In the Twinkle of an Eye

Distorted Darkness

Katrina had concern in her eyes as Blossom lay slumped in the back of the taxi. Her forehead pressed against the window and her eyes blankly at the passing blurs made by house lights and streetlights zipping by. Blossom was half conscious, half asleep as her mind was held in a state of comfortable numbness. There was no feeling, no pain of emotions nor piercing thoughts which could fight their way to the surface through the fog of intoxification.

The wheels of the taxi screeched to a stop as he pulled up outside Blossom's front gate.

"that'll be nine pounds and ninety-nine pence please my darlings'" said the gentle voice of the elderly taxi driver.

"Here's eleven, keep the change sir. Thank you very much, good night." Replied Katrina.

Blossom peeled herself out of the taxi door with a jaded reluctance, swinging out with the door as it opened, her hand still attached. She hit the ground with a thump, and chuckled to herself helplessly, face to face with the pavement. Katrina walked around from the other side of the taxi picked Blossom up by the arm with a gentle jerk.

"Come on Blossom, I'm going to come in with you for an hour and make sure that you're ok." Said Katrina, her voice jilted with the jittery roughness of anxiety.

"Whatever" blurted blossom abruptly.

They opened the front door and stumbled their way into the living room to Blossom's mother, dubbed 'Mrs B' by Katrina, sleeping on the couch. She had something clasped to her chest, and the television was on quietly playing a classical music playlist.

"let's get a beer." Slurred Blossom sloppily, but with a newfound alertness.

"Not a chance!" Replied Katrina sternly. "Come on, let's go upstairs and have a chat while your mums sleeping. We need to have a chat."

Blossom casually ambled up the stairs, grumbling something unintelligible under her breath. Katrina guided her with her arms on her hips, holding Blossom straight as she swayed subtly. Blossom barged her bedroom door open and threw herself face first onto her bed with her arms and legs stretched out like a mangled starfish. Katrina wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry by the ridiculous image before her. Her attention turned to the rest of her room, scanning it and noting it being the symbolic representation of Blossom's inner world.

There were piles of clothes in each corner of the room, her work desk was filled with scrunched up balls of paper, and an assortment of coloured pencils sprawled over the top. Katrina began to grow shocked and concerned of the sight before her. This wasn't the bedroom of the girl she knew. The neat freak; the organisational queen whom would scold anybody who moved as much as a pencil shaving from the bin to a different spot, had transformed it a slovenly shell of herself. The remnants of the old Blossom, the beautiful drawings, complex mandalas were now either peeling off of the wall, hanging on for dear life. A reflection of her inner abilities holding on for dear life, as a last-ditch attempt to avoid the chasm of darkness below.

The sorry sight was only amplified by her face pressed gently into the bed. Katrina had a sudden shiver of terror as she could see the detrimental path that Blossom was on if she continued the way she was going for much longer. She felt a lump in her throat and the pressure of tears trying to force their way out her eyes. She shook her head and took a seat on the bed next to Blossom, gently placing her hand on her back.

"Blossom, you need to listen to me right now. I know you may think that I'm giving you a hard time just for the sake of it and bellyaching a lot; but I am genuinely worried about you about you. You have not been yourself for a long time now." Katrina rubbed Blossom's back and gave her a gentle pat in consolation, then placed her hands back on her own knees. Her face became tense and serious as she sighed, and looked around the room once again. "You're dealing with your problems in a completely destructive manner. I have been at your side since the whole ordeal, you've been spiralling out of control and I should have been doing this much sooner than it has taken me. You need to stop all this drinking, you need to pick yourself up, get back on track and back to the happy and charismatic girl who inspired everybody around her again. You need to stop for a moment and look around. Look at your room. I've never seen it like this in all the years that I've known you. You used to be so neat and organised and I know I used to say it drove me mental, but it was who you were. In truth, I've always envied you, I've always admired your ridiculous ability to be able to do anything, to have a go at something and be able to master it within a handful of tries. Your potential has always been unparalleled, pick yourself up and just have a look at some of these pictures in your room!" Katrina's voice was now almost at a cry.