fade to black | james hetfield [1]

one

chapter one: can't tell if this is true or a dream

Every day was an endless cycle.

In the morning, Iris would wake up and get ready to work a shift at the supermarket down the road from her apartment. 

Some nights after work, she would get a drink at the local bar. On other nights, she went straight home, went to bed, and prepared to do the same thing all over again the next day.

It was painfully obvious to everyone around her that something was not right with Iris. Everyone who came across her seemed to go out of their way to constantly remind her that she wasn't one of them. She didn't have any friends and lived alone. 

It didn't help much that she lived in a small town, where everyone knew everyone. She would get judgemental looks from the same people over and over again.

She dreamt of moving away to a big city where no one knew her name or her face. She watched it in movies, sighing at the beauty and magic of it all. Unfortunately, she stood stuck in this place she had to call "home."

Being around people her age was difficult. They didn't like her very much, she wasn't into the same things that they were, and because of that, she was constantly left out of everything. 

And forget about having a boyfriend. That was never going to happen.

That was the reason why Iris didn't bother to let anyone in anymore. A girl who was taken advantage of time and time again, leading to the darkest points of her life. It still hurt to this day and she felt as though the whole world was out to get her.

She sighed deeply, resting her head against the steering wheel of her car. It was during times like these, the after-work stress and unhappiness she felt at home that made her wish she could have someone, another human being on her side for once.

Turning on the engine, she drove to the bar, wanting to stop in to get a quick drink to cope with her loneliness for a little while. The workers were used to her face already, always giving her a look of pity before she took her seat.

The bar was filled with the regulars who came in for their nightly fix. There was the occasional patron who you could tell wasn't from the town. Iris was usually the youngest person in the room and because of that, she kept to herself. But she wasn't the only one there tonight.

When Iris looked across the bar, her eyes landed on a boy sitting in a booth, seemingly waiting on someone and looking annoyed. She could tell he wasn't from around here, judging by the way his eyes kept wandering around the place.

His leather jacket and wild blonde hair spoke volumes. All the older people in the bar were scrutinizing him, wondering if he was there to cause some trouble judging by his attitude. He didn't seem to notice or care for that matter, continuing to sip on his beer. As he set his beer back down on the counter, his blue eyes looked across and landed on Iris.

She looked away quickly, staring at one of the TVs that were playing the current football game. It wasn't interesting, but it was something to look at to pretend she wasn't staring at him. 

He wouldn't let up his gaze once he saw her. She wondered if there was something on her face and didn't know. No one else was staring, so what was his problem? She didn't need some outsider giving her a hard time too. Now she was the one getting annoyed.

He eventually stopped looking in her direction once his friends showed up, complaining about how long they took to meet him there. The four of them all sat together in the booth, sipping on their beers and talking to each other.

Iris sighed, forgetting all about them as she finished her beer for the night. The isolation had returned and she was by herself again. Sure, she was surrounded by strangers in this place, but no one wanted to talk with a pessimist. Or whatever people thought of her.

She hated feeling this way all the time, if there was a way for her to change things so easily, she would. But no matter how hard she tried, the world kept pushing her down and making sure she stayed down. She just wanted someone who would listen to what she had to say.

Iris stared back at the empty glass, pushing it away as she began to get lost in her thoughts. Hearing the sound of footsteps behind her, she looked up.