Untitled
by Celeste Smith & Jasper Braxton

It's yet another boring Saturday afternoon. I am at home cleaning my room, as I do EVERY Saturday. Mum's at a conference in Sydney. She's always flying half way round the country for her job. Dad is at home with me but he is too busy watching the replays of the Rugby on TV to be bothered helping me or giving me a weekend of freedom. I mean I don't see why he has to watch the replays, he stayed up and watched the actual match!

All the other girls in my grade would be out "hitting the town" you know all the good stuff; shopping, chatting to guys, going to concerts... In the evening they would go to discos or if they were older than I am they would be out clubbing. Oh, what a dream! but instead I am stuck in reality at home writing this sitting in the mess which I call my room.

As if I would ever get to do any of those cool things. I mean come on, I hardly even have a social life!! I leave the house on Mondays for Volleyball - that was Dad's idea. He's really into watching sport and thinks that one day I will be good enough to go to the Olympics so he can sit at home and watch me on TV. The only other day I get out of the house is Fridays. I go to Enterprise Meetings, of course, this was Mum's idea. "Get a job, earn money and fend for your family" that's what she always tell's me. Yeah that's great Mum but there won't be a family to fend for if I die of boredom first!

That's what I would have said six years ago. Well, now I am 22 and have everything I could possibly want in life. I have a great job with great pay - it's in the economic industry so that made Mum happy - I have an amazing husband and a 18 month old son, Tristan. Life could not be better.

It was not a happy nor easy road getting to where I am though. I remember that I was always complaining about never being allowed to go out clubbing or even to a disco in my teen years. Well, that all changed when my two best friends went to a night club about three years back. Marissa and Rachel went for an innocent girls night out. They hadn't seen each other for a while so this was the perfect opportunity to catch up on the gossip as all teen girls do.

They went to the 'Slick Oasis' as they heard it was one of the best night clubs in their area. They were there enjoying themselves and then the girls went to buy some drinks.

The drinks seemed fine at the time, but a few hours later they realised that something was wrong with Marissa's drink. It had been spiked.

Marissa blacked out for a while then when she came to she was really hyperactive and was extremely loud. She was taken to hospital for observations and to flush her system of the drugs.

I went to see her late the next morning as soon as I found out about the spiking but she was gone.

Marissa died at 8:37 that same morning. She apparantly had a fit that stopped her heart and she was unable to be resuscitated.

Rachel has never forgiven herself for what happened to Marissa. It was Rachel's idea to go clubbing so she believes it was her fault as Marissa may not have gone if she hadn't suggested it.

Due to Marissa's death I was able to piece my life together. Her death made me realise what is important in life. It is not so bad having to stay home every weekend instead of chatting up boys or shopping till I dropped because I still had my life, as boring as it may have been I still have it. That is something Marissa had heartlessly stolen from her.

Marissa was always going to be a Psychologist. She studied long and hard for her position at the university. She would always go for whatever opportunities were around to get her name known around the town.

Marissa's incredibly strong boyfriend Chris, who was also a great mate of mine, has set up many Advice Centres and Hotlines about safety when out at night clubs. It is really important to know about all the dangers that can be used at these sorts of venues.

A lot of people get told the dangers and simply reply, "I'll just avoid suspicious looking people and buy my own drinks" Well, I am telling you now, it is not that simple. If it was Marissa would still be here. Marissa was the biggest worry wart in the world, she took so much care of dangers such as those at night clubs and she was still a victim.