Your worst Nightmare

Love Lost

I can’t see. I can’t move. What’s going on? Gil tried to force his eyes open, but the lids refused to budge and his heart pounded in his chest. Like his eyelids, his arms and legs were unable to move, but his ears still worked. What’s that sound? Footsteps? Yes, a slight clicking, like high heels on concrete. It sounded like the secretaries as they walked to their cars in the underground garage every night.

“Are you awake?”

Gil startled at the sound of a female voice. “Yes, who are you and where am I?”

“All in time, Gilbert. I hope you’re not too uncomfortable. I tried to make you as comfortable as possible.”

“I can’t move. Am I paralyzed? Was I in an accident?”

“No, no, nothing like that. You look very handsome today. I’ve always liked that shirt, it makes you look like a movie star. You look good in cranberry red.”

Gil tried again to open his eyes, but the more he strained, the more they hurt, almost like his eyelids were tearing away from his skin. Who is this woman? “Look, can you please tell me where I am? Are you a nurse?”

“I’m disappointed that you don’t recognize my voice. We’ve known each other for almost five years. Five years, Gilbert.”

Five years? What the hell is she talking about? I don’t recognize her voice. He tried to put a face to the voice, but nothing popped into his head. She’s crazy. She must be crazy. “Why won’t you tell me where I am and what’s going on? Why can’t I open my eyes?”

“Let’s play a little game, shall we? I’ll give you a riddle and if you solve it, I’ll answer one question.”

Gil focused on his right arm, his stronger arm, and flexed his muscles. As they contracted, he felt something around his wrist and forearm restraining him. Jesus, I’m tied down! “What the goddamned hell’s going on here?”

“Gilbert, you shouldn’t use profanity. It’s not like you to swear. I’ve ever only heard you swear once before and that was when you’d had too many beers at your barbeque last summer.”

“Barbeque? Which barbeque?”

“Oh, come on, you remember. You invited the entire office to celebrate your new job.”

Gil knew exactly which barbeque she was talking about now. He’d been promoted to partner in his law firm and wanted to celebrate in a big way. He’d recently broken up with his girlfriend and didn’t feel like sitting home alone, so he invited everyone at the law firm. Which one is she? “So you were at my barbeque?”

“How do you spell lawyer without a ‘w’?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“It’s a riddle. Get it right and you’ll get an answer.”

Oh, my God, is she some chick I dumped? Was she a one-night stand? Was I that drunk? Geez, I really have to stop screwing around so much. Gil thought hard about all his friends and co-workers, concocting images of them in his mind, but none of them matched this woman’s flat and unemotional tone. “I don’t know the answer,” he mumbled as he licked his dry lips.

“Attorney. See, it’s easy. You’re not trying, Gilbert. Since you didn’t even try, you get punished.”

He felt something cold on his foot. I’m not wearing any shoes. Where are my shoes? “What are you doing?” He was going to ask again, but was distracted by a brief crackling that sounded a moment before a surge of electricity pulsed through his entire body. When it stopped, he gasped for air and tingled all over. His fingers and toes felt numb.