Fishbowl of Death.

 

Jack and John have been best friends since childhood, cheeky chappies running around in the same neighbourhood.

Having the usual Friday night out on the town at some out of reach club where the dubious type of characters hangs around.

Greeted by their friends each displaying the different stages of fun they had been having, generally it was good behaviour with a tag of misbehaviour while they were partying.

They get invited over to a corner of the club where the music is not quite so deafening, so if people try to talk you have a more reasonable chance of actually hearing.

The table is littered with a variety of drug paraphernalia including bongs, powder, weed and a concentration of pills, the friend says help yourself to whatever you want I managed to get a good deal.

Jack was quite into taking drugs, but John was a bit of a novice, so seeing this many drugs made John just a little bit nervous.

They both shared a joint to get the night underway and to get them into the right vibe, then Jack started popping a few pills some that he had never tried.

It wasn't too long before Jack was in a different world and bouncing off the ceiling, where is John was just chilled out and relaxing.

As was normal with mates there is a bit of banter going on, you are a pussy take some of these, be a man Jack said to John.

John just ignored it as he thought Jack was just having a bit of fun, the higher Jack got the more persistent he becomes.

John went off with a girl to shake some moves on the dance floor, hoping that later that night he will experience a different kind of score.

Neither of them consumed any alcohol when at this club, while consuming drugs drinking a lot of water is a must.

Sometimes they would make up a cocktail of fruit juices mixed in a fishbowl, which had several straws around the sides so other people could have a go.

John got back to the table from his display of the latest grooves, Jack had made-up a fishbowl and said go on have a go that will get you in the mood.

John said what do you mean get you in the mood what have you put in it, that better not be any drugs. Jack replied I'm just joking man it's just juice in there, then collapsed onto John attempting to give him a hug

So, four of them in total started slurping away at the bowl to get rehydrated, ignorant to the fact Jack had put a mix of drugs into it a bowl of death he had created.

Jack just got more and more spaced out I felt he was flying around the room; he would not be coming back to earth anytime soon.

After a few minutes John started to feel quite ill, the room appeared to be spinning as well. Jack laughed it off, if he wasn't so high he would have seen John needed help.

John started to go bright red, and sweat was dripping off him, he was struggling to breathe, and his eyes were bulging.

Jack kept prodding John saying come on mate stop pissing around, John just got worse and collapsed to the ground.

People started freaking out as you could clearly see John was in real trouble, but Jack was still living in his own little bubble.

The lights came on in the club when the music stopped as the crowd gathered round, John was now turning a pale shade of blue and from his mouth froth was dribbling down.

A medic arrived to help John but notice he had stopped breathing, he then proceeded to do CPR to try and get his heart beating.

Another medic arrived and for half an hour they rotated the CPR trying to save John's life, it was all in vain because of Jack this would be Johns last night.

Something inside Jack got him to reconnect to reality again, as he got on his knees to be by his best friend.

Jack burst into floods of tears saying I just wanted you to liven up and have a bit more fun, I am sorry, so sorry, so sorry for what I have done.

The medics laid a blanket over John's body and then covered his head, it dawned on Jack that he killed his friend and now John was lying dead.

The medics told Jack the police had to be informed and are on their way, Jack knew this was his fault, he was in trouble, so he ran away.

He stumbled down the road to the old train tracks as fast as his drug fuelled body would carry him, all the time sorrow, remorse and guilt was settling in.

He was still on a different planet as he tried to come to terms with what he had done, he had killed his childhood chum.

Jack sat by the train tracks trying to work out what he should do, saying repeatedly John I am so sorry I should never have done this to you.

He wanted to phone his parents and John`s parents but didn't know what he should say, then the guilt consumed him, and he decided he had to pay.

He heard a train approaching and went and stood in the middle of the track, and with his arms spread out above his head looking at the sky, you hear the words again I am sorry John, these were the last words heard from Jack.

 

Nataiella (2020).