Chapter 27
We’re sitting on my enormous white leather sofa, smoking, when Elena returns and smiles, “what have I missed?” She gives me back my phone. My phone is incredible, an absolute delight, but I will go into that later, I don’t have time now.
“Nothing, darling” says Ruth, we’re just about to start. She reaches into her handbag and takes out a small box and a sealed packet. She taps the box, “do you know what this is?”
We both wait, expectantly.
“It’s G7” Ruth says.
“G7?” asks Elena.
“Seriously?” I ask.
“What’s G7?”
Ruth and I exchange glances. “G7,” I say, “is, maybe, just a rumour. Or maybe not. It’s the most intense, most desirable drug that has ever been invented, that’s what people say. “
Ruth takes over, “it’s no rumour, believe me. I never told you what I did, I will sometime, but I know a lot about this. it acts directly on the brain’s pleasure centre, because, get this, you inject it directly into the brain. Incredibly hard to do, with unbelievable results. Believe me, I have tried it. And, it’s completely non addictive, with no side effects. Except...”
“Except?” whispers Elena
“Except, very occasionally, the reaction may be negative instead of positive. Very rare but it is possible. And then...”
“And then...?” breathes Elena
“The visions can be quite apocalyptic.”
“You’ve seen it?” I ask
“I’ve felt it” whispers Ruth. “But hey, I’ve survived. And it only happened once. And it is so worth it. So... are you up for it?”
“Oh yeah”
“I may have an issue with the injection” I add. “It’s kind of hard to get anything through my skin.”
Ruth studies me. “Is there anywhere in your body that’s easier to get through? Like, your eye, for instance?”
“You’re proposing to inject this into my brain through my eye?”
“Why not?” she smiles. “The syringe is extremely special, extremely sensitive. The dosage, the measurement, everything, is totally automatic, totally foolproof. The needle itself is made of hardened titanium, incredibly thing, less than one nanometre. If we inject through the centre of your eye, and then retract it quickly, there won’t be any lasting damage. It may hurt a little at first, though, my poor baby.”
I’m laughing. “That may just work. The energy that runs through my skin covers the eyes as well, but every ten seconds, for point one of a second, there’s a pulse, where the eyes are unprotected. If you get the needle in during that interval then the energy will work around it, and you’ll be able to carry on, no problem. Let’s do it."
A huge smile covers Ruth’s face. “OK, let’s do you first. Then Elena. Then me.” She starts working on her kit, whilst I go and get a very large whisky. I hate pain.
“OK, darling, I’m ready when you are, come here and sit down,” she purrs. I turn to face her, drop the drink and walk over.
She lifts up the device. It’s like the skeleton of a helmet, which she places over my head; it tightens automatically on my skull. “Now, we’ll adjust the needle placement,” and she moves something so it’s hovering over my left eye. She’s very close to me, breathing over my face as she makes detailed adjustments. “Ok, we’re ready, now you need to tell me when.”
I take off my watch, and tap the screen, handing it to her. “At the right time, the watch will flash, and emit a signal through its uniport.”
“Brilliant” says Ruth, “now keep your eyes open.”
Unwillingly I grip the arms of the chair, and feel my eyes watering. And then
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh
Oh
Ooooooooooooooooh
Ooh oooooooooooooooooooooh oooooooooooooooooooooooooh
Oooooooooooooooh
I’m not really sure how much of this is real. But I’m writing down what I’m seeing, and I guess at some point in the future, when people write my biography, they’ll decide which bits to keep in. It all feels like fun though. Anyway, someone’s put the stereo on, and it’s playing music, some song which doesn’t really feel like it belongs here, like it’s from another universe. Anyway, the band that sings it is called the Jesus and Mary Chain, and the song is called Darklands, and the lyric that sticks in my mind is this
I’m going to the Darklands, to talk in rhyme with my chaotic soul
Wonderful, I think, I’ve definitely been, but I’m back. Or perhaps I never left. That’s why I never enjoy sex. It’s the price that we pay for immortality.
Someone’s puts the television on as well, and the only thing on is the news, on every single channel, which I guess makes sense as we seem to be on the brink of nuclear war. And someone told me once that it was my fault. “Gosh, I hope not” I whisper to myself, and laugh. I seem to be sitting, more lying, on my sofa, and Elena is here, her head in my lap. She has her eyes closed, but she’s smiling.
Ruth is standing by my enormous, gigantic window, there seems to be a huge crack in it, and there seems to be blood dripping from it, all over it, everywhere. Ruth is coming over to me and she has a huge smile on her face. “Time to party” she whispers. Everyone whispers now. It’s the law.
“I thought we were already partying.” I whisper. “No, darling,” whispers Elena from my lap, “time to go to a party.
“Oh,” I whisper, “well great then let’s go”
“But,” giggles Elena, “I’m not allowed to let you leave, it’s my job.”
“Oh, but darling,” whispers Ruth, “surely we’re your best friends now, you can find a way round that.”
Elena sits up “you’re my best friends, you really are” and she starts crying. “Oh, I love you all so much”
“We have to go to a party” I whisper, and I can feel the tears well up behind my eyes, but I can’t cry, I’m too strong.
“Of course we’ll go!” shouts Elena, and Ruth and I whisper “sssssshhhhhh! You have to whisper! It’s the law”, Elena puts her hand over her mouth and starts crying again.
A bleeping comes from the television and we all turn to look. The screen has gone completely red.
I start laughing quietly, I think this is it, until words start appearing on the screen
Incoming message
Sender: Simon Hart
Recipient: John Paris
Message: Your new technology is being implemented. We must activate immediately. Beware dragons. We will be with you in seventy three minutes, with the technology ready to go. This is very very very very urgent. Stay there. Do not leave under any circumstances. We have locked down your building.
We stare at each other, then all burst out laughing. “But what about our party?” sighs Elena.
“Don’t worry,” says Ruth, “I can sort this”.
“You can get round Simon’s lockdown? You are my Goddess” I whisper.
“Just watch” she says and she taps a few buttons on her phone. “Now we just wait a few minutes”.
“Ooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhh” whispers Elena.
I’m not exactly sure what’s going on now. A lot seems to be happening at the same time. And the colours all seem to have become strange, reds instead of blues, blues instead of greens, and something else, something quite unbelievable, that appears in front of me and then disappears before I can catch it in my mind.
I think this happens now, I think this happens first. My enormous living room window implodes, a waterfall of flashing lights driving inwards, lighting up the room with flashes, shadows and demons. Ruth flies into the air and comes towards us at terrific speed, her hands spread out beside her like an avenging angel. I throw up my hands in protection and Elena throws herself over me, Ruth hits us and we are thrown backwards, over the sofa, onto the floor, into a sea of broken glass and I see my hands swimming in red, or blue, and Elena’s happy
but pained, beautiful face pressed close against mine , eyes wide and shining.
I think this happens now, an enormous noise fills the room, like that of a dragon, like that of a gigantic heart breaking in two and the pain of fear, loneliness and death thrown out in the dragon’s cry without flames and we all throw our hands over our ears as we laugh and cry, but Ruth is saying something, trying to get something to us as she’s getting up , brushing herself down, brushing the blood off her suit, and reluctantly I take my hands away from my ears, and she’s shouting, screaming above the deafening noise, “it’s here! this is it, it’s here, come on let’s go!”
And I see that there’s a rope that somehow now seems to exist, that is attached to something in my living room and heads straight out through the broken space into the darkness, the light, the noise, beyond, and I’m thinking that it looks scary, like an entrance, or an exit, somewhere to nowhere, and do I really want to do this, is this party really worth it, but then I see Ruth’s face, the desire in it, the broken and cracked and ancient beauty and I think yes I can yes of course I do yes I want to go anywhere with this woman and her strange, fluorescent skin, and so I smile and lift myself to my feet, and tenderly, carefully touch Elena and she looks up, peeks out from behind her hands and gives me a small, nervous smile, and takes my hand and gradually I lift her up and together, all three of us turn from the safety and comfort of the overturned sofa to walk towards the light.
I think this happens next, I think there’s an explosion, another one, outside and I think something comes hurtling into my living room, just before us, and I think we all jump back. It’s a ball of something, wriggling, moving, uncoiling itself into something else, transforming before us, and I shield my eyes because I really can’t watch this unearthly abomination, happening to us.
I think, though that I see it, it’s a human being, almost, not quite, it’s something, it has human form, it’s clothed in a tattered, broken, business suit, some of it ripped and wrapped around the head, just around the demon horns, but the body is human, and the face, except for the red eyes and the scary thing is that they are recognisable, I know who I am looking at, her but not quite her, it’s Beryl, it’s our Beryl, cleaner turned strategy director turned demonic guardian as she breathes in a deep, cracked voice “You! I will stop you! You cannot take him with you!” and she raises her hand, to point, but its not a hand anymore, more like a claw that she points at Ruth and in her other arm I see a sword, a samurai sword, that she wields, ready to strike.
And I see, I think I see, that Elena pulls me back onto the sofa so we are behind, watching, as Ruth steps back, as Ruth raises a weapon, a handgun, I can’t tell which one, and aims it at Beryl’s head, at the same time she lets out a harsh whisper, “He’s mine!”, and I can’t believe that these two women are fighting over me, it’s so romantic, and I think it’s just at that moment that Elena whispers in my ear “oh, violence makes me so aroused” and I feel her reaching down and unbuttoning my trousers, she’s wandering down there, I’m not even sure what she’s doing but oh God it feels good, so good as Ruth takes her first shot, and I can see this all in slow motion as the blade whips up and strikes the bullet, cuts it in half in fact and I think I really want that bullet but I can’t move whilst Elena’s at work and I watch, fascinated as it’s Beryl’s turn, I can’t believe the skill that she shows as she moves with that sword, the footwork is breathtaking, but then so is Ruth’s movement as she twists to avoid the strike, the sword flying through thin air and embedding itself in the floor. Ruth clearly has the advantage now and whips round with her handgun to bring it to Beryl’s neck and I’m thinking it’s all over but I don’t know if it’s the demon possessing Beryl or her own innate strength that rips out the sword and lifts it so high, so fast that it’s Ruth who has to jump back to avoid losing half of her head, and the bullet flies harmlessly into the ceiling.
And now Elena’s getting more frantic and so I am I, and Beryl and Ruth are both back up, facing each other, stopped for a moment to let me admire their dedication and feel their love for me, Beryl has her sword raised in front of her, Ruth somehow has managed to get her handgun back into position, she whips it past Beryl and has it next to her forehead, just between her horns, and a huge evil grin slowly appears on Beryl’s face as she breathes “Just try it, lover” and I’m getting so close as I can see her bring the sword down towards Ruth’s soft hair, and of course it never makes it as her demonic head explodes from the force of the bullets from Ruth’s handgun, absolutely amazing, and I'm finished as Elena absently wipes at the back of her head, unaware she is brushing away brain and skull, as what’s left of my demon protector staggers, headless, around the room, waving the sword around dangerously. And now I’m pushing Elena away, and tidying myself up, getting up and standing by Ruth, watching, keeping waiting for Beryl, or what’s left of her, to fall, but she doesn’t, she carries on like a malfunctioning robot, waving that sword around her, blood gushing from her neck straight out of a horror film, until Ruth walks up behind her, gives her a violent shove and the last we see of our demon warrior is her legs disappearing out of the window behind her body.
“You were wonderful, darling” I blush and turn, to see Elena’s talking to Ruth, standing, hugging her from behind, her arms draped around Ruth’s neck. I laugh and stretch out my arms, “wow, I feel alive” and Ruth winks at me and says “come on guys, time to party now, no more excuses” and I realise the noise is still there, the rope’s still there, and I follow Ruth towards the darkness and the light of the void, shouting “come on” to Elena but Ruth’s stopped and I don’t know why, but we’re both looking at Elena now and Elena’s saying “I’m not coming”.
“But why not, darling?” asks Ruth, “it was supposed to be your party, it just won’t be the same without you” and in reply, Elena turns to me, she takes my hand and softly caresses it and says “I owe you so much, John, you took me from nowhere, you made me your secretary when I had nothing, you gave me a chance, you gave me food to eat and a bed to sleep in, you gave me a chance when I had nothing, even when you discarded me, shot me and left me for dead...”
“Yeah, sorry about that” I interrupt, but she places a finger on my lips, “even then, you let me stay, you set me up with a security job in your company instead of just tossing me out on the street like garbage, and then, then, when you saw my potential, you gave me such an amazing chance, one like I’ve never had before, and then you gave me mind destroying drugs. “ “John” she whispers, “I can’t repay your kindness by running away to another party, I have my career to think of, work to do, my bosses to impress...”
“But I’m your boss?”
“Exactly! And what would you think if on my first day I just let it all drop when you have such an important project. Go, John, go my darling, have a wonderful time, I still care about you, I always will”.
It’s the most emotional thing I’ve ever heard, and I’m about to reach over and kiss her when I feel myself being dragged from behind, the room is disappearing as I’m being pulled into the void and I’m out, in the middle of the air, rushing through space which makes the impact all the more sudden. My body hurts but the silence engulfs me, and groaning I pick myself up to take in my surroundings, I’m in an enclosed room, a black room, empty except for two armchairs that are decked out like aircraft, or space ship chairs, firm, black leather chairs with lots of electronic gizmos sticking out from them.
Ruth sits in one of the chairs, laid back, relaxed, a glass in her hand and a smile on her crinkled lips. All traces of the near death combat she's just been in appear to have been wiped from her, her clothes are clean, the blood gone, her composure calm and sated. With a light flick of her hand she indicates the other chair. I am grinning like an idiot, I can feel it on my face. My arms and legs feel incredibly heavy but I drag myself up and over to the chair, and allow myself to fall into it, its deep, comforting leather sides. On the ivory armrest there is a drink waiting for me, a slanted glass, f
rosted edges, I'm expecting some kind of cocktail which is not ideal but will do, take away the edges, wondering what Elena is up to. Its now that I realise my arms won't actually move, I'm thinking how tired I must be, how busy I've been and how difficult the last few weeks have been, such a lot to deal with. I sigh, and call on my inner strength so make the supreme effort and lift my right arm, my drinking arm, but all this results in is a sharp, jabbing pain and my arm still hasn't moved. I look, helplessly at Ruth who just says “its for your own safety, darling“ and winks at me.
“You know what,“ I reply “it really feels like I'm being kidnapped, how strange“ but then I'm thrown back into my seat as the machine we're in jumps forward at an incredible pace, and then, predictably, it all goes black.
Chapter 28
“Mark? Mark, wake up”
He’s trying, he’s really awake, but he can’t open his eyes, it’s like there’s something that has been put over them, like they have been glued together. Speaking is impossible too, like the same thing has happened to his lips. He moves his hands, gropes around blindly, and she lets out a little yelp, then a sigh, as she calms down
“Don’t struggle, it’s OK I’m here.”
He moves his hands to his face, to the rough lines, trying to feel, to understand what’s happening, then he realises it, the stark, cold touch, the cracking, it’s frozen, his eyes, his mouth, they’re frozen.
“Mark, I understand. I know she’s gone. It’s OK, I forgive you, you couldn’t help it.”
She hasn’t gone, she’ll never have gone, but he can’t admit that, he has to just accept it and live with it with his guilt and the darkness in his heart, and express himself in these ways that he can, in these cruel ways, physical and mental, hurt, anguish, in…
“But Mark, you have to listen to me, someone’s coming”
Who? Who’s coming?
“I don’t know. But I’ve been told. They’re coming. They’re coming from the light."
Chapter 29
I’m not quite sure how to take this. I’m in a church. All alone, sitting on a stool, in the middle of a church. I’m not sure that anything in my faith told me about this. It’s cold, it’s dark and there’s no one here. Surprised? I am. I can just imagine the mad scientist slow handclap behind me. And a few other things that I don’t really get. One, there’s no party. I broke out of my apartment to join a fantastic party, to celebrate something, I can’t remember what. Two, I am sure I went with Ruth and Elena, though something is bothering me about both of them and I can’t, again, remember what. Three, my head and my mouth. My head throbs with a headache of the final judgement ( a fitting metaphor?). My mouth is dry as a desert. And for some reason there’s a splitting pain in the middle of my left eye. Long term memories, I don’t do well. Short term I can normally handle, but now, apart from the pain, there’s nothing. Or just fragments at least.
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