I am the Vampire of Time and Memory;
the Causer of Pain;
the Enemy of Health;
the Breaker of Plans;
the Poisoner of Mind;
the Distorter of Soul;
the Feeder of Confidence;
the Burner of Your Power;
the Destroyer of Relationships;
the Right-hand Man of Success;
I am a powerful manipulator;
I am your close friend.

I am diverse; I am everywhere. I bring you all together. I make you feel the full range of emotions. I love to control you; and you don’t mind. I know you better than you do. I love your vulnerability. I know that I will never lose my power in this beautiful world. You keep me alive; and so do I.

Although I have competitors, the majority of you people prefer me. So there is this devious one, The Smoke. She is attractive; the way She dances alluringly in front of their faces, I’m sure, makes them fall in love with her. She is complicated; but She is so addictive(as we all are). However, She is bad at keeping her lovers, unlike me and The Drugs. The most dangerous and cruel ones. I personally have great admiration for Them; but They are kind of apart from us(The Smoke envies Them). They are by themselves. They are wily. They are not as popular as I am, but They have never been betrayed by Their people. Those people are loyal. Once a drug addict, always a drug addict, as they say. It is truly amazing how They manage to always be in demand in the world where They are perceived, if not with contempt, then with caution. They are capable of gobbling up their victims completely and soaking up their lives, while they are always grateful, asking for more and returning to Them.

Most of you are familiar with at least one of us. However, there are the neglectors: mainly doctors, athletes, and some religious people. Oh, and health nuts. I like to be loved, needed, and begged for. I am acceptable almost everywhere except for some Muslim countries (saints *roll eyes*).

Let’s see what my friends are doing. Huh, Jame Turner, the musician! Let me help you with composing pure genius music. Take me; it’s so cramped in a glass bottle. Good boy. So much better in your body. Take the inspiration; I’ll be fighting with your miserable body for a while.

Next! Uh-huh, Leo! Out on the streets at night again, huh? Okay, see that girl? Isn’t she afraid to walk alone at night? Take some beer and help her. Alright! Now go, you know what to do.

Next! Oh, Sarah, what’s wrong? You left your little Amelia with your husband and he came to you and said she wants to eat? Oh, this annoying man! Can’t he do it by himself? Does he have to bother you every time? Doesn’t he realize that you are sick of them? You just want to be in love with me, you don’t actually need them, right? Let’s run away. Take the money. Threaten him if he resists. Now run, darling. Oh people you are ready to leave your families for me, aren’t you all lovely?

Next! Teenagers! Interesting! The most vulnerable kind of people. Tangled between the childhood teachings and the reality of adulthood. So you are drinking… beer again? I was expecting something different, but it's fine. Wait, what’s wrong with that girl? Why won’t she drink me? She's got the shield; I can’t break through her head. Make her drink, people! Ouch! Did she just break the bottle? Stupid stubborn girl! Vengeance will be swift. What is it?

Next! Sarah? You say you don't want to drink anymore? Now you regret running away with me? Oh, what a terrible day, why y’all have to upset me? Sarah, you must understand that I am your friend. You can’t live without me, I mean it. Your body and your mind want me. So that’s it? That’s your decision? Well, I am not afraid of losing you. I have the control. I'm going to be cruel to you now. I thought we were friends, but you decided to sacrifice me. The river Seine is so enchanting at night… Don’t you want to take a closer look? Don’t you want to ruin that ideal water surface that resembles your perfect life before those two appeared in your life? Don’t hesitate. You have to choose: me or death. No! What’s happening? Your stupid husband has come! Don’t listen to him, I’m your friend! You’re crying. Don’t go with him! Wait, where are you? I’m losing you. Oh, here you are, running away with me again. I’m glad you did the right thing.

Next! Aleksandr, my Russian friend! Hello man, how are you doing? Of course you’re good, you’re making millions with me! Wait, you haven’t been drinking for three days now. What’s wrong with you?! Aren’t you the man who drinks ten liters of vodka every day? What are you saying? Your daughter? You don’t want to hurt her? You have done it too many times, man; one more, one less - no big difference. Don’t resist. Don’t you disappoint me today! Is it your daugther who walked in?

It’s that silly girl who hurt me! Taste my revenge! I will kill your father. There is so much of me in your body, Aleksandr. I control it now. I am disabling your consciousness. I will destroy your body. You fall to the floor in convulsions. She is screaming “Dad! Dad!”. Ha! You deserve it, stupid. Her mom is not home? Well, that’s perfect! She closes the door to her younger sister’s room. Her mother doesn’t answer her calls. There is nothing you can do. She calls the ambulance. Her face gone pale like paper. She is crying and calling him while he is shaking on the ground. He doesn’t hear you. Now you see what happens to stubborn people? I am dictating the rules here. She sits next to him and doesn't know what to do. Aren’t you taught that in school? Her phone drops out of her wet hands as she googles what to do in case of epilepsy. The ambulance is here. Oh no! I hate them! The smell of medicine, ew. They hold him down and inject something into his arm. No, no, stupid doctors! The girl is carrying a glass of water and it falls from her shaking hands. Loser. A nurse takes her away and gives her something. I’m losing control again. He has hallucinations. They inject something into his arm again. Something hot. Aleksandr wakes up. His head hurts unbearably. He is sitting on a sofa. His blood pressure has never been so high. The mom came home. That stupid girl can't say a word - she stutters. The doctors told the mother, “It was alcoholic epilepsy. He had a pre-stroke condition”. Of course, this is not a limit of my possibilities. The woman looked at him both angrily and sympathetically, then exclaimed.

'Did it really have to come to this? You must undergo treatment now! Look what you have done to your daughter! She’s stuttering! Is alcohol really more important to you than her?!'

He looked around blankly and perplexed, as if in a fog. I’m still here. I’ve been your friend for too long, I’m a big part of you. His mind is waking up. No, no, no! Don’t you betray me!

‘Yes,’ he answers her. ‘I will… go… with them... to be treated’

Today I have lost my bestest friend. And he left me for what? for his daughter! Well, to be honest, this is the most common reason why you betray me. Or is it a disease? Well, it doesn't matter. The problem is... your children are more important to you than me. You make me furious every time. If you keep quitting drinking for your kids, I might disappear soon, you know.