Madness: Shadows Tales

the addiction

1
Matthew Markel was a man of forty five. He had short curly blonde hair. His eyes were an aqua blue and he was a short stocky buffed out bulldozer.
He worked the train yard in the mornings. Moving equipment onto the trains. So it could end up where it needed to be. He was always on time. He never missed a day and his tract record was spotless.
He lived outside the small town of Augusta with about 2000 other people. With his wife Clara and his son William. Who where forty and nine years old.
They lived in a mansion. With crystallized windows all around it. Full of different colors that would reflect inside the surfaces of the mansion. A deep dark blue and purple with a black filter.
    The roof was a full black gloss with an enlarged round window sticking out of a black crystallized pillar. There were five pillars. one on each corner of the mansion and the last was in the middle. It stuck out the longer than the rest. stretching its way to the clouds.
    Where there was a little ledge for a couple to stand on with black crystal bars glistening a purple hue. Protecting you from falling off of it.
    The mansion itself was a baby blue looking Victorian castle out in the middle of knowhere. Just 20 miles outside of town. With nothing else around it. Just clear fields of green. The town people woulld call it the castle in the sky.
    There was a dark lavish wooden  balcony on the second floor and another in the back. With the same black floors and baby blue outline.
   They had a largely portioned black varnished back porch with a tint of baby blue. outlined throughout.  It went all the way down the black crystal circular steps on both sides leading there way to the back yard.
    Where a large wide open field was for their two german shepard to run free in. Scooter and Pewter.
   There was a guest house of the same demeaner. In the far corner of the yard. It had a baby blue color and was outlined in black. It looked like a perfectly lit cottage. As it had a homlie feel to it. With two square crystallized windows infront of it.
   There was a beat up baby blue shed that looked more like a trailer. On the far side from the guest house hidden by some thick trees. Where the gardners and other associates they hired to work would put there equipment.
Clara's grandparents had died. Leaving her one hundred million and the house they now live in. It had happened two years ago. Clara's grandparents had owned many ranches and bred horses and cattle. They were some of the finest horse's known in the midwest.
  The horses were trained to race and breed. They had the meaties cattle that were used to be slaughtered. As they owned tons of slaughterhouses too. Making the finest of steaks.
    The last couple of years tho had gone astray for matthew. He got a divorce from drinking to much and occasionally cheating.
   Matthew and Clara had been together for ten years. Married for the last five and a half years of it.
   Matthew started showing up late to work. Sometimes not even coming in. They eventually fired him.
   He had gotten his own apartment in town. A small one room dully painted puke green place with a toilet that was always on the fritz.
    Matthew was a quiet upbeat man who showed manners and respect to everyone around him or he use to be anyways
    The change happened a couple years before Clara left him. She became someone else. when she had gotten the money and so did he.
    It almost seemed to hit her all at once. She became stuck up and arrogant. Always yelling at matthew. telling him he was worthless. Useless! Saying she had no reason to keep him around. She had changed from the person she use to be. Nice and sweet like candy and caring just like snow white. But mathew thought it was all a mask. She had shown signs in the beginning. Saying little things about him getting a better job. Belittling him in front of his friends and just saying things to rile him up.
Those couple of years before the divorce matthew took heavely to the booze. He use to just drink for fun with his friends but it started to overtake Matthew's life. making him a loudmouth asshole. Who smelled as tho he hadn't showered in weeks. While his breathe always smelled of jack and marlboro reds.
He would always get mad at everything. When his son would ask him a question. He'd take a sip. The sight of his wife. He'd take a sip. He'd let the dogs out for a walk. He'd take a sip! From his little silver flask. Refilling it five times a day and five times again at night.
It took his life away till he had nothing left to give but it didnt seem to bother him at all. He was always agitated and ready for a fight. Now!
2
There were two bars in Augusta the first was "the old country tavern" the OCT.
   While the other was" happy slappy's" torn between paradise and a bottle. Well that's what it said on the banner out front of the place.
  Matthew had met Sarah Silvers at happy slappy's. Thats when their affair began.
  He had come in for a couple of drinks and she sat next to him flipping her blonde curly hair and big juggs right in his face saying" your the one married to that prissy lady! What's her name!? I forget. Either way she's a bitch! I dont know how you do it."
Sarah was a voluptuously thick woman with a personality unlike Clara. She was crazy ,sweet and just plain fun to be around. Telling jokes. Living in the moment. Someone who just got him.
    The two connected for a couple hours. Laughing and giggling like school kids. Matthew hadnt felt that way in a long time.
   He yearned for the touch of another. As he and Clara hadn't been frisky for at least three years. Barely touching or anything of that manner. Not even a peck on the cheek or an i love you.
   Matthew and Sarah left together going back to Sarah's place for a lil forplay and romance.
  Eventually a year later. as what happens in all small towns. Gossip got the best of them. It spread like a wild fire. For everyone knew! Seeing them at the bar together. Leaving practically every other night. One would go then a minute later the other would follow. The town would make assumptions that were facts in this case.
  Clara had gotten proof from Matthew's phone. After hearing about the affair from her friend Nora Walters.
  She found naked pictures of Sarah with the captions reading "come and get some big boy. Just like the other night when you tore me open with your big thing" Matthew got nothing in the divorce.
Right after the divorce Sarah left him telling him," i just dont think this is working anymore. Everyones calling me the town whore. Im sorry matti. We had fun didnt we. While it lasted anyways." Then she laughed and walked away.
Matthew was crushed.
3
Matthews apartment was trashed with empty bottles of jack and half eaten burger wrappers.
  He couldnt stand his loneliness so he'd get black out drunk and pass out on his mattress that was on the floor. With his one cover and pillow. He'd zonk out. Not remembering a thing of what happened. This was almost daily but he was running low on funds. As he didnt have an income or any flow of cash coming his way.
   He'd beg Clara for money. She'd give it to him just to get him to leave but now she had gotten a new boyfriend Cray Daniels and he wasnt letting matthew leach from her anymore.
  One night matthew went over to the mansion. All buzzed up asking for money and to see William. When Cray popped him a good one between the eyes. Matthew staggered back and tried to connect back but missed. Cray beat his ass to a bloody pulp.
  Cray told him," dont come back you piece of shit. You hear! If you want your son ill bring him to you."
  They hated eachother. The sight ingulfed a fight as matthew let his temper get the most of him. Pretty much all the time but that was about to change. His luck was about turn. Upward! But at what cost i ask you. As you will see. Make your own judgement. What would you do. if you were in his situation and had the chance to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Even if it cost everything.
4
   Matthew went to the old country tavern with his last 30 dollars. It was buy one get one free night and he did just that. He even got a couple people to buy him drinks.
  Then he got piss poor drunk and this guy had said some things. As Matthew walked by. that really ticked him off. Telling him as they were both drunk. Past the point. ," arent you you the guy that fucked that whore! man you screwed up there."
  The man started laughing hard while he said," dude your one dumb motherfucka. I dont even feel bad for you."
  Matthew popped him in the gut. The man hunched over as matthew took his head pulling it down. While he put his knee right in the man's face. Knocking him out.
  He got kicked out the tavern. Matthew walked to the gas station across the street and bought a pack of Marlboro reds.
  He then stumbled out the store. When he seen a tall man in a trenchcoat. with a big black top hat but matthew was to drunk to notice much. as his vision was blurry and he himself felt a little past the moon.
  The man stopped him putting his hand on Matthew's shoulder. Matthew felt warm and cozy as the man's touch brought him back to reality for a minute.
It felt reassuring. Then it hypnotized matthew into an even hazier fog.
    The man spoke in a grand gesturing determined voice," i see your down on your luck young man. I got something that boozes cant touch. Trust me. It'll take you out your abyss and bring you back to the world. The first samples free. If you'd like a taste. Id be happy to help you. Us men need to stick together. You know what i mean"
  Matthew lit his cigarette. While he spoke in a drunken stupor," man not tonight. I dont use that hard shit. Im not messing my mind up more than it already is. You touch me again and im a beat your ass. Ok! Stranger! tell me what the fuck"
  The man took his hand off matthews shoulder and tipped his hat up exposing black glossy eyes but matthew didnt notice it one bit.
  Then the man stared deep into Matthew's eyes. while he spoke with a confident tone of satisfaction" my friend. Im not here to lay judgement upon you. Im just here to help you. This is no hard drug. Its just something to help change your life. Make it great again. It's better than those booze that rot your brain. Making you do dumb shit. This will better you in every way. Help get you out that gutter. Help you get back whats your. Just take it home with you. Its free. What do you have to lose."
  Matthew stumbled up to the man staring him down deeply but drunkenly as his eyes darted back and forth. With its blurry vision.
The man was holding a vile full of black goo.
  Matthew snatched it out the man's hand. While he spoke stuttering hammered to the core with anger in his blood shot eyes," OK! FRIEND! Ill fuckin take iiit. Just leave the fuck alone. I gotta get fuck home. Ok with you asshole. Fuck!"
  Then matthew went home stumbling the whole way there. He passed out vile in hand forgetting the whole experience happened.
5
  Matthew woke up the next morning forgetting the night before. He shoved the vile in his pocket forgetting it too.
  He spent the day scrounging for copper wire in the abandoned houses around Augusta.
  There were alot of them. as the power plant had to shut down. It ended up polluting the river near by. They got caught dumping waste in it and were slapped with misconduct among many other infranctions with waste management.
There was an undercover invistigation by the police. as a whistleblower who didnt want their name out there. Had told them about what the place was doing. Many towns folk had their suspicions on who did it.
    As Frank Wilber and Cray Daniels got fired for slacking and being lazy. Right before it happened. Maybe one of them was the whistle blower but who knew.
   As the police looked more into the power plant they found that the place wasnt kept up and quite frankly it was a death trap. Nothing got fixed. Hell it was dusty in alot of places. The equipment was generations old and the workers just didnt seem to care.
  This Forced many of the townspeople into forclosure and bankruptcy. It had happened about 2 years back.
  Clara had wanted to orgaize a gathering to bring the community back to its former self.
  She sat on the city board and proposed that they build a couple slauterhouses. That she would fund it. The board agreed.
  So that created a new job market. People started moving back. As it had gotten approved 6 months ago.
    So matthew decided to loot what he could. He had been doing it for the last three months and for the time being. It paid the bills but not much else.
  Matthew started to dumpster dive. He got caught one day by the owner of sal's baked goods and sandwiches. Sal make the most delicious sandwiches with fresh bread baked daily.
  He told matthew that if he came in the mornings and helped prep the bread. He'd give him a couple dollars and all the bread he could carry.
  Matthew sometimes would. When he was sober enough or if he wasnt so hung over but as the day went on he could hear and feel his tummy rumblin.
  He had a choice to make. Get a sandwich, chips and pop with a pack of smokes or a pint of Phillips vodka. It was either or.
  He decided to eat as he really hadnt had much for the past couple days other than his good ole buddy Jack.
5b
He sat in one of the abandoned houses. Worn out from the days work of tearing apart the walls. While taking the wire from them.
He was getting the itch for his buddy.  He could feel it in his bones. He could feel the soreness of his joints aching for its faithful friend.
    The strain of its consumption on his mind was vast. It took over his thoughts on the daily. Every moment! The experience was neverending. Surreal! It started every morning when he woke up. Till the moment he fell asleep.
   Some nights he'd dream of dancing jack bottles. He'd be on a burning cross with 10 ft bottles of jack dancing around it. Mocking him! as he couldnt taste its sweet fullfilling venture.
   He thought to himself  one drink! Just one! Then he'd say out loud," thats all i need" doing this all the time but tonight his flask was bone dry.
    He knew one wasnt enough. It never was. It was a fools errand to believe that one could do the trick.
  He was getting dizzy with a different kind of sweat than a working man's. His fingers started to tingle. As he drooped his head in his lap about to hurl the sandwich from earlier.
  Then he reached in his pocket. He felt the vile and took it from his pocket.
  He looked at the black liquid vile thinking," this looks like shit. When the fuck did i get this."
  He thought for a moment. Vaguely remembering the night before with the tall man in the trenchcoat giving it to him
  He decided. saying out loud,"fuck it." Thinking to himself," why not! i dont have my booze. What's the worst that could happen? Maybe ill have a good time or maybe nothing will happen at all. Who knows! If not then I'll just pass out and not remember the night anyways. Even better!"
  He popped the top and drank it. For the next five minutes nothing happened. Matthew thought again," ya its a hoax. oh well ill collect my shit and go home."
    He tried to stand up but ended up screaming in pain.  Then he felt a tingle go throughout his body. It was uplifting. It left him feeling like a new man. He felt a powerful strength in himself! It was full of lust and vigor of a man in his 20's
  His eye's changed black but he didnt know this. He just knew he wasnt sore anymore. His mind was moving like a locomotive. Thinking of what lyes ahead. He could feel the power rushing through his veins. It told him he could do anything. That no one could touch him or hurt him again.
  He stood to full composure screaming at full force. As the ground below him started shaking. The walls cracked then exploded leaving the wire and other plumbing etc. Stuck out in the open.
  He stared at it. Using his mind to pull all the copper wire from the wall. As it shot itself out  Placing itself in front of him.
Then the building itself started to shake. As matthew couldnt control what he was doing.
He ran out the house using his mind to drag all his finding with him. The house then collapsed as matthew drove away with a new fortune in hand and in the back of his old beat up red ford truck.
  He drove home. He went inside the puke green one bedroom apartment. He ran straight to his room thinking," ive never felt like this! Ever! Even on on my best fucking day. I feel good. I feel strong. I feel invinsible."
  He sat up staring at the walls all night. He tried his unnatural powers again. He concentrated his thoughts on all the empty jack bottles around him.  They shattered into a million pieces.
  After awhile the sensation, the power, the new found strength started to wear off but matthew was tired anyways and decided to go to bed on his beat up matress.