Free Barcode: Cavern of Youth by Kashif Ross Page B

been able to see a hint of color with my eyes closed. Though it’s not much, I notice Seth’s bullhorns over his eyebrows shine a dull gold.
    “You’re Kay? If that was your simple name all along, you could’ve just told me.”
    My left eye ticks and I ask, “What are you talking about?”
    “You’ve lost some size due to the bandages. The data they have coursing through your blood is compressing your muscles and bones. Even with the loss of girth, I know you. If that wasn’t enough, you didn’t change your jacket that’s too big for you now.”
    “You can see the codes in the bandages?”
    “I finally have control over my barcodes. If you received the bandages three weeks back, I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. But I recorded your data not too long ago,” he sputters while tapping on his head. Though he’s learning to control his intelligence, he remains a drunk with slurred speech and an unpleasant odor.
    “Did you ever record people before you started X-Eyes?”
    “I did, but the toxin deleted most of it. My memory is hazy and probably won’t come back.” Antonio stands up and walks out of the room quietly. “Why does he look so prissy?”
    “You didn’t say hi to him when you walked in. You were rude,” Carmen snaps. Antonio ghostly fades away.
    Seth blurts, “Fag.” Then, he takes another small sip before closing the bottle.
    Tilting my head to the side, I jest, “Don’t you enjoy the company of boys in your back door as well? Don’t tell me you’re using hurtful words just to sound cool.”
    Seth raises his eyebrow. “I’m bi.”
    “Yeah, that’s different. You’re an idiot too.”
    “I’m an idiot compared to the person I once was. I could still outsmart you.”
    Leaning forward in my seat, I prod, “Please continue.”
    “There’s nothing more to say. I’ve forgotten more than you’ll ever know.”
    Antonio’s screen activates and it turns towards Seth. “You talk a lot now, but you hardly do anything. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. You do not know Kay.”
    Seth dissects my forehead with his activated barcodes. “Yeah right.”
    “Would you like to create a wager?”
    “You’ll bet on someone you hardly know just to prove a point to me? Have I pissed you off that much, honey?”
    “Because of the oppressed love you had for Spencer Colt, you’ve become obsessed with capturing the wild creature that once haunted your apartment. But you haven’t come close. Not a hair or a footprint.”
    Seth falls back in his chair and takes a gulp of the drink. “Speed this up so I can get to the challenge.”
    I run to the bathroom once more while they continue arguing.
    “I bet that Kay could find a trace of him or even capture the creature within an hour.”
    “Do I have to sit back and watch the magic happen or can I chase the monster too?”
    “It’s up to you, as long as you don’t get in Kay’s way.”
    They sit in silence for a few minutes. I exit the room and gesture for Carmen to follow me. As she clumsily staggers to her feet, I boast, “Be back in a few seconds with some trace of the miniature monster.”
    I wait for the elevator to open, and listen as Seth walks into his bedroom and removes some of the most recent devices that he’s built to search for the monkey-rabbit. He stops completely and taps his chin. Then, Seth launches various materials across the room.
    He withdraws some of the older tools from his closet. It’s a box of equipment he made when Spencer was living.
    The current one he’s holding looks like headphones with sunglasses attached. I’m not sure what it does, but it looks goofy.
    Carmen and I ride the elevator to the thirty-seventh floor. “Are you really going to hurt him like this? You and Antonio are practically picking on him.”
    “Not practically. We are picking on him, and yes, I will hurt him.”
    “I read your thoughts. You’re still pretty fixated on Spencer yourself. He dances around the surface of your