The door cracked open to the large pub, light shining in through the windows and a slight breeze whistling through the cracks of the wood. Noise could be heard from one end of the bar to the other; people talking, glasses sliding around, chairs screeching across the floor , and the barmaid walking to each table taking orders. As she finally reached Mark's table he flagged her down.
"Hey miss", he spurted.
"What can I get you today sir?" she shot back.
"How about...three of your finest beers," Mark turned around in his chair facing his two friends, Sam and David. Just as he turned he could hear bottles being opened as the barmaid slid them to each person across the table. Mark broke the silence,
"Bottoms up," he said cheerily, Sam and David responded with a quick shot of the bottle, and yelled, "First one done is tab free!"
Mark just sat there shaking his head, "You two are nuts." Sam and David slammed their glasses down at the same time.
"DONE!, they shouted in unison. "Hey! I was done first David and you know it!" David didn't feel like arguing so he just nodded.
A couple hours and a few more beers later Mark suggested going home. Sam and David agreed and Mark left the payment on the table. A bell rang as they opened the door to leave; as they started walking home they noticed it was getting late and getting darker and darker; walking through town, the streetlights started flickering on, casting their dim light.
A few steps later, David noticed the lack of Mark beside him, and brought himself and Sam to a halt. When they turned around, they Mark staring down an alley way, and he beckoned them over to where he was standing. Mark started walking down the alley; as Sam and David peeked down, they saw a weirdly lighted cubby hole with a strange red aura around it.
Mark leaned down to pick it up, and Sam darted towards him as she asked, "Are you sure you want to touch that?" Marked grunted and picked it up anyway.
"Thi..This..This is amazing!" he stuttered. He held the object which looked like a perfect star with a perfectly round sphere in the middle. The longer he held it, the warmer his hands got. Eventually he dropped the object; as it shattered he looked at his hands which were bright red and they stung, badly.
Sam and David rushed over to make sure he was ok. Sam grabbed Mark's hands and suggested bandaging them up, which he immediately agreed to.
As they hurried for the house, the ground started shaking; the few trees that were around got their last, dead leaves shaken off, and the streetlights flickered with the vibration. Something swift dashed across the alley ways between them; freezing in their tracks, they looked around.
"What was that?" Sam asked franticly.
"I'm not sure Sam, I'm not sure." David tried not to frighten her anymore then she already was.
"Mark, I think we should keep moving." Sam agreed with David and they kept walking. Sam grabbed Mark by the arms to look at his hands.
"Look at this!" she exclaimed with enthusiasm. David peeked around Sam to look at Mark's hands. Mark's arms had faint black outlines over them, and his right hand had four dots; one in each corner of his palm.
"You don't see that every day, or ever for that matter." Sam told herself out loud.
"Mark..What is that?" David knew none of them knew, but he asked anyway.
"I have no idea, but my hands feel like they are on fire.",Mark explained.
"Let's get home, shall we?" Sam nudged.
Sam opened the door letting David and Mark go in; as she heard the wind, she remembered the thing from the alley, and bolted the door shut.
"I think we just need some sleep guys.", Sam suggested.
"Yea I agree.", David replied as he went to his room.
"Mark you going to be ok?", Sam continued, "And are you sure?".
He gave a nod; then went to his room.
Later that next morning, everyone had awakened and went into the kitchen, except Mark. When Mark finally entered the kitchen, Sam and David turned their attention to him. Sam tried to look at Mark's arms but he was wearing long sleeves. David tried to start a conversation and asked,
"So how'd you sleep last night?"
"Pretty good actually, though it was hot as hell in my room.", Mark turned to Sam, "How about you?".
"I slept pretty well too, I guess."
"So let's see those arms!" Sam shouted from nowhere.
"Okay, but I'm telling you I'm fine." Mark said as he took off his shirt. David looked at his arms and gave him an odd look.
"Are you sure?" Mark looked down at his arms; the outlines had now become solid and easily visible.
"What about your hand? Are those dots still there?". Mark opened his palm, and peered; the once small black dots, how now become fiery red, but still small.
"I still say it's not a big deal..I mean really? What's the worst that could happen?"
A few hours later they decided to make a list of things to get from the store, Mark picked up a piece of paper to write a list down on, and it started to slowly burn. He stumbled to throw the paper under the faucet and let cold water cover it. Mark then had instantly regretted his words from earlier. Sam came rushing in to see what all the commotion was about.
"Mark, what was that?" Sam continued, "And why do I smell burning paper?".
"I don't know Sam, why do you?"
"And why is the sink running?" Sam peered into the sink, "What in the world ARE you doing?"
"It just happened, when I picked up the paper!". Mark picked up another piece with his left hand; nothing happened.
"Mark don't be...." Mark cut her off.
"Just watch!" Mark put the paper into his other hand, as it started to burn.
"What the?!" Sam continued, "That isn't possible!"
"This sure as hell ain't a dream Sam!". David walked in. "What's going on here you head cases?" Sam stuck her tongue out at him.
"Oh nothing, Mark is just learning magic tricks."
"No I'm not!"
"You guys are.." David got cut off by someone knocking on the door.
"Maybe we should get that."