He rose and grabbed his well-worn, plum-coloured leather jacket. 'Of course I will save you.'

As soon as we stepped out of the entrance, the sky's began to hiss and snarl, lightning slashed across the sky like a warrior's sword. Within five minutes, the skies were weeping. He grabbed my hand and we began to run, laughing as we stepped into puddles and tried to keep our balance. We ran and ran until the streetlights sputtered and the paved road turned into a lonely side street which led us to an old abandoned whorehouse.

The place had long since faded away, the paint of the building was peeling something bad. The windows were smashed and the door was locked. Valo looked around then began to kick the shit out of the door until it eventually broke and we could enter.

If the outside was horrendous, the inside was perfection! It was as though time had stopped the moment they locked the front door. The walls were painted scarlet, the furniture was a million shades of purple and there was a bearskin rug on the floor. There was an old, Baroque-style settee off to one side. a white feather boa had been draped around it.

'I think ghosts live here,' Valo whispered as he let go of my hand and stepped forward.

'This place is fucking immaculate.' I exclaimed as I moved to the settee and touched the boa. I swear the thing moved and purred which caused me to scream, 'fucking ay!'

In a flash, Valo was at my side, to save me I presumed, but I was wrong. He stole the bottle from my hand and lifted it to his lips.

I shook my head lightly and touched the boa again, this time it stayed silent. What the hell was in the air, LSD?

Valo walked to me, stood behind me and snaked the bottle holding hand around me, 'drink some, it will give you wings to fly.'

The liquid touched my lips, my tongue, the inside of my soul. I swallowed until the room began to spin and come alive with slivers of golden light.

'Come, I think I found the entrance to Heaven.' He lowered the bottle from my lips, took hold of my wrist and led me up the stairs. Gentle creeks were created under my feet as we head up to one of the old rooms.

Beyond the red painted door stood the largest room I had ever seen. Right in the middle was a bed in the shape of a ship, it looked like something Peter Pan would fly off in.

In a moment he ran to the bed and leaped on it, 'Full speed ahead Ca'pn!'

I moved to the front of it and began to laugh, 'Where the fuck did you find this?'

Fatter-of-factly he answered, 'In here.'

Valo peered off into the vast nothingness with his hand on his head, as if saluting me, 'Where to Ca'pn?'

I shrugged and crawled onto the bed. Gently, I rested my hand on his shoulder. 'Take me far away.'

His beautiful, intoxicated head nodded as he placed his hand on either banister, as if to steady the ship. 'Tell me where I can take you. Can I take you to the Moon? To the stars?'

I took a breath and sighed, 'Can you take me to the constellations?'

With a nod he gave me affirmation, 'Hang on, we're just thirty seconds from Mars.'