job for the mayor. Keeping the roads clean and helping the people around for his regular, crappy pay but regardless it's money that is being used for himself and if needed his family's bills.
The roads busy as cars zoom from behind Salem, his clothes different from his usual wear, more bulky, an orange heavy jumpsuit, but theres a reason for that. Because Salem is cutting grass on the side of the road, and with the grass being shin length there could very well have many rocks or different type of things in the grass.
Salem's not alone though he's with Stone his co-worker, he and Salem have been together working for a while now. That's a good thing because the patch of grass that he is cutting is the same amount as a whole baseball field and the sun is beaming down on them, not a problem for Salem Stone is having a hard time keeping up, with a seemingly new and improved Salem.
They started about fifteen minutes ago so they still have a lot more to go. Stone is wearing the same heavy padded and hot, not for Salem, jumpsuit.
Stone is also a pretty bulky dude, having a good amount of muscle but majority of it is just fat, making him look about 240, if his shirt was off he'd have a dad bod, because he is one, but with his shirt on his body looks like a body builder that lifts heavy at the gym.
Stone is a Samoan guy, even without his muscle on him, he would be ridiculously strong for a guy and especially one for his age. Stone has a serious face, and a bubbly personality for a forty year old man.
They are doing a different path each, but still the same starting point. Beside the roadway.
They first started with their body facing toward the highway, but now that they feel more secure and less like they'd get hit. they turned their back to the highway but still made sure to not get to close. One warning the other whenever they got to close.
Salem continues on his own path before he stops to turn and follow the line of cut grass to show where he should cut. Stone does the same, but Salem doesn't feel as fatigued as Stone so he's a tad bit ahead.
Salem continues on his pathway and walks closer and closer to the middle point of where Salem and Stone would meet before turning again.
Wonder: 'Salem, be careful. The energy around these parts feel weird for some reason.'
Salem stops for a second, then begins to continue on his path, slower.
He also begins looking around franticly.
Salem: 'What does that mean?!'
Salem yells out in his mind, scared of what he was just told.
Wonder: 'The same energy as mine is being felt around here.'
Salem: 'What does that mean?'
Wonder: 'There could be another crytid like me around this place.''
Salem now looks around even more scared then before. He continues on his path, then he spots something out of the corner of his eye. Making him stop in his tracks and looking at it.
In the distance, a weird white thing... person...? Its waving around in the wind, that both Salem and Stone can't feel because of the heavy orangee jummpsuit.
Wonder: 'That's what is giving off the weird energy. Be aware.'
Salem looks down and clutches his chest, it's beating heavily. he can feel it even through the jumpsuit.
Eventually, he full blown stopped in his path and just stares at the thing from a distance still unsure of what it is.
Stone sees him and he picks up his pace just a bit more, inching closer and closer toward Salem.
One step after the other for Stone. One massive heartbeat after the other for Salem. They gradually get closer to each other, until Stone is right next to Salem. Stopping on the fresh patch of grass that was just cut with the lawn mower.
Stone: "You okay Salem?"
Stones voice is really deep, sounding like a valorant guy trying to impress an E-girl.
Salem grips his chest even tighter, and in about two weeks since he got his powers from Wonder he sweats, but at the same time Salem has increased in heat, his body drying the sweat as it beads.
Salem: "Stone you seeing that?"
Salem continues staring at the thing in the distance and points at it with his other hand.
Stone looks and just stares as well. His face contorted to try and really see what is out there but after someone his age gets to a point their eyesight slowly diminished.
So Stone decides best course is to just get closer and tell him to get out.
He starts his walk, Salem now behind him as he gets closer to the wavy thing.
Stone: "YO! Man we doing our job bush cutting. If you don't want to get hit by rocks you need to leave!"
The distance between both the thing and Stone is pretty big and the few steps that Stone took don't really cut it down.
Salem feels his heart beat even heavier.
Wonder: 'STOP HIM SALEM!'
As Wonder says that Salem breaks into a bolt but stops as his legs don't feel like moving... Then he feels himself shaking uncontrollably, his breath is labored, it hasn't been like this eve when Amelia was going to out Salem.
Salem is Afraid.
Wonder: 'Salem Stop him!'
Salem tries to open his mouth but he can't get any words out of his throat.
Soon Stone is close, uncontrollably close to the thing. Stone gets a better look at the wavy thing. Then it disappeared, before both Stone and Salem's eyes. Like it was completely blinked from existence.
Stone now stands completely still and upright, his back uncontrollably straight.
Stone then turns to Salem and walks over to him. Each step he gets closer. Until he's nearly in front of Salem.
Salem: "Stone are you okay?"
Stone ignores Salem, continuing walking right past him, going to the highway.
HONK!
A blaring horn is heard in the distance.
Stone gets closer to the highway...
Wonder: 'SALEM STOP HIM RIGHT NOW!'
They both break into a Sprint.
Salem feels something wrong his heart is still beating heavily, afraid of what could happen if he doesn't catch Stone.
Stone runs like he isn't slowed by the heavy jumpsuit and Salem runs with all the force he can muster, his heart still beating heavily.
Salem: "STONE!"
Stone gets closer.
The truck is now visible.
Stone is near the highway. The truck is going fast, to fast to stop now.
Salem feels himself launch off the ground a little more than usual.
His feet get air time. He jumped and grabbed onto the back of Stone. Pulling him back just in time for the truck to wizz right past them and honk extremely loud as the person rolls down their window and shows an indecent finger, before moving out of sight with a sharp left turn.
Stone falls onto his back and Salem falls onto Stone, holding him in a mount and trying desperately to holding him but Stone is moving crazy, and with a big weight difference Salem should be flying off but that's not happening at all Salem is actually holding him still, surprising even himself.
Salem: "Stone! Wake up!"
Stone eyes look empty, like the iris isn't the iris but the whole eye. Making it completely black from the middle to the edges, not even showing the red veins.
Stone still flails weakly, under Salem.
Salem: "Stone what are you doing? You almost ran into a damn truck! Wake up!"
Wonder: 'He should wake soon...'
Salem stops all movement but stays on top of Stone.
Stone eyes begin to have color again, the white around the iris, but the veins now showing in his eyes way more than it should, his veins bulging a lot toward the edges of the eyes.
Stone looks like he slowly regaining consciousness in his mind.
Stone: "Salem what happened? That thing was in front of me then the next moment you are on top of me and i'm on the ground."
Salem looks embarrassed and gets off of him.
Salem: "You almost ran into traffic... Like you went insane for a second."
Stone: "Why would I ever do that?"
His deep voice breaks, but he somewhat doesn't, not believe Salem.
Stone: "Did I really almost do that?"
He looks at the area they are at and then to the place that he was at before and he takes a deep breathe then a sigh.
Salem: "Yes..."
Salem's voice trails off in Stone's mind, not giving a rebuttal because now he really does believe Salem.
Stone: "Salem lets clock out for the day..."
Salem nods and gets the supplies that they were using, putting them in the trailer, securing it tightly then into the cab as Salem and Stone drive off.
30 Minutes Later
Salem is back inside his room, he took a shower changed into a black tee-shirt and joggers that he had on the mattress, then fell onto his mattress remembering what happened a while ago.
Wonder: 'You wondering what it was that you saw?'
Salem: "Yes, can you explain?"
Wonder: 'Yes I will... but first you have to sleep.'
Salem: "For what?"
Wonder: "It'd be easier to show you that way."
Salem still doesn't fully understand why him sleeping would contribute but he does as said regardless of if he understand or not, since the only one that could tell him is Wonder.
Salem eyes close slowly blinking in then out of consciousness until he just closes his eyes and sleeps...