Like everyone else I know I always said I would never take a pill because "you never know what's in it" or "it affects different people different ways" but like all drugs I have tried I had heard there was an excellent high. So on Friday I dropped some Ecstasy tabs for the first time.

I was being cautious so I only took half a pill purely because I was worried about the consequences. I dropped outside "The Union Bar" before we went in, it takes about half an hour to kick in so we had plenty of time to knock back a few drinks before the buzz came, and have plenty of water on standby. There were 5 others dropping with me on this occasion, but I was the only one who hadn't done it before. About an hour later the others were clearly feeling some effect and I kept being asked "Are you alright?", to which I replied "nothings happening, I'm well disappointed."

I was persuaded by one of my friends who had been dropping for a considerable time (we can call him person A, I'm not putting his name for security reasons) to take the other half, this was annoying, I had left it in my car on purpose to save the worry of being caught with it. I made an excuse to the bouncers and went to the car and dropped, then came back to the club. When I got back in I bought another round and sat down, I didn't have the energy to dance, not due to the pills, I had an exam that morning for 3 hours and it drained me a bit. About half an hour later people started inspecting my pupils and telling me that it was effecting me, I just didn't know it. Great I thought. �3.50 a pill and its only fucking up my eyes.

Shortly after this I noticed that my hand that was holding the cigarette was shaking and I couldn't control it. It scared me but I just put it down to drinking so much vodka and red bull. Then another regular-pilling friend (Person B) came over and asked for the 18th time if I was ok. He said he wanted to do another half and I took advantage of his inebriated state by asking if I could drop the other half with him, he let me and I was up to 1� pills on my first dropping experience, while still feeling nothing. Immediately after Person A came over and asked the same thing, I told him nothing was happening still and that I was annoyed. He offered to drop another half with me, I agreed thinking "what the hell, if one has done nothing, another one cant kill me".

About ten minutes later I found myself wedged in one of the Union Bars' bucket chairs with a cool wind blowing from my feet to my head, my head tipped back and I leaned against the wall. It was just like a cannabis high, I was feeling relaxed and calm but at the same time I was unable to move. I was later told this was a low as opposed to a high. I got up and danced for a bit assuming that I was not going to get the wonderful "better than sex" high that I was expecting. The night was coming to a close and the music was getting shitter so I sat down and made sure I topped up my water levels and relaxed. Then the low came over me again and I was eventually dragged out of the club by my friends. As soon as we got out the door I sat down again the others joined me waiting for the few remaining people we knew to leave so we could say goodbye. Suddenly my stomach did a somersault and I was sick on the pavement. It was one brief gush of fluid that I couldn't stop. We decided, with the bouncers watching us closely it was time to leave.

We left for the "pigeon" or "Favourite Chicken" as its officially known. So that some people could get food. Sat outside I wondered what I could do if I was having some nasty side effect, I was worried that I had done to much, I resigned myself to remain talking to my fellow droppers, now joined by a 6th person (Person C) who had dropped for his first time, towards the end of the night at the Union Bar. I tried to explain my fear and how I was feeling in order to get them to look after me, as I was beginning to feel I could not control my actions. Somebody handed me a cup of coke, which I sipped gingerly not wanting to be sick again.

We left for a cab back to Person B's house. I felt unsure of a long car journey and I had my own car in town anyway. I walked with them, then walked home with Person C who lived nearby, I could feel another low coming on as the cold wind had already reached my waist, he lent me his top as I was wearing only a T-shirt. I finished my last cigarette and said thank you and goodbye. I decided I needed more cigarettes, the E was making me chain smoke, so I walked to Texaco the petrol station nearby to get some. Having bought 20 more I decided the safest place for me was with the others at Person B's house with the other pill-heads. I got my car and (stupidly) drove there.

The minute I stepped out of the car I saw hallucinations, my eyes wouldn't focus and I knew this was bad, I helped my brain fight for control but not before seeing two stinging nettles leaning towards each other, I thought these were people getting off. I made my way through the rest of the alleyway and knocked on the door, he opened and I saw four people crashed on his living room floor, I sat down, sipped some water and then tried talking to them, to try and help myself. It didn't work, I saw a fat man outside the window with a birthday cake, another hallucination. Before long I was laying back too and another sensation moved from my legs to my head. This time it was warm, it reached my head and doubled back to my thighs and groin. It was like an orgasm, an excellent feeling that made me scream aloud "oh my god, this IS better than sex" it lasted about half an hour and was well worth the four hours wait.

I would definitely recommend it but don't mix with alcohol or medication, and have plenty of water, but not to much as over-hydration can kill you. Also it takes 7 days to get out of your system so don't drop if you have a blood test in the next week. And don't ever drive home after, I've fucked up my front left tire because I hit a kerb.

Mark knows way more about E than me, check out his special page dedicated to it by clicking here.