Black cotton shirts crashed all around us as I led Miller across the club’s floor. He grabbed on to the back of my shoulder, shielding himself from the blizzard of bodies while I pushed through the storm.
Images of great ships swam through my mind. They sailed through dark, violent seas where no man was welcome. The men scattered, panicking about the decks as great waves crashed against their wooden vessels. Grey swollen clouds smothered the sky and the sea opened, a deep giant spiraling hole that reached to unknown darkness.
“You may not cross” The pit spoke to me in a chorus of whispers. It flung more bodies at us, obstructing our path with the bones of its servants. “You may not cross but you may join us. Become one with us and share in our destruction”
The headless organism swam across the floor awaiting my answer. Its colony of heathens flowed in pure ecstasy, radiating in the strangest of colors. I wanted to join so badly. I wanted to give myself to the pit’s will. I struggled and fought against my urges but with a single moist touch the pit reached out to me, and my body began to ooze and bind with the others.
“I’m sorry Miller”, I thought to myself as my skin melted like wax into the pit. “I want to help you but I can’t. It’s not who I am. I belong here with them.” My body began to mosh violently, my head banged up and down, side to side, while my hair whipped like the bright flames of a wild fire.
“Yes, join us.” The pit whispered. “Enter my maze of torment and I will show you things that no life should see.”
“Oh, the brutality”, I screamed as I smashed through the sea of heathens. “May this madness last forever!”
A cluster of Bodies crashed against me, sending myself reeling to the edge of the pit.
“Yes!” I shouted, “More! More!”
Boosh!
I fell to one knee as another mass of bodies smashed into me. I lifted my head from the ground, my brain rattling inside my skull.
“This is amazing”, I said to myself, lifting my body from the floor. I turned around and out of the corner of my eye I saw Miller. He stood in pain clutching his stomach like a disemboweled man.
“No!” I cried out. “Not now! I can’t! I promised I’d help him!”
With all my strength I pushed myself away, tearing a giant hole in the pit. The pit screamed out in pain at its gaping wound. Bodies bled from the gash and spilled across the floor. The pit throbbed in anger, turning a crimson red as it’s wound scabbed over.
I knew there wasn’t much time. I grabbed Miller by the shirt and yelled, “We must cross now”.
A gruesome roar bellowed through the speakers. The ceiling lights shifted from side to side as the vocalist spewed out chunks of his intestines across the microphone. The music became faster, heavier and the pit began to spin out of control.
The ground shook beneath me. Bits of the ceiling fell to the floor, shattering upon impact. I ran with Miller as fast I could, dodging fists and feet as they attacked.
“Faster” I shouted to Miller. He ran as quickly as he could but he was not fast enough. Body after body smashed against him as he tried to pass. “Come on! You have to cross!”
He drove through the crowd with all his might, clothes lining and shoulder blocking his attackers when he let out a terrifying squeal.
Thwack!
It sounded like two hollow pipes colliding as an elbow smashed into Miller’s jaw. His white, crooked teeth were red with blood and his limp body started to fall. I grabbed him by the arms and struggled to keep him off the floor
“Wake up” I shouted, slapping him in the face. “Wake up”
We were being hit on all sides. An elbow, a leg, a giant head, all smashed into me until I could stand no more. My feet shot out from under me and I crashed into a puddle of alcohol. I tried to pick myself up but it was no use. My body just seemed to flop about like an earthed fish as dozens of feet trampled me.
“This is it”, I thought to myself. “I will die here, on this floor.”
I sunk deep beneath the pit as more bodies smashed me into the ground.
“Well, if I am to die then I am glad it is here in this tomb.”
There was no sound only darkness that crept into my ears.
“May my splattered body soak through the floor and may my blood run through these walls.”
A slight tingling ran through my fingertips as my lungs deflated.
“May this giant, hollow rock feed on my corpse and swallow me whole.”
All sensation left my body and my eyelids opened without sight.
“May my flesh spread through the foundation of this building and hold it strong”.
Limp, everything vanished.
“May I haunt Vie Future forever!”
Nothing.
Psshhhhhhh!!!
Bodies exploded in every direction as six heathens hoisted me in the air. They held my lifeless body above the crowd and played with my carcass, passing it along a sea of hands. I had dared to challenge the pit and now it had taken my life. My skull would be smashed, my brain would be splattered and my lungs…… My lungs!
The toxic, fog filled air slipped inside my cold lips and filled my lungs with one last breath.
“No, not yet!” I cried as blood rushed through my barren veins. “My bones are not yet buried and I am not yet dead!”
I tossed and turned above the crowd, squirming to be free. Nine hands reached up for me. They grabbed my arms and legs and pulled me to the floor, sparring my life. They vanished quickly into the darkness of the pit and left me searching for Miller.
He stood close behind me. His jaw was red and his face was full of fear and concern.
“What happened to you?” he asked me.
I looked at him; ready to describe the most amazing experience but struggled to find the words.
“I’m not sure.” I said, staring at him blankly and we with a few steps we left the pet.
…
We stood on the outskirts of the pit, in a dank corner and watched it from afar. Wind from the stage fans blew through my hair and rustled my sleeves.
“I’ve never seen anything like it” Miller said, rubbing his bruised jaw beneath the glow of the green stage light.
I took a moment and watched the great beast as it swam across its concrete sea.
“I know”, I whispered, wiping the drool away from my chapped lips and motioned to the stairs above us.
The stairs of Vie Future were old and decrepit. Scores of vomit were spattered against the black rotting wood and the steps were smashed and splintered. I placed one hand on the railing and invited Miller to walk before me. Holding his stomach he took the first step.
I followed behind him. Open Grave had just finished their set and the pit dissolved. I had made it a half way up the stairs when I felt something wet at the bottom of my foot.
“Fuck” I muttered beneath my breath, wondering if I had worn a hole in my shoe.
I lifted my foot with both hands, balancing myself in a figure four and examined my shoe. There was no hole that I could see but I knew it was there. Where the fuck was it?
Smack!
A body plowed right through me, almost sending me tumbling down the stairs. My armpit fell upon the railing and I clung to it with both hands. It was a young teenage boy, freckled, with strawberry blonde hair that barely passed his chin.
Before I could pick myself up and yell a series of the most vile and grotesque insults imaginable another young man with thick hips and shoulders came running down after him.
“Where are you going?” He shouted. His belly bounced as he jumped down the final two steps.
The strawberry boy whipped his head like a snake and curled his lips around his front teeth.
“I’m leaving!” he screamed as spit sprayed from the corners of his mouth. “ I hate it here. I’m going home.”
Home? I could not believe what I was hearing. Didn’t he understand that we have no home? This place, this is our home.
“Stop being a little bitch.” The large one said, pulling his pants up with both hands at the side of his waist.
“Fuck you!” screamed the freckled boy.
“Fuck you! Fine. Go then, you pussy!”
“I hate you”, the strawberry blonde child yelled in a tantrum just before storming off across the floor.
“Wait!” I shouted to Miller, who slowly progressed up the soiled steps. He turned around, his eyes looked at me and then settled on the child.
“What is it?” Miller asked, clutching the banister.
I watched the child’s hair bounce across the club’s floor. He stomped all the way to the ticket booth where the burning witch sat. A shouting match began between the two. The boy screamed and flailed about violently. His face turned purple with rage as he lifted a grey trashcan over his head. Mexican food and plastic cups spilled across the floor and he slammed the trashcan against the ground.
My stomach rumbled and veins bulged beneath my skin. I grabbed on to the banister and began shaking it violently. The women leapt over her desk, scattering flyers and jumped to the floor. The strawberry boy lunged at her with both hands, reaching for her throat. They wrestled against the wall, pinning each other against the concrete. The woman grabbed him by the hair and smacked him across the face with one hand and then smacked him with the other. The boy’s face was stained red with handprints and he cowered against the wall. When she released him he let out a shriek that echoed throughout the entire club and ran for the door.
I looked up to Miller. My eyes were wide and full of anger. “I don’t like that kid.”
“Dude, he just got his asked kicked. Lets go.”
I slowly calmed down, realizing that Miller was right and continued up the stairs. While we climbed the steps I kept my eyes on the woman below. She paced about nervously, picked up the trashcan and returned to her desk. She sat there for a moment unsure of what to do with herself and then reached for a drawer. I stopped at the last step and continued to watch her.
“Come on man”, Miller said, hopping from foot to foot.
From the drawer she grabbed a set of keys. She stared at them, and then quickly left the booth towards the front door, vanishing from sight.
A bead of sweat dripped from Millers brow, his teeth were pressed firmly against his lower lip.
“I’m gonna shit my pants, dude!”
“Ok”, I said, now that the woman was gone. “We can go.” We walked across a crusted red carpet floor and through a narrow wooden hallway. Splinters two inches long jutted from the walls of each side. At the end of the hall was a single open door. Emitting no light the door swelled upon each corner, protruding from the wall like a throbbing orifice. Above the door sat a neon sign that spelled “Gentlemen” in cursive writing.
“We’re here” Miller gulped, his feet squishing as we entered the flooded tile floor.
We stood in a dismembered line that resembled more of a gathering than any kind of single order. The men in line chugged their beers while waiting for their turn and occasionally spat upon the floor. The room itself was small and oddly shaped, like an arrow with a broken end. Names, phone numbers and evil images were carved into the walls. A broken sink lay on the floor and above it was a sign that read, ‘Employees must NOT wash hands’. At the narrow end of the room were two stalls that stood like tombstones. They were foul, disgusting and had no doors. Only one was usable as the stall to the right was covered in caution tape and sprouted water that flowed to the floor.
“Got any advice for me?” Miller jokingly asked as he nervously looked around.
“Just don’t look at anyone while you shit”, I said and checked my shoe for holes.
Several men now stood behind us in the doorway. Impatiently, they sprang to their tiptoes, long curly hair bounced on my shoulder as they looked over me. A powerful flush ripped through the room and was accompanied by cheering, praise, and a crushing of beer cans. The next in line took his spot at the stool and relieved himself quickly. As he walked away from the john, his feet skidded and he sled across the slippery floor. His arms flailed backwards trying to keep his balance. He reached out for help but everyone leapt back in fear of going down with him. Just when it looked like he would be left swimming upon the polluted floor he managed to pull his legs together and casually walk out like nothing had happened.
“Ok, I’m up” Miller said clearing his throat as he approached the inevitable.
A large crowd stood around me, mimicking guitar riffs with their vocal cords. As they filled the rancid room with their music I continued to examine my shoes, making sure that none of the soiled water was leaking through.
“Oh, what the fuck!” A voice beside me whispered.
Gasps and moans echoed through the room. I turned my eyes away from my shoes and towards the Stall. There I saw Miller, too terrified to face the crowd, he had dropped his black denim pants around the curly hair of his calves and straddled the toilet, facing the wall.
“That is fucked up”, a voice said.
“Yeah, fucked up man.” Another agreed
I watched for far too long as Miller sat backwards on the stool. His head hung low and he slumped his shoulders. I started to breath heavy. My heart pounded fast and my palms began to sweat. It was too horrifying. I had to go. I slowly walked backwards, unnoticed by the others who looked on in disgust.
I made it out of the stalls, away from that nightmare and into the hallway. The only thing I wanted now was to return to the show.
Crash! Boom!
A commotion erupted. There was yelling and screaming, followed by panic. A horde of my dark brothers came running up the stairs. They were climbing over each other like bugs, trying their hardest to get away, away from what?
Boosh!
Another large noise sounded from the front of the building. I ran to the stairs through the oncoming mass. My wet shoes squished along the carpet as I raced. A muffled voice yelled out from a loud speaker but the words were much too distorted to be understood.
I hung over the banister, my eyes searching for an explanation. Bodies raced all along the floor like chickens without heads. What was it? What happened? Where was she?
“Run! They’re here! Run!” yelled a voice, hysterically from the crowd coming up the stairs.
They all ran by me, the look of horror in their eyes. A tall, sinewy young man, strung out on fear clawed his way through. It was his voice that yelled above all the others.
“They’re here! Oh my god! They’re coming”
He ran by me and I leapt on him like a hawk. My hands clutched at the collar of his sleeveless shirt and I shook him.
“Who’s coming? Who’s here? I yelled at him.
He said nothing, lost in his fear. I shook him like a rag doll, gripping him by the neck.
“Tell me!” I screamed.
His eyes rolled around like pinballs, his nostrils flaring uncontrollably. Vile sprayed from his mouth as he wretched and then he turned to me. His eyes showed more fear than I have every seen before. Gasping for air he told me, “It’s the cops.”
