Out Of This World

I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, humming softly to myself with my head balanced on the ledge of the open window. I had sent Ada up to get Kim, she was in a mood with me as usual, and being the considerate boy that I am, I readied the temperature for her arrival by turning the heater on as high as I could withstand.

Tilting my head backwards, I stuck out my tongue, looking like a total lunatic and catching some cool raindrops in the process. A few fell onto my forehead, simmering with a soft hiss.

The crunch of footsteps crashed through the soft patter of rain as Ada and Kim ran across the driveway and towards the car. Pulling my head back into the window and rolling it back up, I reached over and opened the passenger and back door for them. Ada’s hooded figure appeared; she slammed the back door shut and climbed into the passengers seat, before slamming that door shut as well.I bent down to look back at Kim’s house in confusion,

“Where’s Kim?” I asked.

Ada breathed slightly harder than usual, having just sprinted across the lawn, and began fanning herself with her hands. Pulling her hoodie off she began to fasten her seat belt.

“She’s not coming,” she said simply.

“What? Why?” I exclaimed.

“I don’t know. She wouldn’t let me in. Why is it so hot in here?”

I ignored her question, “I’m gonna go up and check on her…”

“No, don’t do that,” Ada said, pulling me back into the car. I looked at her with one eyebrow raised at her peculiar behaviour.

“Why not?”

“She’s angry at you.”

“What?”

“I didn’t want to upset you, but she said you were being an ass.”

She said the last word so innocently and factually it was as if she didn’t know it’s meaning. She probably didn’t in the context Kim was using it in.

I huffed. This was so typical of Kim, I probably forgot to say “good morning” or something, she was as hormonal as a pregnant woman these days.

“What ever,” I mumbled, before putting the car into gear and heading off down the road.

Sarah’s house was on the other side of town, which meant it was no more than a five minute drive away. Ten with traffic, which there wasn’t; so despite leaving late, when we arrived at her house, the party had barely even started. I parked in her driveway with four other cars and walked with Ada to her front door. Her sister Annelise answered it on her way out.

Regardless of there being only four cars in the drive, two of which probably belonged to the Fernando household, the house was packed. It clicked in my brain that the reason behind there not being any cars was that this island was so small pretty much everyone had just walked. I spotted Sarah on the other side of the room and, grabbing Ada’s hand, began weaving my way toward her. I tapped her on the shoulder and when she turned around, I pushed my gift into her arms.

“Happy birthday Sarah,” I smiled, pecking her on the cheek.

“Ben!” she exclaimed, pulling me into a hug, “Thanks so much!”

Ada stepped forward and gave Sarah her gift and a stiff hug. She didn’t seem to click with humans as easily as she liked to. Sarah, caught up in the excitement of her eighteenth birthday, didn’t seem to notice and received both the gift and the hug with a big smile on her face and grateful words pouring out her mouth.

“Where’s Kim?” she asked, her smile finally faltering. Ada opened her mouth to respond but I gave her hand a quick squeeze for silence.

“She wasn’t feeling so well,” I said, “She’s been having a head ache since yesterday and last night she threw up.”

“Oh, shame,” Sarah said, disappointment eating up her features, “I’ll give her a ring tomorrow. Can I get you guys something to drink?”

“Oh, don’t bother yourself,” Ada smiled, “Enjoy your party, we’ll help ourselves later.” Her social skills were certainly improving, and that dazzling smile helped more than a little.

Sarah nodded before excusing herself to greet more guests. Ada grabbed my hands and looked up at me with her shining velvet eyes.

“Drink?”

“Yes please,” I smiled before letting her lead me toward the bar.

Sitting me on one of the bar stools, she slid herself behind the counter and started making some drinks. For someone who didn’t know the meaning of alcohol up until a few months ago, she was a pro at mixing drinks. A few guys approached the bar and took the remaining seats, watching Ada fixedly with hunger in their eyes. It surprised me a little that it wasn’t anger, nor a sense of protectiveness that overcame me at this, like it usually did when someone tried to eye up Kim. It was more a sense of achievement. As shallow and conceited as it sounds, I felt proud that Ada had chosen me.

“Do you guys want drinks?” she asked, her eyes seeming to hold all of our stares at once.

There was a chorus of “Yeah’s” and Ada pulled out a few more shot glasses from the bottom cabinet. We watched her, transfixed.

“Does anyone have a lighter?”

She didn’t even need one.

Several hands shot out in offering.

“Oh, this one’s nice,” she smiled seductively, choosing a zippo with a crimson heartagram engraved into its side.

One by one, she lit the shot glasses on fire and watched each of the others down a glass. She pushed one towards me before lighting it. It whooshed up, evidently stronger than the others. I smiled at her; the last thing I saw was the wink of a violet eye before I was staring into the glass’ clear contents.

I leaned against the bar, palms pressed hard against my forehead, begging the sharp, flaming pain to end. Ada had been sitting quietly with me for half an hour of the aching before I told her to leave me and go have some fun. There was another twinge of pain around my temples and I lifted my head from my hands. Fluttering my eyes open, the world was spinning around me. I closed them and opened them again; my vision was slightly better, but a faded outline of Jack Daniel’s twin hovered next to the real bottle in front of me.

I stood up, swaying as pinpricks of light dashed around in my vision. I sucked in deep breaths of air, it was so so hot. My brain pulsed pain and radiated it around the rest of my body- it was too much, I needed to leave.

I stumbled through the crowd in search of Ada. If it weren’t for all the people wedged in to such a small room, my head would’ve been face down on the carpet by now. I was jammed in, my head swaying uncontrollably as the people jostled me in different directions.

“Ben? Are you alright?” A large hand landed on my shoulder. I looked up to see Andrew, staring down at me from his great height.

“Head ache,” I yelled over the music, pointing a finger to my head.

He nodded in acknowledgment, patted me on the back, voiced an encouragement (inaudible above the music) and I was swept away from him by the dancing bodies.

“Ben? What’s the matter?” It was Sarah now, looking up at me from one of the couches.

“I don’t feel so good,” I rasped, “I’m gonna head home. Great party Sarah, thanks for inviting me.”

“Oh, no,” she tutted, “You must have caught what ever Kim has.”

“Yeah, must’ve.” I said hoarsely.

“You look terrible, you better go. I’ll get Ada for you, she can drive you home.”

I nodded a thanks and she was off to find Ada.

That night, I didn’t dream, everything was black. I felt as if I was hiding under an electric blanket in the center of hell. I gasped for air- I didn’t seem to be getting enough. Everything I breathed in felt hot and sweaty, like I was breathing in someone else’s breath, who had breathed in someone else’s breath, who had breathed in someone else’s breath. I was on the brink of consciousness; oddly aware of what I was feeling. Finally I gave in, I let myself wake up.

I tried to sit up, but my neck felt as if I had swallowed a bowling ball and it was stuck in my throat, weighing me down into the pillow. I kicked off my sheets, clenching my teeth at the pain shooting around my skull. I twisted and turned; the mattress was enveloping me in my own sweat. The heat radiating off my body seemed to rebound back and soak into me again. I needed help.

“Ada!” I rasped, breathing heavily. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for more pain, “Ada!” I yelled.

“Dammit Ada wake up…” I whispered, turning my head to squint at Ada’s bed.

Ada’s empty bed.

Had she gone to get help? I hadn’t heard her get up. She didn’t say anything did she? Suddenly, the lights flicked on and I was moaning at the burning heat the light bulbs were shooting down at me.

“Ben? Ben, what’s the matter?” Dad’s heavy foot steps ran over and I felt the heat of him pulsate down onto my writhing body.

“Space…Dad…please…” he took a step back, “Its so hot…and my head…” I let out a gasp of pain, digging my fingers into the mattress.

My eyes were shut, so I couldn’t see Dad’s hand reach down and advance towards me; I felt it. The heat coming off his body felt so strong, that I could make out the shape his hand was making as it came down and rested on my head for a split second before it was yanked away.

Dad made a strangled noise and the rank smell of burnt skin filled my nostrils.

“Ben? James? What’s wrong?” Michelle came in, “Where’s Ada?”

“Michelle, get as much ice as you can. He’s burning up,” Dad instructed, and I felt Michelle’s heat disappear from the room. “Ben, where’s Ada?”

I struggled a shrug. Dad’s jaw clenched so hard I heard his teeth scrape together.

“Did you have anything strange to eat or drink at that party?” I groaned, “Ben, please try and answer me.”

Michelle came in then, and a block of ice was placed on my forehead. It melted instantly.

“More than that, spread it all over him.”

I felt the added weight of all the freezer’s ice being poured over me. There was a hiss before I felt water spilling over my torso.

“Ben. Answer my question.”

“Just…booze…” I scraped out.

“Ben, stop moving.”

I did as instructed.

“Stop shaking, Ben.”

“I’m…not…”

“Yes, you are. Stop!”

I felt two pairs of hands come down on each of my limbs. I felt them shaking at a crazy pace and I felt the heat of them scorch the skin they covered. It was their hands, however, that came away burnt.

“Michelle, get some me some gloves, then go and wake the Leones.” Michelle left the room again.

The heat felt stronger than ever now, it was being clamped down on me. I could feel the particles in the air moving, almost struggling to get away from me. The bed began creaking with my violent shakes. My head throbbed mercilessly and a sharp pain began shooting around my stomach.

I screamed.