Happy Hour, Part 9

HAPPY HOUR
===========
By Blackbladder

PART NINE - TRUTH BE TOLD

Pamela paused in the darkness as she looked back towards the light
originating from the gaps in the Storeroom door.  She could faintly hear the
customers in the bar clapping, as well as the doors swinging freely.  As the
round of applause simmered, Pamela marginally opened the door to help her
find a source of light in the darkened room.  The door was gradually opened,
and the light illuminated around her.  Enough light was exposed to reveal a
power switch next to her on the wall.  With an instant flick, lights all
around her buzzed and flickered to life.  Pamela closed the Storeroom door
and observed her latest surroundings.  She found herself standing at the top
of a staircase which seemed to lead to the Cellar of the building.  Pamela
looked over the black bannister down upon the room below.  Resting her hand
on the bannister railing, she could feel its dampness and a small breeze blow
from the foot of the staircase.  Pamela tred carefully down the one-flight
staircase, her heartbeat racing with tension.  As Pamela reached the bottom
of the staircase, she made more observations.  A shiver ran down her spine as
she could hear a breeze blow through from a gap in a darkened corner of the
cellar.  She saw large shelves occupy the two main walls of the chamber she
stood in.  A large table sat as the centerpiece of the cellar, as well as at
the far corner of the room stood erect four large beer barrels.  Cables and
pipes stuck out from sections in the barrels.  Following the pipes, they
extended up the walls of the cellar and extended up beyond holes in the
cellar ceiling.  Pamela assumed they extended directly into the bar counter
itself as she could also faintly hear each footstep from the customers above.
Pamela also noticed a large metallic freezer box that sit in the remaining
corner of the cellar.

Hopefully, there will be the evidence I need here, Pamela thought as she
withdrew her mobile phone from her jacket pocket.  The plan had been to
capture incriminating photos with her camera phone, and send them as
attachments to Eleanor.  Eleanor was a friend of the family, who worked in
the police force.  Pamela reasoned that any evidence submitted to the law
enforcement could help stop Monique and her corrupting operations.   

With the phone, she began taking pictures of the cellar as she began her
detailed search of the facilities.

Pamela walked over and removed a wine bottle from the shelf.

Looks fairly normal, Pamela thought as she inspected the cork, using the
light from the overhanging ceiling light.  Pamela noticed a pinhole dug into
the cork, with the surface damp from a residue residing around the hole.  

Monique can't surely be serving this to customers? Pamela suggested to
herself as she placed the bottle back onto the shelf.  Pamela removed another
wine bottle and inspected the container in the same fashion.  She noticed a
similar pinhole in the other wine bottle as she rubbed her thumb pad over the
cork.  As she returned the wine bottle to the shelf, she examined the sticky
residue on her thumb pad in the light.  She noticed her thumb pad was blue
and raised it to her nostrils.  Sniffing the residue, her nose wrinkled from
irritation as the smell from such a tiny amount was noxious.  

A conspiracy began to form in her mind as she soon discovered that all the
wine bottles seemed to have the same pinhole in the cork.  Was Monique
drugging her customers?  The theories continue to build in her mind, but she
was positive that this discovery was evidence of malicious behaviour on
Monique's part.  

Pamela used her camera phone to take another picture of the residue on her
thumb, as well as remove several of the suspicious wine bottles and placed
them on the table with the light burning above.  Pamela took further pictures
from the wine bottles with the pinhole being the center of the attention.  

As Pamela returned the bottles to the wine stack, she wondered purposefully
over towards the freezer box with confidence from her discoveries so far.  

Before Pamela had the chance to open the lid of the freezer box, she was
startled to hear the cellar door at the top of the staircase burst open.
Pamela's heartbeat raced with fear as she ran and hid in a darkened corner of
the cellar.  She crouched behind a tank in the dark alcove.  As she leaned
back against the wall, she could feel air rush from a gap at her feet.
Pamela heard voices emerged as footsteps pounded the steps of the staircase
descending towards the cellar floor.  With the alcove plunged into darkness,
she prayed that she could avoid being discovered.  In the darkness, she
noticed Monique, the bar owner, and her next door neighbour worker, Carrie
walk into the ceiling light, unaware of the intruder watching on.  They were
chatting freely and laughing as Monique removed a pack of cigarettes from her
pocket and offered Carrie a cigarette.  Carrie accepted the cigarette
gratefully and stuck the cylinder between her lips.  Monique smiled as she
placed a cigarette of her own between her lips and flicked her lighter to
life.  Carrie stuck the tip of her cigarette into the flame and sucked
deeply.  Smoke began to ascend from the glowing tip as Carrie inhaled, tilted
her head back, and sucked the nicotine deep into her lungs.  Monique lit up
her own cigarette with similar vigour as Carrie let out a reluctant exhale
overhead. 

"I needed that!  I can't imagine how I survived without cigarettes before
this week..." Carrie said dreamily.

"Don't you ever think about why you have taken to smoking lately?  What does
your family think about it?." Monique replied as she exhaled towards her
assistant.  

They both sat on the table and continued to smoke their cigarettes.

"I don't know...but I don't care anymore.  Until I met you, I hated people
who smoked, and looked down on them as fools. I'd never tried a cigarette
before I came here." Carrie said as she examined her thirteenth cigarette of
the day.  

"What was the reaction from your parents?" Monique said as she tapped her
cigarette against the wooden table as the ash fell to the floor.  

"It was thanks to my parents for the career I was studying for.  I wanted to
study medicine so I could maybe discover a cure that eradicates the addictive
properties in cigarettes so sufferers like my parents could be treated into
giving up the habit. They were actually quite glad, as I had been on their
backs for a long time.  They have both smoked since they were teenagers so
they weren't goin to give me shit about doing it myself.  I suppose the
smoking has actually strengthened the bond with my folks as we can now all
smoke together after dinner.  I've only said I'll quit if I they do - but I
know they won't ever quit smoking.  Before working here, I was distraught
that they had never tried to quit before - but now I am over the moon that
they want to keep smoking."

"And how's the reaction from your friends?" Monique inquired before taking
another deep puff from her cigarette.

"My friends that go to Pride College shunned me when I told them.  They say I
am mad for smoking.  I say it is them that are losing out.  My friend,
Pamela, is a biggest anti I've ever had to deal with.  She should just
lighten up and smoke like me!  I've not seen her yet since I started smoking
- I don't care what her obvious reaction is.  I at least know who my true
friends are in life..." Carrie suggested towards the cigarette between her
fingers.

Pamela fumed to herself as she watched on from behind the big tank in the
dark alcove, watching events as they unfolded.  From all suspects at her
college, Carrie was the person least likely to smoke, and watching her do so
was worrying.  Carrie had never returned to Pride College after her day's
placement in the Health Clinic.  Pamela's suspicions of rogue activities now
deepened as she watched Carrie inhale deeply on a habit she had been berating
for years.  This action undermined her whole career and aspirations.  What
had been the catalyst to change all this in a day, Pamela wondered as Carrie
and Monique continued to smoke.

"So Carrie, you're wondering why I've brought you down here?" Monique asked
as she exhaled casually.

"Yeh.  I think I'm freezin my ass off down here!" Carrie joked as smoke
punctuated her words.

"I want to show you how this operation works - from start to finish.  This is
your chance to walk out of here with a clear conscience.  Can you keep a
secret?" Monique asked seriously.

Pamela looked for Eleanor's number on her phone, relying on the window next
to her dark presence to see the buttons.  Once she located the number, she
dialled it up.  Having always been a good organiser, Pamela had set her phone
to silent dial in the event her plan went wrong.  Having also set the volume
on her phone to minimal, she couldn't make out when Eleanor's voice buzzed
from the speaker.  This was intentional, as she extended her arm in the
direction of Monique and Carrie.  She wanted Eleanor to hear everything that
was said between Monique and Carrie.

"Monique - I am here for the long term.  Thanks to this place, I'm no longer
missing out on cigarettes coz of my stubborn past.  I was ignorant to
smokers, but now understand why so many people light up daily.  I want to
return the favour and help you in any way you want.  Show me." Carrie
insisted as she tapped her cigarette against the table.

Monique took a deep pull on her shrinking cigarette and ground out the stub
on the cellar floor as she rose to her feet.

"Ok.  I can't afford to let anyone else know what goes on here.  I am going
to show you coz I know with your intellect in medicine that you can enhance
this process..." Monique said as she directed her final exhale towards the
ceiling.

Pamela was intrigued watching on from the darkness of the alcove, and quietly
removed her phone from her pocket.  She quickly set the phone into Camera
Mode, so more pictures could be taken.  Propping her elbow atop the tank, she
had a perfect view of any discoveries that were made as Monique ushered
Carrie over towards the Freezer box.

Pamela watched as the two removed items from the Freezer box and laid them on
the table.  The first item was a small plastic case and the other was a slim
cannister.  Monique unscrewed the lid on the cannister and poured a small
portion of blue liquid into a old cup as Pamela continued to take pictures
with her phone.

"This is the key to my business - Alcafftine.  My own accidental formula."
Monique stated as she handed the cup to Carrie.

"Alcafftine? I've never heard of it." Carrie replied as she took a final draw
on her cigarette butt.

"That in your hand is the reason why you are smoking right now.  Like
yourself, I did numerous Science subjects when I was at college years ago.
We specifically looked into unorthodox areas such as the keys to the
properties of nicotine dependence after class.  We both then stumbled across
an accidental formula when playing with nicotine and pure alcohol, both
stimulants to the human body, and found a balance for both properties.  We
never managed to test our formula on a human subject other than ourselves.
After a few weeks, we discovered our cravings had increased towards nicotine.
The Alcafftine formula could not be taken on its own - it had to be consumed
as some sort of additive to a stimulant substance such as caffeine and
alcohol.  We had never tested the formula on a non-smoker themselves.   I
have remained good friends with my teacher to this very day.  I started
smoking with him after classes as he was pretty much a loner.  He was
isolated coz he wasn't 'politically correct' by his colleagues' standards.
Unfortunately, he was fired, due to unappropriate behaviour just weeks after
I graduated.  When I left, the formula remained in written format, and was
long forgotten by myself." Monique added as she watched Carrie stub out her
cigarette and inspect the liquid in the cup.

"So what happened?" Carrie responded, slightly disappointed that her
addiction to nicotine was not purely natural.  However, she was thankful for
the pleasure the nicotine provided her on a constant basis.

"I was provoked.  My family have always been legitimate bar owners and we
have always had a good service to our customers down the years.  When I was
twenty, I moved to New York for a bit of independence.  I opened my own bar
business in New York five years ago.  I borrowed some money from the business
to fund some trips back and forth from France as my mother was hospitalised.
People became suspicious of money going missing, and I soon had debt
collectors on my back.  The debt was one issue - but smoking became another
for them.  They then kicked up a fuss, and thats how New York began its
descent towards a Smoking Ban in public places.  Since getting into the bar
industry, I have always vowed to allow the customers to do what they want.
Being a smoker myself, I totally relate to my customers.  But as soon as the
ban was passed, my customers stopped coming, and the debts began to
spiral..." Monique said as she poured the contents of the cup back into the
cannister and sealed the lid.  

"How on earth do you have the formula now if you said you had forgotten about
it?" Carrie asked, intrigued.

"This whole plan came when I sat at home one night with my now ex-hubby, Tom.
Tom was an ardent non-smoker, but I loved him for his other qualities in bed.
Tom was an entertainer for the local clubs - being a number of things like a
DJ and a stand up comedian.  He had many talents in his job.  He normally
supported me whenever I was under pressure, but smoking had always been
something he never understood.  I also felt betrayed when he suggested I
should just accept the New York ban and adapt my services.  Adapting to
someone elses' rules was never my thing so I was offended by his innocent
comments.  I was sitting out on my patio one night, smoking, and
contemplating my business closing.  With virtually no money from the bar now,
I was struggling financially and decided a fresh start was required.  But I
knew the debt company were still chasing me for money, which I didn't have.
Eventually, looking through my College album, I remembered the formula from
those days.  I looked out the book I wrote it on, and decided I had nothing
left to lose.  I then began secretly to work on recreating the formula away
from Tom, and decided he would prove a handy test subject.  As this had never
been done before, I began adding some of the formula to his usual glass of
whiskey every night, trying to find out how much of the Alcafftine was needed
to start affecting him.  I knew from my studies that the right amount should
provoke some form of cravings if it increased my own.  Anyway, one night
sitting on the patio with him, I was about to tell him that I was closing the
bar for good in New York.  I knew this news would piss him off so I waited
until he drank his whiskey.  That night, I had worked up to feeding him 2 ml
of the formula when I then noticed a familiar look in his eye - he was gazing
at my pack of cigarettes.  I could sense the lust in his eyes as I went to
have another cigarette.  Just as I lit up, he asked me out of the blue about
having a cigarette himself.  I was delighted inside, as he took a cigarette
for himself and lit up awkwardly.  I then found out through discussion that
he had tried smoking when he was younger.   I loved watching him smoke that
first cigarette with passion.  When I eventually told him about me closing
the bar, he didnt argue - he accepted the news as if I was commanding him.  I
knew then that the formula, as well as addicting someone to nicotine, also
carried a side-effect of making the subject more open to suggestion.  The
side-effect lasted long enough for me to have told him about the closure, as
well as tell him that night that I was leaving him and moving out of the
state to start afresh.  By the end of his first cigarette, the trance he was
in disipated and he was acting as if he had smoked all his life.  It was
amazing.  Anyway, he 'agreed' to a clean divorce, then I left him with the
issues of unpaid debts from the bar in New York.  From then on in, I knew
that with the help of the formula I could start somewhere else where no-one
knew me - and I could start a bar which wasn't under scrutiny."  Monique said
as she ushered Carrie over towards the large beer barrels.

This is dynamite, Pamela thought as she continued to point the phone in the
direction of Monique.  

Unscrewing a cap sealed on the barrel, she opened the cannister and poured
the blue liquid inside.  

"Everything you see down here - the wine, other spirits, are all injected
with the Alcafftine Formula before entering the bar.  These pipes also act
like a filter for the formula, which is regulated into the system with the
beer."  Monique explained as she sealed the barrels and screwed the cap back
on the cannister.

"So everyone, including me, who comes to the bar, has a drink, gets addicted
to smoking?" Carrie implied.

"Yes - but my goal isn't to make new smokers for the sake of it.  It is to
ensure that my bar doesn't fold like the one in New York.  I want customers
who aren't going to object to the smoking. Could you go and pass me a bottle
of gin as we're running out?  They're over there on that new pallet." Monique
commanded as Carrie walked across to the bottom of the staircase and returned
with a gin bottle.  The two conspirors returned to the table to carry out
their next operation. 

"Watch and learn, Carrie." Monique said as she opened the small plastic case
and extracted a syringe and mixing flask.  She poured a small drop of the
Alcafftine formula from the cannister into the flask and inserted a large
syringe into the liquid.  As she filled up the syringe to the 2 ml point, she
commanded Carrie to unscrew the gin bottle before placing it on the table.
Monique proceeded to inject the blue liquid into the gin from the syringe.
Pamela ended the phone call on her mobile before taking more photos of the
operation.  She watched as the blue clouds in the gin bottle swirled
momentarily before fading slowly.  Now the gin had returned to its original
colour.  Carrie rescrewed the cap of the gin bottle back on tightly before
shaking it to ensure the formula was well mixed before it was used in the
bar.  

Pamela sends all the photos as attachments via her phone to Eleanor as the
evidence from the conversation and visual impact would be enough for
investigators to crawl over the operations she had just witnessed.  Now
Pamela knew she could save the public from this form of corruption.  As she
finalised the details of her outgoing text message, Monique and Carrie
returned the items to their locations and began their ascent towards the
Storeroom.  Pamela began to breathe a sigh of relief as she stood up from
behind the tank, still consumed in darkness.

Beep, Beep - Shit, Pamela thought as her phone vibrated in confirmation of
the sent text message.  

Monique and Carrie ran back down the stairs and scoured the cellar floor for
the source of the noise.  

Meanwhile, Pamela panicked, and pushed her mobile phone out through the gap
in the wall of the alcove and crouched back down behind the tank as Carrie
spotted her.

"Pamela! What you doing here?!" Carrie shouted as she rushed towards her
former friend.

"Bring her here!" Monique commanded as Carrie attempted to grab Pamela and
force her away from the corner.  

Despite pushing her foot through the nearby window and shouting for help,
Pamela was overpowered by both women, and dragged towards the large wooden
table in the middle of the cellar.  

Instantly, Grace rushed down the staircase into the cellar at the plea for
help.  

"Grace - you've gotta help me!  Let me go!" Pamela shouted as Grace looked on
baffled at the struggle.

"Grace, listen to me, grab her...try and pin her down." Monique demanded.

Despite her concern, the authority of Monique was dominant in her mind, and
Grace complied by holding the student's arm down on the table.  By now,
Pamela had been lifted, and stretched onto the wooden table by all three
women.

Once convinced Pamela was restrained, Monique rose to her feet and looked
over at her frightened intruder.

"So you would have heard everything?  That just won't do!" Monique snarled as
she removed the plastic case and cannister from the Freezer box and placed
them on the other end of the wooden table.

"Help..." Pamela muttered before Carrie placed her hand over her friend's
mouth.

"You shouldn't fight us.  Soon, you will understand everything the way you
should do." Monique returned as she withdrew the syringe and a filter from
the case, as well as unscrewing the cap off the cannister.  Monique dipped
the syringe into the cannister and filled it with the Alcafftine formula to
its 2 ml point.  Confidently, Monique then resealed the items and walked over
towards another pallet of bottles.  

"I think this is cause for a celebration, don't you think? How about some
champagne, Pamela?" Monique mocked as she removed a champagne bottle from the
pallet.

Removing the wrapped paper, she then stuck the syringe deep into the cork and
injected all its formula inside.  Monique then shook the bottle viciously,
before forcing the cork from the bottle with a bottle opener obtained from
the wooden table.  The foam from the champagne billowed from the bottle as
Monique leaned over Pamela's bound body.  With Carrie forcing Pamela's mouth
open, the filter  stem was placed inside.  

"Try and relax.  You're only making this harder for yourself." Monique
advised as she began to pour the champagne into the filter.

The drugged champagne dripped down her throat slowly into her stomach. As
Pamela continued to struggle, she coughed as champagne dripped from her lips.
The Alcafftine invaded Pamela's system, draining the energy from her
resistance and easing the tension from her body.  The formula-fuelled
champagne also sent a shock to her brain, and she became extremely
light-headed.  The struggling stopped suddenly as Pamela's body began to
accept the Alcafftine formula beginning to roll through her system like a
runaway train.  Satisfied the resistance was over, Carrie and Grace sat
Pamela up on the wooden table as she tried to shake a dizzyness spell from
her head.  Pamela struggled to focus as the buzz from the alcohol and
nicotine of the formula surged through her body.  Monique's helpers stood
away from their drugged captive and watched as Pamela sat motionless on the
table.  New thoughts formed in her mind as the intention of escape was
removed.  All her tension had subsided, and replaced by a wave of calmness as
Monique removed her pack of cigarettes from her pocket.

"Who wants a cigarette?" Monique offered the pack to her staff, who eagerly
accepted.  As Grace and Carrie lit up with their own lighters, Monique knelt
down in front of Pamela - staring at her captive's blank expression as all
previous concerns had been wiped from memory.  Monique smiled, then placed a
cigarette in her mouth.  Flicking the lighter to life, she leaned her tip
into the flame and sucked until it glowed red.  As Monique removed the
cigarette from her mouth, she sharply inhaled as the nicotine coated her
blackening lungs instantly with their magic.  She then leaned towards
Pamela's expressionless face and exhaled a large cloud of smoke.

The cloud of second-hand smoke crashed off Pamela's face, as her daze
instantly lifted as she calmly inhaled some of the toxins.  The trance-like
state began to disolve as the inhaled smoke reawakened her senses and
refreshed her body with an oozing boost of pure bliss.  The body instantly
accepted the nicotine, and began to simulate fresh cravings for more.
Monique blew a second stream of smoke into Pamela's face as more was inhaled.
Another gust of pleasure filled her body as her eyes blinked.  Pamela snapped
out of her daze and instantly followed the trail of the smoke towards the
cigarette between Monique's fingers.  

The sight of the burning cigarette immediately provoked the new cravings
further, as well as thoughts of smoking replayed in her mind.  

"I must get outta here..." Pamela's conscience exclaimed before a hunger for
nicotine screamed.

"I need a cigarette." Pamela complied with the new cravings.

"Here, take mines." Monique offered as she handed the student the burning
cigarette.  Tapping the cigarette off the wooden table, she placed the
cylinder between her lips and began to suck.  Her cheeks caved in as the
applied extreme pressure to the filter, with the tip glowing red.  Pamela
closed her eyes as the smoke caressed her mouth and satisfied her
newly-adapted tastebuds, before inhaling the smoke greedily into her lungs.
An extreme wave of pleasure washed over Pamela as she withdrew the cigarette
from her mouth.  The tension in her body sunk from her body as the nicotine
raced through her bloodstream and warmed every fibre of her body.  Pamela
knew instantly that nicotine was what she wanted now - and the pleasure was
so intense, she never questioned the circumstances of the transition.  All
she cared about now was embracing the nicotine with repeated sensual drags
from the cigarette, as well as feeling a sense of gratitude towards Monique
for this new addiction, who had just lit another cigarette for herself.

"Feeling better, Pamela?" Monique inquired as the student nodded her head -
her smile wide with satisfaction as smoke seeped from her mouth and nostrils.

"I knew you would love smoking if you just tried it!" Carrie exclaimed with
excitement as she exhaled a stream of smoke.

"Smoking actually suits you." Grace said as she sat beside Pamela on the
wooden table.

Pamela remained silent as she took puff after puff from the cigarette - lost
in the pleasure that the formula had provided.

"I think from what you've seen Pamela, that we need to talk.  It would be a
shame for anyone else in the authorities to find out about this, don't you
agree?" Monique offered as she sat beside the smoking student.

Pamela simply returned the comment with a nod of agreement as Monique gave
her new convert a few instructions...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pamela, Monique, Carrie emerged from the Storeroom back into the bar itself
as Grace returned to the small kitchen.  Upon entering the bar, the three
were met by a haze of smoke from the smoking customers.  From Susan, the
rector to Hazel, every customer was now embracing their new nicotine habits
with passion.  The band had departed from the stage and were found smoking in
the corner of the bar.  Pamela recognised her friend, Gillian, sitting
slouched on the stage, her eyes closed as a man spoke through a microphone
towards the audience.

"So our subject has now been put under...what shall we do with her?" 

"Pamela here has a suggestion, Tom!" Monique shouted over as Pamela
approached the stage, armed with a pack of cigarettes and lighter she lifted
from the counter.

Tom immediately understood Pamela's gesture and posture as she approached the
stage to a round of applause.  A small voice inside her mind questioned every
thing she was doing, but was easily overpowered by the stimulation of the
Alcafftine, as well as Monique's specific instructions.  Pamela eventually
stood on the stage in front of her friend as she winked towards Tom.

"OK...what's your name?" Tom asked his hypnotised subject.

"Gillian." 

"OK Gillian...do you smoke?"

"No."

"Have you ever smoked in your life?"

"No - I hate it.  Everyone should quit." Gillian said in a dull voice as the
audience burst out laughing.

"I don't think that is the case.  I think deep inside, you really want to
smoke.  I can sense there is a hunger inside of you, jealous of everyone else
around you smoking.  You feel as though you are missing out, and want to join
the party.  You want a cigarette more than anything else in this world. What
do you want when you wake up, Gillian?"

"A cigarette."

"Do you hate smoking?"

"No."

"What do you think of smokers?"

"I am jealous of them - I want to join them."

"True - you don't just want a cigarette...you want to smoke full-time like
your other friends."

Gillian nodded slowly, unaware her thoughts were now changing in front of
everyone.

"When you wake up, all that will matter to you is that you smoke from now on.
Smoking will be your number one priority in life - it will give you so much
satisfaction.  It is sexy, and the taste will be fantastic.  You no longer
hate smoking, but enjoy it - and hate those in the community who don't smoke.
You now feel as though they are missing out just like you used to."

As Gillian nodded slowly to the suggestion implanted, Tom began to guide her
from her trance.

"three...two...one...awaken."

Gillian's eyelids blinked as she yawned and her body began to stir from her
hypnotic state.  As her sight returned, she saw her friend, Pamela, stand in
front of her.  

Gillian now felt a hunger deep inside urging to be satisfied, but couldn't
understand it until....she spotted the pack of cigarettes in Pamela's hands.

Rather than question why her anti-smoking friend had a pack of cigarettes in
her hand, she licked her lips in prospect of having one.

Pamela smiled, then flipped open the pack and tilted it towards Gillian,
exposing the cork-tipped filters.  Gillian didn't hesitate, and withdrew a
cylinder from the pack before placing it between her lips impatiently.  The
audience gasped in joy as Pamela lit Gillian's cigarette, as the tip glowed
bright burning red.  The audience, including Gillian's and Pamela's family,
began to clap in unison as Gillian completed an expert exhale and smiled
towards her friend.  

Somehow, the cigarette seemed right, and the taste was amazing as it gave her
body a positive jolt of energy with the nicotine now flowing in her system.
As they walked off the stage, Monique approached the stage and spoke into the
microphone.

"Let's hear it for our hypnotist, Tom Walters!"

The smoking audience gave Tom a standing ovation as the two new student
smokers sat down beside their families, oblivious to their transformations.
Monique gave her ex-husband a peck on the cheek before walking over towards
Pamela's family.

The band ground out their cigarettes before returning to the stage to finish
the performance of the night.  As the music blasted out from the amplifiers,
Monique sat beside Pamela and Gillian's families.

"Our daughters look so cute!  No more arguments." Kirsten exclaimed as she
hugged Pamela.


Gillian sat silently as she continued to drag on her cigarette as if it was a
habit she had always done.  She no longer worried about the effects, and the
negative images of smoking in her mind had been replaced with pleasure from
the first-hand smoke in her system.  

In fact, Gillian was confused at the attention from her own mother as she
smiled gleefully while removing a cigarette from her pack.  

"Get off!" Pamela blushed as she lit up her own cigarette expertly, having
copied the same lighting process of her parents for years.  

Gillian inhaled sharply on her cigarette as her own mother lit up.  Monique
was pleased with the scene before her - the immediate threat had been
nullified as the two protagonists were silenced into new smoking habits.
With Pamela now a devoted servant to her and the nicotine, she wanted to
ensure Gillian was on board too as a fresh haze of smoke ascended from the
table...

Hours later, the clear up from the Party began.  Monique counted the profits
from the till as Norah and Carrie left the bar.  Grace cleared the excess
food from the kitchen and packed them into black bags. 

Grace opened the back door to Drôle bar and placed several black bin bags
into a mini skip as the raindrops shot down from the sky.  Shielding the rain
from her face, she noticed a light emerge from the corner of her eye.  Grace
followed the light towards a water drain outside the cellar.  As she kneeled
down on the pavement, she extracted a mobile phone, brushed the debris from
its display screen as a name flashed furiously...

...Eleanor

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EPILOGUE - THE AFTERMATH
----------------------------------------------

A few weeks later...

"Our rector is not due back until this afternoon so we are here to assist you
in settling in. My name is Pamela, and this is my friends Carrie and Gillian.
What is your name?" Pamela introduced herself to the nervous student as they
stood in the main reception area of the campus.  

Since the College Party, Pamela and her friends had been appointed official
'buddies' for all newcomers to the college.  

"Lisa." The student replied anxiously.

"What course are you studying?" Gillian asked

"I am doing Arts and Media...I go to my first class in half an hour."

"So you have time for a tour - we'll show you around." Carrie boasted as the
buddies ushered Lisa along the narrow corridors.  The college had undergone
some changes to it's inner furnishings, including the hallway being
repainted.  As the other students passed the group, Lisa could detect the
fresh presence of cigarette smoke.  The smell was strong, and Lisa wrinkled
her nose in disapproval as they showed her the lockers as well as the
standard classrooms.  Lisa received a waft of smoke from every passing
student as they walked through the corridors.  She was suprised to see that
her 'buddies' made no similar expression as she was shown and introduced to
several of the lecturers - in fact, her 'buddies' seemed to smile warmly at
every passing suspected smoker student.  Although repulsed by the smell, Lisa
was anxious about raising smoking as an issue on her first day.  However,
Pamela could read the student's mind as they walked and talked around the
corridors - she once had similar thoughts before Monique changed them.  Prior
to Monique intervening, Pamela couldn't imagine a life with cigarettes....now
she couldn't imagine a life without them!

After ten minutes of exploring the college building, Lisa breathed a sigh of
relief as they walked out into the playgrounds outside.  Lisa inhaled the
oxygen in the cold breeze as she realised her clothes reeked of smoke from
inside.  

"There is the home of our basketball college team, the Westfox Warriors!"
Pamela said openly as the pointed over towards the outdoor basketball court,
occupied by the college team practising.  

Very impressive, Lisa said to herself as she observed the team member's
bodies more than their sport.

"And over here is the Cheerleading Squad..." Gillian guided towards a cluster
of girls who danced to music booming from a nearby stereo.  They shook their
Pom-Poms in a rythmic fashion in time to the beats of the pop music.  

The girls walked over towards the Cheerleading Squad whom were oblivious to
Lisa's arrival.

Pamela walked away from her group and switched the Stereo off as the music
was abruptly ended.  

"What the hell...?" Hazel said as she turned to see her close friend smile
back at her.

"We have a new student today - would you like to introduce yourself and the
squad?" Pamela offered as she watched Hazel remove a pack of cigarettes from
her skirt pocket.  Instinctively, the rest of the squad conformed and lit up
routinely like they had always done for weeks.  Lisa was dismayed at this,
and forced an innocent, welcoming smile as Hazel and the gang approached her,
leaving a trail of smoke behind them as they puffed furiously from their
cigarettes - desperately feeding their starving lungs with more nicotine.  

"This is Lisa." Gillian said as Lisa was shocked at how the cheerleaders
smoked unapologetically in front of her.

"Hiya - I'm Hazel, the Leader of the squad.  It's very nice to meet you."
Hazel extended her vacant hand towards the student.

"Thanks - I'm glad to be here." Lisa lied.  Everything seemed fine, apart
from the strange appearance of students smoking...this was never suggested in
the Pride College Prospectus, Lisa thought.  Lisa now had second thoughts
about pursuing her career as a televison presenter through the college.  She
was convinced she would return to her parents at the end of the day and look
for a new college.

As Hazel and her squad explained how smoking openly benefitted their practice
and performance, Lisa took particular notice of her natural smoking posture.
She followed intentively as Hazel raised the cigarette to her lips, wrapping
around the filter tightly as smoke continued to bellow from the tip.  Lisa
watched with disdain and disbelief as Hazel inhaled deeply, held the smoke in
her lungs for an eternity before pursing her lips to release a cloudy exhale
into the wind.  

I hope not everyone here smokes, Lisa thought as they eventually walked away
as the cheerleading squad finished the cigarettes before returning to their
practice.  

"You hungry?" Carrie asked as they entered the smoky corridors of Pride
College once more.

"Oh yeh...I skipped breakfast to get here on time!" Lisa replied
enthusiastically as she thought an eating area would be the one place which
might not be smoky.

The group showed Lisa into the canteen - and she was appalled by the sight
before her eyes.  Students sat and munched into their food...while others lit
up cigarettes like experts. A veil of smoke swarmed over the smoking and
eating students as no-one complained - apart from Lisa.

Damn, Lisa thought as she remained silent on her opposition towards the
smoking.  This breaches so many Health and Safety regulations, Lisa thought
as they all wandered over towards the student queue and got served their
meals.  With the level of smoke in the canteen, Lisa only purchased a
sandwich and a bottle of water, as they sought a vacant table amongst the
smoking students.  

Sitting down, Lisa huffed to herself in disgust as she noticed on every
table, a built-in ashtray was exposed, with an overflowing pile of cigarette
butts.  The stench from the ashtrays were strong, and irritated Lisa's
nostrils further as Pamela and her friends simply ate their lunch as if
nothing was wrong.  Coupled with the smell from a recently ground-out
cigarette butt in the ashtray, Lisa's sandwich tasted horrible, and she
placed the half-consumed food on the tray.  Lisa then took a long swig of the
water to try and eradicate the dry and smoky feel in her mouth.

"What do you think, Lisa?" Pamela asked seriously as she observed all Lisa's
negative facial expressions thus far.

"The College seems set up really well.  It has everything I will need to get
the most out of my study." Lisa feigned interest as the girls finished their
meals.

"We as a group look after all the new students.  In the end, we always make
sure they enjoy their time here.  We've never had an unsettled student yet."
Pamela replied enthusiastically as she winked to Gillian.

To Lisa's dismay, Gillian removed a pack of her own cigarettes from her coat
pocket and placed a cylinder between her lips as she rummaged her other coat
pocket for her lighter.  Lisa was distraught that none of the other girls
tried to prevent Gillian from lighting up without contemplation.  Rather than
complain, Pamela followed Gillian's example by removing her own pack and
lighting up routinely to join her smoking friend.  A cloud of smoke began to
hover over the table, with Lisa looking on at the smoking duo with shock
etched all over her face.  

"I remembered I've got my medical appointment.  Will you take me to the
nurse, Carrie?" Lisa asked as she needed to get away from the smoke
surrounding her.  Although Carrie had offered no opposition to the smoking
students, she had at least refrained from lighting up herself...maybe she's
just a non-smoker like myself, Lisa thought

"Of course, Lisa...follow me." Carrie said as they walked out of the canteen.

"So why does every new student need to go through a medical?" Lisa asked
Carrie as they returned down another smoky corridor.

"It's all about the College looking after their students.  The medical is
actually a recent development on our premises as we used to send students up
to the local health clinic.  But now we employ an independent nurse to carry
out all medicals...I hope you ain't nervous....just consider it the last part
of the initiation into our way of life." Carrie said as they approached the
Medical Room and walked in.

The Medical Room was a new facility built in to the College over the last few
weeks.  It boasted two beds, a sink and a small operating table.  Carrie sat
in the corner as the nurse introduced herself to the new student.  Lisa sat
down at a nearby chair at the request of the nurse.

"Hi...I'm Rosemary, and I'll be doing your medical today." the nurse smiled
as she proceeded to carry out a variety of in-depth checks on the new
student.

Rosemary had quit the Clinic and was employed to the College, at the
insistence of Monique.  Monique knew this would be a good way of maintaining
a happy smoking atmosphere, as well as potentially attract new legal
customers to her bar.  Susan and Monique had been pleased with the newly
revamped 'buddy system' which had created more smokers over the three weeks.

After half an hour, Lisa felt more relaxed and felt drawn to Rosemary's good
sense of humour.  Through informal chatter as well as questions asked about
any medication she takes, they found that they had quite a bit in common.  

"So there is just one last thing I need to tell you before you can leave -
there has been an outbreak of measles and I need to give you a booster
injection.  Every new student has had to go through this when they start
Pride College as our student's health is our priority."  Rosemary explained
as she removed a syringe and a small bottle from the desk they sat at.  

Although Lisa had never been cautious of injections, she felt there was a
level of open trust between them, and rolled up her sleeve upon instruction.
Rosemary pierced the bottle with the syringe and rubbed gel onto Lisa's arm.

A small pain was felt as the needle pierced through the skin, and the
contents were injected.  

Lisa felt slightly drowsy as she rubbed her arm softly at the needle entry
point.  After a few seconds, the pain subsided but gave Lisa a feeling of
light-headedness.

"Am I supposed to feel dizzy, Rosemary?" Lisa asked as she struggled to keep
focus as the effects strengthened.

"Yeh...the dizzyness will wear off...can I ask you one final question?"
Rosemary confidently replied as she returned the syringe and bottle to her
cabinet.

"Sure." Lisa said as her eyes began to glaze over.

"Do you smoke?" 

"No."

"Well, Lisa, soon you are going to have cravings to smoke.  I have injected
you with a liquid which will stimulate new urges for nicotine.  One thing we
left out on our prospectus is that all our students smoke...as smoking
alleviates stress during exams, we recommend that every new student learns to
enjoy the benefits of smoking.  I am sure you will appreciate the habit after
your first puff." Rosemary exclaimed as she removed a cigarette from the
drawer and lit up instantly, blowing an uninhaled cloud of smoke into Lisa's
puzzled face.  As Lisa partially breathed in some of the cloud, her nerves
sprung back to life and her negative thoughts towards smoking began to
crumble.  

Carrie smiled as Lisa's internal struggle continued...over the last few
weeks, Carrie had been working intensively with Monique in evolving the
Alcafftine Formula.  A breakthrough had been made in which the formula was
now consumable on its own, thanks to some of Carrie's own inspirational ideas
and the resources of Pride College.  She looked on at her new student battle
in vain with the new feelings of nicotine dependence.

"If you go with Carrie now, you'll have time to have your first cigarette
with your new friends before your class begins." Rosemary suggested as Lisa
complied and followed Carrie out of the Medical Room in a half-trance as they
returned to the canteen.

Lisa stood up from her chair as Carrie guided her back to the canteen for her
initiation.  Satisfied that another student had been introduced to a new life
of nicotine addiction, Rosemary took another deep puff from her cigarette and
glared at the sun shining through the blinds with a deep feeling of
satisfaction from her new life...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Would you like another?" Monique offered her extended pack towards the
couple.

"You know I won't refuse a cigarette." Kirsten smiled as she withdrew a
couple from the offered pack and handed her husband one.

Monique flicked her lighter to life and offered a flame to the parents.  As
Monique derived satisfaction from them both taking deep inhales off their
cigarettes, she lit her own with purpose, sucking the smoke deep down into
her blackening lungs.

Kirsten and Andy had arrived at the Drôle Bar in an elated mood as they now
confided in Monique with gossip.  This also helped Monique to remain
up-to-date on any potential opposition towards her business as many groups
and organisations had been converted over the previous fortnight.

Monique kept on looking over at a nearby table where she saw Susan struggle
to justify her new smoking habit to a group of college lecturers from other
cities.  

Susan won't be justifying much for long, Monique thought, as she organised
for Susan to hold her board meeting at the Bar.  The meeting had been set
initially to discuss rumours that the college had abandoned its Smoke-Free
Zone - the other rectors were unhappy about this, especially when Susan lit
up unapologetically in front of them after their meal.

"So we're holding a Birthday Party this weekend.  My niece will be twenty one
and we're wondering if we could book Drôle as the venue?" Kirsten enquired

"That won't be a problem.  How's the smoking situation at home?" Monique
asked as she puffed from her cigarette contentedly.

"Ever since we saw Pamela smoke in Drôle, she's never stopped even at home.
We are no longer made to feel guilty for lighting up in the household
anymore. As soon as we got home that night, Pamela lit up without even asking
about it, which made my day.  Lizzy chain-smokes as well since she split with
Paul." Kirsten explained as she exhaled lazily.

"Talking about Lizzy, is she still in France?" Monique asked.

"Yeah...As you know, she went back to France when she handed her notice in at
that debt management job.  I was suprised when she gave it up - she was so
passionate before-hand.  Anyway, she's since found a job working in a cafe,
and she's dating a new guy called Fabien.  When Lizzy was in France with
Paul, she constantly complained about the abundance of smokers there - now
she's signing their praises and wonders why she ever complained in the first
place!"

"That's great! Bethany was asking for her.  Today, she's away at a course up
north finding out all about the Bar Industry.  Every time I ask her about
half-ownership of Drôle, she says that she wants fully qualified first coz
she would feel like a fraud." Monique explained.

"I still don't understand why Bethany would also leave her job and bunk up
with you." Andy said as he puffed on his cigarette in deep thought.

"Bethany and me go a long way back...I suppose after all this time, she now
appreciates what I am trying to do here - and wants to help." Monique
claimed, as the couple were not ready to learn the truth of her business.

"You know, I saw an advertisement in the paper lately about your Ex getting
his own regular show in Texas. We might fancy going one night up there."
Kirsten said as she tapped her cigarette into the ashtray.

"Tom has always been a freelance entertainer since I've known him.  His one
desire was to get a regular slot in a club or bar, and I am delighted he got
it." Monique failed to expand on the story of HOW Tom secured a regular slot,
thanks to some of the Alcafftine Formula.

Click

Monique and the couple looked over towards Susan as she flicked her lighter
to life as the board of rectors sat blankly with cigarettes dangling from
their mouths.  

The Formula strikes again, Monique thought, as Susan lit each of them up with
happiness that their verbal volley of abuse against the habit had turned into
a curiousity to take up smoking themselves.  

Susan smirked as they each inhaled their first drag to the delight of the new
cravings surging through their bodies.

Monique excused herself from the Donaldsons as she walked over towards the
table of rectors.

"Is everything OK here?" Monique politely asked, as she watched their initial
tentative inhales provide a burst of pleasure.  The rectors sat back and
smiled lustfully as the Alcafftine rewrote their minds and priorities.
Monique sat down beside the entranced party as Susan made a few suggestions
to her latest customers.

"So I assume you no longer will care if I say that my College is a
smoker-friendly zone?"

The rectors nodded agreeingly as they exhaled casually.

"Maybe you ladies should look up to Pride College's example...it's maybe
worth looking at creating a similar environment within your own
establishments." Monique suggested, as she understood the full power of the
formula.  Once again, the rectors silently nodded in agreement as positive
thoughts of their own students smoking freely dominated their mind.

"Can I advise you ladies that there is a birthday party night on Saturday and
you're all invited?" Monique quipped as the rectors took further drags from
their cigarettes.

"What is the Happy Hour?" asked another rector as they continued to thrive in
their new addictions.

"Happy Hour? Every hour spent in Drôle is a Happy Hour!" Monique laughed as
Susan and the entranced rectors continued to smoke passionately...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eleanor sighed in disbelief as she sat back in her chair.  On the table in
front of her, she looked down upon the blown up photos of two suspects
tampering with substances.  She huffed in dispair and reflected on what she
had experienced.

She had entered his office to confront the Commissioner about a potential
conspiracy she wanted to investigate.  Despite a recording that was made on
her mobile phone, the Commissioner didn't seem interested and instantly
dismissed the case, sending Eleanor back to her desk frustrated and with no
official case to pursue.  The Commissioner seemed more interested in talking
about a new bar called Drôle in the Westfox area. Eleanor had also noticed
the bulge of a pack of cigarettes in his shirt pocket.  This puzzled Eleanor
as the Commissioner had never been known to smoke before.   Pushing her brown
hair away from her face, she was suprised at the changes to her police
department since she received the text messages and photos from her friend,
Pamela.  

Her former partner, Hayley, was also unconvinced with the photos and
recordings she had obtained.  Like the Commissioner, she now preferred to go
outside and smoke...a habit she had previously given up years ago but had
returned to recently.  Hayley had also spoke favourably of the Drôle Bar she
had visited the other night.  Reflecting on this further, she observed that
quite a few of her colleagues in the department had started taking smoke
breaks recently - including vehement anti-smokers.  It seemed all her
colleagues had nothing but good things to say about the Drôle Bar before
having a cigarette as more time was spent outside feeding on their nicotine
habits than actual police work.  

Concerned of the way things were going in her department, she was totally
convinced that the Drôle Bar was playing some part in the mental changes to
her work colleagues in the police force.  

As Eleanor also checked the police computer in vain to match the description
in the photos, she realised she needed some external help if she was to
pursue this case unofficially.  Eleanor was isolated, and understood she had
to go to any means to solve this issue as Pamela had been avoiding her phone
calls since the night of the Party.

Desperate, Eleanor remembered an old source from a previous case who could
help.  She picked up the phone, and started dialling numbers as she watched
more of her colleagues walk out the department for a cigarette.  

The phone continued to ring...

"Hello?"

"Hiya Sian...it's been a long time...I need a favour..."

THE END?

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