choices

By Paul Wood – Word count 975.











THE RAPID ECLISPE OF THE MOON.



- Come on swallow it you idiot!

The raspy voice seemed to come to me from the other end of a telescope.

- What is it?

- The perfect drug. Give you a high better than any know drug, and faster. It’s the best thing on the market.

In the distance the club throbbed with a deep sound not unlike a heartbeat. Bright lights danced a kaleidoscope of colour as we were hustled and bustled upon the dance floor.

The man had all the hallmarks of a dealer. Slimy in appearance he resembled a weasel. With greasy, swept back hair, acne and bad teeth he was every dealer I had ever encountered. He’d conjured a pill from the hidden depths of his battered leather jacket and cornered me on the dance floor.

- What’s it called?

I could feel the cool tendrils of sweat flowing down my back as I swayed to the beat.

- It’s a new one from the states. It’s called Rapids, or to give it its more common name on the street ‘heaven express.’ Takes you to heaven faster and quicker than you can blink an eye.

The tiny pill sat in my clammy hand like a frozen droplet of rain. A glassy reflection of shimmering rainbows danced in front of my eyes. I could hear it screaming in my mind to plunge right in.

- How much?

- Call this one free one on me. Next one cost you a score. Give us a ton and you can have extra for your trouble. Go on live a little. Let your hair down, have some fun.

His repulsive breath smelling of sour onion and cheap booze washed over me as he bent over me and whispered into my ear.

- Give yourself a break geezer. It will be better than any sex your get with them trollops over there.

Glancing over, I watched a group of scantily clad girls swaying to the rhythmic thud of the music. With legs up to their armpits, their huge breasts swinging in low cut dresses it was like being in a meat market.

Closing my eyes I threw back the pill and swallowed.

- That’s it my son you know it makes sense

Nothing. No change.

Still the incessant thud of the music. Still the room spun with the ever-spinning revolution of flashing lights stinging my eyeballs. I had been conned.

Looking up for the dealer I wasn’t surprised to see that he had done a runner with my twenty notes.

Then it hit me. An enormous wave of warmth washed over me flowing through my body like a tidal wave. I felt indestructible. With a lease of new- found energy I scampered up the stairs to the upper level of the club. Jumping on the balcony I danced like a man processed, before jumping off and into the group of girls I had spotted earlier. As we all collapsed in a tangle of limbs I forced myself onto a girl I had fallen onto. Laughing uncontrollably I ripped her flimsy top of in a rage of lust and desire. Out of the corner of my eye I could see two hefty bouncers springing toward the melee. As a pair of hands forcibly grabbed me I swung round and threw a wild punch. I never saw the fist that connected with my head, as I fell back into the tangle of limbs.

That was the last I remember until I woke to find myself in a taxi

- Where are we going?

The driver merely mumbled home to the question.

- Why?

- Because if you’ve stayed any longer someone at the club was going to get seriously hurt. You know what I mean?

After that he didn’t want to talk, making it obvious if I carried on he chuck me out anywhere. He wasn’t fussy.

It wasn’t long before the taxi skidded to a stop and the driver bundled me out. Screaming in agony I lay in the road, a fine drizzle gently washing over me. Finding some inner strength from somewhere I got to my feet and stumbled toward my flat and safety.

My last thought was that I was going to die as I collapsed on the steps to my flat.

It was a little while later that I woke up to feel the cold slab of pavement on my neck.

It was still night. The moon shone like a diamond in the sky.

Every fibre of my being was screaming out in pain. It felt like my body was literally being ripped apart. Crawling painfully I made it up the steps to my flat, before collapsing in agony in the hallway. Glancing in the full-length mirror I was terrified at the image looking back at me. My face had gone white as snow, with sweat running down like water. Blotches of what looked like fungus had sprung up all over my face.

That’s when the tearing of my skin started.

I watched it happen in the mirror. My skin split like a melon as wiry coarse hair and muscle grew out of gaping holes in the body.

My body itself stretched and grew as talons and sinews grew at an alarming rate. Every movement was agony as my body was taken over. But it was my face and head that was the worse to witness. My nose tightened and stretched itself into a snort. My skull elongated itself to match the rest of the body. Feral eyes of dull yellow glanced back at me as I bounded to the window. Snarling I opened my snort to reveal a mouth of razor sharp glistening teeth. With saliva running down my snort I bellowed a cry of anguish.

Outside the clouds scudded across a full moon.



THE END