Fragrant, heavy smoke filled the air of the off-strip hotel suite. The clink and clamor of bottles and containers scraping against the faux-granite countertops barely registered as loud syncopated melodies filled the occupants’ ears.

Known took a long drag from the lean coated blunt, ember burning bright as he took in as much as he could handle. With practiced precision, he let the smoke float up to his nostrils, inhaling it before taking a deep breath and holding it for a bit. The tickle of cottonmouth coughs burned his throat as he exhaled, devolving into a fit of racking coughs.

“Dumbass,” Dough laughed as he slapped the young man’s back. “That shit don’t work. How many times I gotta tell you? All yer doing is hurting yer lungs. Inhale normally!”

Dough snatched the dangling blunt out of Knowns hand, taking a long drag and inhaling like he was smoking a cigarette. With smoke billowing out of his mouth, he continued his castigation. “If yer dumbasses had paid attention in school, you would know you get the ful--”

“Yeah, yeah, smart guy,” Nocks interrupted as he snatched the burning stick out of his companion’s idle hand. “Puff, puff, pass, stupid ass. Shine, light up a couple more, this shit gettin’ low.”

Leaning across the supple thighs of the comely, well-proportioned young woman sitting in his lap, Shine grabbed another laced blunt from the small coffee table that adorned the middle of the room. As he did, he nudged the woman’s bosom with his forehead, causing a shapely breast to tumble out of the low necked dress.

With a flick of flint and spark, the second blunt in the rotation flared to life as the ember burned steady. “Here,” Shine pushed the blunt into the woman’s mouth as he cupped the loose breast. “Keep that lit, I wanna see what’s good wit this.”

Loud, unabashed slurping followed by the woman’s giggles and moans joined the cacophony of sounds that filled the room.

Moan rolled his eyes as he slid a hand under the thighs of the woman sitting on the arm of the chair he sat on. “Go ahead and grab that blunt for me, babe.” His coarse, lean hands began massaging her supple thigh as she leaned forward and swooped another blunt from the table, lighting it and handing it over.

Known smiled as he turned and placed a hand on the hip of the young woman he’d latched on to. Her tan skin glistened under the dull lights that barely illuminated the room. The dress she wore hugged her curves, tantalizing his drug-addled brain as the laced weed kicked in.

“You said your name’s Known, right?” she asked as she put a hand on his, politely moving it up and to a much more respectable position on her hip. “Where yaw from?”

“The Bay,” he answered, smoke falling out of his mouth as he spoke. “Where yaw from?”

“You don’t even remember my name do you?” She turned to face him, sliding his hand off of her hip as she faced him.

“Shit, you never told me.” He shrugged as he took another hit of the blunt that he was now hogging, the rest of his group completely forgotten. “Not my fault you don’t know how to introduce yourself.”

“Ok, cool guy.” She sucked her teeth and pursed her full, brightly lipsticked lips.

The view set a raging fire in his loins as he reached up with his free hand and cupped her chin. Her deep brown eyes reminded him of the night seas he had once feared.

“Damn you sexy, girl,” he smirked as surprise crossed her face. “Here, hit this and we can start over.”

He held the blunt to her lips and watched as she took a long, slow drag. A smile spread across her lips as she played with the smoke, letting it billow out before inhaling and releasing.

“Unlike you, I ain’t a dumbass.” She quipped as she blew the smoke in his face, sensual smile warping momentarily as Knowns vision swam.

“Aight,” he mumbled as he leaned against the counter, reaching out and pulling the woman closer. “So tell me, what’s your name? You fine as fuck, I bet it’s something sexy as hell huh? Like Malia or Daphne?”

The woman guffawed as she laid a hand on top of his, this time not in such a hurry to rebuke his touch. “You off as fuck. Giving me a white ass name. I’ll tell you if you impress me.”

“Aight, I got you.” With a smile, the young man pulled a vial out of his pocket and placed it on the counter. A powdery white substance filled it. “You ready?”

---

Known and his mystery woman stumbled into the bathroom, hands groping wildly as they traded ravenous kisses. Pushing her back, he swooped her up and sat her on the vanity, hiking her dress up. Her musky scent filled the room as he spread her legs. With a loud, languid inhale he enjoyed her intoxicating aroma as he stood and thrust his hips out.

Experienced hands expertly undid his expensive belt buckle as she smoothly pulled out his throbbing member. Slick with anticipation, it jumped as her cold hands pulled him closer.

“Get in me, now!” she whispered fervently as she positioned her pelvis for smooth insertion.

Both parties gasped as Known entered her. His animal brain took over as he let out a guttural grunt, hip-thrusting forward as he put his back into it. The woman scooted forward and wrapped her legs around his lower back, arms draped around his neck as her long acrylic nails scratched just below his ears. Arching his neck, Known let out a roar as he gripped the woman’s hips, fingers digging into her supple love handles.

Sweat rolled down the couple’s faces, smearing makeup and staining fresh t-shirts.

A shadow moved from one corner of the shower to the other. Unnoticed, a pair of dull yellow-tinged eyes watched.

Rapid, elongated pounding resounded as moans and groans of pleasure leaked.

---

Spinning, tumbling, rolling, aching.

Formless, amorphous darkness surrounded him. He could not tell whether his eyes were open or closed, could not feel his eyelids sliding down to protect his defenseless eyeballs. Dark, angry wind blew against his face, drying out his nostrils and open mouth. He could not feel his eyes but he was sure they were closed, at least they didn’t sting from the stinking, howling air.

Something slithered under him, snaking and coiling around. It sent shivers racing up his body as he trembled from the thing’s touch, goosebumps trailing the thing’s slick touch.

Cold air filled his throat, choking him as he felt flakes tumble down his windpipe. A cough tickled as his chest tightened and throbbed. Trying to cough proved futile as the wind continued to force itself down his throat, choking him as tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.

Groping, pinching hands began to work their ways up his legs. Painfully twisting every inch of skin they covered. He tried to scream, anything to help alleviate the immense pain that flooded every synapse. It felt as if thousands upon thousands of little white-hot needles were poking and prodding their way up his body, little painful scooping pricks as they quickly darted in and out of his skin.

Something rough and coarse grabbed his tongue as it hung out of his open mouth, yanking and pulling. His tongue began to stretch and elongate painfully before a long, sharp nail began to scrape harshly, back and forth, back and forth. The pain dotted his darkened vision with little white spots, mini stars of pain that flared up with each prick, teasing him with the possibility of sight.

Seconds passed as the arduous torture continued, pinpricks of pain climbing up and poking the soft, tender, hidden bits that hurt the most. The white spots flared as his vision swam. Bile climbed up the back of his throat, fighting the tide of air that kept his lungs filled, windpipe dry.

The pain moved up his abdomen, slowly and languidly as it gored him deeper and deeper with each painful prick. White flares turned red as the pain grew and grew, the muscles in his taxed neck painfully flexing as he fought.

Rough hands curled around his neck, clamping down painfully on his windpipe as he felt the blood begin to pool, ceasing its endless circulation. He tried to throw his hands up in defense, anything to stop the crushing grip that held him in place. Useless, wriggling stumps remained chained to his sides, lacking any power. Weight bore down on his chest as something sat down with a heavy flop.

Still unable to see his mind reeled, too stupefied to come up with any answers. Pain, helplessness, and suffering felt like the only things he knew. Lances of pain snaked across his closed, or open, he couldn’t be sure anymore, eyes, drawing odd and fantastic figures in the pitch-black nothingness of his current world. A face slowly formed. Tear streaked, bloodied, half crushed. The face's shiny balding head glistened with sweat and blood as it gawked at him. It spoke, stuttering and halting as the words were choked out.

“Why?” The eyes burned with unshed tears. They glowed a deep mucus yellow. “Why me? I never did nothing. I always go church. Why?”

The face spoke words that didn’t match the movements of its imaginary mouth. Broken, halting English continued to spill from its torn and cracked lips as the words turned into an endless babbling.

“Why?” it would ask between incoherent, jumbled words. Over and over again, as if stuck on a constant replay loop. The words bounced and changed in pitch, dropping to a whisper before roaring back to life, sounding feminine then androgynous then masculine. It filled him, circled him, rushed at him, fled from him.

Spinning and tumbling, his mind churned as the incessant babbling continued to attack him. Nausea set in as saliva dribbled from his agape jaw, still held open by the ceaseless flow.

“WHY?!” the voice screamed at him, making his ears ring. His nose and cheeks tingled from the anticipation, that feeling of something hovering so close yet not touching or being there. Pain and itching flowed through his body as the voice’s babbling reached its crescendo, peaking. Something popped as pain erupted in his ears. A sticky warmth dripped as he lay helpless.

The face flared up, lighting his limited vision as it screamed in his face. Sweet nothingness finally arrived as his consciousness let go.

---

“--be.” A muffled voice called out as Known’s shoulder was lightly shaken. “Babe,” her breath tickled his face as he rolled over, senses returning bit by bit. She wiped his face with a smooth hand.

His eyes slowly opened as his vision was filled with the face of the beautiful, mysterious woman from the night before. Head still swimming, he swallowed a lump to help his dry throat. His body tingled from the deep sleep, one arm feeling fizzy and bubbly because he slept on it.

“Wake up.” The woman began kissing his exposed chest, trailing kisses down his torso. “Round 2.”

Laying back, he let out a satisfied groan, filling the air with his hot morning breath. His bleary eyes stared at the darkened ceiling as the woman’s full, sensuous mouth began to work its magic.

Hidden in the mire of the dark ceiling, a pair of dull yellow eyes continued watching.