Chapter One: Reticular Formation - Continued... Part III – You Are Exactly Where You Need To Be

Sex is a drug.

It was always the same; he couldn't understand the rush to get here. Whenever you got an appointment somewhere official, you waited. You waited months to get a date in the first place; then you waited when you arrived on the actual day.

This was, he supposed, a little different. This time they had been called, at short notice. His mom was panicking. "Get your brother, get your brother!" She was almost shouting, and repeating everything twice.

"I heard you the first time."

His mother was desperately searching for something, some data key she needed.

A load of stress over nothing, Joel thought. Here he was, sitting next to Charlie, waiting.

Charlie was swinging his legs back and forth under the chair. His little brother could not sit still. 'Must take after mom,' he thought to himself – 'hyper.'

The woman opposite, dressed all in black, with black hair tied in a bun. She paid them no attention. Who knows how long she had been here. Waiting.

What was it all about? His mind drifted aimlessly from thought to thought. When he paused his thinking for a moment, he could hear the rain. A constant background sound that you would normally not notice. But when you're bored, you notice, and you get annoyed by things.

He moved his hand to rest on Charlie's thigh. "Stop it," he hissed at his brother. At the same time, he squeezed hard on his leg.

"Ow!" Charlie howled and glared at him. He stopped swinging his legs.

Before anything else could happen, his mother came into the room accompanied by a guy in a white coat. Looked like a doctor, but this wasn't a hospital.

They followed the doctor along corridors, upstairs, and finally into a small office.

Then there was more waiting. Until Charlie left with his mom and he was told to follow another guy in a white coat.

Tests, they said. We need to do some tests. Just relax. Next was a needle in the arm.

Everything went blank. Joel didn't know what happened after that. He had no memory. How the hell did he find himself back outside, alone?

Maybe for the first time ever he was panicking. He started walking, but didn't know where he was going. He was getting soaked; he wore only light clothes.

The darkness was like an intense fog. It wasn't just the blackness of the night. It was invading his head.

He knew he was walking.

It was raining. The sound of the rain seemed to compel his entire consciousness to focus on it. It was abnormally loud. Intense. Can the sound of rain be intense? His attention was distracted by the bright red and blue billboard.

He looked up. The rain fell invisibly from the blackness above. It streaked through the light of the sign and hit him in the face. He had to blink to see. Wipe his face. This was not normal. Why? Why did he have that thought?

His attention was gripped by the brilliant colours, glowing in the blackness. It read... "Join us for a new dawn... life has never been this good..."

"Watch It!" The loud voice jarred him back to earth.

The screaming hum of an electric vehicle zoomed past, a mist of water swirling and scattering behind it. He watched the rear lights recede down the street, then jumped, startled at the touch of a hand on his shoulder.

□□□□□

"You feel better now?" the boy asked him.

Joel nodded. "What's your name?"

"Griffin, or Grif if you like."

"Griffin, where are we?"

"This is my room in the club."

"The club? What club."

"The BB Club. You saw the sign."

"What is the BB Club?"

"We'll talk about it later. Let's eat first."

□□□□□

His arms were stretched out straight in front of him. He was leaning forward; his palms pressed flat against the glass. He stood with his legs slightly apart.

Naked, he could feel his skin tingling.

They'd giving him something.

He'd taken something.

He'd given them something.

They'd taken something.

He could feel the cool air around him, but he wasn't cold.

He was hot – excited – charged.

It had taken effect!

He knew someone was standing there, behind him, but he could not move. He was fixed in place, the feelings racing through his body. Spreading through his legs, along his arms.

The warm water jetted up the inside of his legs, underneath him.

Was it Kado? Was Kado the person there with him?

A mist quickly formed on the glass; frothy water droplets glided downwards in weaving lines that intersected and disappeared.

The water jet was playing on his balls – exquisite.

The sensation was intense – hyper real.

His cock was erect, pointing straight at the glass in front of him.

His balls swayed with the pulsating water.

Electric.

He moved his arms slightly, sliding his palms down the wet glass. His face was almost touching it.

He moved his legs a little further apart.

The jet moved upwards.

The spray of warm water played on his arsehole. He spread his legs, pushed his arse out.

His face pressed into the glass – contorted.

His forearms rested against the panel.

The person aiming the jet was playing with him.

Intense, the feelings were intense.

He wanted IT.

He needed IT.

He could never have imagined this – never!

"Where am I?" He wasn't certain if he actually spoke the words.

"You are exactly where you need to be!" It was Kado; he recognised the voice.