An Unoriginal Adventure, Part 2

"Is this seat taken?", a sultry voice asks me.
I turn around to find a woman in a petite, red dress, with full, supple lips and green eyes talking to me. She has long, flowing, auburn hair, which covers her ears and runs down her back.

Seconds passed by, and I'm still gazing at her beauty. She matches my gaze, which leaves me flustered. I stumble around in my head, searching for words.
"Yes".

She places herself deftly, in the seat next to me. Recollecting the reasons that brought me here in the first place, I return to my company, the smooth liquor, waiting impatiently, for me to take a sip of its richness.
"What brings you here?", she enquires, in a seductive tone.
"I'm looking for someone"
"Who is she?"
"How did you know it was a woman?"
"It always is!"
"Yes", I replied tersely and looked away disinterested. I downed what was my fourth or fifth drink. I had lost count by now.
"So, tell me about this woman".
"She's lost....to me. I'm trying to find her."
The pretty woman, her hair slowly turning red, in the fluorescent lighting of the bar, leans over and whispers in my ear, "I can make you forget about her".
"No".
She retreats, taken aback by the curt reply. Clearly, something is wrong with this idiot, for refusing such a wondrous beauty.
"I'm throwing myself at you, and all you can say is, No!"
"Yes".
"You aren't much of a talker".
"No".
She gets up and walks away, miffed at the whole episode, and especially because I was behaving like an asshole. The bartender walks over and says, "Dude, She was really into you". I nod and gesticulate towards the empty glass.


I see bodies dancing around me, moving to the trance. My head swoons with booze, everything is hazy before my eyes. The bodies turn into shapes, and the music turns into colors. I begin to sway with the beats. Haven't felt this high in a long time. I let out a smile. Gerard shakes me and asks with genuine regard, "Are u alright, dude?".

"Never been better". I reach into my coat pocket and hand out a few bills. He responds with a smile.

The next thing I remember is making my way through the alley. It seems more deserted than before. The dim lights have faded into oddly shaped specks that float over your field of vision. The shadows have completely taken over.
I hear the sound of footsteps, getting louder and louder. I look to my left, nothing. Look to my right, nothing.
"I've been waiting for you".
Startled at the sound of the voice, I turn around.
The person I've been waiting for, stood in front of me. Clad in the blackest of blacks, with a dark hat, he wore a stern expression. The angle of the hat made sure that only his lower face was visible. A grisly scar ran from his left cheek to his lower lip.
"What took you so long? Did you find what I asked for?"
"Yes". He handed over an envelope.
I opened the envelope, and inside was a photograph. It changed the look on my face. It took me back to a simple time.
There she was, lying next to me, smiling. Her smile would brighten up the darkest of rooms.
"Why are you looking at me like that. Is there something on my face?", she asks innocently.
"I'm just admiring your beauty. I can't look away".
"Stop! You're making me conscious". She buries her face in her hands and rests on my shoulder.

His heavy breathing brings me back to reality. I can't take it anymore. My heart feels heavy. I break down and fall to my knees. Tears start rolling down my eyes. I ask him,
"Where did you get this?".
"I met her. She gave this to me, and asked me to give you a message".
"What?"
"Forget about her. Don't ever look for her".
With this he swung a fist to my head. I was too drunk to react. I fell to the floor. Slowly, things started getting darker. I could still hear the music playing in the club. It was a faint din. The words echoed in my head for the last time before I passed out.

'All this aching will disappear, when this night is gone. All this aching will disappear, when this night gone...........'

to be contd...

An Unoriginal Adventure

Brrrring.....Brrrrrrrring... I strain a little to hear the vague sound of something ringing....the telephone! I walk over to the desk and pick up the phone. A heavy gruff voice breathes down on the receiver, "6.30, you know the place". Startled, I reply "It's already 5.30. I won't be able to make it. Do you have what I asked for?"

"Yes, Do what you have to do. 6.30". (Click)

As I set the receiver down, my heart started beating faster. I checked the window. Damn! It was snowing. Picking up my overcoat, I left the apartment. The skies were ashen gray, smoke colluding with the snow, and the  sun setting on the ghastly skyline. 'Could this day get any more grimmer'. Steps turned into strides, as I found myself hurtling towards the subway.

"5.40".

I step into the train, and my nostrils are filled with exasperation and evening weariness, while my body is crushed by hairy, sweaty chests while I clutch on to the only vacant handle. The train jerks to a halt at every station, my mind wondering and wandering, wishing and hoping, for time to move faster. I check my watch nervously every 5 minutes, only to find that a minute has elapsed since the last check. The sweat runs off my brow, and onto my lips. It isn't hot at all, and yet I'm sweating. Fidgeting all the while, people around me are getting nervous. It seems my nervousness is infectious.

 The people start looking at a strange, short man wearing a dark overcoat with a beaten down skull cap, staring nervously at his watch. I get more nervous. (Why are they staring at me?). I start sweating profusely.
Suddenly, there is a loud squeaking noise and the speaker bursts to life,

Announcer: "The next station is...."

'Finally...I've reached'

A few of the commuters exchange relieved glances, as I get off the train. I feel relieved too, and take a look at the time.
'Oh! No. "6.25".

I make my way towards the gangway, and lo and behold, hordes of people, mindless drones walking with briefcases, to God knows where. I hobble, fuming, towards the end, shouting in my mind, at the idiots, 'Make way!'. Finally, stripped of restraint, I start pushing people, who respond with "What the hell"s and quizzical looks. I'm looking at my watch all the while.


6.28

'Damn! Where the hell is this place?'
I whip out my phone and check the GPS.
'Okay. The arrow is pointing this way'. I take a left and keep running. I glance at the phone again.
'What the hell? Now its pointing the other way'. I throw the phone back into my coat pocket, cursing it all the while.


6.32


I arrive at the destination. CRH, Ltd. A dark alley, dimly lit, with long shadows of the corporate building next door, bathes sections of the alley in complete darkness. I thought I saw someone. Or are my eyes playing tricks with me? I knew he couldn't have left. I've almost reached on time. I look around, there's no one. I check my phone, no calls. I walk towards the alley. Out of the corner of my eye, I see smoke, cigarette smoke. I walk towards it. There, I see three men standing, having a laugh, taking drags of the cancer stick. I approach them and ask them if they've seen someone hanging around this place. "No", they utter in grumpy unison. Standing beside them, overhearing the conversation about financial deregulation, and CDO's, I guessed they worked at the office next door.


5 minutes pass. 10 minutes pass. I wonder whether this guy has left already. The smoke from the cancer sticks entices me. 'Oh! Cancer sticks. I crave for thee. I promised someone I wouldn't'. Sometime later, the man extinguishes his cigarette and looks at me, "You should try in there. Someone did go in there", he says pointing to the neon sign. I nod and make my way towards the door. 

As I push past the heavy swinging door, I'm greeted by what could only be described as an angel. A little black dress, off shoulder, with black leather boots. Her hair, tied up in a bunch, with a chopstick nestling in it, with some of her draping over her elegant, lean neck. She looked at me with a knowing gaze and said, "This way, Sir". As I walk through the darkened corridor, with obscene 'modern' art adorning the walls, the growing din of bass is slowly creeping on me.


The smell of heroin, bathed in some cocaine greets me. I'm awestruck at the visual orgy of fluorescent lights, people in tumultuous rapture, and the smoke that has formed a thick layer over the dancing bodies. The bar is relatively empty, I think to myself. The bartender introduces himself, "Gerard, Have a seat. What can I get you"?.
  
"Whiskey. Straight up"


As I down the drink, the whiskey fills my throat with a warmth and a calm which I thought I'd never achieve.I look up and see Gerard looking at me. A looming shadow covers his face, and someone taps my shoulder.....


to be contd...