Friendly Darkness

Morning light washed over the room, and sparkling prisms danced around the walls; a thousand suspended fairies. All was silent, though Madelyn was sure she could hear the low hum of delicate wings ringing in her ears. As she lay among the broken bottles of cheap vodka littering the floor, Madelyn tried to remember.

Sudden flashing images flicked through her mind like a silent film. A man came into focus, older than she, watching her intently across the room. Her nostrils stung as she remembered the thick smell of cigars that clung to him as he leaned into her. A translucent red light blanketed the pale faces of people as they danced, weaving through the darkness. Three glinting ice cubes navigating a sea of black. The sharp scent of liquor crept from her swaying glass, deep and inviting. A happy warmth encased in her chest. But with each breath, the heat grew. A low burning in her throat threatened to stifle the air passing her lips. Like the liquid from which it was born, a fire spread through her body. From behind a cage of thin ribs, it fought to escape. Then nothing.

Madelyn rolled over and puked.

Exhausted and gasping for breath, she opened her eyes to an ocean of diamonds carpeting the ground around her. Looking up, she realized that she was not alone. Children ran about in frenzied circles, collecting the gems in large red pails. Their shovels swept the floor with bursting exuberance, scraping against the worn hardwood. Bubbling laughter erupted in the room and soon Madelyn realized that it was she who was whooping in amusement. The excitement filled her groaning, empty stomach, and she grabbed her sides, tears running down flushed cheeks. All the while, shovels raked the floor, again and again.

Madelyn opened her eyes. Wiping her mouth, she stared at the ceiling. Long shadows stretched across the cracking white paint. Shakily rising to her feet, glass fell from her arms and legs as Madelyn gingerly made her way to her bedroom. Kicking off her heels, she fell into the endless comfort of her sheets. Then darkness.