The Pole Dancer

Chapter 8

"Jenice! Jenice! Wake up!"

Jenice can hear a constant voice, who's emerging from the darkness of her's mind.

She relaxes and opens her eyes wide, looking in terror.

She sees Sandra, kneeling next to her. Jenice is stretched out on a bed. She searches around in a daze. She is in a room in the nightclub where she has never been before. There are also the rest of the employees who seem worried.

"You woke up!" Sandra smiles widely and hugs her. "You scared us to death, girl!"

"You scared us all!" Cries a woman who seems to be in her late 40s, the boss of this nightclub.

Jenice, with her mind still clouded, attempts to recall the last incident and the reason why she is lying in this bed.

Her eyes fill with grief and she bursts out crying like a child:

"Nikki..." She whimpers, drowning in tears. "He's gone," she covers her wet eyes with her palms.

"No, girl! Listen!" Sandra shakes her shoulders, forcing the brunette to look her straight in the eyes. "He's not gone! He's alive!"

"What?" Jenice asks still crying. "You saw the news... He died."

"No!" Sandra smiles, and Jenice sees that everyone there has the same smile with relief on their faces. "He's alive! He was declared dead, but a paramedic brought him back to life! It's for real, girl! All this happened when you were unconscious and you scared us all!"

"Really?" Jenice looks for credibility at all the women there, including her boss.

"That's true," says their boss. "You have no reason to mourn anymore."

"Oh God..." Jenice rushes a hand to her head, feeling that it will explode with pain. "If he's not dead, then surely he'll kill me... I thought I'd lose my mind..."

A soft smile stretches across Sandra's face. Her friend recovers from the shock.

"Oh... I have to get to him! I have to see him!" Jenice intends to get up, but Sandra pins her to the bed.

"No! Stay a while and calm down! You just woke up! He is fine. He will be okay."

"I just want to see him," Jenice laments with a sad look.

"You will see him. But we don't even know in what hospital he is now. Or if he's still there."

Jenice glances cleverly at Sandra, smiling, her face glowing.

"I know someone who can help me."

"Who?" Sandra tilts her head.

All the women there follow Jenice who, despite Sandra's complaints, drags herself out of bed and leaves the room.

"Jenice! For God's sake! Where are you going?" The brunette follows Jenice who arrives in her room where she gets dressed every night, preparing for the stage.

She stops in front a wardrobe and rummages for something in a drawer.

There are some pieces of papers over there. Grab a small piece of paper. There is a phone number written on it.

"Jenice? What is that?"

Her friend does not answer her. Instead, she grins and runs away.

Sandra follows her as she leaves the nightclub, at a telephone booth at the end of the street.

Jenice impatiently grabs the receiver. She looks at the paper and dials the phone number written on the paper. Wait for the call to be picked up. Her heart beats with rapidity and impatience.