Friday night. London town.
This was it.
The entire group had taken refuge in Spearmint Rhino on Tottenham Court Road. We needed an attack plan, and fast.
But alas, we were already out of time.
That laugh. That fucking laugh.
The doors burst open, and AJ announced his presence to us. The oh so familiar red mass followed.
“This is it youths! Don’t fucking fuck with us!”
And with that, we knew what we had to do.
We had to end that bastard. Once. And. For. All.
As a group, we’d been stuck in this constant clubbing cycle for over a year. First, he’d trapped me; the others soon followed. It was no use trying to escape either; each time he’d just retaliate with increasingly more vicious punishments.
For me, it was being forced to watch a whole nightclub full of manipulated innocents being broken down and absorbed to break me out of this weak, pathetic, subservient state.
I needed to get out of this. I needed to get the others out of it too. But how?
It wouldn’t be long before an opportunity struck.
London.
AJ had been obsessed with having a night out there for years. The local wasn’t enough for this lad anymore. He needed to go bigger. He needed to go better. He needed to go harder.
“The women are SO much fitter down south kid. You get all sorts from all different walks of life. Met a Canadian down there once…..but it wasn’t to be unfortunately. Shame, she gave fucking AMAZING head youth.”
I reminisced as I pulled out my phone to yet another text from him.
“Got your suit ready lad? I’ve got a spare if you need it youth.”
“Nah nah, I’m good,” I sighed. “I’ll meet you down there with the others”.
As I pulled my Hilton room card out of the electric point and closed the door behind me, I had a gut feeling that tonight would be it.
No more clubbing.
We had one chance.
This was it.
The retaliation
“So buzzed I finally got you boring cunts down here. We’re going to have the fucking night of our lives”. AJ raised his pitcher jug for a toast.” As the rest of us raised our bottles and glasses, we smirked in agreement. It was time.
Five minutes later, when AJ went for a piss, the five of us each opened a small sachet that we’d smuggled to London to with us. Special K. My dealer’s “special hash blend”. Bath salts. Ecstasy. And last but not least, a ground up shroom.
There wasn’t much time to set the plan into motion. Quickly, the five of us added our drugs to AJ’s Strawberry Mojito. The colour of the drink didn’t change.
Thank fuck.
We’d just about hidden everything away when AJ returned. He continued to down the pitcher.
“So anyway youths, I was back in the WhYistle, think you was there JP, can’t remember youth, and…..”
AJ stopped.
“AJ mate? You alright?” I wryly enquired.
There was no response.
AJ’s face had frozen. His eyes had begun to water. His skin was secreting a blend of the cocktail along with liver juices.
We’d done it.
“You…..two-faced…….”
AJ didn’t finish his sentence. His chair leaned back violently, and he collapsed onto the floor. He was out cold. But there was no saying on how long the mixture would keep him down.
The second he was out, the five of us bailed and started the run back to Euston. If we could just make it back onboard a train; any train, before he came to, we’d be safe.
But that feeling of freedom and relief didn’t last long.
We hadn’t even made it to Parliament Square, when we were met by a familiar figure.
The hooded figure started to transform. AJ stepped forwards.
“How many times do I have to fucking tell you cunts! DON’T. FUCK. WITH. US”.
“Run”
We ran for our lives. This wasn’t a matter of escape anymore. It was a matter of survival.
We entered a neon-lit building, barricaded the door. And waited.
Any sort of barricade was no use here. AJ laughed his ass off kicking down the door, his bloated friend still taking in partygoers from the surrounding streets.
This was it. No more punishments. No more excuses. This truly was the end.
“I’m so sorry guys. This is all my fault. I…”
My monologue was cut off by AJ increasing the volume of his laughter.
“Oh shut the FUCK UP man! I’ve been in this world for fucking thousands of years”. He pointed to the mass outside. “They….they feed my power. Complete me”.
He turned to face the others.
“And you lot…..WELL. You’re just another spoke in the wheel”.
The crowd had greatly diminished in size and the mass started oozing its way through the door.
We were out of drugs.
Out of time.
There was only one way.
I’d seen it in movies. And I’m pretty sure it only worked on vampires. But fuck it, this was life or death.
I grabbed a splintered piece of wood and staked AJ with it. He let out an otherworldly moan and collapsed, still laughing.
“You sly fucking dog, you got me monologuing, fair play kid”. Those were his last words before falling lifeless to the floor, his skin quickly crisping over before his vessel dissolved completely. The mass outside froze before exploding in violent fashion, with its victims unable to be saved.
But it was over.
We were finally free.
One year later
Time had passed, and well…..the nightmare felt like so long ago now. Free from clubbing rule. Free from him. And the group had finally moved on. Together. The Whistle and Copper White were long gone by now; apparently, having a fucking demon with absorption powers annihilate your customer base, surprisingly wasn’t good for business. Who’d have thought it?
And me? Funnily enough, I took some advice from AJ, and finally settled down. Life was good.