Giving It Up

CHAPTER ONE

It was morning again. Lex hated the taste of last night's dick in her mouth. "Fuck! No toothpaste, she said out loud, as she gargled the warm beer by the side of the bed. "I would rather drink skunk piss from the bottom of a bottle than stale cock any day," Lex said to herself. Such class, for a high school dropout. Lex loved sex, sex and meth. She couldn't get enough from just one guy, or one high, she needed fulfilment. That was the thing about Lex, she was obsessed with fucking and chasing her first, flying high. The crystal meth kept her captive; a monster that gave her the greatest high and has kept her dirt low ever since. It took all her worries away and made her feel alive, but not before it showed its power over her, as the chemical gas choked her, taking her breath away. The high was perfect, the world around her changed; she wanted to fuck.

The high and the hunt for a hard cock brought her back to her adolescent years when she thought she was in control of her destiny. "All I need is a few clients and then I can score again for tonight," she thought. She would kiss that magic Dragon and forget how sharp its teeth were when she missed a vein and it bit down, deep into her muscle, tears of pain and pure ecstasy at once. Some nights she felt like she was living in a horror movie, others a classic romance, but her journey to this point had been too long to turn back, or turn away from its potential, tragic end. She had to just keep moving forward and forget about her past and concern herself with the moment; get high or get fucked. The decisions were simple; one paid for the other.

"Where is that fucking Fillmore that said he wanted my pussy again tonight?" Lex questioned herself. She started to itch in more ways than one. Coming down from her last high and wanting to be filled with cum and crystal, she picked up her cell to call Fillmore. "Hey Fill, why don't you stay true to your name and get over to my place and fill my holes with more of that big cock of yours," Lex said desperately. "Listen, Lex, I can't fuck you knowing that once we finish, all you are going to do is go straight to your dealer so you can get fixed up" Fill responded strongly. "I swear I won't, not this time. I need a good fucking, and I want you to come over" Lex said childishly, giggling. "You promise me, no using tonight and I'll be there as soon as I can get to an ATM." "Okay, I promise. Stick a needle in my eye" Lex joked. "Ha ha, very funny Lex, I'll be there soon" Fill replied.

Lex knew Fillmore from back in High school before she dropped out. They skipped class a few times to smoke weed and then one day a few years ago, after he graduated from University, feeling low and lonely, he went looking to pay for some pussy and came across her perfect, little, fluffy kitty cat down near the pier.

Fillmore was a poet, or at least that's what he thought of himself. He too had his addictions, afflictions and obsessions. He was a pot head, smoked weed almost every day since he was fifteen. Now at twenty-eight he had a drinking problem and was obsessed with his physical appearance, or at least how he looked. He had terrible O.C.D. Always kept an immaculate apartment, dressed well, hated hair on his clothing, and his weakness like Lex was sex. He would cum prematurely sometimes with new girls, but with Lex, he could last and climax with her.

They both had more than a dozen tattoos each, multiple piercing and hair styles that changed almost every month. They both wrote poetry and would share their fucked-up life stories with one another after they had sex, even if only for a few minutes when Lex had another client, or score lined up that Fill didn't know about. Lex and Fillmore had a lot in common and whether they knew it or not, it's what kept them alive for so long.

Fillmore was on his way over to Lex's apartment within the hour, but meanwhile, Lex found a small baggie of meth in her closet in one of the pockets of her skirt and decided that she would just get a little high, so that maybe Fill wouldn't notice. Sure enough, once Fill got to Lex's apartment and she answered the door, he could tell right away and turned away to leave. "Sorry, Lex, I can't do it, not like this. Call me whenever you sober up...fuck sakes" Fill said in disappointment. "I'm sorry Fill, I really am" Lex replied sadly. "I know Lex, but you know my rule" Fill said shaking his head as he walked away. "Yeah, sorry, really. I'll call you later, okay?" "Fine, sure, just don't be fucking high Lex" Fill said in the distance. Lex closed the door over and went straight to her bed and lay down with her arms and legs extended to her sides. "If only he knew," she thought to herself.

CHAPTER TWO

Living, or at the very least, trying to live in a world full of emptiness and regret, Lex found out that the things that kept her going were not just the obvious, but the small things that reminded her of her childhood. She used to play with her junior chemistry set when she was eleven and loved to watch the chemicals bubble and smoke in the small beakers. Her parents told her countless times to be careful, and she was not once done she spill a drop. The preparation to shoot up reminded her of those days, and she thought that maybe she may have had a chance in school, but then the rush came when she pushed the plunger on the syringe and none of that mattered anymore.

It was getting dark outside, and Lex was sobering up from her high earlier in the day. She grabbed the open bottle of red wine from her end table and swirled back a quick shot. "Fuck, that warms my pussy Mmm." She was ready to work, and for that, she needed a clean outfit. "I swear to whatever God or Gods that be, that if I don't hit the street before dusk then this pussy of mine will surely turn to dust." She laughed at her own thoughts and unintentional rhyme. "Hmmm must be the poet in me. Speaking of, I wonder what Fillmore is up to now" Lex pondered. Lex took her cell from her red leather and gold-link, strapped purse and dialled Fill. "Hey boy, what's up? I'm just about to change and pound these heels to the street unless of course, you want to hit the sheets?" Again with the poetry, she was on a roll. "Those fucking high heels are going to be the death of you girl, you know that?" Fill joked. "Oh, fuck off Fill. So what do you say, huh?" Lex asked. "Well, are you high? I'm in the middle of writing some pretty intense shit, so I'm gonna have to take a rain check for now" Fill replied. "No, I'm not! This time I really swear, I'm not and fiiiiine, looks like my pussy will be all alone until I find it someone to play with" Lex said in an innocent-sounding voice. "Well if this piece turns out right, then maybe I can stop by and we can have some fun, but until then I must bid you adieu, my dear," said Fill. "Such a poet, aren't you. Okay, talk to you soon Fillmore" Lex said as she ended the call.

Lex rummaged through her closet for the next half an hour trying to find something to wear when she heard a knock at the door. "Who the fuck is there?" she thought. She only let Fill come over to her place when they fucked and other than him, she didn't keep many friends that would just stop by. "It's Cordell, from FedEx, I have a package for you Miss..." Cordell said through the door. "Yeah, yeah, let me put some clothes on...Fuck!" Lex came to the door wearing a leopard print, noticeably see-through top with a black and yellow, leather mini skirt to Cordell's surprise. "Ummmm, can you sign here please?" said Cordell nervously. "I sure can hun, anything else you need me to do?" Lex said enticingly. "Uh, uh no, that's all, uhh, thanks, have a good day Miss," Cordell responded shyly. "Thanks, Cordell, I will soon enough." Lex basically gave the FedEx delivery guy a mild heart attack and a raging hard-on and thought to herself that the outfit seemed to work, so she kept it on and went back to her closet to find a pair of matching heels and whatever jewellery she felt suited.

Black high heels with gold spikes on the back and a few gold accessories and she were ready to start making up her face. "Fucking make-up uuuuggghh, pain in my cunt" Lex cursed to herself. Another twenty minutes and she was ready to prowl the streets. Her cell rang, it was Fillmore. "I thought you said you were writing" Lex answered. "I was, great minds finish fast," said Fill. "Suuuuure they do. So do...Oh fuck, hold on, I just got a package from FedEx and didn't even think to open it. I was in the middle of getting ready, think I gave the guy a boner" Lex laughed. "You probably did, knowing you Lex, okay" Fill replied. It was a bottle of some vodka from Russia she could hardly pronounce, from a client earlier in the week with a note containing contact information for that night. "Mother fucker!" Lex exclaimed. "What, what is it, Lex?" Fill said concerned. "A bottle of some expensive looking Russian vodka and a note from a client wanting to meet tonight." "Are you going to contact him?" "Depends, you drink vodka Fill?" "I absofuckinglutely do." Fill replied with interest. "Well how about you absofuckinglutely come over here and bring something to mix this shit with and let's have some fun, no charge this time, I'm in a great mood." "No shit?" Fill said surprised. "No shit, now hurry before I change my mind, and don't forget the mix."

CHAPTER THREE

The strange thing about Lex's addictions was that if she was wrapped up in one, she almost entirely forgot about the other. It had been most of the day that she wasn't high on the crystal or had a client and even though she wasn't much of a drinker, she thought it would be fun to have a friend over and let the night play its chorus. Fillmore got ready, walked down to the corner store, picked up a large bottle of Sprite, a bag of ice and a Kit-Kat bar. He remembered Lex used to love them when they used to smoke weed back in high school. He caught the closest bus and was a block from Lex's apartment within twenty minutes. He felt different, and so did she, waiting there for him, almost like a date.

Fillmore got off the bus and walked the rest of the way to Lex's apartment. Once he arrived, he walked up the steps, knocked on her door and waited, tapping his foot on the doorstep. He was a bit nervous, oddly enough. She opened up and smiled. "Wow, you look gorgeous Lex" Fill said with a smile. "Aww, thanks. The outfit kind of just came together" Lex said slightly blushing. "I like it, you look really fucking sexy" Fill responded honestly. "Well, what is it, gorgeous, or fucking sexy?" Lex inquired. "Shut up and take this" Fill said laughing. "So, I had a flash back to high school and picked up something for you at the store," Fill said, trying not to sound overly thoughtful. "Oh yeah, Haha. Holy fuck, a Kit-Kat. Didn't I use to eat every time we got high? Fuck! Surprised these things didn't turn me into a big fatty" Lex said with a big smile. "Don't kid yourself" Fill joked. "You!" Lex exclaimed. "Me what?" Fill asked, looking Lex in her eyes. "Get two glasses and fix me a drink...asshole" Lex replied.

Fillmore went into the kitchen and mixed them both a drink. Even he didn't know what kind of vodka it was, but Lex was right, it looked expensive. The bottle came in a black, latching case lined with red silk. "I wonder how much this shit cost?" Fill questioned. "Well he tipped me quite generously, and my going rate isn't cheap, so I'd say at least a few hundred." "Long live Russia!" Fill proclaimed. Fillmore always had a thing for Russian girls, and the way Lex had her long black hair and bangs done she sort of resembled one, especially in that black and gold outfit. They cheered glasses and took a drink, both coughing as they swallowed. "Jesus Christ, how many shots are in here Fill?" Lex inquired, still coughing. "Fuck! Just one" Fill replied, clearing his throat. Whatever it was, it was as strong as Mother Russia herself.

They chatted and reminisced, mixed a few more drinks and by the fourth, they both started to feel a bit strange. "Fill?" "Yeah, Lex." "Do you feel fucked up, like not normal fucked up?" "Yeah, and I can usually drink like a fucking fish." "I think maybe we should stop" Lex suggested. "You're right, this stuff is too intense, even for me. Crazy fucking Russians. God only knows what might be in this shit." "Where is that Kit-Kat bar Fill? Hey, did you by chance bring any weed? It'll be like old times." "It's out in the kitchen. I did, now that you mention it." "Well roll that shit up and throw me that bar." Fillmore went into the kitchen, grabbed the bar and literally just threw it towards the couch Lex was laying on. It surprisingly hit the top cushion and bounced off right onto her lap. Their conversation continued from between the kitchen and living room. "Nice throw Fill, you should try out for the Major's." "Huh, yeah, I know right." Fillmore had no idea the Kit-Kat bar landed right on her lap, it could have hit her right in the face for all he knew, he was more focused on getting the joint rolled. "So Fill...that first day you came to me on the pier, were you doing okay then if you don't mind my asking?" "To be honest Lex, I was pretty fucking low. I had recently graduated university, was working a dead-end job, hadn't been with a girl in like near a year since my last mess of a relationship and I just wanted to feel alive again." "I know the feeling all too well Fill. Sorry for poking at the past, you get that joint rolled?" "It's okay. Yeah. So should I just light up in here?" Fillmore walked back into the living room. "Fill, really, are you fucking kidding me?" Lex said dumbfounded. "Hey, this is some primo shit, this place is gonna stink for days." "I honestly couldn't give a fuck hun." "Alright, good enough for me." Fillmore sat back down on the couch, sparked up the joint, took a few hits and passed it to Lex. She coughed a bit but was fine after the first few hauls. They both got pretty high and mixed with that vodka, were feeling decently messed up, but the weed levelled them out a little from the liquor. "Fill, you are a God among men, you know that right?" Lex was eating her candy bar by this time and had chocolate on her upper lip and the corner of her mouth. "Yeah, I get that a lot," Fill said sarcastically. "Fuck you, you do," Lex said squinting her eyes and looking at him in disbelief. "Lex you got some..." Fill tried to say before Lex interrupted him. "Some what?" "Chocolate, on your..." "Where?" "Here, let me..." Fillmore leaned forward with his finger pointed out, wiped the chocolate away, but before he could lick it off his finger, Lex took his hand and moved it to her mouth and began to suck the chocolate off. Caught a little off guard, Fill looked at Lex and from the look in her eyes he knew what she wanted next.

They kissed at first, slowly began undressing one another on the couch. Off came Lex's leopard print top, then her leather skirt, and seeing as she wasn't wearing any underwear, that's basically all Fill had to contend with. "You really know how to get a girl to give it up, don't you Fill?" Lex remarked. "Once I'm finished with you, you'll be glad I did. Now turn around and let me fuck that tight ass of yours." "Mmm, you naughty boy, you." If there was a scientific scale to rate the quality of a girl's ass, Lex's would definitely be in the top ninety percentile. She had these tattoos that read "No Pain" on her left cheek and "No Gain" on the right. Needless to say, it was an open invitation to give it to her as hard as you could. "Mmmm Fill, fuck you get in there deep." Fillmore pulled all the way out and thrust his cock back in her ass as far as he could. Lex screamed with pleasure as she gripped the arm of the couch tightly. "Fuuuuuck, flip me over and fuck my pussy. Mmmm fuuucXXXr lips smoothly. "You like that Lex, you want me to teach that naughty pussy of yours a lesson?" "Uh huh, uh huh, yeah, yeah baby, teach it how to cum all over your cock." Fill started fucking Lex with her legs behind her head as she gripped underneath her thighs. "Yeees, yeeeesss, fuck me, fuck me Fill, harder, harder. Make me cum, mmmm, cum all over me baby, cover me with your hot fucking cum." "Oooh fuck, fuck, fuck yeeess, fuck, almost there, you ready?" "Yeah baby, mmmm, give it to me, give it to me now Fill." "Fuuuuuck, mmmm here it comes" "I'm gonna squirt, I'm gonna squirt, mmmm, pull out, pull out." Fillmore literally covered her in cum, it was everywhere, on her stomach, tits, neck, face, hair, couch. Lex squirt all over the couch too and partly on Fill. "Damn Fill, you sure know how to treat a woman." "Fuck, now that was a load and a half, you got any towels, Lex?" "Yeah, hallway closet." After they cleaned up and got dressed again it was close to dusk and Lex was still unsure about meeting up with the Russian.

CHAPTER FOUR

"What do you think Fill, should I hook up with this Russian tonight, or what?" Lex asked unsurely. "Well aside from that fucked up bottle of vodka he sent you, he treated you good, right? Wait, did you take him back here or did you go to a room somewhere?" Fill said slightly concerned. "Oh fuck, now that you mention it, we went to the hotel he was staying at. How the fuck did he get my address? What the fuck Fill?" Lex said shaken. "Don't look at me, fuck if I know." "Shit. Shit, shit, shit. What should I do?" Lex asked. "He's probably some diplomatic motherfucker. If they want information, they usually don't have any problems getting it. Just tell him you got the flu or something" Fill suggested. "Yeah, I suppose that would work, but what if he or someone sees me out on the street tonight, what then?" Lex was becoming a little uneasy. "I don't really have an answer for you Lex... sorry" Fill said at a loss of words. "Fuck it. I'll call him and just take the night off. You wore me out anyway Fill. A good dick and a joint are enough to wear out any girl. Now, where is that note with his contact?" "Do you remember his name, Lex"? "I will once I find that fucking note. Ahh, here it is. "Vadim". Why is it that all Russian names sound tough as fuck?" Lex wondered. "Beats me, Lex. Well, hey, I should get going. I got a meeting tomorrow morning with some guy from the newspaper about writing a short, creative column every week. Who knows, could be the break I've been looking for." "Can you stay for a bit Fill, just until I call Vadim? I don't want to be alone, at least until I know it's safe." Lex said in a heartfelt tone. "Yeah...yeah, sure...no problem, Lex." This wasn't the first time a client creeped her out. Lex was a real charmer. She knew how to dig deep into a man's heart, as well as his pockets, fake smiles and real tits. She gave off this friendly vibe that guys just felt made her different from the other girls on the street. Lex grabbed her cell from her purse and started to dial Vadim. "Hey Vadim, it's Lex. I really appreciate the fancy bottle of vodka. I just wanted to call you and thank you for the gift and let you know that I won't be working tonight. I haven't been feeling too well today. I hope this doesn't ruin your night." Lex said, trying to sound truthful. "Oh. That's too bad, maybe we can reschedule?" Vadim replied in a monotone voice. "Yeah, yeah sure. How about tomorrow? I should be feeling better by then." "That will be fine. Thank you for calling. I hope you enjoy the vodka" Vadim said even more monotone than his last response. "I will. Thanks. See you tomorrow, Vadim. Bye." "Bye, bye Lex." Now that Lex had bought herself some time from meeting with Vadim, she really didn't have a clue what to do next. "Hey Fill, that sounded fine, right?" "Yeah, I would have believed you." "Okay, cool, thanks. So what should we do now?" Lex wondered. "Well, if you are too sketched out to leave for the night, do you want me to run down to the video store and get a movie? We could just hang out for the night if you want?" Fill suggested. "Yeah, sure, I think I'd like that Fill. Get something scary, haha." "Cool, sounds good. Be back soon. Keep the door locked, okay Lex." "Yeah, good thinking. Fucking Russian spies and shit haha."

Fillmore got his jacket on and headed out from the apartment, down the street towards the video store. When he was about halfway there, he saw this big, broad looking Russian type guy in a black, leather jacket with slicked back blonde hair that just seemed to scream "Vadim" to him. He thought to himself "Fuck, is that really him, it can't be." He kept walking, not to draw any attention to himself and as they passed one another, in the near distance Fill could hear him talking on his cell phone and the only thing he could make out was "...he's gone, yeah." "This is way too fucked." Fill thought. Once he got far enough from who couldn't be anyone but Vadim, he called Lex. "Lex, don't ask any questions, just leave now out the back door, get on a bus and head to my place, now. This is serious, you're not safe." Fill said very direct. "What, Ummm, okay, okay Fill. Will you be there?" Lex said worriedly. "Soon enough, the back window should be open, climb in and lock it, I'll be there soon okay." "...okay," Lex said uneasily.

Chapter 5

Fillmore cut down a side street and double backed to Lex's apartment just to make sure he wasn't taking the whole situation and timing of who he thought to be Vadim out of context. You can never be too safe these days, if something seems suspicious, it more than likely is.

Fill crept through the back gate onto the walking path, leading to the front of the apartment where another gate led out to the sidewalk. He got down on his stomach and looked under the gate towards Lex's door. Sure enough, Vadim was knocking at the door and peering through the window. It had to be him, who else could it be? There was obviously no answer at the front door, so Vadim walked down the steps and turned towards the side gate where Fill was hiding. He got up from his stomach and ran down the path as quickly and quietly as he could and hid just outside the back gate, behind the fence. Fill looked through a small knot hole to see if Vadim was actually making his way to the back door, and sure enough, he came through the gate and turned towards the door. He looked through the side window, tried the door, but it was locked. He quickly looked around the yard, then turned back around and left through the gate. Fillmore knew right away that his behaviour was suspicious and didn't stick around to be caught spying on him. Fill kept to the back streets and got on the nearest bus back to his apartment. When he got off the bus, he was only a few minutes' walks away from home. He called Lex to see if she made it to his place safely. "Hey Lex, are you at my apartment?" "Yeah Fill, I'm scared, what's going on?" "I'm almost there, I'll tell you what happened as soon as I get inside." "Okay, hurry up," Lex replied with a tremor in her voice.

Fillmore arrived home shortly after his call with Lex. She was obviously shaken up. She was sitting in the corner of the couch with her knees tucked under her chin and her arms wrapped around her shins.

"What is going on Fill?" Lex said with concern. "Do you remember what Vadim looked like?" Fill asked in a direct and serious tone. "Yeah, sort of. He was a big guy, maybe 6'2, 230lbs. Had blonde hair all slicked black. I think he might have had a leather jacket on a chair in the hotel room. Why do you ask?" "FuXX! Okay, that was definitely him. When I was walking down the street to get the movie I saw him, and as I passed him, he was on his cell and I heard him say "Yeah, he's gone." I just got a weird feeling and took the side streets back to your apartment when I called you and sure enough, he was at your door. Then he came around back and was looking in the window and everything" Fill said in an elevated voice. "I don't know what to say Fill. I mean it sounds sketchy, but who knows what he wanted. You think he wanted to hurt me, or something?" "Maybe. That vodka was pretty fucked up and he was right near your place after you called him about not feeling well. I don't know, it all just seems so strange" Fill said, now confused. "I know, but we can't just hide out. I'm going to have to meet up with him tomorrow and make some money Fill. I don't have much of a choice. I know you hate it, but I haven't had any crystal since you last saw me, and I need some soon. All this shit is stressing me the fuck out" Lex said despairingly. "I know Lex, I'm sorry. Look, I know a guy, who goes by Crossman. I think it's his last name, anyway we met at the bus stop a month or so ago. He's a writer like me. We were just shooting the shit, and he asked me if I got high with the Dragon. I said no, he apologized for asking but said it was high quality for a good price and if I knew anybody who needed to score, to contact him. We had a few drinks not too long ago down at the pub and talked about the struggles of writing and getting published and all that shit, but he seems like a reliable dude. Maybe I could call him up and get you some, just to get through the night. What do you think Lex?" Fill said as he sat with his arm around Lex. "Well fuck me and colour me red Fill. You'd do that for me?" Fill hesitated his response for a second, but replied "Yeah, fuck it. I know how tough shit like that can be to kick and you're pretty upset. Anything I can do to help." Fill said with a half-smile. "When you call him, can you ask him to drop it off to us here? I don't want you to leave me Fill" Lex said still upset. "Sure...no problem." Fillmore reached in his pocket for his cell and called Crossman. "Hey Cross, it's Fillmore, what's up man?" "Oh hey Fill, just at home with my pen and my pipe, trying to fill up this fucking paper, haha. What about you?" "Me? Well, I'm looking for a favour from you. I got a friend with me and she's in need of some Dragon's breath and I can't leave my apartment. Is there any chance of you stopping by with some in the next hour or so, I can throw you a little extra cash for the trouble?" Fill asked. "You're a good guy Fill, I can do that for you, on one condition." "Name it" said Fill quickly. "You got to try some, just a hit. Believe me, man, if you write on this shit, there's no telling what intense shit you could write, especially with your talent" Crossman suggested. "I don't know man, you know I'm against it, shit, I'll think about it Cross," said Fill uneasily. "Okay, okay, no pressure man. I'll be over there in like an hour. Wait, where the fuck do you live haha?" "Just over on Bishop, apartment 30A." "Cool Fill, cool. See you soon."

Chapter 6

It was getting close to midnight. A thick fog rolled into the city. There was a full moon in the sky, a fire was blazing down the street and Crossman was on his way to Fillmore's apartment. It was the start of Devil's Night, and there was already the scent of fear in the air.

Crossman had arrived out front of Fillmore's apartment not long after their phone conversation and was on his way up the steps. He rang Fillmore's buzzer and Fill's voice soon came through the security door speaker. "Who is it?" Fill's voice crackled. "It's Cross, man. Let me in." Fill buzzed him in. Once Crossman was inside, he unzipped the backpack he was carrying and showed both Fill and Lex his product. "So this is your friend eh Fill, are you going to introduce me?" Cross blurted. "Yeah, yeah sorry. Lex this is Crossman. Crossman, Lex" Fill said slightly annoyed. "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance Lex," Crossman said in a gentleman like manner. "Likewise, Crossman," Lex said proper. "Call me Cross" Crossman insisted. "Okay...Cross" Lex replied looking at Fill and smirking. "Now, this shit right here is straight-up, legit Dragon's breath, as Fill likes to call it. Chokes you up pretty fucking good, but once you get your breath back, oh man, the high is on some other level shit!" Cross said confidently. "So how much is it a gram Cross?" Fillmore asked. "I sell it for a hundred because of the purity, but if you want to try a small bit out, I'd do eighty for the gram, just because it's your first time Fill." "I don't know man, shit. I don't know...Lex?" "It's your call hun, I know you are against it, but with all this fucked up shit going on, maybe it'll help you clear your head," Lex said softly. "Alright, fuck it, let's do it. I've done everything else. What's one more to add to the list? Do you have a clean rig, or whatever the fuck you call the syringe Cross?" Fill said nervously. "Yeah Fill got a few in my pack here," Cross responded like it was a common request. "Lex, can you find a vein for me? I don't want to fuck it up and stick my muscle. I heard it burns like fucking Hell." Fill said with concern. "Yeah, okay Fill. You sure you want to do this?" asked Lex. "Don't let me think about it Lex, shit, let's just do it!" Lex cooked up the crystal in a small glass Crossman handed her from his backpack, added a ball of cotton to soak up the bubbling liquid, and sucked it up with the syringe. Then as carefully as she could, she shot Fill up for the first time in his life, as his blood was pushed up into the clear tube of the syringe, mixed with the methamphetamine and back down into his vein. He immediately lost his breath, his eyes watered, he coughed hard, and his ears rang loudly. He felt as if he was going to puke right over Lex. For a few seconds, he was almost paralyzed, then the high hit him and he felt released as he opened his watery eyes; released from every fear he had floating inside his head. He felt a sense of freedom, an escape from the restraints of reality. Now Fill and the Dragon were properly acquainted.

"Fuck that was intense. I feel like the whole world has changed like everything is new. This shit is crazy Cross. So, this is what you feel Lex, God damn!" Fillmore had never felt so renewed in his life; he was born again. Lex and Cross did up their own hits and were right there with him, in a new and brighter world, even if it was covered in darkness, fog, and fire.

CHAPTER SEVEN

As it started to rain, the droplets running down the outside of the windowpane of Fillmore's apartment looked like falling stars to him. He pulled the blinds up higher and gazed out towards the dimly lit street.

"Do you guys see this? All these fucking stars hitting the street. It's amazing. Should I make a wish or something?" Fill said excitedly. "Do whatever you wish Fill" Lex replied. "Wish. Yeah, wish." Fillmore thought to himself for a minute and wished that his writing would finally pay off, that he would get the break he'd been waiting all these years for. "I feel like writing. You were right Cross. Shit! I need some paper and a pen." Fill walked over to his desk, sat down and began frantically writing. Cross and Lex were just on the couch getting further acquainted, Cross talking about his writing and crystal connections and Lex about her line of work. Twenty minutes had gone by, and Fillmore sat up abruptly from his chair, which went rolling across the room. "Listen up...So here's what I got!" Lex and Cross stopped their conversation and paid attention to Fillmore in his high stroke of genius :

"I just kissed that deadly Dragon

lips of fire soaring through my flesh,

No longer do I have to wake up

in fear of its' burning breath.

Its' bite has pierced my armour

injecting poison from its' hypodermic fangs deep into my vein,

No, I did not tear my arm away,

because I just was not afraid

to fly for the first time in the rain."

"So what do you guys think?" Fill asked. "Damn Fill, that's fucking deep man. Real deep!" Cross replied. "Yeah Fill, fuck!" Lex added. "Thanks, guys. So what should we do about this whole Vadim thing, Lex?" "Vadim?" Cross interjected. "Uuuhh, Lex?" "Just some client Fill thinks is trying to track me down to hurt me, or something, we're really not sure. I do not know what to think anymore." "Well shit, I got your problem solver right here." Crossman reached over to his backpack and pulled out a 9mm pistol. He cocked back the slide to show that it was real and loaded. "Fuck Cross, put that fucking thing away. We're not going to kill him!" Fill said uneasily. "Hey man, just being prepared is all. You can never be too careful in this fucked up city. There's been a lot of girls going missing you know" Cross responded apologetically. "Yeah, I guess you got a point, but still, no fucking guns man." "Okay, no worries, chill Fill, chill." Crossman put the gun back in his pack and they all sat there in silence for a minute, listening to the rain hit the windows.

They were all still high, especially Fillmore. Lex and Cross were more absorbed into their state of mind, where Fill was in awe of the change in his senses. "Hey, so...what should we all do? What the fuck do you do on meth?" Fillmore asked. "Shit man, whatever the fuck feels right" Cross answered. "Mmmm, I know what would feel right" Lex replied, winking at both Fill and Cross. "No way Lex, no fucking way" Fill blurted. "What Fill? Hey, I'm down with it if you are" Cross replied. "Fuck no, no fucking way in Hell, even if I am high. Fuck no." "Pffft, lame," said Cross. "Worth a try" Lex replied. "Let's go out for a few drinks, what do you guys say? I'll call us a cab" said Fill. "What if we bump into Vadim?" Lex said uneasily. "Fuck Vadim. We got Cross here for backup. You cool with that Cross?" Fill asked. "Yeah man, I got your guys backs" Cross replied. "Alright cool, so where should we go?" Fill asked. "How about The Pigeon Coop? They got cheap drinks and it's a pretty chill spot" suggested Cross. "Yeah, I heard about that place, sure, fuck it. What do you think Lex?" said Fill. "Don't matter to me boys" Lex said somewhat uninterested. "Alright, I'll call us a cab." Fill was passing his meth test with flying colours. He wasn't freaking out, he wasn't paranoid, he was ready for whatever came his way; Vadim, or no Vadim, Fill was alive more than ever.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The cab driver arrived in front of Fillmore's apartment within fifteen minutes and honked his horn to let them know he was waiting. "Fuck I hate cabbies" Fill blurted. "Why don't I just drive us there Fill? I may be high, but I'm one hell of a driver. Sober, or not" said Crossman. "He's out there waiting though" Fill replied. "I got this boy" Lex interrupted. She sat up from the couch, walked to the door, opened it and yelled to the cabbie "Hey, hey buddy, we don't need you anymore. Sorry for the inconvenience, hope this makes up for it." She flashed her tits to the cab driver and he yelled back from his cab "Yeah, yeah that makes the trip over here worth it, you enjoy your night lady." Lex closed the door and went back inside. "Did you just flash your tits to the guy?" asked Fill. "Yeah, nothing worse than a pissed off cab driver who missed out on a fare" said Lex. "Yeah, I guess you got a point there" said Fill laughing. "Well let's blow this joint and hit up The Coop. Can't believe I just missed that" said Cross disappointed. They got their shoes and jackets on and Lex walked out the door behind them laughing to herself.

They got into Crossman's car and drove downtown to The Pigeon Coop. Before they did the renovations to the building, pigeons would always nest up in the eaves of the roof, so the new owner decided to call it "The Pigeon Coop" as a reminder of the birds' home he took away, but also as a way to invite customers in to show it was a relaxed place to hang out. It was a three-level bar. The lower level was the pub, and the second level was the dance bar and the third for private V.I.P functions. It drew in a decent crowd on the weekends, and since it was the beginning of Devil's night on a Friday it was pretty packed upstairs.

Cross got them all there safely, parked his car and they waited in line for a few minutes before they got ID'd to get in. Fillmore was twenty-eight, Lex was twenty-five, and Crossman was pushing thirty, so it wasn't an issue as far as age, but Cross had his gun on him, just in case shit went down involving Vadim. Luckily the bouncer didn't pat down the small of his back where he had his gun tucked behind his belt.

Once they got passed the door, they sat down at one of the empty booths at the back of the pub. "I'm fucking starving, you guys getting any grub?" Lex asked. "I may get an order of hot wings, what about you Cross?" Fill inquired. "Shit man, I can never eat when I'm high, fucked up right?" "Sure, whatever. Let's get some drinks, excuse me, waitress." Fill tried to get one of the waitresses' attention. "Hey hun, be with you in a minute, okay." "Yeah sure, thanks" Fill responded. He thought to himself as he read her name tag "Mary Jane, eh. Fuck, those damn red heads. Wonder if she smokes weed with a name like that?" "I see the way you were looking at her Fill, you sure do have a thing for red heads don't you?" Lex asked, interrupting Fill's thoughts. "Huh, haha. Not gonna lie, I sure fucking do!" Fill piped back. "I wasn't going to say anything, but she sure is a looker. You may have a shot if you play it cool, Fill." Cross suggested. "I don't know man, I'm still fairly fucked up. If I want another girl in my life, it's going to happen sober. Rightw minu now though, with the way things are, it's going to be tough to give any of it up" Fill replied in a reflective tone.

Mary Jane came back to the table within a fetes to take their orders. "Hey guys, so what can I get for you, any food, or drinks tonight?" Mary Jane asked the group. "Ladies first" replied Fillmore. "Such a gentleman haha. I'll get an order of fish and chips, with a bottle of Heineken, thanks" said Lex. "I'm going to go with an order of a dozen Killer Coop, hot wings and a Heineken as well, please" Fill said as soberly as he could. "Well, when in Germany. I'll get a Heineken as well, Mary Jane, thank you" Cross said politely. "Thanks, be right back with your drinks" Mary Jane replied. She left the table and walked over to the bar to process their orders. "I heard those wings are pretty intense Fill, you sure you can handle them?" Cross asked. "Dude, really? I've had fourteen Dawn of The Dead wings in an hour before and owned that eating challenge. These will be child's play compared to those" Fill said in confidence. "Alright man, whatever you say. Hope you plan on ordering a few more beer when they get to the table" Cross warned. "I smell a bet, Cross. Twenty bucks says I eat them all" Fill replied. "You're on!" Cross responded. Mary Jane was on her way back to the table with their drinks by this time. "Here's your beers, anything else I can get you guys before your orders are up?" Mary Jane asked. Fill looked at Lex and Cross, they both shook their heads. "No, I think we're fine, thanks" Fill replied, smiling. As Mary Jane walked away, Fill glanced over his shoulder to get a look at her ass. Not as nice as Lex's, but nice none the less. "Uuuuggghh, men!" Lex blurted. "Hey, come on Lex. You have a better ass than her anyway. It's not a crime to look" Fill replied in defence. "You think so Fill? It's the tattoos isn't it?" Lex asked. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I'll never tell" Fill said in a sly voice. Lex took a look around the bar to see if there was anyone she knew and as her eyes scanned by the front door, she saw Vadim walking in. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! He's fucking here. Vadim is fucking here!" Lex said in a quiet, yet alarming voice. "What, where?" Fill asked. "Coming in through the fucking front door" Lex answered. "Shit, uhhhh. Let's slowly get out of the booth, head towards the stairs and lose him up on the second floor. We can come back down around the other set of stairs once we know he's come up and slip out the side door towards the alley" Cross suggested. "Yeah, that sounds good. Let's go!" Fill said sternly.

CHAPTER NINE

They headed towards the staircase; Vadim caught a glimpse of Lex as he walked into the pub. He followed towards them. The dance floor upstairs was packed. It was hard to brush past everyone towards the other set of stairs for Fill, Lex and Cross.

"IS HE COMING? FUCK, I DON'T SEE HIM" Fill shouted over the music. They pushed through the crowd, Lex tripped over one of the dancers' feet and twisted her ankle. Fillmore grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back up to her feet, putting her arm around his shoulder to help her get through the crowd. "THERE HE IS, AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS!" yelled Cross. They pushed further through the sea of dancers, finally making it towards the other staircase. Vadim saw them go down the stairs, so he ran back down the set he came up. "Quick, out the side exit towards the alley!" Cross exclaimed. They got outside, it was still raining, the fog was thick in the alley, and the lights were dim. Cross ran ahead to reach his car so they could get away, as Fill was assisting Lex try to run as quick as she could with her ankle in pain. Suddenly Vadim burst through the door with a gun drawn. Fill turned around with a look of fear on his face. "LEX! It didn't have to end this way for you. You've been a bad girl, just like the others" Vadim said in a cold voice. "What the fuck man, just leave us alone, we didn't do anything to you!" Fill yelled. Fillmore stood in front of Lex to protect her, as Vadim pointed his gun at them. ...BAAANG, BAAANG!

Fill gets hit in the left shoulder with Vadim's first shot as the second bullet of the two quick shots grazes Lex's bicep. They both fall to the ground together, Fill covering Lex to further protect her. Cross then pulls into the alley driving his car with his gun drawn out the window. He aims steadily and catches Vadim directly in the neck. Vadim gurgles blood for breath, holding his neck tightly, stumbling to his knees. "FUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" yells Fill. "CALL FUCKING 911!" he says hysterically. "Stay down Lex, are you okay?" Fill said with pain and concern in his voice. "I...I think so, yeah, the bullet just barely hit my arm, you saved my life Fill" Lex said crying as she lay underneath Fill. Cross gets out of his car and runs over to Fill and Lex. They were okay for now, but Fill was losing a lot of blood. Cross calls 911 and tells the dispatcher that there's been a shooting at The Pigeon Coop and his friends have been shot. He hangs up and walks over to Vadim who is holding his neck tightly, trying to stop the bleeding. He can't reach for his gun he dropped when Cross shot him. "So, you're the big, bad Russian everyone has been talking about on the street. You fucking piece of shit!" Cross says, as he kicks Vadim in his crotch as hard as he can. Vadim coughs up more blood and falls to his side on the wet pavement, still a clenching his neck as the blood squirts between his fingers. "Don't think I haven't heard about you. My sister was your first, wasn't she? Wasn't she!? Two years ago, found in an alley dumpster just like this one." Cross kicks the dumpster hard, as the loud bang echoes through the alley. "Her blood/alcohol level was through the roof. The Doctors didn't know where that strong of liquor could have come from, especially in a small town like this. She was beaten to death, had these weird bruise marks all over her. The Doctors said it looked like two weapons with a star above them, from a ring maybe! They didn't have a fucking clue, neither did the cops, like they gave a fuck about another dead hooker, but I did, oohh I did! Once I heard Lex and Fill talking about you, I knew, but I had to see you with my own eyes. Now let's see that ring of yours!" Cross said in an enraged voice. He knelt down and broke Vadim's finger as he pulled the ring off. "A hammer and sickle with a star. Looks like we have a match...Long live Mother Russia, right!?" Cross said with a strange smile. Looking up to the sky Cross said to himself "Now you can rest in peace little Sis" as he crossed his chest in prayer and put on Vadim's ring to deliver the final killing blow. Suddenly the sky opened up, the thunder cracked and a bolt of lightening struck Vadim, taking what little life he had left in him. "Your right Sis, you deserved that much. I love you!" Cross said dropping to his knees in tears with his hands to his face.

CHAPTER TEN

Who knows if the bolt of lightning was a direct link to Cross's sister, all that mattered was that a terrible man, who did terrible things to women, was dead?

When the paramedics arrived, Fill was unconscious; he lost a lot of blood. Lex was holding him to her chest, as she managed to drag him to the wall and sat under the eve of the building to try and keep dry. The clock in the church across the street chimed midnight. It was Halloween. Fill's life began to flash before him in his unconscious state. His complicated birth: his umbilical cord knotted, wrapped around his neck and knotted again. So much to fight before he even had a chance to live, but he persevered. He was a happy baby, always smiling, full of life. He grew up healthy and attended elementary school, but was bullied for the first few years, then met a lot of friends who protected him. He entered into junior high and experimented with drugs and alcohol, lost his virginity in high school, and spent five years in university trying to find his calling. He dedicated his life to writing. Was honored with a Medal of Bravery. He lost friends and family through the years, contemplated his own death several times, but knew deep down he was meant to live for something greater.

Fillmore slowly came to as the paramedics were performing C.P.R. They got him safely secured to the stretcher and hooked up an I.V as they wheeled him into the ambulance. Lex was brought into the ambulance with him and was being treated for her gunshot wound. Cross however, was hand cuffed and taken by the police for questioning. "It's going to be okay Fill, you just hang in there, you hear me?" Lex said to Fill whispering in his ear. "I know Lex, I know. Hey...you still look sexy." Fill said in a low voice, trying to smile. "Even half dead, you still know how to cheer me up Fill" Lex said smiling over him. She was crying and laughing at the same time. "Don't you fucking die on me Fill, not now. I need you...I... I love you" Lex said in a moment of realization. "I... love you too...Lex" Fill said with the last ounce of strength he had left in him as he passed out again.

The police were on their way to the station with Crossman and as they arrived and processed him in, he was locked in a cell until a court appointed lawyer was assigned to his case. Meanwhile both Fill and Lex were taken to the local hospital. Fill was rushed to the E.R for surgery while Lex had been administered pain killers and had her wound stitched. She was given a room, but didn't want to rest, she wanted to be with Fillmore.