A Deal with the Devil

I

MIDNIGHT LIGHTS

i just quit my job

i'm gonna find new drive

damn they work me

so damn hard

ADORA

"WHERE WERE YOU" my aunt's voice bounces off the walls, venom drenching her words. "Adora Johnson so help me God if you don't tell me where you've been I will not hesitate to kick you out."

I can't tell her where I've gone. For the past few weeks I've tried to keep it under wraps, sneaking in during the early hours of the morning. Tonight however, my aunt awaited my return. I stand there, holding my breath, too ashamed to speak, worried that my voice may fail me. She looks at me expectantly, anger radiating off of her.

After realizing that I would not answer her question she begins to walk to my room. In a daze I follow after her, tears streaming down my cheeks.

She begins to throw my clothes out of the closet, tearing down my posters on the wall. I beg her to forgive me, for her to understand that if I were to tell her, she would never look at me the same, but she continues taking her wrath out on my room. She gathers all of my items, putting them in trash bags.

It's then I realize the stench of alcohol following her around. The empty beer bottles and dirty wine glasses in the kitchen. I remember her going to rehab during my youth, promising little me that I would never have to see her go through that again. I can only stare in shock as she begins throwing out my items onto the porch.

"I'm not putting up with your bullshit any more. If you wanna sneak and whore around, find somewhere else to do it. I didn't ask to raise your sorry ass. Tonight is your last night, you'll leave in the morning. Willing or by force." With that she walks away leaving me in the foyer, begging that this is just a bad dream.

I dial up Kehlani, knowing that she's probably asleep at this time. Ring. Ring. Rin-

"Hello? Adora is everything alright" she answers groggily on the last ring, and I let out a breath of relief. I explain to her what just happened, and she agrees to pick me up in the morning.

Trying to fall asleep, only my quiet whimpers can be heard as I try to hold back my sobs and try to ease the gnawing in my gut, telling me this is only the beginning to a worse fate.

---------------

I wake up in a cold sweat, the 6 year memory plaguing my thoughts. As I slowly gain consciousness I hear a faint beeping. Looking to find the source of noise I find my alarm clock thrown across the room with a pillow on top. How did it get there?

I slowly sit up and make my way across the room, turning the alarm off in the process. The events of last night slowly enter my mind as my head pounds and ears ring. This is why we don't get blackout drunk on a Sunday. 

As I begin to process the events of last night I glance at my clock and realize it's noon. Wait don't we have work toda-

"KEHLANI" I yell as I run through our small apartment, trying to find my best friend. I find her passed out on the couch, a tub of melted ice cream next to her.

Shaking her awake she lets out groans of disapproval and I only ignore her. As I persist through her half asleep grunts and hits she suddenly yells "WHAT," shooting up from the couch.