Fuck! Pure Darkness! I actually got a bit worried near the start as I also 'knew' a woman with that name, who had kids...
Thankfully, this ain't her. I'm not sure I could have just made the phone call, I would have had to rounded up a posey, with cutlery, and spent a few hours on that!
Another fantastic piece of writing, Sir. Big love!
Perhaps the worst part of that life isn't the actual addiction, or the addicts, but the often more disturbing characters who like parasites leech from those already in very dire situations. I tried to make that point in the other piece, 'Reggae Reggae Sauce', but afterwards I thought the surreal and (sort of) humorous aspects blurred that message. This one, not so much.
We knew a lady a long time ago who had been sexually abused by her dad and brothers growing up., She had a young child and ended up on crack n smack in a den in London, put on the game by blacks, constantly raped and beaten up. The boy her son of about 7 was some times left with us as she went off in search of her fix and he used to sit on the stairs often crying, waiting for his mum knowing full well the danger she was in. That poor little lad had been through hell with her and it hurts me that some bastard decided that this sick act was a thing to do to those girls under the pretence of making money. I dont like the care system either as i also knew children growing up who had been in foster homes who had terrible times. Phenola which was the ladies name eventually had her child removed from her by services and i never heard from either of them again. We often wonder what happened to them and if we could have done more to help. Your story brought back bad memories, thats all. Enough to say, its well written Chris as always.
When I first got into Junk I watched as the quality of my life and associates rapidly plummeted. And very soon I was among a group of people who'd known little but trauma, loss, violence, abuse - the lot. And, being vulnerable and desperate they attracted people who would continue such things. That's what got me more than everything else, the absolute dysfunction of everything and the utter lack of available or realistic support. Yes, people make bad decisions, and you could argue they made their bed, they can lay in it. But many - most - had already been brought up in such hideous conditions they were already adjusted to dysfunction, you could say they were destined for it. Hospitals will treat people who've smoked or drunk all their lives. Hospitals will treat people who've got injured doing sports, etc. I'm not sure a healthy society should distinguish along such lines, but it undoubtedly does. I have to say, I've not met a single person who had a decent experience in care, quite the opposite, and I've met a fair few. I guess some exist, but I've only heard absolute horror. What an awful story you told too - most of which could be changed overnight through changes in the law. I think that's half the tragedy, most of this could so easily be avoided.
Cheers Liz - thanks for reading. I had actually been on the sauce in Thailand - more than I've had in along while, oh lord it was heavy, Weirdly though, you don't feel it so much on holiday. But no, certainly not since I got back. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment, always appreciated.
I didn't think it would go there...it did. I hope Violent Freddy was well paid for a good job done. Despite the dark nature, love love love your stories. Finally got some reading glasses so I'll get round to finishing 7 spaz. See you in the comments.
Getting my glasses has been a godsend, mainly for the migraines (one of which I've had since I got them) but also being able to see. Glad you love love love them, oof. And always appreciate a comment.
So many tales of junk and it’s users sad and wide ranging levels of broken souls with stories to tell that will never be told, glad that one or two get recalled and shared no matter how dark each has merit and needs to be heard, met so many people with the lost lonely stare that don’t have the time left to tell them so I’m thankful that you do and are alive to weave them.
Kudos and gratitude to you Danger can’t wait for the book.
Thank you Rob, that means a lot. Had a couple of people unsubscribe already. Not surprising. I hovered my finger over the upload button for quite a while with this one, but who am I to decide? There's a world of pain out there, and although it walks among us, various institutions and other agencies prefer to keep it quiet - like a kind of communal politeness. Thanks for reading.
When it comes to raw stories of truth fictionalised or gonzo people either runaway or embrace them, it’s a shame people unsubscribe but then holding up a mirror to the daily darkness that a lot of people face will cause the chaff to be sorted from the wheat.
Compelling little story - that letter escalated quickly! Was that the actual wording or did you piece together what you could remember? Regardless, it was suitably disturbing - especially all the love, love, love stuff.
Thanks Jon. (Un)fortunately not, but the gist is certainly there, and the hideously cloying 'love love love' is something you're not allowed to forget if you wish to remain compassionate and somehow human.
Noooooo. This is brutal but ultimately hopefully a snippet of unadulterated vengeance / karma. Need to know what happened after that!! Brilliant writing, engaging as hell.
Hello Adam - I didn't want to say at the time as I didn't want people to know there's more to the story - but if you haven't seen - there is a part two.
Thank you Adam, but you're going to have to use your imagination. Unsure regarding the statute of limitations in this instance. Thanks for your kind words, always appreciated.
Since few of this evil mindset continue on indefinitely, we might assume the story ends with a heart attack or stabbing in Wormwood Scrubs while serving a long sentence. That is the fantasy that redeems this horrific story.
There's a lesson there, Ciarán! As I said to MouseCat - there's some very dark people on the edges of addiction who will take whatever they can from vulnerable people.
Not at all mate i'm just busy at wuk (cumbrian for work) thats all......well i've just read it and what a turn out! Please say there is a part 3 coming?
There is not, no. A few people have asked. But it's good to know people are investing in the characters, I find that the hardest thing to do in a short because you don't have a lot of time to give them a life, so to speak. Cheers, Jambo.
Ha! Understandable. Give yourself some time. But if the comments on part 2 are anything to go by, I am confident it will provide. What exactly, I can't say. Anyway, thanks again.
First piece of yours I've found geniunely uncomfortable to read but a brilliant and brave bit of writing nonetheless. I guess a lot of junkies lives can be circling the drain so it would be dishonest or wrong never to mention the times they couldn't sink any lower.
hello Ludwig - I just read your comments on Part two. So interesting now to see you commented here too. Damn uncomfortable to write as well (more about that in my comments on your Part two comment). I had a friend who said to me in the first year of my heroin use, as I recounted pulling water from a train toilet to shoot-up with, 'Heroin addiction is characterized by a continual and bottomless lowering of standards.' And every time you think you've gone - or witnessed - the lowest, there's always something else just around the corner to remind you otherwise. Cheers Ludwig, thanks for reading and leaving comments.
Hello Matt - thanks for reading and leaving a comment - always appreciated. BUT.... Have you read part two? I deliberately didn't tell people this wasn't the end of the story....
DARKWE!
Yup. Quite unpleasant to write, the truth be told.
Fuck! Pure Darkness! I actually got a bit worried near the start as I also 'knew' a woman with that name, who had kids...
Thankfully, this ain't her. I'm not sure I could have just made the phone call, I would have had to rounded up a posey, with cutlery, and spent a few hours on that!
Another fantastic piece of writing, Sir. Big love!
Cheers John - thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Not an easy story to tell, so I guess not an easy one to read.
Didn’t expect that…It’s grim, it’s sad. I wish for him to be dead and his end to have been horrendous.
Perhaps the worst part of that life isn't the actual addiction, or the addicts, but the often more disturbing characters who like parasites leech from those already in very dire situations. I tried to make that point in the other piece, 'Reggae Reggae Sauce', but afterwards I thought the surreal and (sort of) humorous aspects blurred that message. This one, not so much.
We knew a lady a long time ago who had been sexually abused by her dad and brothers growing up., She had a young child and ended up on crack n smack in a den in London, put on the game by blacks, constantly raped and beaten up. The boy her son of about 7 was some times left with us as she went off in search of her fix and he used to sit on the stairs often crying, waiting for his mum knowing full well the danger she was in. That poor little lad had been through hell with her and it hurts me that some bastard decided that this sick act was a thing to do to those girls under the pretence of making money. I dont like the care system either as i also knew children growing up who had been in foster homes who had terrible times. Phenola which was the ladies name eventually had her child removed from her by services and i never heard from either of them again. We often wonder what happened to them and if we could have done more to help. Your story brought back bad memories, thats all. Enough to say, its well written Chris as always.
When I first got into Junk I watched as the quality of my life and associates rapidly plummeted. And very soon I was among a group of people who'd known little but trauma, loss, violence, abuse - the lot. And, being vulnerable and desperate they attracted people who would continue such things. That's what got me more than everything else, the absolute dysfunction of everything and the utter lack of available or realistic support. Yes, people make bad decisions, and you could argue they made their bed, they can lay in it. But many - most - had already been brought up in such hideous conditions they were already adjusted to dysfunction, you could say they were destined for it. Hospitals will treat people who've smoked or drunk all their lives. Hospitals will treat people who've got injured doing sports, etc. I'm not sure a healthy society should distinguish along such lines, but it undoubtedly does. I have to say, I've not met a single person who had a decent experience in care, quite the opposite, and I've met a fair few. I guess some exist, but I've only heard absolute horror. What an awful story you told too - most of which could be changed overnight through changes in the law. I think that's half the tragedy, most of this could so easily be avoided.
When I read the title I thought you'd been on the sauce 😜 Well written, descriptive language, shame about the little uns, unfortunate consequences 😔
Cheers Liz - thanks for reading. I had actually been on the sauce in Thailand - more than I've had in along while, oh lord it was heavy, Weirdly though, you don't feel it so much on holiday. But no, certainly not since I got back. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment, always appreciated.
I didn't think it would go there...it did. I hope Violent Freddy was well paid for a good job done. Despite the dark nature, love love love your stories. Finally got some reading glasses so I'll get round to finishing 7 spaz. See you in the comments.
Getting my glasses has been a godsend, mainly for the migraines (one of which I've had since I got them) but also being able to see. Glad you love love love them, oof. And always appreciate a comment.
So many tales of junk and it’s users sad and wide ranging levels of broken souls with stories to tell that will never be told, glad that one or two get recalled and shared no matter how dark each has merit and needs to be heard, met so many people with the lost lonely stare that don’t have the time left to tell them so I’m thankful that you do and are alive to weave them.
Kudos and gratitude to you Danger can’t wait for the book.
Thank you Rob, that means a lot. Had a couple of people unsubscribe already. Not surprising. I hovered my finger over the upload button for quite a while with this one, but who am I to decide? There's a world of pain out there, and although it walks among us, various institutions and other agencies prefer to keep it quiet - like a kind of communal politeness. Thanks for reading.
When it comes to raw stories of truth fictionalised or gonzo people either runaway or embrace them, it’s a shame people unsubscribe but then holding up a mirror to the daily darkness that a lot of people face will cause the chaff to be sorted from the wheat.
Compelling little story - that letter escalated quickly! Was that the actual wording or did you piece together what you could remember? Regardless, it was suitably disturbing - especially all the love, love, love stuff.
Thanks Jon. (Un)fortunately not, but the gist is certainly there, and the hideously cloying 'love love love' is something you're not allowed to forget if you wish to remain compassionate and somehow human.
Noooooo. This is brutal but ultimately hopefully a snippet of unadulterated vengeance / karma. Need to know what happened after that!! Brilliant writing, engaging as hell.
Hello Adam - I didn't want to say at the time as I didn't want people to know there's more to the story - but if you haven't seen - there is a part two.
Thank you Adam, but you're going to have to use your imagination. Unsure regarding the statute of limitations in this instance. Thanks for your kind words, always appreciated.
Mr. Dangerfield, please reveal that this is fiction.
All writing is fiction, especially the true stories.
Since few of this evil mindset continue on indefinitely, we might assume the story ends with a heart attack or stabbing in Wormwood Scrubs while serving a long sentence. That is the fantasy that redeems this horrific story.
Thanks for reading it Eric - have you read Part two? I deliberately didn't let it be known beforehand that there was more coming.
He didn't make it past Fredrick
Fuckin' 'ell, Chris - and there's me sharing it to Insta after the first paragraph 😅
Might be the darkest piece of yours I've read. Harrowing stuff.
There's a lesson there, Ciarán! As I said to MouseCat - there's some very dark people on the edges of addiction who will take whatever they can from vulnerable people.
Appalling, Fredriks are required
That's why I wrote this in two parts. Cheers, Linda.
No probs , keep em coming.
Cheers, Jambo. Will do.
Jesus thats unpleasent! Hopefully matt gets whats coming to him can't wait for pt 2
Cheers for reading and leaving a comment, Jambo. You know Part two is already up, right?
I will check it out when i get parked up tonight 👍
That sounded a bit demanding - I was just letting you know. it's pretty good though. Nice one, Jambo.
Not at all mate i'm just busy at wuk (cumbrian for work) thats all......well i've just read it and what a turn out! Please say there is a part 3 coming?
There is not, no. A few people have asked. But it's good to know people are investing in the characters, I find that the hardest thing to do in a short because you don't have a lot of time to give them a life, so to speak. Cheers, Jambo.
thanks for this tale from the dark side. I knew it was all going wrong when I read about her grey underwear. That letter was chilling though.
Cheers Mark - yes, grey knickers were a signal - have you read Part 2? I ask because it's very much worth it.
I haven't read part 2 yet. I'm still recovering from part 1
Ha! Understandable. Give yourself some time. But if the comments on part 2 are anything to go by, I am confident it will provide. What exactly, I can't say. Anyway, thanks again.
First piece of yours I've found geniunely uncomfortable to read but a brilliant and brave bit of writing nonetheless. I guess a lot of junkies lives can be circling the drain so it would be dishonest or wrong never to mention the times they couldn't sink any lower.
Well handled, Chris.
hello Ludwig - I just read your comments on Part two. So interesting now to see you commented here too. Damn uncomfortable to write as well (more about that in my comments on your Part two comment). I had a friend who said to me in the first year of my heroin use, as I recounted pulling water from a train toilet to shoot-up with, 'Heroin addiction is characterized by a continual and bottomless lowering of standards.' And every time you think you've gone - or witnessed - the lowest, there's always something else just around the corner to remind you otherwise. Cheers Ludwig, thanks for reading and leaving comments.
Murder should be legal and encouraged in certain cases. Holy hell.
Hello Matt - thanks for reading and leaving a comment - always appreciated. BUT.... Have you read part two? I deliberately didn't tell people this wasn't the end of the story....