Diaries: The Dark Sides of Our Lives.

Prologue


You know how people always tell you not to do drugs? Well...This is the perfect

example of that.

This documentary was filmed in Domino City over the course of three years.

Drug use has always been a huge problem in and around Domino, and it has broken its

previous record within the past five years.

It is now the leading cause of preventable death in Domino City.

These are the stories and lives of teens that have been swept up and away by the drug craze.

The Dark Sides of Our Lives.

"Why did you do it?"

"Come again?"

"Why did you do it, Atem?"

"...The pain. It-It was too great."

Atem Laghaz, age 24.

The camera fades from black to reveal the young gentleman known as Atem Laghaz. He smiles at the camera as it zooms in and out

before finally focusing on him. His smile closed mouthed and tired looking just like his ruby eyes. A few gorgeous, frazzled locks of lightning gold fell around his face while the rest, along with a large bush of black and magenta, shot up into the air.

The camera pans out some more to reveal his black muscle t-shirt, the hoodie wrapped around his waist, dark blue skinny jeans, and black riding boots. The thing that stood out the most, however, was the piece of cloth that was tied around his arm like a tourniquet and the needle sticking out of his arm.

"How many times have you...'fixed' today?" I asked, watching him closely as he injects poison into his veins.

"This is the fifth time today." He answers bluntly.

I fought the urge to wince as he removed the needle from his heavily bruised arm. The same arm I'd watch the needle go into, miss, and go right into his muscle tissue. It couldn't be pleasant whenever he did that, but he probably didn't feel it anymore because he was high.

"When will I get to meet some of your friends, Atem?"

"Haha, what?" He rocks in place and wraps his arms around himself.

"When will I get to meet some of your friends?"

Suddenly, he jumps up and stumbles over to the door "Come on, Yugi! Let's gooooo~! On a magical adventuuuuuure!"

As much as I wanted to giggle, I just couldn't find it in my heart to do so. It was sad to see him like this when it wasn't natural for him at all. He wasn't supposed to be behaving like this at all. At. All. He was supposed to be a smiling, happy guy. A happy guy with a job, a house, a family, a life.

Not some-some washed out, beat down, messed up drug addict! He still had his entire life ahead of him.

I'm meeting his friends today, and from what I've seen so far...It can only go uphill from here.


MUAHAHAHAHA! This is only the beginning.

Preview of Chapter One:

Damn...

This neighborhood is in shambles.

As I pull into the driveway of one of his friends'...living spaces -if you could even call it that- I'm suddenly glad that I decided to drive here in my grandpa's old, worn out Volkswagen bus.

Barely waiting for the car to come to a complete stop, Atem opened the door and hopped out. I started to call after him as he began walking to the rundown shack of a home, but I didn't want to make any sudden noises in a neighborhood such as this one. One loud noise just might be the end of me.

"Shit.' I mutter, shaking my head to clear my thoughts before grabbing my camera. I'm quick to open the car door, just as quick to lock it, and quicker than a frightened cat on steroids to silently follow Atem up to the door of the place.