A Nightmare's Fate

Tormented

Chapter Three: Tormented

I have fallen into a world of darkness. A black hole, at least. Or maybe it's a forest filled with shadows of trees, casting above head so I can't see the sun when it rises and get a peek of the moon setting in the starlit sky.

            But I've fallen into a universe where "light" can only mean "dark," and where "black" can only mean "white," as color on paper or crayons, on walls or in vision we all distinguish together.

            I've been condemned there; like I've been damned from the dark sides of the angels, just left there to die. To feel alone in such a place where only demons want to be my friend, where Hell can mean Heaven to anyone. To feel afraid when unknown creatures can come and take me anywhere, but I'd sense safety in my mind. To feel tortured in a way that torment doesn't even begin the possibilities of the word, where agony is only found to be a friend of mine, where I'd be slit anywhere upon my skin to see how much it bleeds, like adrenaline rising in their pulses and rooting for how much crimson can leave my body.

            As much nuisance that those demons or dark angels want from me, being tormented is the wrong way how I'd feel over anything as horrible as this. Like being pulled away from my fiancé, from war as if it’s like an arrow going through my chest and all the way through, making a clear hole in my body isn’t bad enough. Isn’t compared to feeling like demons weighing me down. It’s torment.

            Arriving at Honey Bones, I step through the restaurant and look around to find Periwinkle and Jessie. It's a very odd name for a restaurant, but here in New York, I guess it doesn't matter about names, but clarity on the sight.

            Groups of people talk in loud voices, making it hard to seek the two girls I'm trying to look for.

"Raven, over here!" Jessie yells across the brasserie.

I smile and wave to her, walking up a couple steps to get to them. It's weird since I haven't talked to Jessie for a while, mostly because of her constant job as a nurse and the hard part about being nearly two hours in traffic from where Periwinkle and I live.

            The restaurant is quaint; it isn't anything to be impressed about. It's like Appleseed’s or Outside Steakhouse; nothing fancy. The shade of the walls are brown with a tint of dark red mixed, there is a few flat screen televisions around the building, tables are filled with crowds of people, especially the bar where most of the noise is coming from.

            Once I pull out the chair, I sit in it and sigh. "Wow, where did you find this place?" I give a half smile, taking a sip of water.

            "I heard it from Alicia whom got it from Kimi, who is the owner of this place. She and James have been working on this place for a while and they have finally got it movin'. Though I can't believe they named it 'Honey Bones.' It's such a terrible name." She plasters a giant smirk on her lips, taking a few sips of her long island ice-tea.

            "Are you serious? Kimi owns this place? That's amazing but she has bad taste in names!" I laugh, flipping my hair in the back of my head.

Kimi is our other friend, but we barely speak since she's always diligent. I don't know why I'm being this excited; I've known that they were planning on getting a restaurant open for a few years now. I guess it slipped my mind until Jessie reminded me.

            "Yes." Jessie nods her head, raking her fingers through her long, curly blonde hair. She looks at me in the eyes, her greenish-blue eyes gazing into mine. She then purses her lips. “So when are you going to go back to work?”