Page 211 of Crank (Crank 1)

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Presents? Surprises?

Firsts?

It didn’t hurt, not at all.

The sting was rather

pleasant, like excising

an ingrown toenail.

Or did pain define

those memorable days?

Now take the rush of

snorting, multiply by

100, you get smoking.

To find mainlining, you

approach infinity.

Have you ever once in your life

reached out to touch infinity?

Elevation

Oh, but a whole lot more. They say people

who die from ecstasy die from overheating.

Adding speed to the mix accelerates the process

because it makes you want to dance until the sun comes up.

The music made me dance. It entered my brain,

firing spark plugs and pistons. It revved me to my feet.

The crank was jet fuel, pumping through my veins, propulsion.

I shifted into overdrive, motor heating steadily.

I danced with guys, I danced with girls, hotter, closer,

melting together like candles in a south-facing window.

Our dance was primitive, beautiful, waves at high tide.

Our dance was sensual, sexual, and yet somehow innocent.

Spent calories orbited, raising temperatures. Some drank alcohol.

The wise drank water. It tasted as good as champagne.

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