Blue Moon

I Think There's a Bad Moon Rising

It was the bright golden sun that awoke Kate the next morning, making her groan and curse as she groped for a blanket to pull over her head. Every muscle screamed in protest at the slightest movement and her joints felt stiff and swollen. When she tried to open her eyes she found that they were gummed shut and her hoarse shout of alarm told her that her mouth and throat was parched.

She moaned desperately as she wondered why she drank so much, her head throbbing in time with her pulse. She rubbed at her face, managing to flake away some of the crusty matter that had glued her eyelids together, and blearily took a look around through eyes that felt like handfuls of sand had been rubbed into them. At first the world lurched and danced around her before it finally settled and she noticed for the first time that she was stretched out on her tiny couch.

"What the – ?" Her voice came out a raspy croak and she winced at the burning pain in her throat. When she tried to sit up her stomach clenched before giving a violent lurch and she clapped her hand over her mouth praying to anyone that might be listening for her not to throw up before it finally settled and she sighed weakly with relief.

She sat with her eyes shielded as the bright morning sun crept over her body, warming her gently, and she realised that something felt wrong. Aside from the hangover to beat all hangovers there was something else that didn’t feel right about her situation. She squinted around the room trying to pinpoint the source of her disquiet, but it wasn’t until she felt something warm and soft rubbing against her shoulders that she realised what it was. Looking down at herself in shock she confirmed that she was completely naked. She glanced around at Harry, her small black kitten, with an accusing glare.

"What the hell have I been up to, mister? And why didn’t you stop me?"

But if she was hoping for an explanation she was to be disappointed as Harry stared back at her with his brilliant green eyes for a moment before yawning widely and proceeding to wash himself. She watched him with her eyes narrowed suspiciously for several moments before sighing and staggering to her feet, making her way through to her tiny bathroom for a much needed shower and some panadol to ease the pain.

*             *             *

"KATE! OPEN THE DOOR!"

A thunderous hammering at the door jerked her out of a light doze and she grumbled as she stomped through the tiny apartment wearing only her pale blue robe. She fumbled a little with the lock before she threw the door open to reveal Amanda and Michelle staring at her.

"What?" Kate demanded, folding her arms across her chest huffily. The two girls glanced at each other before launching into a gabbled reply.

"We’ve been calling you for hours – "

"You haven’t been answering your phone and we were worried – "

" – they didn’t announce her name and, well – "

" – we thought it could’ve been you – !"

" – haven't you seen the news – ?"

" – everyone is talking about it – "

" – less than a block from here – "

" – the cops have the whole park cordoned off – "

" – do you know if they’re going to be patrolling tonight?"

" – did you hear anything?"

Kate stared blankly at her two friends as they finished talking over one another and watched her with wide expectant eyes.

"What the hell are you two babbling about?"

Michelle bit her lip and Amanda raised an eyebrow.

"The murder," they chorused together.