All three of them went to a club called "Pleasure".
"What kind of club is that? " Thomas asked.
"I've been here many times before, it's a great club " Willie said."Have you been here before, John?"
"I was once a long time ago, I didn't like it much to be honest, but this time I think it will be much better. "
Lots of people were coming out and going in.
"It's worth paying for three" said the man standing in the doorway.
"Yeah" Willie held out his hand to John, who pulled out his pocket money and put it in Willie's hand.
"It's time to go"
They heard music.
Thomas went inside and saw a lot of people, some sitting, some standing, some dancing, and some kissing in the corner. John noticed this and grimaced.
"I didn't realize it would be this loud. "
"Let's order a cocktail " John said suddenly, walking forward among the people.
"I won't have a cocktail, I'll have a whiskey " Willie said "a cocktail is childish."
Willy ordered three glasses of whiskey and handed one to Thomas, another to John.
Thomas didn't want to, but he tipped the glass.
"I'm going dancing, but you do as you please"
Thomas watched as Willie asked a girl to dance.
"What shall we do, Thomas" asked John and drank another glass of whiskey after which he went dancing himself. Thomas stood alone listening to the music and didn't know what to do still clutching this diary in his pocket he could go return it without anyone seeing.
Thomas wanted to leave, but suddenly he felt someone pulling on his arm, just like he had with Julia.
"Buy me a cocktail" said a girl, and Thomas could finally see her because it was dark inside, only the spotlights were shining in different colors and she was always looking around.
Thomas looked at the girl in surprise, but pulled out his pocket money and bought her a cocktail.
"Why are you sitting here so sad, why don't you go dancing with everyone? " the girl asked.
"I'm not in the mood " Thomas shrugged and ordered a white wine.
Thomas felt warm after a glass of wine.
"What's your name? "
"Thomas. "
"I'm Carol, nice to meet you " she said reaching her hand out and Thomas shook it.
"Where are you from? "
"It doesn't matter" Thomas said, looking at the girl.
"People usually come here to have fun, but you're obviously not one of them. "
"Yeah, I'm not like them" Thomas looked down.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, everything is good, life is a strange thing. "
"You are right" Carol took a drink of her cocktail and stood up from her chair, taking Thomas's hand. Thomas raised his eyebrows in question but Carol still held his hand and then let go.
"Come on, let's go have some fun. "
She wrapped her arms around Thomas's neck, but he was in no mood to do that, so he simply pulled away.
"No, I'm sorry"
Carol just stood there and watched him walk away.
Thomas was back behind the counter.
"Another glass of wine, mister " Thomas said calmly, feeling his stomach throbbing.
"Thank you" Thomas said later, tipping the glass.
Thomas felt a warmth spread through his body and unbuttoned his shirt then he saw Carol again. Thomas felt a longing and sadness in this girl and although she looked at him with cheerfulness it was not so, behind this cheerfulness there was something else, something different, something that no one could see. Carol was already dancing with someone else and then she disappeared. For a while Thomas just sat there doing nothing and then he noticed a man pushing Carol to the wall against her will. Thomas jumped to his feet and pushed the man away.
"Who are you? " the man snarled looking at Thomas.
Carol was frightened.
"I'm Thomas, and I'm going to ask you not to touch this girl. "
"I'm the one who decides what to do with her, you know, I paid her, so she can do what I tell her. " Thomas looked at the girl.
"I'll tell you all about it later" Carol said hoarsely.
"Give me the money you little bitch " the man shouted.
"Give him the money, Carol. "
Carol pulled the money out of her dress with a trembling hand and handed it to the man.
"There's not enough here."
Thomas took everything he had out of his pocket and gave it to the man.
"Okay, this time you are free" the man said and went away.
Thomas helped the girl to her feet and noticed that her dress was torn.
"Let's go outside" he said calmly and Carol followed him.
"Who was that? "
"I think you've already guessed that, haven't you?
Thomas looked at the girl sadly.
"How long have you been doing this? "
"About three years. "
"How old are you now? "
"Fifteen. "
"But why? "
"I know it seems strange to you, but in reality I had no other choice, Thomas, my parents died in an accident a long time ago, so I was raised by my grandmother, who unfortunately is also dead. "
Thomas felt the girl's pain and longing, he wanted to support her somehow, but he didn't know how.
"I'm so sorry"
"Don't feel sorry for me, I deserve it. "
"But why. "
"Life isn't fair, Thomas, and I think you know that. "
Tears were streaming down Carol's face and she tried to smile again despite the pain Thomas was feeling inside her. People passing by looked at them but Thomas didn't care.
"I'm sorry anyway, don't cry" he said, pulling away.
She took the cigarettes out of the bag hanging on her shoulder and lit them. Thomas watched her as she blew clouds of smoke from her mouth.
"My life is worthless, one day I'll kill myself, I promise I'll have the strength to do it, my honor has been tarnished for a long time. "
"Don't say that, Carol, you're young, you have your life ahead of you, don't think about what's to come, think about what's now. "
"My life is meaningless, you know, I'm living... " Carol started to cough, "sorry, I just smoke ten packs per day. "
"Your job is to entertain these men."
"Yes, they pay me to be with them, I think you know what I mean, I don't want to go into detail about it. "
"And you wanted me to fell for it, too. "
Carol smiled genuinely for the first time.
"I thought that's why you came here, mostly men come here for that reason, but I realized you weren't one of them. "
"I came here by accident because of a friend of mine and his friend who seems to be interested in such things. "
"My life doesn't matter, I just live without goals and purpose, I have no dreams and feelings, I'm always a smiling girl who seems to be doing well but in reality I'm not. "
"I'm sorry you had to earn money this way, but what can I do for you? "
Carol's face grew older than her age, and she exhaled a cloud of smoke looking at Thomas' eyes.
"Nothing"
"I could tell right away that you were hiding something, that your smile was fake.
"Really? Most people just don't notice it or pretend not to. "
"You know Willie? " Thomas suddenly asked.
"Willie?"
"The one who brought us in here. "
"Willie Boul, yes, I know him, I had a deal with him once. "
"A deal? " Thomas raised his eyebrows in question. "Don't tell me he paid you to entertain him."
"Actually, no, I didn't, I just dated him. "
"Really? "
"Yes, but he's an asshole and I'm over it. "
"He obviously did something bad. "
Carol had already finished one cigarette and pulled out another.
"It was a year ago that we met in this club and he asked me to walk and gave me some unknown pills. "
Thomas suddenly remembered Willie holding some pills in his hands and wanting to give them to John or him.
"Then the police detained us and he accused me of everything, but they didn't do anything to me when they found out I was a lonely minor. "
"He's a bastard, I knew he was."
"I lived with strangers for a year because when my grandmother died I was all alone. Actually George and Elizabeth were pretty good to me, but they had a son who hated me and wanted me out of there as soon as possible, so I just ran away and lived on the streets eating what a man named Taylor gave me. One day I met the owner of the club and i got a job. "
Thomas felt the girl's sadness.
"But you can't work here, Carol, these men are abusing you. "
"I know, Thomas, but I have no other choice, it's the only way I can make a living. "
"There must be a way out of every untenable situation. "
"Not in my case"
"Don't say that, we all feel lonely and discouraged in life to some extent, but that's no reason to say that, is it? "
"I don't know, Thomas, I don't know anything, but I don't want to live, I just don't have the strength to take it. "
"I don't know how I can help you, Carol, but I really want to, believe me. "
"Nobody in this world can help me, no one in this world can help my grief, I don't live every day, I just exist, my fake smile on my face, I think it's become completely unnatural because even you can see it's not real. "
"Sometimes I notice things that other people don't. "
Carol looked at Thomas in surprise but said nothing in response. She blew out a cloud of smoke and Thomas saw tears in her eyes.
"You're only 15, don't think about it, you know that many people don't see themselves as anything in the future, but we all live somehow. "
Carol was silent for a while and then said:
"I'm not them, Thomas, I'm not like them, I can't take it anymore, you know, but living under a bench is not an option either. "
Thomas suddenly thought.
"Listen, what if I could get my father to hire you? "
Carol thought about it for a while and then nodded. It wasn't easy for Thomas to call his father after all he had done to him, and even more so after Thomas had said he didn't want anything from him, but he dared.
His father picked up the phone.
"Hi, dad, I wanted to talk to you about something, if you could hire a girl to work for you, at least to make up with me. "
His father agreed, because he was missing a waiter in the restaurant right now, so Thomas turned to Carol, but noticed that she was gone.
Carol was standing next to a man.
"I hired you for this job and not only, you are not doing a good job, but now you're asking me to fire you, so go to the hell. " The man walked away and Carol lowered her head sadly.
"Whats happening? "
"Nothing, don't worry" Carol said, looking at Thomas.
"I've arranged for you to work as a waitress from now on. "
"Really? "
"Yes."
Carol smiled and hugged Thomas around the neck, then leaned back against him and put her head down.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm glad things will get better soon. "
"I'm glad I met you, Thomas, you were sent to me by fate. "
"Always happy to help, now where are you going? "
Carol shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know, but I think I'll go to Taylor, he's the only one who can help me. "
"I'm glad I could help you in some way, tomorrow I'll tell you when to come and how far away it is from here, but it's okay. "
"And where will I live? "
Thomas suddenly thought.
"I'll ask my father to rent you an apartment. "
"Wouldn't that be too much? "
"I don't think he has to atone for his guilt, you know? "
"What do you mean? "
"My father left my mother and me. "
"I'm sorry to hear that "
"I've accepted it, although I said I'd never forgive him, but he's been very helpful."
"He was good to you. "
"Yes, he was a good father, but he found someone else and didn't want to live with my mom anymore. "
"That's what happens, Thomas, people get tired of each other and then they get divorced. "
"But it was so spontaneous and I resented my father for it. "
"I'd give anything to see my parents again in my life. "
"She was good to you, I mean grandma."
"Yes, she was very good to me, but at one time she was very sick and I couldn't do anything about it. "
"Don't worry, your life will be better soon."
Carol smiled again, but it wasn't fake this time, it was real.
"How can I ever thank you? "
"You don't have to do anything, I just want to help you, that's all. "
"It's not often you meet people like that. "
"Am I not like everyone else? "
"No, you're not, you really see things that no one else does, thank you. "
Thomas just smiled.
"Let me walk you to Taylor's house, if you don't mind. "
"Maybe we should take a taxi"
"Okay" Thomas said, and suddenly a taxi pulled up, Thomas stopped it and they got in the back seat together.
Carol paid the fare because Thomas had nothing in his pockets.
"This man is strange" Thomas thought looking at the the man behind the wheel.
"Where are you going" he asked in a husky voice.
"The street is hear"
Carol pulled out pocket change and handed it to Thomas.
"This is for the ride back to the club and for the cocktail".
"I can walk and the cocktail is a gift from me".
Carol smiled and shoved the money back in.
"Stop here" Carol said calmly.
"No way " the man wheezed, his face looking scary in the light of a nearby streetlamp.
"What do you mean? "
The man stopped the car and got out. Thomas and Carol looked at each other. The man opened the back door and pulled Carol's arm.
"What are you doing? " she screamed.
Thomas didn't understand what was happening, he jumped out of the car and looked at the man, who was holding a knife and now looked like a maniac.
"Let her go" Thomas said "otherwise I'll call the police. " But the man didn't pay any attention to his words, he aimed at Carol, but she managed to get away.
Suddenly he grabbed her leg and she fell down.
"Carol" screamed Thomas and punched the man in the stomach but he in turn stabbed him with a knife.Thomas fell to the ground. His arm was bleeding.
Carol managed to get up and knelt down beside Thomas.
"How are you, Thomas? "
"Don't worry, I'm fine" he said. The man was still attacking. Thomas stood up hard and picked up a rock that was on the ground.
"Stay behind Carol"
"No, I will help you" Carol said and stood next to Thomas.
"Boy, get out of there" the man shouted in a non-human voice "or you'll pay for this, but it's even better to kill two at once, what a triumph. Look at your hand, you'll soon die from excessive blood loss, you know".
"Why do you want to kill her? " Thomas exhaled heavily.
"I am an avenger, I kill everyone. "
"You kill everyone, but for what? "
"I said I'm a vigilante. "
"Who are you taking revenge on? " Carol asked.
"The whole world for making me what I am, I hate this world and all the people who live in it. "
"And what did Carol do to you, why would you kill her? "
"You don't understand" the man shouted "I kill everyone without exception. "
"You're a psychopath"
"Yes, that's what everyone thinks I am".
Thomas suddenly remembered that house and Willy's story, that man was a psychopath, but it was strange that he was still walking around the street. Thomas felt in his pocket for his diary and suddenly thought, what if it was that man. The man took a swing at Thomas, but he deflected an attack.
"Thomas what do we do? " Carol was afraid.
"Carol, stay behind me " Thomas said, wary.
The man looked at them.
"You can't get away from me, I'll catch up with you anyway, so just let me kill you, but no, I like to watch others suffer, it's quite enjoyable. "
"You're sick, you need to see a doctor"
"A doctor can't help me" the man snarled.
"Let us go, please, we'll just go home and not tell anyone" Carol said, trying to calm the man down, but he wouldn't listen.
"I'm not letting you go anywhere, I'm going to kill you two and bury the bodies in that woods over there" the man pointed to a dark place covered with trees.
Thomas forgot about the pain in his arm, he just wanted the man to go away and leave Carol alone.
"I won't let you hurt her " Thomas shouted "you won't touch her. "
"Who is she to you?" asked the man.
"It doesn't matter, but you will not touch Carol, and if you do, it will be over my dead body. "
The man smiled.
"Well, I can do that. "
He punched Thomas in the stomach so he just fell to his knees before he could do anything. Thomas was breathing heavily and holding the wound on his arm, which was still bleeding.
"Damn it" Thomas groaned as he tasted blood in his mouth.
"Thomas" Carol shouted and tried to run to Thomas, but the man grabbed her arm and wouldn't let go.
"Let go of me" she screamed, but the man pointed a knife at her, but suddenly he fell to the floor so did Thomas.
"What was that? " he groaned.
"I don't know, but I think it's over " Carol ran to Thomas and knelt down helping him stay on his knees.