I bat my eyelashes at Vix for another, and she just scoffs at me before taking my empty glass to refill.
Ricky leans toward Vix. “I guess I can forgive you for leaving me, Vix. This place is perfect compared to the shithole we used to work at.”
“We?” I ask, as Vix sets our drinks in front of us. “Did you finally get sick of them skimming off the top and find yourself a new job?”
“Yep,” he says proudly.
“Where? When?” I ask.
“When Vix left, so did I. I got a gig at this upscale, posh place downtown. It’s boring as hell, but the tips are good. But this,” he waves a hand around dramatically, “this is what dreams like ours are made of. I'm a jealous bitch.”
“So,” I say, turning to Ricky, “when am I going to get an invitation to the wedding?”
Ricky just gives me a shit-eating grin.
“That’s actually the plan for tomorrow. I’m taking Mark out back to our first date. I plan on proposing after.”
I squee in delight, excited that they’re finally taking the next step in their relationship. Ricky and Mark have been together for the better part of seven years. Both at one point worked where Vix at her old job, and that’s where we met them. We hit it off and have been friends ever since.
“Oh, Ricky, you know he’s going to say yes.
“I hope so.”
Ricky scoffs playfully and grabs my hand. “Lets talk later. I love this song. Wanna dance?”
I slide off the stool. “Let’s go.”
“Wrong” by Max, Lil Uzi Vert plays as we move to the dance floor. The beat of the music pulsates through my body. Industrial synths and rhythmic growls of haunting melodies breathe a different life into me. One I haven’t felt in months.
I close my eyes and sway back and forth, letting the notes take me away. Ricky mirrors my movement in front of me.
In this moment, nothing else exists, and the overwhelming sensation of the music becomes intoxicating. I turn around to hold on to the fence in front of me, and the tempo increases with the next song.
It seems like minutes, but a few hours have passed as we danced, and my hair is soaked with sweat. I’ve never felt as free as I do at this moment. I never want to stop—this is the escape I’ve so desperately needed. The shift in melody occurs again; this time slower and more haunting.
Ricky leans in by my ear. “I’ll be back, gonna get a drink.”
I nod in acknowledgement. With my eyes still closed, I continue to sway, enjoying the melody as it heightens my senses and erases all thoughts, letting me be free in the moment. Just as the calm washes over me, the wrenching within my soul becomes stronger than ever before. The sensation, althoughfrightening, feels so natural. Exhausted from fighting it over the past few weeks, I let it override my logic. The seduction to jump off of the metaphorical bridge I’ve teetered on since Nik’s death wins, and I surrender the balance and just let go.
Subconsciously, I watch my physical being fall away, still gripping the fence on the dance floor. I pass through a whirlwind of darkness and traces of light, which act as if they pass through me.
The world comes back into focus, and dread overrides my body. I’m met by a haunting view as the bitter taste of ash falls on my lips. Large flakes fall from a cloudless sky like snow. A red-hued moon, full and menacing, lightens the atmosphere of the worn-down abandoned buildings that surround me. Trepidation sets in as I try to understand what’s going on.
Where the fuck am I?
A small giggle echoes nearby, and treading carefully, I inch my way towards the sound. My curiosity for answers overrides the logical part of my brain that’s telling me to run. Peering through the missing side of the wall, I see a small girl facing away from me. She looks almost familiar, but I can’t figure out from where.
Her long crimson hair shows hints of silver throughout. Her soft facial features and smile are so innocent in nature. But it’s her eyes that captivate me, those violet eyes—the same ones that had pierced through me in the field back when I was stuck in traffic.
“It’s you,” I stumble out.
“Hi, Myssa.” Her greeting is barely a whisper.
“You know who I am?” I mirror her volume, not masking my surprise.
“Of course. We’ve been waiting for you to come.” Her eyes are full of hope, which only adds more confusion to this encounter.
My heart skips a beat, and my palms dampen with sweat. “Who’s we?”
