Lovers and Liars

Chapter 6: The Liar

The night moved on, a blur of faces and voices, the music pounding louder, faster, matching the beat of my heart. I stayed close to Daniel, moving with him through the party, our bodies brushing against each other in the crowded space. He laughed at something someone said, throwing his head back, and I watched the line of his throat, the way his skin stretched taut over the muscles beneath. I wanted to touch him, to feel that warmth under my fingertips, but something held me back, a niggling doubt that I couldn’t shake.

Another drink appeared in my hand, and I took it without thinking, the liquid sloshing dangerously close to the edge. The colours of the room seemed to blur, the lights too bright, the noise too loud. I felt a giggle bubble up in my chest, a strange sense of detachment creeping over me. Everything felt distant, like I was watching from the outside, my actions belonging to someone else.

That’s when I realised something was wrong. My thoughts were slow, heavy, like trying to swim through syrup. I tried to focus, to catch hold of the slippery strands of reality, but they slipped through my fingers. The faces around me morphed, stretching and bending, their laughter echoing in my ears. Panic surged, cutting through the fog for a brief, brilliant moment.

I needed to get out. Now.

I turned, the room spinning around me, and stumbled towards the door. My movements were sluggish, uncoordinated, each step a struggle. I felt someone touch my arm, a firm grip that sent a jolt of fear through me. I yanked away, nearly falling as I twisted around, but I couldn’t see who it was. Faces blurred, voices merged into a cacophony that drowned out my thoughts.

“Are you okay?” The words were muffled, distant, like they were coming from underwater. I blinked, trying to clear my vision, but the world only tilted further. I shook my head, the motion sending a wave of nausea crashing through me. I pushed forward, shoving past bodies that seemed to close in around me, their laughter sharp and mocking.

The door was a lifeline, a rectangle of light that beckoned me out of the darkness. I shoved it open, stumbling into the cool night air, the chill hitting me like a slap. For a moment, I thought I might be okay. The world felt more solid out here, the air clearer, not so thick with noise and bodies. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs, but it didn’t help. My head was still spinning, my thoughts tangled.

I needed to get home. That was the only thing I could hold onto, the single thought that cut through the haze. Home. Safe. I fumbled for my phone, my fingers clumsy and uncooperative, but I couldn’t find it. I swore under my breath, the sound ragged and uneven. My heart was pounding too fast, each beat echoing in my ears, drowning out everything else.

I started walking, one foot in front of the other, my steps uneven. I wasn’t sure where I was going, my sense of direction lost in the fog that clouded my mind. The streetlights stretched out in front of me, casting long shadows that seemed to reach for me, their fingers curling around my legs, pulling me back. I shook my head, trying to clear it, but the movement only made things worse.

I had to focus. Had to find my way home. But the streets twisted and turned, unfamiliar and strange. I didn’t remember them being like this, so long, so dark. My breath came in short gasps, the edges of my vision blurring. I tried to remember the party, tried to think back to what had happened, but it was all a blur, a jumble of faces and voices that made no sense.

Who had given me that drink? I couldn’t remember. Couldn’t even picture their face. Panic clawed at me, sharp and insistent. I felt trapped, lost in a maze with no way out. The street lights flickered, and for a moment, everything went dark. I stumbled, my foot catching on the curb, sending me sprawling to the ground. Pain shot through my hands as I caught myself, the rough concrete scraping my skin.

I stayed there for a moment, on my hands and knees, the world spinning around me. I wanted to cry, to scream, but my voice was gone, swallowed up by the night. I forced myself to stand, my legs shaky, threatening to give out beneath me. I had to keep moving. Had to find my way home.

I didn’t know how long I wandered, the streets stretching out before me like a never-ending nightmare. Time lost all meaning, each minute blending into the next. I felt like I was trapped in a loop, walking the same stretch of road over and over, never getting any closer to my goal. My mind was a blur, thoughts slipping away before I could catch hold of them.

And then, finally, I saw it. My building, standing tall and solid against the dark. Relief flooded through me, so strong it nearly brought me to my knees. I stumbled towards it, my movements uncoordinated, my vision tunnelling. I fumbled with my keys, my hands shaking so badly I could barely fit them into the lock. But somehow, I managed. The door swung open, and I stumbled inside.

The familiar scent of my apartment hit me, grounding me for a brief moment. I made my way to the couch, collapsing onto it, my body sinking into the cushions. I closed my eyes, the darkness rushing in to claim me. My last coherent thought was that I was safe, that I’d made it home.

But even as I drifted into unconsciousness, a tiny voice whispered in the back of my mind, telling me that I wasn’t safe at all. That night was far from over, and the worst was yet to come.