Thirty minutes passed and the effects were starting to kick in. The trio's field of vision started shifting as noted by the breathing movements of the walls and of their skins. Squidward was waving his tentacles around in slow motion without breaking eye contact. Patrick was peeled to the TV screen. The images started becoming static and slowed down. It was like watching a picture pop out of the screen. Spongebob kept looking around the room looking at all the inanimate come to life. The couch hugged him, the lamp winked, and the floor jumped. All this movement yet he felt still as a stone watching the life unfold around him.
"Yo…Pat"
A "hm" grunted from the pink lump on a chair.
"How strong are these?"
"Uhh mmmMMmm" shrugged Patrick
"I don't think we peaked yet, have we?"
"Doubt it ya"
The inebriated sponge looked at his drooling squid neighbor who was moving his tentacles faster now.
"You good Squid?"
Squidward looked up at his neighbor while still moving his hands. His eyes were wide, and pupils dilated.
"Haha ya i'm good…your face is kinda funny lookin' though ahahaha"
Spongebob focused back at Squidward's face and saw it morph and contort into odd shapes and sizes.
"Hahah and you…you look like a dog"
They both laughed at themselves which prompted Patrick to turn and face them from across the room. The acid was starting to get stronger as colors dashed through the air and shadows of the room. The tubby starfish felt his brain tingle.
"I feel like pudding…hehehe"
One by one they all started getting up and explored the room. Cushions were touched, textures were fondled, and objects were picked up and observed. Squidward started strange noises as he wrapped a blanket around his head.
"Look…look! I'm like a giant ice cream cone"
Patrick went over and jumped at the squid
"Lemme lick it lemme lick it!"
Spongebob lost his footing as he fell to the floor holding his sides laughing
"Haha…holy shit that looks so real"
His yellow hand went up to grab the coffee table to lift him, spilling some chips in the process.
"Whoa…"
He crushed a chip under his foot. The crunch sounded loud and up close to his face.
Crunch
"Come try this…"
The three of them proceeded to step on the chips, creating an orchestra of crunchiness.
Squidward bellowed "Why does this sound so funny…"
They kept pounding the chips until all was left was crumbs. Squidward shot his head up and went straight to the bathroom.
"whooOOOOAAA!"
Spongebob and Patrick giggled as they tumbled their way into the bathroom after Squidward. They caught him looking in the mirror touching his face. He was pinching his cheeks and bulging his eyes out.
"I look so…alien hahahah"
"Lemme see"
Spongebob squeezed next to the squid and looked at himself. His bags under his eyes looked dark and his face looked sickly. His pupils had a tinge of despair reflected upon them. This made him very uncomfortable.
"Whoaaaa that was too intense for me hahaha"
Patrick was busy opening and shutting the toilet seat making -like noises
"Argh argh argh argh! Come feed me yer shit me boy!"
Squidward wheezed upon seeing this
"Holy shit it looks just like his angry ass face"
Spongebob then flushed the toilet and watched the water spiral downward.
Patrick played with the lids again
"Arghhh me moneyyyy!"
Patrick dropped the toilet seat lid and turned to turn on his shower.
"Feel this…"
He grabbed Squidward's tentacle and placed it under the lukewarm sprinkle
"It feels…so heavenly"
Squidward proceeded to step in the shower, clothes and all, and allowed himself to succumb to its pleasure.
"Wait wait wait"
Spongebob ripped his shoes and socks off and hopped in with him. Followed by Patrick. They started splashing each other along with spitting water in the air. After that, the three of them soaked in silence for a minute just enjoying the essence of the water's warmth.
"Ok…I need a towel"
Patrick hopped out and got some towels and changes of clothes for everyone. Due to them showering, the floors were a little slippery.
"Haha I can't-I can't stand up"
They eventually made it back to the living room to warm up a bit. Squidward tried looking at his phone, but the artificial light burned his retinas
"Oooh can't look at that right now…too weird"
"Ya haha psychs will take you off technology for a while" laughed Patrick
Spongebob drank some water and set the bottle down before speaking
"Wanna go outside?"
The two others nodded with glee as Spongebob flug open the rock. It was heading towards dusk now with an orange hue painting the sky above. Purplish flowers adorned the horizons. They made their way across the street and out into the open field. Occasional stops were made to kneel down and feel the undisturbed sand. Patrick made a sand angel at one point.
"I feel one with the mother dirt, guys"
They headed on until they reached a grassy knoll, symbolizing the start of jellyfish fields. The sun was peeking lower behind the horizon and the dark skies were quickly being pulled in by the moon. Here were a few jellyfish out but they were receding due to the nightfall and the three boisterous fish tripping balls. This is the moment the trip started to peak. The colors and grid vision were at its most radical and the euphoric sensations at its most intense. The three were becoming more silent as their mind's voices started shouting.
Touch this
Feel that!
What's that over there?
Check that out!
Patrick wandered over to another grassy field where he laid down and did the angel movements. The grass was soft and ticklish. He felt as if he was a baby bird in its stick-made nest. Even pictured himself as one all cozy and overwhelmed with sensation. Breathing in and out. He enjoyed watching the visual behind his eyes along with the sensation of the world around him. Not a thought in his pin shaped head.
Squidward moseyed over to look at coral formations. Each time he got near, he saw another interesting object near and would wander off to that. Then to another. And another. He eventually ended up in a sizable area of rocks and coral nearby a cliff. He kicked himself for not bringing the notebook but still took the time to gaze out into the distance and ponder life's creation and meaning. He's always been a ponderer type of person. The attempts at his paintings reflect this 'soul of a tortured artist'. Squidward always thought he had much better potential being a cashier at a burger joint. Certainly, better than a place like Bikini Bottom. The agony of feeling trapped also lingered in the squid's soul and is the reason he been trying to numb to pain for many years. Partially explains why he's so mad all the time.
But something else clicked in his mind tonight.
"What are we doing here?"
"Why this point in time?"
"Am I living my life's purpose?"
"Is there even a purpose?"
He looked up at the dimmed flowers in the sky. Stars were flickering throughout, and he held his stare at them for a while they moved around.
"Somethings gotta be out there…it's too vast"
The awe at such a void above both frightened and saddened Squidward. Were we really alone? Is there a bigger plan to all of life? What is this universe? Why do we suffer?
He laid his head in the sand and stared into the void staring back at him.
"It's so beautifully fucked up"
Spongebob stumbled upon a grassy hill overlooking a monotonous field. Tired from the walk, he laid down and looked upon the sky as well. The grass was a bit rough and itchy for him. His mind was winding up, however, and soon shook off all physical sensations. Fractals and distortion filled his field of vision, and his body was glued to the ground. He couldn't stop smiling. He felt like a kid again. Free from the world's commands. Free from the people's social norms and expectations. Free from the pain of being responsible and grown. He reminisced about the time when laughter, joy, and curiosity filled his days. Making friends was as easy as jumping up and down. Where the biggest worry of the day was what snack you'd have after school. Or what trouble you'd get into on the weekends. A time where everyone thought you were cute and adorable. A time of dreaming. A time of believing.
A time when everything just made sense and felt right.
But even though the feeling of the kid persists fleetingly through adulthood, just like this very moment.
Nothing will ever be the same.
Spongebob's chest aches and throat tightened at the thought, and he wept.
Sad? Happy? Angry?
He didn't understand his own emotions at this moment. How can you be both ecstatic yet depressed at the same time? Then it hit him.
Just plain nostalgia.
Right then and there he promised, through the tears of his eyes, that he would hold onto that youthful spirit for the rest of his days.
"I need to stay not just alive, but ALIVE"
With that he closed his eyes and let the drug project him movies behind his eyelids. He finally understood Patrick when he meant
'One with mother dirt'