The Angel of Eden

World in shambles

Music echoed around the empty bathroom as I scrubbed the floor grimacing every time I found an offensive condom behind a toilet or stuck to the wall on my way. Scrubbing until it was utterly clean and smelled like the lemon disinfectant and a hint of the stale alcoholic tang that the entire club reeked of no matter how often it was cleaned. My heels clacking on the tile as I stepped out into the hardly lit hall lined with mirrors to make it seem like it wasn't barely wide enough for my shoulders. Empty, the popular club nearly seemed creepy, had it not been for the several other closing staff all scrubbing the dark corners and tossing random items into a large bin. They moved like zombies. Sluggish and clumsy, crashes from dropped glasses and tables that were shoved aside haphazardly.

I stumbled out of my shoes behind the counter, slipping on the much more comfortable sneakers I kept in my bag to spend as little time in the heels as humanly possible. Along with the change of shoes, I replaced the shirt that dipped low and ended short with a sweatshirt. Fearing any male attention in the obviously revealing clothes as I took the long walk home with my tips safely tucked in my purse beside a can of pepper spray.

I practically jogged home. The late hour making me more than fearsome of everyone I passed. Every face seemed to sneer down at me, and every movement seemed to be a threat against me when I could hardly see three feet ahead of me in the barely lit alley ways that I took to get home the fastest. Finally sprinting up the dark steps and unlocking my door, most of my neighbors having already put me in fear of my life several times since I moved in.

I slid the five bolts across the door, and dropped my shoulder bag in the corner beside the door with a thankful sigh knowing I was safe and alone at home. My tiny apartment led from the entry right into the kitchen. One counter, a stove, and a mini fridge all white and clean though cramped in the small space. Paintings hung along the walls from both my own hand and the hands of my family, very artistic and taught painting practically before we could read.

The bedroom was a ok size. Holding a win sized bed, a very old TV that I used for the occasional movie or to blast music when the parties around the building decided to ruin any chance of relaxation I had, and a dresser. Off from the bedroom was a full bath. A large tub that I splurges my pathetic savings on, a sink, and shelves holding both towels and hair care products off the ground.

Despite the urine smell that seemed to be seeped into the carpet outside, inside my sanctuary it smelled lightly of lavender and oranges. Easy and calming me with every step to the bath. Turning the hot water on to fill the tub I stripped from the sweaty clothes that stunk to high heaven. Easing myself into the boiling hot water, every muscle relaxed at the heat that ran through my body.

I forced myself out of the bath around four in the morning, the soak having turned every muscle into limp noodles in the two hour soak. I numbly pulled a pair of underwear and a soft shirt on before laying in my bed. Not caring that I was soaking both my clothes and sheets, mind not focused on such things as it slipped into unconsciousness swift and without warning.

Black replaced by white in a flash, making me yelp in pain as my eyes burned at the sudden change. Everything seemingly unendingly white as I turned and turned trying to find something I couldn't remember. Though in all directions nothing appeared. Not a ground to stand on, and not a sky above. No walls, and yet I was still looking for something. Familiar, but still it shocked me when a sudden red dot on the horizon appeared and began to grow. A rope stretching towards me, but I had no air to scream with in the void of nothingness. As soon as the red rope got within view I noticed why it was red..... It was an inferno stretching towards me. Unable to move it crept closer by the second, after what seemed like years it made contact with the skin of my waist. Slithering around it like a snake would a branch in the jungle. Fire sizzling my flesh making it blister red then burn black and fill the air with the acrid smell of smoke and burned meat as it suddenly yanked me forward. A rip from where I had been standing on nothing and streaking across the abyss. An odd sort of opening stretched in front of me as I was yanked towards it. Like a tunnel opening from black into the light of day as you drove forward.

Though as I was about to finally be able to make out the shapes ahead instead of a blur of color, a shrill ring suddenly brought me back to reality with a half yelp as my body shot up in bed. Sweat clinging to my forehead and everything seeming surreal for a solid minute as I shook off the sleep and slammed a hand on my alarm that had woken me.