Alright, so I am going to post this story...
I arrived at the party, fashionably late. I could have spotted the building a quarter mile away. Flashes of colored light poured from the bay view windows. The building was quaint. Nothing about it put me on edge, at least not initially.
As I approached the building, two police officers were escorting one of the other tenants out. It was all in response to an alleged hit and run incident that occurred shortly before, in front of the building.
Fear began to rise up my spine as I passed the officers. I slid three rails of cocaine before the party and all I could envision was white powder coating my nose for all to see. The cops nodded as I walked by paying no attention.
I reached the top of the stairs to find a kid sitting on the front landing smoking a cigarette and drinking vodka on the rocks. We had met before through a mutual friend. We exchanged salutations and he offered me a cigarette, which I gladly accepted.
I could tell he had already thrown back a couple of drink by the slurring of his conversation and disorientation of his motor skills. During our short encounter he knocked over a wine glass, casually left by another guest. Without thinking he began to pick up the shards of broken glass. I was sure I would be taking him to the hospital, but he managed to get most of the glass into the trash without a hitch. I finished the cigarette and moved to the third floor.
-
As I reached the top of the stairs I noticed they had set up a lounge area in the hallway above the stair well. Multicolored streamers hung from the ceiling while a strobe light was giving a couple of guests mild seizures.
I met the hostess and she offered me a drink. I declined. Nothing good would ever come of it.
I mingled around the room, listening to the variety of conversation.
"..at least you took his name. I already told Bryan that I'm not going to, and he ask me every morning if I've changed my mind..."
"...I didn't have time to go shopping, so I just wore pajamas..."
"...there was four inches of standing water in my apartment and a river forging its way out my front door..."
I couldn't follow any one line of thought.
As the night dragged on and more people showed up I found myself becoming more and more uncomfortable. So I made my way back outside and lit a cigarette.
The kid from earlier was still looking over the view. His drink had changed from the time before and I could tell his time was short. He cocked back his head and looked at me as if he couldn't find the words. Then he stood up, nearly fell over, and headed up to the apartment.
I couldn't help but think about the look in his eyes.
-
I moved through the people like seaweed in a high tide. Everyone was sociable and seemed to be enjoying themselves. I made my way out to the lounge to sign a birthday card for the guest of honor.
There he was again. Lying in the chair, seemingly oblivious to the surroundings. He struggled to open his eyes. And for another split second attempted to convey whatever it was he had tried to express to me earlier.
His eyes rolled back into his head and I was still left wondering.
-
The atmosphere was beginning to die down and so was I. I knew more drugs were going to be needed if I was going to go on. I moved toward the bathroom in an attempt to find the necessary sanctuary.
As I opened the door I saw him half sitting next to the toilet. You could see the blur in his eyes cause by the harsh acidic taste violating all his senses. Half digested pieces of ham and sushi littered the bowl of the toilet. There is nothing in the world more repulsive than the smell of liquor induced vomit.
I turned around to leave when his eyes caught my attention once again. And as I looked down on this drunk mess of liquefied flesh I realized the true flaw in humanity. The inability to make out the words when saying them is the only thing that can save us.
The bleach white lights beat down on both of us. His eyes rolled back into his head and his eyelids slowly closed. I notice of bottle of pills spilled beside him. He just couldn't seem to make out the words.
I got up and left. I spoke to no one. Upon reaching the street I hailed a cab.
As I got in all I could say was, "I'm a little sideways, could you take it easy.."
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