It became a blisteringly warm Saturday while Tasha stumbled upon the Minustwo Jeans. She wasn’t making plans to head buying; her errands had taken her downtown, wherein the streets have been crowded with companies promoting the entirety from knockoff fashion dressmaker baggage to home made jewelry. A small secondhand shop tucked among a tattoo parlor and a vape store stuck her eye. Its sign, a hand-painted wood board that examine Found & Lost, regarded oddly invitingInside, the air smelled of vintage leather-based and cedar, a welcome respite from the sun. Tasha browsed idly, jogging her hands over racks of antique jackets and diminished flannels. That’s while she noticed them—a couple of dark-wash denims folded smartly on a shelf withinside the backThere became not anything in particular first rate approximately them in the beginning glance, besides for the tag stitched withinside the waistband: “MINUSTWO.” The letters have been published in stark purple, barely frayed on the edges. The denims had an uncommon variety of wallet—too many, in fact. Some have been slightly visible, hidden alongside the seams or tucked into the cuffs.
They’re perfect,” Tasha muttered, retaining them up. She’d been searching out a robust pair of denims, some thing realistic however stylish. These regarded to test all of the boxeThe shop owner, a wiry guy with salt-and-pepper hair, watched her with an amused expression. “You certain approximately those?” he askedWhy not? They’re simply denims,” Tasha saidMaybe,” he replied, shrugging. “But they arrive with a warning. Don’t overfill the wallet, and do not put on them at nightTasha laughed. “That’s ridiculousThe guy did not smile. “Just do not say I did not warn you.The denims healthy perfectly. Tasha wore them the following day for a hike, marveling at how cushty they have been. The material became thick however breathable, and the healthy became comfortable with out being restrictive. The greater wallet have been a dreamshe may want to deliver her phone, wallet, keys, snacks, or even a small
water bottle without feeling weighed down.
In fact, that became the primary bizarre component she noticed: regardless of how tons she packed into the denims, they in no way felt heavyAs the weeks went on, the Minustwo Jeans have become Tasha’s go-to for the entirety—errands, outside adventures, even lazy days at domestic. They have been durable, clean to clean, and oddly flattering. But then the anomalies startedThe first incident passed off at the same time as Tasha became strolling domestic from work. She reached into one of the wallet to seize her headphones however discovered some thing else instead: a crumpled photo. It became black-and-white, displaying a set of human beings she did not recognize. They have been status in the front of a cabin, their faces blurred, as though the image were broken through timeShe frowned, turning the photo over. On the returned, a person had scrawled words: Stay clearTasha became sure she hadn’t placed the photo there. She checked the relaxation of the wallet however discovered not anything uncommon. Shaking her head, she crammed the image returned into the pocket and persevered domestic.
The second incident was harder to ignore.
While sporting the denims in the course of a late-night time grocery run, Tasha reached into her returned pocket for her buying listing and pulled out a small, silver key instead. It became ornate, with an tricky layout etched into the handle. She stared at it, her pulse quickening.Where did you return back from?” she whisperedThe key felt bloodless in her hand, heavier than it must have been. She attempted each pocket, attempting to find the buying listing, however it became gone.
By the time she were given domestic, the important thing had vanished tooThe denims grew stranger with every passing day. Tasha commenced locating gadgets withinside the wallet that did not belong to her: a handful of overseas coins, a dried flower, a small piece of paper with coordinates written in purple ink. And then there has been the hummingIt commenced faintly, a slightly perceptible vibration she may want to experience while she wore the denims for too long. The sensation became oddly soothing in the beginning, like a cat purring in opposition to her legs. But it grew stronger, greater insistent, as though the denims have been alive.
One night, unable to sleep, Tasha decided to test the limits.
She emptied all of the wallet, laying their contents on her kitchen table. Among the same old gadgets—her phone, keys, wallet—have been matters she could not explain: an vintage watch that did not belong to her, a half-burned matchstick, and a tiny vial of sandHeart pounding, she crammed the wallet with random items from round her apartment. Books, kitchen utensils, even a small lamp. The denims absorbed the entirety with out developing heavierBut then the buzzing returned, louder this time. The material regarded to ripple, and the wallet twitched as aleven though they have been breathingThe room grew bloodless, and the lighting flickered. Tasha stumbled returned, her breath coming in shallow gaspsWhat are you?” she whisperedThe solution got here that night time in a dreamTasha stood in an infinite void, the Minustwo Jeans sparkling faintly in opposition to the darkness. Shadows writhed round her, whispering in voices she could not understand.
From the void emerged a figure, tall and cloaked, its face obscured. It pointed at her, and in its hand was the same silver key she’d found before.
“The wallet aren’t yours to fill,” the determine said, its voice echoing like thunder. “They belong to the void. You are simply a vessel.Tasha woke with a start, soaking wet in sweatThe subsequent morning, she attempted to go back the denims to the secondhand shop, however Found & Lost became gone, changed through an empty lot. She crammed the denims right into a bag and shoved them into the returned of her closet, decided to neglect about approximately themBut the denims would not be ignoreThat night time, she heard the buzzing again, faint however insistent. When she opened her closet, the denims have been sparkling faintly, their wallet rippling like wavesAnd she knew: the Minustwo Jeans were not simply clothing. They have been a portal, a connection to some thing great and unknowable.
