Luca had cut the strands countless times but it seemed what happened that day didn't repeat itself.
Luca wondered if it could be a genetic glitch in the hair DNA, that is the only scientific explanation he could come up with, strands writhing as they danced towards each other and fused, seconds later they withered and turned grey, Luca thought that was the only plausible explanation after all the incident didn't reoccur again ever since.
I will let the barber do his job
He concluded,
He brushed his teeth and walked back to the shower, he adjusted the extension arm of the shower to raise the shower head and started bathing.
After he had finished bathing, Luca got dressed, took some cash from his drawer, and counted the green-hued notes, the official currency of the Epic States of Pelagris, sliding some into his pocket and returning some back into the drawer, he walked out and stopped by a roadside fast food restaurant for breakfast.
Reaching the barbershop at Moonlight Avenue, after about twenty minutes of walking from Crescent Moon Lane, he entered. The barber was still shaving an old man's hair. Luca's gaze fell on the mirror in front of the old man as he passed by to sit. With his bony sockets and scrawny body, his hair was very long and grey, probably long enough to reach waist length like some ancient wizard who had just woken up from a century-long nap.
That is quite a long hair.
Luca thought as he sat down and waited for his turn.
Not long, after the barber finished the work, the old man paid and left.
Luca sat and pointed at the two hair strands that fell over his face side, the barber gave him a thumbs up.
The haircut began, the strands were cut and something Luca didn't expect happened, what he had thought was a DNA glitch, the weird occurrence that happened six years ago repeated itself, the strands fell on the desk in front of Luca where different aftershaves and tools the barber used for haircut were positioned, although Luca didn't know how it happened.
The two strands started writhing, Luca was surprised at first but he didn't have much time to think about it as he reflexively used his two hands to cover the two strands of hair which made a thud on the wooden desk.
The barber stopped as his attention shifted to Luca's hand.
"What is that?" He asked. "Sir, Let me see that"
Luca knew what he meant, there are different types of people, anyone could come to a barber shop for a haircut but have an interior motive like stealing, maybe he thought Luca had shoved two of the small aftershaves into his hands.
Dude, it's not what you think
Luca's brain screamed, he knew if he told him that, the man would want to confirm it at all cost.
Luca breathed in and out, composing himself, he could feel the strands still writhing below his palms, his little weird secret was about to be revealed.
The man, noticing Luca's hesitation, gripped Luca's hands and pulled them up from the desk.
What came to view was two grey withered strands of hair.
Luca sneezed reflexively immediately and the next thing he heard was the barber apologizing.
"I'm so sorry Sir, I didn't know you are allergic to grey hair, and I thought I had packed all the hair away, it must have slipped my mind, I'm so sorry" he apologized.
"It's okay" Luca who didn't understand managed to mutter.
After a while Luca realized what had happened, the barber had mistaken the two strands with the hair of the old man who had come for a haircut before him. So sneezing at that very moment, the barber had thought Luca was allergic to the grey hair and he had covered it with his palms, that was why he was apologizing.
Not long after the barber finished the haircut, he kept on apologizing as Luca stood to pay, he brought out 15 EP bucks for payment but the man didn't collect it.
"Don't worry about it" he said smiling sheepishly. "I hope to see you here again"
Luca knew it was a compensation for what happened. He took a deep breath, his weird little secret happened to save him some money.
Weird
He thought
What now gnawed at the depth of his mind was that something strange was happening in his body, the dancing strands of hair weren't a DNA glitch, it was a testament to something happening with his gene which he couldn't figure out. He took his leave.
Walking along the street of Moonlight Avenue, Luca had bought a cotton candle which cost 2 EP bucks, licking it while striding towards Crescent Moon Lane where he lived, Luca didn't have to board a commercial bus, his house was just a minute's walk, and he loves the sight of the bustling street besides he might see something he liked and wanted to buy it so he took on walking.
The weather was cool, it was the first week of September, and Luca licked away at his cotton candy like a cat savoring the last drop of milk from a saucer.
He knew he was supposed to be in school. The thought came to him and he felt a little guilty. He smirked, it wouldn't hurt to skip a day.
There wasn't any traffic as cars moved freely on the two-lane asphalt road,
I guess there are people like me savoring their freedom at home.
He thought.
Suddenly, the sound of sirens filled the air, and Luca could see police cars in pursuit of a rugged truck, its rear mirrors missing, windows shattered, and the vehicle damaged in almost every area as if it had just survived a demolition derby or perhaps it dropped down from an aircraft when being imported through air freight.
The police were almost catching up not until the traffic light turned green and a kid with headphones made to cross the crosswalk. The police slowed to a stop but something happened. The truck being chased showed no sign of stopping.
Luca was bewildered as he saw that the kid, a girl was already in the middle of the crosswalk, her gaze dancing up and forth from the traffic light to her front, it seemed she was only concerned about the light, but the truck was speeding at her at a remarkable speed.
Luca's heart pounded, he could still save her, he could make it, there was still much distance for the truck to cover before it hit the girl.
That was what Luca thought...