As Above, So Below

by Richard Lawther

  The audience cheered and clapped as the first explosive set came to a close.

  ‘Great gig, man,’ hollered Lee to Wayne, who had dropped down to mingle with the audience before heading for the bar.

  ‘We’re cookin’ tonight!! Yeehah!!!!’ noted Wayne.

  ‘Yeah,’ agreed Alex, ‘you guys are shit-hot!’

  Cube gave Wayne an enthusiastic double thumbs-up.

  Wayne was wired, he barely took in the compliments.

  ‘I thought you were too loud.’ It was Dai. Trust him to stir it. Alex was growing ever more frustrated with Dai, who had a gift for grating on the nerves, but Wayne paid him no heed at all; he pushed his way to the bar.

  ‘Hey, Alex,’ said Karl, ‘I need a top up.’ He pointed to his nose.

  ‘Me too,’ concurred Lee. ‘You going to finally partake, Dai? It’ll get your ass off that chair.’

  ‘Yeah, I think I will,’ replied Dai, to everyone’s surprise. Alex shot Cube a glance realizing that Dai had probably noticed it. ‘Come on then – to the bogs.’

  In the toilets. Alex decided to start with Dai.

  ‘Here you go, Dai, just use this fiver, block a nostril and snort up the line. Start at the front and try to do it all in one go.’

  Dai followed the instructions and brought his nose down to the line of powder, held on folded card in Alex’s hands, hands that were shaking slightly.

  Dai withdrew. ‘Why are you trembling?’

  ‘Oh, it’s just an effect of the speed, don’t worry about it.’

  Someone suddenly barged into the toilets and everyone turned fearing it to be staff on the prowl, looking for evidence of illicit drug taking, but it was just a couple of pissed-up revellers.

  Alex looked down and saw that the powder in his hand was gone.

  ‘You snorted?’ he asked Dai.

  ‘Sure did.’

  ‘Great. Lee – when you’re ready, mate.’

  Lee, Karl and then Cube snorted some real speed. Finally, Alex followed; he scrutinized Dai as the amphetamine began to surge. ‘You alright, Dai?’ he asked.

  ‘Fine, don’t feel much effect though.’

  The five young men returned to the bar and Karl collected the next round.

  ‘Any effects yet?’ Alex asked again.

  ‘None that I’m aware of,’ replied Dai.

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