Seeking Eternity

Madness and all its layers

Madness  had the most fortunate distinction of being the newest, most exclusive sensation to hit the city in some time.  Being one of  a growing number of such night time stops that began appearing in cities around the world about a decade prior it was only fitting one would eventually come here, arriving without fanfare and depending almost solely on the reputation of all its other locations to fuel interest.   Even before he'd left his home town he'd known of these places,  the internet was full of talk and rumors.  It was the place to be, if one could get beyond the door. 

The place to be, to be seen at  set in the heart of a city overflowing with possibility.  

At least that's how you tend to see it from the outside.   

The doorman was notorious for allowing  in a varied but carefully select few, no one could ever pin down exactly what they were looking for.   There were actual videos and extensive posts regarding this and other rumors.    He'd seen some of them.  One of his closest friends was nearly obsessed with seeking out every bit of information he could find about this and all the worldwide locations in this franchise.   Most simply ignored all of it, just as he himself did.  

Otabek Altin  truly found it difficult believing his luck, landing  what could be considered a dream job only a few months after arriving in New York City.     Despite all the stories , all the forms of non disclosure he'd signed  and an exhausting interview he could only recall in parts,  this was more than he could have dreamed possible since he was far from an experienced  Dj.  He'd only tried after his friends kept badgering him once they learned the club was looking for new talent  and  that he had been scouted.   If one chose to look at what happened that way.   He had been working as a part time DJ  at a far less known club in a much less desirable location  when that man approached him, talking about Madness and giving his business card, insisting he stop by at his earliest opportunity. 

Celestino Cialdini , manager of the elite and mysterious club called Madness approached him after his shift ended as the club prepared to close one morning.      The man had been reeking of alcohol and Otabek hadn't  taken his words seriously.  The man was a drunk,   he wasn't someone you would normally trust without proof.    If not for the business card and   his friends doing research online, discovering that man was indeed the club's manager  and their talk about the rumors that made him curious.   If there was a chance he'd be foolish to let it go without trying.

In the end he couldn't care less about the so called secrets, figuring they were mostly created to hype up this place and all the other clubs.  Hype that worked  very well.   They certainly knew what they were doing.    People liked mysteries and conspiracies even if they were fabricated,  it was all in thinking you figured something out no one else had.   It meant a job to him, something well paying and steady.  He would be doing something he enjoyed.   

If problems came up he'd work them out, he wouldn't give up.   He couldn't give up, not after he'd come so far.  

None of them actually believed he would be hired.   Otabek himself found it unlikely.   But he was glad that he might finally be able to move out of his cramped, overpriced apartment and its sketchy location.  Maybe get a bit of fame out of it.   Life was looking up at last.  His family might even stop trying to get him to come back.

He was 23 and the world was his.  

Otabek intended on taking full advantage of  every moment possible in this new life.  

Everything was fine until that one night.  

The dance floor was crowded, a mass of bodies, flashes of light, shouting, cheering amidst the music he created to keep the atmosphere going.   It was all he could have wanted,  creating and enjoying the intoxicating escape from reality for everyone there.  Including himself, of course.  The tips and an occasional free drink were extra perks.