She's Like a Shot, Good 'Till Morning

I don’t know how long I’ve been asleep or when it happened even. I don’t know when the drugs kicked in and I faded from consciousness into unconsciousness. Opening my eyes the room is swirled in a blobbed blur, everything soft and dreamlike. “…Hey…” I murmur, seeing the blurred frame of Mercy packing things into her bag and flattening out her clothes. “…You’re leaving?” I ask, setting myself up on my elbows.

“Yeah I have to go, I’m running late.” She leans down and smacks her lips to mine. I could get use to waking up like this.

“Do you have to?” I mumble, breathing in her taste as I press my lips to hers again.

“Yes I must,” She says, tugging my bottom lip in between her teeth. I grab hair, pulling her lips deeper into mine. I hold her there as her neck wiggles against my palm, her lips smirk against mine and the laugh that leaves her mouth is what breaks our kiss.

“…I love you,” I state, without an ounce of thought. And once those words are out there…they’re out there…

“Did you just say you love me?” She asks in this joking tone, pulling back and standing straight up.

“Yeah I did,” I reply, blinking my eyes open and seeing the room clearly for the first time. “And I do.” I finish and she looks at me, just stands there looking at me with this blank expression. But then a smile grows upon her face and her mouth crashes against mine once more and she whispers, “I-L-Y,”

Though in a flash she is gone and out of the hotel room and I’m left alone in stupid bliss. “Did I really just fucking say that?” I mutter out loud, running my hand though my short hair that’s tangled with gel and sweat. I know I could use a shower but I use the side of the bed to pull myself up and onto it and get comfortable, going back to sleep sounds like a better idea.

The sky is bright but there is no sun in the sky, the air is warm but I can feel a hidden chill hiding in the nearest shadows. No one is around; I’m standing alone in the middle of nowhere. There are no trees, no bushes or cars. There are no streets or buildings, just a vast open area of nothingness. In every direction I look it goes on and on. The ground is dark brown; it’s the dirt without the grass, it goes on and on.

There are no birds chirping, there’s no music playing. I’m alone here. Panic starts to set in and even though I’m completely in the open I feel trapped. I feel watched as if I’m in some sort of box and someone is standing above looking down at me getting their kicks.

“Where the fuck are you?” I go to shout but no voice comes out. I scream but no scream escapes my open mouth. I began to thrash around angrily. I don’t like this place.

As I continue to thrash I close my eyes in distress and when I open them again the scene around me has changed. I’m on the beach and my friends are all hanging around, they’re laughing and having a good time around a barbeque. Drinks are in their hands and smiles are on their faces. The sky is bright and the sun is on fire where it sits.

“Dude, there you fucking are! Calling it close don’t you think?” Zack shouts from his seat, startled by his voice I twitch then shake it off. I join the group of guys and girls and they hand me a beer. I get a good look at them now and notice someone is missing. Celia, she isn’t here. But then I notice the girl behind Matt and it’s Mercy, she’s standing here with the gang getting along with them.

“Close for what?” I ask, stumped by what I almost missed.

“Ah come on, you know.” Syn urged on, clamping a hand on my shoulder. It’s then that I notice that I’m wearing dressy attire.

“What’s going on-“ I start but I’m whipped around in the bustle of bodies. They start moving hurriedly like cockroaches in the light. And the next moment I open my eyes they are all gone. I’m still on the beach but it is completely deserted now. A loud beat of thunder breaks the silence and shoots me out of my skin. After I regain my composer the rain starts to fall. It falls slowly at first but quickly picks up pace and begins falling in buckets. The sand is getting drenched and my toes are getting slimy.

“I’ve been looking for you.” I wish that would stop happening, all these sudden noises man, gonna’ give me a heart attack. I turn around to see Celia there, standing in the rain, drenched as can be. Her make up is running and her hair is flat against her head but she looks beautiful. “You were late and look what happened.”

“What’s going on?” I ask but I don’t hear myself, she frowns as if she heard me.

“How could you forget? Today should have been perfect, we deserved a perfect day. But that’s all gone now.” Her voice is sad; I can almost hear the tears in her voice.

“But I don’t know what’s going on.” I plead with no use, there is still no sound. She nods and tilts her face down to the sand, looking at the wet clumps with her hands behind her back in an innocent posture.

Sighing she says, “It’s your entire fault it’s raining. The sun was out, I had it all planned and made but you left and forgot.” And right before my eyes she disappears into nothing. The scene that stood around her now continues where she was. I turn around and as I do, I hit something hard.

“Dude, open the fucking door!” I landed on the floor sharply when I turned in my sleep, and now Matt is banging on the door. “I seen your car and I asked the hotel fucking clerk, open the damn door dude, we need to talk.” I set up and pull on my boxers then push myself up off the floor. Sluggishly I walk over to the door and open it up, it was unlocked. With the tiniest crack of entrance Matt shoves himself through to door followed by Zack and no one else. The two of them turn their selves towards me as I shut the door; facing them I rub my fingers over my eyes to remove the excess goo.

“Dude you look like shit,” Zack starts off, his voice taking on a tone totally different from Matt’s. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Nothing,” I mutter, leaning up against the door. The cool metal sends a band of shivers down my warm body.

“We’ve been worried.” Says Matt and I look up to see a voice that matches the face of a genuinely worried friend. His tone is different from the one that came from the outside of the door. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah man, I’m fucking fine. I don’t need you guys to come check on me.” I reply. “And tell that to Celia too,” I add after the thought of her barking Matt out on a search hunt for me crosses my mind.

“You don’t look fucking fine dude, you look seriously fucked up. You’re not even standing straight.” Zack interrupts, taking his hands out of his pant pockets.

“Well I am, so just butt out.” I defend, staring at the floor and burning holes into it with my mind.

“I’m beginning to think the girls’ are right, this new bitch has you bent outta’ shape.” Matt scoffs and for a brash second I have this moment of clarity-and possibly insanity- as I stride forward and slug him good in the mouth.

“…Whoa…” Zack articulates and I swear I can hear the closing and opening of Matt’s eyes as he blankly blinks.

“Did you just hit me?” I walk back over to the door that I never locked and swing it open, “Get out.” I try to order but it falls flat.

“You’ll come to your senses.” Matt mumbles before brushing past me and walking out of the door.

“Get yourself together dude, get cleaned up, sober up, ditch that fucking bitch and come home. We’ll work this all out at home.” Zack says looking at me, trying to catch my eyes but I avert them to the floor. After a moments pause he too walks past me and leaves.

I stand here for a minute with the door open, the scene of my room leaking out into the hall for just anyone to see. And after the feeling comes back to arm, after I space out, I close it in a mute slam, hurrying over to the phone to make a very important call.

In seven rings she picks up, her voice is dry and there’s hummed music in her background, “Hello babe,” She slurs.

“Hey I have a question to ask,” I rush my words hurriedly wanting to already get this show on the road…no pun intended…

“Yeah,” She replies urging me on, I can pick up the seductive tone no matter how quiet she is and how loud her background is.

“Do you want to go away for a few days?”

“Like a vacation?”

“Yeah exactly like a vacation. Just you and me baby. Drive around, bar hop, hotel hop, what the fuck ever, let’s just get the hell out of here.”

“Hell why the fuck not, ok. I’m working right now I’ll come by your hotel in about an hour when my shift is done. I’m sure I can take an early leave.”

“Good, I’ll see you then.” And I hang up. In excitement I slam the phone onto the receiver and take a moment’s pause before dashing off towards my suitcase to grab some clothes and get refreshed. All signs of sleepiness have left my body as thoughts bounce around my head as to what is going to be happening the next few days…