Corruption
Chapter 1
“Hello?”
“Hi Mum.”
“Dan!” she laughed. “Well I wasn’t expecting this! How are you, dear? School going well?”
Dan smiled. He was glad he decided to ring his mum; he knew she’d be excited to hear from him. “I mean, it’s school, but it’s going about as well as school ever does. How are you guys doing?
He must have spent over an hour on the phone. His mother prattled on about her day and caught him up on any neighborhood gossip he’d missed while away at university. She was delighted to talk to her son for the first time in months. Dan knew he should ring her more, but he never felt he had the time.
“Oh dear! It’s been lovely talking to you, darling, but time flies and I have to be up early tomorrow. Do ring home more, yeah?” Dan heard her yawn.
He laughed. “Get some sleep, mum. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Goodnight.”
Dan sighed, placing his phone on his night table. He hoped his mother wouldn’t be too upset.
He was exhausted from catching up with all the friends he’d been neglecting all semester. His day was endless phone calls, face-times, and last-minute coffee chats between classes. He wasn’t a particularly social person, but he wanted to see everyone who meant something to him.
His phone rang.
“Dan! You coming or what, mate? I don’t have all night.”
He sighed. “Yeah, I’ll be right there.”
The walk was long and the air was chilly, but Dan took his time. He stargazed and ran his fingers over fences and bushes. He reveled in the softness of foliage and the smoothness of metal. He felt himself smiling as he watched the stars twinkle. I wish I could live in this moment. But he couldn’t, and that was exactly the problem.
“Nice of you to fuckin’ show up,” Rob grumbled as he let Dan inside.
Dan half smiled. “Sorry, got stuck on the phone with my mum.”
He was lead to the basement where he traded a wad of cash for a small orange bottle and a warning of, “This is some strong shit man, should last you a couple weeks. Let me know how you liked it.”
“Take care, man,” Dan said sincerely as he left.
He took a detour on the way home. He zig-zagged around town, strolling through the park and stopping to sit on the swings. Everything seemed beautiful that night.
It was the early hours of the morning when Dan decided enough was enough and made his way back to his dorm. He had one last phone call to make.
“Hello?”
Dan swallowed thickly. “Hey Jack.”
“Dan?” he sighed. “What is it, Dan?”
“I just- We didn’t leave things on good terms. I just wanted to, I guess, apologize.” Dan cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Oh.” Jack paused. “I, um, thanks. I guess I probably should, too. I went a little too far, too.”
Dan smiled. “Thanks.”
Jack laughed a little. “I gotta say, I really wasn’t expecting this weeks after we broke up.”
“Yeah,” Dan sighed. “I just, I didn’t want to leave things the way they were. It was super shitty of me.”
“You know this doesn’t change anything, right?”
He sighed. “I know. I just didn’t want to leave things how they were.”
“Alright. Take care of yourself, Dan.”
“You, too, Jack.”
Dan turned the bottle of pills over in his hand. It’ll be easy. He sighed. Just a couple at a time, then everything will finally be ok.
The orange pill bottle stayed in Dan’s grip as he laid in his bed. His eyes were getting heavier by the second. His thoughts turned hazy. His breathing grew deeper. His grip on the orange pill bottle loosened. His eyes closed. His thoughts turned black. His breathing stopped.
The orange pill bottle fell to the floor.
“Hi Mum.”
“Dan!” she laughed. “Well I wasn’t expecting this! How are you, dear? School going well?”
Dan smiled. He was glad he decided to ring his mum; he knew she’d be excited to hear from him. “I mean, it’s school, but it’s going about as well as school ever does. How are you guys doing?
He must have spent over an hour on the phone. His mother prattled on about her day and caught him up on any neighborhood gossip he’d missed while away at university. She was delighted to talk to her son for the first time in months. Dan knew he should ring her more, but he never felt he had the time.
“Oh dear! It’s been lovely talking to you, darling, but time flies and I have to be up early tomorrow. Do ring home more, yeah?” Dan heard her yawn.
He laughed. “Get some sleep, mum. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Goodnight.”
Dan sighed, placing his phone on his night table. He hoped his mother wouldn’t be too upset.
He was exhausted from catching up with all the friends he’d been neglecting all semester. His day was endless phone calls, face-times, and last-minute coffee chats between classes. He wasn’t a particularly social person, but he wanted to see everyone who meant something to him.
His phone rang.
“Dan! You coming or what, mate? I don’t have all night.”
He sighed. “Yeah, I’ll be right there.”
The walk was long and the air was chilly, but Dan took his time. He stargazed and ran his fingers over fences and bushes. He reveled in the softness of foliage and the smoothness of metal. He felt himself smiling as he watched the stars twinkle. I wish I could live in this moment. But he couldn’t, and that was exactly the problem.
“Nice of you to fuckin’ show up,” Rob grumbled as he let Dan inside.
Dan half smiled. “Sorry, got stuck on the phone with my mum.”
He was lead to the basement where he traded a wad of cash for a small orange bottle and a warning of, “This is some strong shit man, should last you a couple weeks. Let me know how you liked it.”
“Take care, man,” Dan said sincerely as he left.
He took a detour on the way home. He zig-zagged around town, strolling through the park and stopping to sit on the swings. Everything seemed beautiful that night.
It was the early hours of the morning when Dan decided enough was enough and made his way back to his dorm. He had one last phone call to make.
“Hello?”
Dan swallowed thickly. “Hey Jack.”
“Dan?” he sighed. “What is it, Dan?”
“I just- We didn’t leave things on good terms. I just wanted to, I guess, apologize.” Dan cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Oh.” Jack paused. “I, um, thanks. I guess I probably should, too. I went a little too far, too.”
Dan smiled. “Thanks.”
Jack laughed a little. “I gotta say, I really wasn’t expecting this weeks after we broke up.”
“Yeah,” Dan sighed. “I just, I didn’t want to leave things the way they were. It was super shitty of me.”
“You know this doesn’t change anything, right?”
He sighed. “I know. I just didn’t want to leave things how they were.”
“Alright. Take care of yourself, Dan.”
“You, too, Jack.”
Dan turned the bottle of pills over in his hand. It’ll be easy. He sighed. Just a couple at a time, then everything will finally be ok.
The orange pill bottle stayed in Dan’s grip as he laid in his bed. His eyes were getting heavier by the second. His thoughts turned hazy. His breathing grew deeper. His grip on the orange pill bottle loosened. His eyes closed. His thoughts turned black. His breathing stopped.
The orange pill bottle fell to the floor.