The End Of All That Was

Chapter One - The Beginning Of The End

My god was I tired. "Note to self, never ever fly from London to Texas ever again. The jetlag is unberable." i muttered to myself as i got out of bed. The jetlag was terrible. I was groggy and tired and just a bit of everything. But most of all I was excited. Three years I had waited for today! Three years we had all waited for the announcement that VentCon would be a thing. And now it was finally going to happen. Id meet all the friends id spoken to and wanted to meet at long last. We had Pug, Aerith, FriedChicken, Mako, Senpai, Rekishi and Fallennerd. So here I was, a boy from a town in Scotland in Texas to meet friends he had never actualy seen in person. Saying it like that, it actually sounded like a kidnap story but somehow i doubted id get kidnapped today. Although at times Vent felt like a cult id entered and could never leave, and thats kinda why i liked it. Over the past three years id been told to "grow up" and "stop being stupid" about an app. But i fitted in on that app and i would fit in today. And i liked that. 

After i had showered and dried my hair it was a case of what to wear. Should i wear the hat from my profile pic? Or something else? What tshirt should i wear? In the end i settled for black skinnies, My blue "Skull Fucked" tshirt, and my purple converse. After stopping to adjust my hair a little i left my hotel room and went down to the lobby. I wasnt staying anywhere glamorous, just a small hotel that i hadnt even got the name of, not that it mattered. What mattered was where i was going today, not where i was. I went to reception to ask if i could get a taxi number but i was told there was alread a taxi waiting outside for me. Not one to hang about i thanked the receptionist and turned to leave. I pushed the door open and left the air conditioned heaven i was in and stepped into what can only be described as a heat that matches the fires of hell. Scottish people dont do heat very well, and i was proving this. I didnt even want to know how hot it was. The taxi was sat outside just as i had been told so i climbed in and as relieved to find it was nice and cool. "So where you heading?" The driver asked. "Ummmmm, the Austin Convention centre? i think thats it." i replied. The driver nodded and started to drive. 

Id only seen pictures of the convention centre and i was impressed by the pictures. But seeing it was amazing. I walked inside, oblivious to the time, only to find that it was closed. Well not closed but... Not open. I checked my watch. "Only 9... wow im early. Thats a first." I said to myself. "You here for the con as well?" a voice said from beside me. "Yeah i am" i said turning. I was met by a familiar face. "Aerith?" i asked. "Yeah.... Hold on... Zack?" she asked. "The very one" i said laughing quite nervously. I was literally the epitome of bad small talk. "Follow me, a few of us are already here and kinda.. went in early haha." she said. turning and walking away. I followed her into the main hall and saw that there were a few venters already here. I knew two of the faces, Aeriths and Pugs but that was it. Aerith took time introducing me to the people id never actually had the pleasure of meeting. "Okay everyone! Zacks here! Zack, you proably already know Pug, But this is Fallennerd, this is Senpai, this is Mako and thats FriedChicken." Aerith said. "Hey guys" i said shyly. Now that i was meeting them i was actually scared. I couldnt tell whether it was the fact id never met them, or whether they had expected something else, or whether i had expected someting else or all three. All i knew was they were still smiling at me. Smiles were good right? "Zack sit down! you look like an idiot standing there" Pug said laughing at me. Okay i did look really stupid actually. "Haha, sorry im just kinda nervous for today, Its kinda mental getting to meet you guys at last." I said feeling a bit more at ease. Today was supposed to be fun. 

We spent the next hour talking about, everything really. We laughed and Joked about, knowing we had until eleven, when the Con was officially supposed to start, to mess about. And thats exactly what we did. I told them about Scotland and what it was like and they told me about where they came from. We talked like friends, which was in essence exactly what we were. We were friends that had just never met in person. The conversation started to slow a bit s we realised the time. "Hey guys, you know how three years ago i said i would bring something to VentCon if it ever became a thing. Well i brought it." i said. "Wait? What were you bringing?" Pug asked. I didnt reply and instead pulled a bottle of bright orangle liquid out of my bag. "This everyone. Is Irn Bru. The drink of my country and of my people. Its also a banned substance in the US so enjoy it while it lasts" i laughed. "Oh My God it looks amazing! Its so bright!" Senpai shouted. "I brought glasses as well" i added. I poured each of us a glass of Irn Bru and let them drink first. They all studied it and smelled it like they were conniseurs of wine, but eventually they all gave up and had a bit of it. And then a bottle of it. "I dont know what they put in this stuff but it is amazing!!" Aerith shouted. "I dont know either and i live there" i replied laughing. Today was going to be fun. 

After we had my Irn Bru we got ready for the official VentCon. The high profile venters were going to be dotted about the place, and there were booths for people to go and meet people and make friends. Basically what VentCon was was a giant social meteting. If you wanted you could get your vent name on a badge so your lsteners knew who you were. We all got our names on badges, just in case and we then found a booth together. It was in the "Happy" emotion section. Because today we were feeling Fairly happy. We were with our friends and were at an event we had only been dreaming of. We knew exactly when the doors had opened because sound was cacophonous. There were about 7000 venters outside, from what we could tell from the vent teams updates. And they were all about to be in a room together. Which would be either glorious or disasterous. That depended on what 7000 had decided to come today.  

I met a lot of people. A LOT of people. We stayed together as a group and were joined by quite loterally hundreds of people. But the day had come to end. Or VentCon had come to an end. That didnt mean the day had. "Guys i have had way too much fun today to leave it on this. Want to come to my hotel and we can talk more there? Its near empty so we can be as loud as we want and stuff." i asked. "Yeah sure, im okay with that" senpai said. Everyone nodded in agreement and it was settled. We got a taxi and got it to take us all to my hotel. We actually needed two taxis but we were going the same place. I asked our driver to stop at a store on the way there and i came outside with a bag full of food and drinks. The perks of bringing a lot of spending money. We got to my hotel and all barreled out of the taxi still laughing away as we did. I paid for the taxis and stuffed the bag into my backpack. If reception saw this bag theyd kill me. I walked in with my friends and entered the lift. Room 163, It was nice. ig enough for us, and the fact it was joined to another empty room helped. I had asked for the emptiest floor so they gave me the floor with nobody on it, which was nice. The party started. 

That night we drank and laughed. It wasnt just Irn Bru we were drinking either. We were all drunk, even me, who was trying his hardest to stay sober because i dont usually drink. I failed at that task and for one night decided to let go. I let go of all my worries about Scotland and being a student and growing up and all the other worries of life. I let go of everything for that night. We all did. e just didnt know it wuldnt be for that one night. As we faded off to sleep, we were oblivious to the chaos on the streets. Oblivious to the screams.