Transcender

“John, please.” The tired looking man said before finishing the last drop of his of fine Belgium beer still maintaining eye contact through the bottom of the distorted pint glass. Once he savoured his last drop and the bubbles settled he placed the glass down on the mat and John was less than pleased.

“No I’m not doing it again. Ever.” His arms had been crossed the whole time no amount of his favourite cold beverage in his local pub was going to sway him. Officer Gary Dale was the wind trying to move the mountain so it seemed. He was several pints in more than John and his bargaining had become more like pleading than anything.

John Dower’s body only tightened the more Officer Dale probed it was a somewhat pathetic display, seeing his old colleague and friend for that matter look so at a loss.

“Gary, listen, I did everything for that department, I stuck that shit in my arm every time they needed me to, and I was good, I was damn good, I got our guys.” Between every syllable his pointer finger thumped the wooden table and his eyebrows were almost touching his hairline.

“But look at me now? Ten years of service and when the addiction took over, they threw me out, the bastards dealt it to me then tossed me out like a common junkie, so forgive my reluctance to help them.” He sat back into the chesterfield and the leather moaned under his body. He broke his intense eye contact and watched the drunken antics at the bar.

“I know John, but please, I can’t sleep, you should’ve seen her, if you saw you’d understand, come with me Monday and see for yourself, I need you to transcend again just one more time, please.” He picked up his pint and tried to salvage another small drop to wet his vocal chords, his pleas did not come out easily.

“Oh Gary come off the ‘Transcending’ bollocks, you want me to get high and chase the dragon again, forget that made-up job title nonsense they gave me, I was a professional junkie for them, ‘Transcender?’ please! I got high, I got lucky, and that’s all.” John scrambled for his hat and jacket he had heard enough.

John stood almost knocking over the empty glasses (most of them Gary’s) before he could make it passed Gary’s hand grabbed him and his grip was tight as if it was a matter of life and death.

“John, please, you weren’t just lucky, you’re special you have an ability, one that can save lives. I spoke with the department they have this synthesised methadone it’s not as addictive and we can give you after care, we can see you through it.” His eyes were bloodshot and welled with tears he could carry the bags under his eyes as hand luggage.

John sighed he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach, one he had felt before and he didn’t like it.

“Fine, but only this once, may I remind you for the last four years I was with department it stopped working so I’m not making any promises you hear me, this is it then I’m done.” He couldn’t look at Gary any longer he knew what he was getting into and it wasn’t going to be nice.

“Thank you, thank you John!” Gary cried with a smile.

“The address is forty-five Knox Hill Road. I’ll meet you there seven-forty five AM with the synthetic methadone all cleared with the boss.” The words that were once like cinderblocks on his tongue now floated away like leaves in the breeze.

“No. Bring the heroin. I’ll bring the rest.” He turned and made for the exit not looking back.

“THANKS JOHN! You’re a real pal!” he raised his empty pint as cheers but he had gone.

Gary celebrated by finishing John’s half drank pint.

Seven Forty-Five on the dot John arrived at the house on Knox Hill Road, there was a small group of officers waiting outside speaking with Gary Dale. The house was small and run down the front garden looked like a discarded project and the inside was no different, thread-bare carpet, stained walls and a small pile of discarded kids toys all visible just from the front door.

“Why are they here Gary? I thought it was just going to be us.” He snarled.

“You know John, they heard about you being put on the case I couldn’t turn them away, they insisted.” He put his arm around John’s shoulder and guided him into the tiny box kitchen away from the other officers the halogen light flickered and the unwashed dishes on the side stank of putrid rot, years on the job made their noses strong.

“John, don’t worry about the guys they’ve changed they’re happy to see you, they just want to help.”

“Help? Gary you get dumber by the year those officers are worse than school girls, they have come here to gossip.” He scowled so hard he looked liked he was chewing a wasp he swallowed his rage, the sheer naivety on display made him want to slap him.

“Lets just get this over and done with.” John said quietly.

“John, I just want to warn you, it isn’t pretty up there.”

“When has it ever been pretty?” he retorted.

“The body has gone, it a bloody mess John, the person we’re looking for flayed her like a butcher, we’ve got no leads the fucker was in and out like a ghost that’s why we need you to transcend.” He ushered him out the kitchen to the living room door that was closed the group of officers followed behind sheepishly.

“Just let me do what I do.” John said.

He opened the door and Gary had not been exaggerating. On first glance the room looked as though it was painted red and it was but with blood, as though some viscous predator had been let loose on the poor girl. The room had a sickly smell of iron from the dried blood.

Gary pointed to the corner. “She was found over there if that helps.” He shrugged.

“I told the boss not to get the clean up team until we asked you, try and keep it as untouched as possible.”

“Gary that is the smartest thing you’ve said to me in a long time.” He didn’t look at him he was still in horror over the gory sight that bestowed him.

“Give me the heroin.” he held his hand out and Gary handed it to him somewhat discreetly. John rolled his eyes.

“Its not exactly a secret Gary why do you think they’re all here, I’m the ‘Transcender’ you know.”

John walked into the carnage and sat on the blood-splattered couch he took a small tin box out his inside pocket and opened it, there was a burnt sliver spoon some rope and a syringe. He took a deep breath and wrapped the rope around his upper arm he looked behind him to the door way and the officers were already making fun of him miming the syringe going into his arm.

“Gary, you want me to do this? Well get them the hell out of here…I’m trying to work.” he threw his words towards them and they noticed they had been caught.

“Alright fellas enough get outta here you heard the man, he’s putting his ass on the line for us, show a bit of respect.” He walked them out the house and back to the car.

“And you Gary, come back in an hour, no disruptions” John said. “Oh of course, hey John, good luck pal.” He put his thumb up to him and went to the car with the rest of them.

John was alone in that place of desecration and he took out the old spoon and placed the white powdery devil on it. He heated it with the flame of a lighter and waited for it to melt, the stench reached his nose and he felt its destructive nature placing its spindly hands around his soul. He absorbed the liquid into the syringe and pierced the needle into his arm as he pulled on the rope with his teeth. The familiar sting was not a welcoming sensation but as he pushed it into his bloodstream the bargain with the white devil was signed, his chomp on the rope loosened and he began his trip; he began to Transcend.

The room became blurry and his consciousness began to drift, he was falling between realties science had yet to explain. He awoke hunched forward then he moved his head back into the sofa and saw it.

A great white shark floating in the room inches from the ceiling. John looked upon it in awe, it was at least fourteen foot long, and it was beautiful but equally terrifying. It swam in permanent still motion he stood up slowly and gawked at its sheer powerful stature, a perfect killing machine.

He reached out and touched its white underbelly and it reacted suddenly, swimming out the living room like a bullet crashing through the house and completing a whole circuit until its jaws consumed John. Its black gaping mouth engulfed him completely and he was lost in a sea of blackness. He was completely alone it was his nightmare alone out to sea in the dark just floating. The trip was so real he began to hyperventilate and drop beneath the black waves gasping for air. Then as though someone had flicked a switch the water illuminated and he was in a swimming pool. He felt a rough sandpaper brush past him, it was the shark scouting around the pool; it was his irrational fear as a child being played out. He studied it as it cut through the water and he noticed a necklace shining in its teeth. It came up close and he got a better glance at it, it was a golden teddy bear pendant with tiny ruby eyes it stared into his soul as cold as the great white itself. He found himself running out of air and his muscles started to spasm the shark locked onto him and powered towards him teeth first and the gaping jaws engulfed him once more.

John awoke in a sweaty panic wet as though he had just left the ocean. He paused to catch his breath and reacquainted himself with reality. He sat quietly reflecting on what he could salvage from his trip and if he still had the ability to turn his hallucinations into clues.

An hour and a half had passed and Gary sheepishly poked his head through the door.

“John? Any luck buddy?” he smiled half-heartedly.

“I saw a shark, a great white shark…”

“You saying she was eaten by a shark then brought here?” Gary said confused.

“No, of course not, it’s cryptic.” John said. He was so tired and still coming down from the trip.

“I was alone, alone in the water with the shark, what does it mean?” he pondered.

“Don’t ask me, you’re the brains John.” They finally both agreed on something.

“I felt so alone in that black sea, I was so scared, just me alone with that shark, so, so alone and scared, alone with the shark.” He muttered.

“Alone. Shark.” He sat and repeated.

“Alone, Shark, alone, shark…A Loan Shark!” his heart skipped and he stood and grabbed Gary and used his body as support.

“Gary, that’s it, ‘a loan shark!’ someone lent her money and that’s who killed her, check her bank statements see if there is anything unusual the past two years or so. There was a necklace too! He took her necklace it’s a golden teddy bear pendant with little ruby eyes he has it! The loan shark has it, find that and we got our guy!”

“John, you’ve done it again.” Gary said smiling.