The Forum: An intense psychological thriller that will leave you breathless Page 2

  Didn’t they know that he could crush them from where he was sitting? Just one phone call, just one sentence, and they’d be taken care of. It amazed Mr. Big Bucks that people could be so naive. He was a powerful man that held a golden carrot in his hands, right above their snapping jaws. But just because he showed them some form of kindness did not mean that he wasn’t vicious in his approach to business.

  Because this was business. The sort of business that is done in private. Behind closed doors, with only a select few. They should count themselves lucky that they even have this opportunity, not bitch about the fact that it isn’t happening fast enough for their liking.

  But it would happen soon. Mr. Big Bucks was sure of it.

  “Tell them that the candidate is in the bag. All I need to do now is introduce everybody to everybody else. We need to set some ground rules. Ground rules that will lay out the structure of the forthcoming days ahead. They should all be well aware of the downside in being a member of The Forum, and what will be expected of them. So I will call a meeting. And we shall all get to know each other a little better. Then the fun and games can begin. And I have a feeling that this will be a hell of a lot of fun!” Mr. Big Bucks said with a smile on his face, admiring his reflection on his dimly lit high-res monitor.

  “So it is done. The League shall kick off very soon. And once it does, then the games truly begin,” the man on the phone said, bringing a sick smile to Mr. Big Bucks’ face.

  “I’ll get in touch with candidate number eight, and tie a neat little bow on this experiment of ours,” Mr. Big Bucks said, smiling one last time as he hung up the phone and prepared himself for phase one in his genius plan to spread his wealth among eight lucky people…

  Chapter Five

  “Have a good day Michael, and stay out of trouble,” Michael’s dad said, putting the car in park, and allowing his son to get out.

  “I’ll try.”

  Michael stepped out of the estate and stretched. He looked as if he hadn’t had a lick of sleep the night before, but his dad knew that was the norm.

  The kid was obsessed with the internet. He didn’t see it as a bad thing. Michael’s dad thought that it was good for kids to have a passion, and he wasn’t going to be the one to tell his son any different, but he’d have to nip the attitude thing in the bud soon. He just couldn’t allow Michael to continue to have as much free reign as he currently had. And as much as it broke his heart, freedom at his age must be restricted.

  Michael would probably end up hating his parents even more, but the two of them couldn’t allow him to spiral out of control. And that was where Michael was heading, a deep spiral of self-entitlement that seemed to fester in most youngsters these days. At least Michael had that in common with his classmates, even if they were taking a while to accept him.

  “Look, Michael,” his dad said, rolling down his window, and sticking his hand out, touching his son’s arm. “You don’t need to pretend to be somebody you aren’t. Don’t take everything to heart, boy. People come in all different configurations. Your mum and I know who you are, and we love you for what you can be, not what you are not. Please, try and have a good day today. Don’t let those little shits get you down. In three years’ time, you’ll be at University, and have the world at your feet, instead of on your shoulders.”

  The boy nodded, suppressing the urge to grimace. He wasn’t one for emotions, and neither was his father. But maybe he was right, maybe everything would be okay? Maybe things would die down one day, and people wouldn’t be so quick to judge him? But then again, people rarely change, and he couldn’t just shut his feelings off toward other people. For so long, all he’d wanted was to be a part of a close clique of friends, but now all he wanted to do was understand why people decide to distance themselves from some, and get close to others.

  What made him so different that the majority of people he knew didn’t make time for him?

  “Michael, you okay?” his dad asked, sticking his hand through the window, trying to get closer to his son.

  But Michael just nodded and tried to reassure his dad with a smile.

  “I’m okay dad. School’s hard for most people. I’ll be fine. As you said, it isn’t forever. And one day, when I’m rich and famous, they’ll wish they treated me right!”

  Michael winked at his dad, knowing that the mere mention of money would set him off.

  But to his credit, he smiled back at Michael and nodded.

  “Good, that’s the spirit. Now get to school and learn the square root of one!”

  Michael waved at his dad as he watched him drive off. For some reason, he felt sad to see his dad go. In his mind, deep within the middle of his brain, was a nagging voice telling him that his father was right, and the way that Michael saw the world wasn’t necessarily the way the world was. Maybe it would do him some good to be a little more positive?

  “Let’s have a good day today, Michael. It isn’t all doom and gloom,” he said to himself, turning on his heels and making his way toward the ominous school gates.

  Every weekday, at around this time, he’d feel a sudden sense of dread. As if time itself had slowed down, and remained at a crawl as he walked through the gates and passed the various popular kids that hung around near the entrance to the academic building. He despised those kids with all his heart, but today, he decided to do something that he rarely did.

  He decided to smile at them as he walked passed. In doing so, he hoped that maybe his new-found attitude would win them over, in turn, making his life a little easier. But, unfortunately, that is not how it went down.

  “What you smiling at, fag?” one of the popular kids said as he walked by.

  Almost immediately, his heart sank. It had all been for nothing, and they still saw him as a mug.

  “Something funny, gay boy?” another kid said.

  Michael decided to carry on walking. Usually, he’d retort back with some quick-quipped response, but today he just didn’t have the strength to do so. His idea of changing himself and the way he saw the world quickly started to disintegrate in front of his very own eyes.

  “You wanna get banged out?” another kid said, this one sidling up beside him, trying to get his attention with flailing arms as he spoke.

  The other kids didn’t do or say anything. As usual, they just stood there, staring. Some smiling. Others thankful that they weren’t being singled out today. There were many kids like Michael at that school. Kids that weren’t seen as equal in the other, more popular, kids’ eyes. But Michael seemed to get it worse than others. Probably because he on occasion was known to put up a fight, and gave as good as he received. But he’d grown weary of doing such a thing today.

  He just wanted to be left alone.

  “You wanna get fucked up? Is that it, blud? You mugging mans off or summin? Please, give me one reason not to spark you out right now? Please, I beg of you blud! Please!” the ringleader said, also sidling up to Michael.

  He now had two guys to deal with.

  He was beginning to feel a little threatened. He’d done nothing, and already, it had escalated more so than usual. He stopped dead in his tracks and sighed.

  “What’s your problem? I ain’t done nothing, so fuck off, yeah? And leave me be!” Michael said, clenching his fists at his sides.

  But the other boys weren’t interested. By now, the playground had gone silent, and it seemed as if everybody was watching the scene unfold. But none of them stepped in, they just stood there, gawking at the unfortunate kid that was about to get his arse handed to him.

  Michael decided to stand up for himself. This going under the radar shit, and hanging in there, wasn’t working out for him. It was time that he did what he did best.

  Knock some heads.

  “You rude, blud? Is that it? You some sort of bad man, yeah? Well, let’s see how bad you are!” The ringleader said, before swinging for Michael, who ducked the punch and stumbled back, knocking his backpack off his back, and onto the ground. One of
the boys picked it up and started taking his stuff out and throwing it on the floor.

  “Ohh, look, he has an iPad Mini, that’s mine now fam,” the kid said, putting it in his own bag, and grinning at a very red-faced Michael.

  “Why won’t you leave me alone?” Michael said, tears started to stream down his face.

  “Because you’re weak, blud! That’s why! Don’t you know that this is the jungle, fam? And only the strong survive, so get to stepping, or you is going to get hurt, you get me?” the one on his left said, about to swing for him again.

  “Nah, I ain’t weak, I’m just better. That’s why you hate me, because you’re scared. Scared that one day, I’ll be cashing your cheques, while you’re working for me, or better yet, on the dole, making no money, struggling to buy nappies for your ugly ass baby!” Michael said, immediately regretting his comeback.

  And rightfully so, the kids pounced on him and started laying punches left, right and centre. Luckily, a teacher came springing into action and broke up the fight. But it was too late. The damage had been done, and Michael’s face was busted up.

  “You three, to the headmaster’s office! And you Michael, go see the school nurse!” the teacher said, but Michael didn’t listen, he grabbed his rucksack off the floor and pushed passed the teacher, and walked through the entrance one again, passed some staring kids.

  “Michael, get back here!” the teacher yelled, but it was useless, Michael was already gone.

  He stumbled up the road, tears rolling down his cheeks and an unrelenting flutter in his chest.

  “Fuck them!” he shouted, steaming up the street, trying to wipe the blood off his nose. Parents walking their smaller children to school walked on by, avoiding eye contact with the older, obviously troubled boy. Nobody stopped to see if he was alright and before he knew it, he was in the borough centre, walking passed market stools and old people doing their morning shop.

  “Fuck them all,” he muttered under his breath, managing to get his emotions under control, while stopping the bleeding coming from his nose.

  Suddenly his mobile rang. It startled him.

  At first, he didn’t want to answer it, in fear that it was his father or mother, already aware of the confrontation that had taken place minutes ago. But something within the pit of his stomach was telling him to answer the mobile, so he did.

  He looked at the screen, not recognising the number, and frowned, hurting his face a little in the process.

  “Hello?” he said, a little nervous.

  “Michael…Are you ready to change your life forever?” the voice on the phone said, echoing through his eardrums and sending a shiver down his spine.

  Chapter Six

  “Who is this?” Michael said, feeling as if the breath in his lungs was slowly choking him out. He could hardly speak, and whatever was going on, deep down, he knew that it was bad.

  It was the tone of the guy’s voice. He’d never heard anybody like that before. It was obvious that he had some sort of authority, yet he sounded terrifying to Michael, like a killer might sound. But then again, Michael thought that maybe he’d been watching too many violent real life crime videos online.

  “Michael, relax. I’m a friend of yours. A long lost friend in fact. You know me by my online alias, MR. BIG BUCKS,” the man said.

  Suddenly, Michael’s heart was pounding in his ears. He’d gone white and was now leaning against a stone wall that belonged to one of the high street banks within the borough.

  “Who?” Michael said, more of a statement, than a question. He knew who Mr. Big Bucks was. He’d been speaking to him earlier that day on the internet. He just couldn’t believe that he was speaking to him now. He’d never given out his personal information online before, so it just didn’t make sense how this guy got his details. Was this a joke? Were his mates playing a prank on him?

  But then Michael remembered that he didn’t have any mates, so that was out of the question.

  “Michael, relax. I come in peace. I’m here to talk business, so don’t worry yourself. You sound stressed as it is,” Mr. Big Bucks said.

  Michael gulped.

  “I don’t understand! How did you get my number?”

  Mr. Big Bucks laughed. The sound of his laughter through the receiver sent more shivers down the lad’s spine.

  “I take it upon myself to get to know my friends, before they are friends… if you get my drift?” Mr. Big Bucks said, still chortling on the other end of the phone.

  Michael was now sweating. He didn’t know if it was because of the hiding he’d just received, or the realisation that he’d been tracked down by an obvious nutcase from one of his many online hideouts.

  “Listen man, I don’t want any trouble. I’m just fifteen!” Michael said.

  This made Mr. Big Bucks laugh once again.

  “Listen son, I’m not here to get you in any trouble. That’s not what I do. I have a proposition for you. A proposition that will change your life forever, and all you have to say is yes.”

  Michael shook his head, sweat dripping down his face as he slid down the wall and sat on the hard pavement. The various people passing by didn’t give him a single look, they carried on with their daily routine, completely oblivious to the poor lad on his mobile.

  Michael never felt so alone.

  “What is this all about? My parents have money. I can pay you off. I can get the money. Please don’t tell them what I’ve been doing online. They’ll send me away, probably to the nut-house!”

  Mr. Big Bucks cleared his throat.

  “Michael, I’m not here to tell your parents that you have a morbid fascination with death. I’m not a damn tattletale! Besides, it’s not like you’re breaking the law. You just want to find out the truth, don’t you? And in my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

  Michael’s pulse slowed down slightly.

  “So what do you want?” he said, still leaning against the hard wall while sitting on the equally hard concrete pavement.

  “I want you to be the best that you can be, Michael. You see, son, this world isn’t built for people like you and me. It’s built for people that bury their heads in the sand. For people that carry on with their very existence, oblivious to the pain and suffering that surrounds them. It’s not for people like you and me who see the world and its inhabitants for what they are… cowards!”

  Michael slowly stood up, and looked around. People were still walking by him, although he probably looked a right state - a black eye, a bleeding nose and a fat lip. Yet they did nothing, and said nothing.

  “What’s all this got to do with me? I’m just a kid, that’s all, a kid who likes to see what happens when people snap,” he said, wiping his nose, and noticing that the blood had dried.

  “Well Michael, the world itself is very close to snapping. And I want you to have a front row seat to it. I want you to join my forum,” Mr. Big Bucks said.

  Michael scoffed.

  “All this so I can join your website? I told you I’d join, didn’t I? You didn’t need to ring me!”

  Mr. Big Bucks laughed once again. It was starting to annoy Michael. Why was this guy so bloody happy?

  “Son, this isn’t about a damn website. This is about something much bigger, something much deeper. And you’re invited to it as a V.I.P. member.”

  Michael squinted his eyes, trying to wrap his brain around what this guy was saying. None of it made any sense.

  “A V.I.P. member? What are you on about?”

  Mr. Big Bucks cleared his throat once again.

  “Michael, I control a club that I want you to join. This club is something very special indeed. And in this club you can be who you want to be, say what you want and do what you want. And you know what the best part about it is? It’s completely free to join, but the rewards are great. In this club you can live out your wildest fantasies, and walk away a millionaire for your efforts. How does that sound?”

  Michael swallowed hard.

  “So
unds strange. I hate to break it to you mate, but I ain’t into pedo shit, and I wanna keep my ass virginity if it’s all right with you?”

  Michael was about to hang up when Mr. Big Bucks started howling down the phone. It made Michael even angrier. What was this guy’s deal? Who laughs at being called a pedo?

  “Michael, this isn’t a sex thing. This isn’t a damn cult. This is a club with like-minded people. People that share the same goals and aspirations as you. I just thought that you’d be a perfect fit, that’s all. But if you’re too scared to take a leap into reality, then please, be my guest being one of the billions of sheep roaming this planet with their eyes firmly shut.”

  Michael gripped tightly onto the mobile. Two thoughts were going through his head; hang up, or see where this takes him.

  “No weird shit? It’s just a club, right?” he said, feeling a little foolish. But he had never taken any leaps of faith in his life before. He’d reserved himself to a life of misery and misunderstanding. But maybe this was what his dad had been on about? Maybe this was his chance to fit in?

  “No weird shit, I promise. Just the truth, and you want to find the truth, don’t you Michael?”

  Michael nodded.

  “I do,” he said.

  “Good. So the truth it is. Good choice. You won’t regret it, Michael. There’s a world out there. A world for the taking. And it could be yours. All you have to do is believe in yourself, and believe in The Forum.”

  Michael stood there for a few seconds, not knowing what to say. But then Mr. Big Bucks interrupted his silence.

  “I’ll send a limo to pick you up in an hour. Just tell me where, and it will be there. Then I’ll introduce you to the others, and the real fun and games can begin.”

  Michael hesitated for a second, and then told Mr. Big Bucks where he’d like to be picked up.

  “I’ll see you in an hour. Don’t worry about school today. You don’t need school where you’re going,” Mr. Big Bucks said, hanging up and leaving Michael alone with his thoughts.

  “I wasn’t planning on going back anyway,” Michael muttered under his breath as he wiped his face dry of any tears or blood and made his way toward the meeting spot.