Knock knock knock...

Arik stood patiently outside Kilvio's front door with his hands hidden in the pockets of his leather jacket. It was relatively brisk outside, a foreshadowing to the winter months. But it wasn't the cold that was making Arik shake with anxiety. For most of his life, he hated socializing. It wasn't for the reasons you would think though.

He didn't hate being with people he knew, they provided comfort and a feeling of placement in life. If his existence was typically meaningless, then at least in those moments he could be of some use as the friend of the friend. He genuinely enjoyed spending quality time with them.

The problem was himself. It was his own self-esteem tugging his thoughts into a dark recess of his mind that whispered nothing but insecurities and paranoia into his ever listening ear. They made him think about anything from how he makes other people feel, to how he should be conducting himself, to even comparing himself to others success. And none of which resulted in an optimistic conclusion.

It was a large part of why he never went to others for help and why he socialized less and less. He simply didn't want to do it to himself anymore, and couldn't bare the idea of his burdens being others. Even as he stood there outside that door, thoughts scurried along and prodded his composure like abusive owners trying to get a reaction out of their pet beast. But he wasn't having it anymore.

As much as he wanted to retreat to his safe and familiar apartment and draw the day away, he felt he was stronger by coming to Kilvio's invitation. He wouldn't be ruled anymore.

'Healthy mind, healthy body,' he often told himself in these new challenging times.

The front door to the house finally opened up like a saving grace from the thoughts. The warmth of the house immediately coated Arik's chilled face like a warm blanket, and the yellow lights in the house were angelic compared to the gray sky outside.

"Ah, I thought I heard a knock earlier," Kilvio said with a smirk. "No we don't have any sugar, bye."

The door slammed in Arik's face before he even had time to get out a syllable. He pursed his lips in a smile before the door swung open again.

Kilvio smuggly grinned from ear to ear at his own joke before continuing.

"Uh, no soliciting. Get off my property." The door slammed closed again.

This time, Arik had the mind to knock to at least get something in on the prankster. But before his knuckles even touched the door, it swung open a third time, revealing the much shorter Veronica who wore a worried face.

"Oh my god, he is ridiculous. Please come inside already. It's so cold out there."

Arik stepped through the door and hugged her, both tickled by Kilvio's brash humor.

"Why do I have a feeling you've always wanted to do that?" Arik said as he came in for their typical hand-shake-hug combo.

"I thought I told you to get off my property?"

The three of them bickered and laughed amongst themselves for a time, enjoying the atmosphere and drinking some hot coffee. Arik insistently asked what the plans were from there as Kilvio had been keeping it all a secret, but he still refused to tell. Arik and Kilvio had known each other for a long time, so Arik was confident in the plans being interesting regardless of their knowledge. He was in a rare state of excitement.

Anticipation paid off when Kilvio's loose lips prevailed on the car ride there. He leaned to the back seat of the car and handed Arik his phone which displayed an advertisement for a famous annual outdoor art expo. One that Arik had once even sold art at in the past.

"The Chesslace Art Expo is today? That's where we're going?" he hollered with giddy excitement.

"Sure is," laughed Kilvio.

"Your reaction, like, literally makes me so happy," added Veronica, her eyes darting to Arik in the rear view mirror and back to the road.

"Well yeah. I love art exhibit's to an almost unholy amount." He immediately felt dumb for saying something that weird.

"Told yuh," Kilvio said in a low and dumb voice to his wife.

Arik actually hadn't been to the Chesslace Art Expo in two years. Last year he had no way to get to it as it was always held about half an hour away by car. But maybe that was just an excuse. He knew he could have called a taxi or taken a bus, but truthfully, he just didn't want to show his face at that point in time. Especially at that place.

His heart raced at the thought of the pros and cons that going there meant. It didn't help that he was blindsided by it. But perhaps he wouldn't have showed up to Kilvio's invitation if he had known.

'Healthy mind, healthy body,' he thought to himself again.

The group had made their way to the expo in what felt like break-neck speed to Arik. All that time of walking around town or biking it to and from job interviews had given him a sense of lethargic transportation, and the car felt like a magical luxury.

The expo they had come for was actually quite a big deal to everyone from that cut of cloth in at least a 30 mile radius. And even people that weren't particularly artsy always found enjoyment looking at everyone's ingenious creations. A true annual beacon of happiness. So you'd best believe that every roadside and parking lot was occupied for blocks in every direction. A necessary evil in Arik's eyes.

"I can't believe we really parked almost a mile away," complained Veronica.

"Just think of it as hitting the gym, honey," responded Kilvio who was trying his hardest to walk straight while buried in his phone screen.

A few seconds of silent walking was interrupted as Arik felt the need to throw in his optimistic two cents. "I don't know. I feel that when the need to enjoy art has outmatched a cities parking parameters, then culture has won the battle."

"That's all fine and dandy. But if they knew they were gonna have the event here then they should have made more viable parking," she shrugged back.

"True," agreed Arik timidly.

After the chilly trek through town, they finally made it to the bustling expo. It was glorious to Arik. A lush green public park separated the old yet well kept buildings of downtown Sleighton from the event like an inviting bubble of natural hospitality. At the center of this bubble was art unlike many had ever seen. Rows and rows of artists stood next to their many creations taking pictures with fans, answer questions, and even selling their art or taking down commissions.

It was uncanny in a way to Arik. He had been to numerous Chesslace Expos throughout his life, but never one located here. The setting was different, but it still had the soul that he fell in love with.

Veronica's eyebrows shot up at the sight. "Well, here we are. And here the people are."

"This place is huge! There must be over 1,000 people here." Kilvio looked to Arik as if to validate what he was seeing. "So, where should we start Mr. Artist?"

"Well, I haven't been to one of these in a couple years, and every year the location and layout is different. But if I had to suggest something then I say start with the sculptures."

"Why is that," the couple asked in unison.

A smirk struck Arik's face. "It's the easiest art to captivate and impress normies I suppose."

Kilvio squinted with distaste. "Wow. So you think that just because I became an engineer that I don't know art, huh?"

Arik's smirk stretched to a grin as he held up his arms in an exaggerated shrug. "Hey, you said it yourself. I'm the expert, man."

After some more comedic insults were thrown around, the group set off into the crowd of observing customers, deciding to just look at whatever they happened across.

The expo was everything Arik remembered it to be, perhaps even more so. Toward Kilvio's point earlier, it did seem a bit bigger than normal, and some of the art appeared to be a step above your average impressiveness.

'I guess the expo wasn't about to wait for me to catch up,' he joked in his head. But the joke was stalked by guilty melancholy. It sort of hurt to see the world around you move so readily when you have spent your time stuck in place, especially when the subject in movement is something you care so much for. Like a parent watching a kid grow up from the sidelines.

However, the feeling didn't keep him from enjoying the experience. He was drooling over peoples machinations and found himself awestruck at what some individuals can do. Maybe not as much so as Kilvio, who was absolutely losing his mind over a 10 foot mech display in the center of the event.

While the pensive sadness of the expo's improvements were sitting idly on the side of his mind, its attention was dwarfed by a larger smudge on the other side that demanded his attention. A smudge that he was combating to ignore for fear of detriment to his current pleasure. And for that he was wary.

The three of them had spent over half an hour in the outside exhibit, ogling at the many art forms and personalities that formed them. But basic necessities got the better of some and the couple had to hurry off to a restroom. Arik decided to stay behind and look at some more art, suggesting they link up through text afterward.

Now all alone amidst the crowd of observers, Arik felt his anxiety rise like the heat of a tea kettle. His heart began to race as everyone walked all around him like a rock against a creek, and paranoia began to make him twitchy as each new face manifested in his sight.

'What the hell is wrong with me?' he thought in frustration. 'Have I really become some sketchy cat shut-in?'

In an act of strength, Arik continued forward through the crowd and desperately searched for an interesting art stand nearby. Catching a glimpse of heavily blackened pages, he had found a comforting target. Approaching the stand, he saw that the pages he had noticed were indeed all charcoal drawings, one of the art forms he was partial to himself.

Finding safety and comfort from his anxiety at the familiar art stand, he decided to soak in the pages of the stand as thoroughly as possible.

Arik, while being a very talented artist in many respects, was fond of drawing wildlife more than anything. Forest spots, animals, skyboxes, and any mythical creature he could picture inhabiting those topics were his calming go-to's. This artist's coal illustrations were focused on very different topics. There was no question at all that an immense amount of talent went into them, yet portions of the art were so structureless and abstract, while others were meticulous and deliberate. The air they gave off was fraught with unease.

"What do you fink they mean?" questioned a muffled cockney voice to Arik's left.

Turning to face the voice Arik's eyes landed on a wall of brown fur. A man stood beside him, analyzing the art in a seven foot tall bear costume. An exquisitely well crafted costume at that. Much like the coal art beside him, the costume had pieces of uncanny realism and others of cartoonish and unrealistic quality. Most notable of these qualities were the large black finger-like claws that tipped the bears bulbous arm and the exaggerated toothy smile that wrapped around the bears head like a face mask. It was comically yet disturbingly equal parts realistic grizzly bear and plush teddy bear.

Arik looked back to the drawings with a raised brow. "Looks like a portrayal of insanity and death to me."

The bear brought his spiky paw up to his maw and rubbed his chin. "I guess I could vada that." His thick British accent was jarring yet interesting. "Perhaps some Lovecraftian influence, ye? Minus tentacles course."

"Yeah, I could see that." A pause followed. "Really nice costume by the way. Must have taken a lot of time to make."

"Aw fanks. But I actually 'ave 'ad it since I was a basin of gravy. So it didn't cost any bees at all, honestly."

"..."

"Since I was a baby," the bear added to end the confused silence.

Arik's composure finally broke as he was riddled with shock. "You had that as a baby?! So it's like an heirloom or something?"

"Where is the drawer who made these pieces of art?" he fired back, seemingly refusing the question.

"Illustrator. A drawer holds clothes," Arik corrected him, turning back to the art stand. "And I have no idea. Maybe ran to the restroom real quick."

"Wouldn't be the only one." His voice dropped to an emotionless monotone as he faced Arik, revealing the other side his costumes anatomy. The other arm of the bear bore no fingers, and instead was studded with metal spikes like that of a medieval spiked battle club, and the other eye was missing and bore a large cross stitch in its place.

Fear and confusion bloomed from Arik, his body language subtly shifting to the defensive.

'What the hell does that mean?' he thought to himself, focusing on keeping his composure. Was this guy talking about Kilvio and Veronica? And if so, how long has he been watching them?

"I've got to scapa flow meself," chuckled the menacing bear. He waddled off from the offbeat interaction and Arik could feel his extremities fizzling with the relief of pent up suspense.

He turned to curiously watch the bear walk down the path of the expo, disappearing around a corner as if he was never there.

"Just what the hell was that about," he whispered under his breath.

Understandably, Arik felt as though his cautious and defensive reaction was a bit much if not paranoid. After all, the man only said that the artist wasn't the only one in the bathrooms, and he factually wasn't wrong. Maybe Arik's mental state was worse than he thought. Reading into things was something he decided was now on the agenda to work on.

A light hand landed on Arik's shoulder, but due to his current contemplative state it might as well have been a heavy fist to the back of his head. He jumped in surprise and fear to who was requesting his attention.

Turning around, a dashing blonde in a beige coat was standing before him with an endearing smile on her fair and freckled face.

Celesti Mercurio.

"I thought that was you, Arik Mitchell."

There were plenty of acceptable responses for a reunion such as this, but Arik drew a startled blank. The only thing he could manage through his crowded emotions was a drop of the jaw and a guttural "Ugh."

The larger smudge.