The Beautiful Katastrophe

(XII) One Nite Alone

     I let the cool night air feed me as the taxi took me 30 minutes away from my home. I only began to feel nauseous again when the car slowed down its drive.

"Is this it?" the driver asked me.

The headlights shined against Prince's locked gate.

"Yup," I said. "This is it."

"You want me to wait until you're inside?"

"No, thanks." I snatched a bill out of my clutch and waved it at him. "Keep the change."

"Wow, thanks."

I dragged myself out of the car. The driver didn't even give me a chance to second-guess myself. As soon as that back door shut, he was gone.

I grunted and leaned forward to study the silver box and buttons. "Umm..." 0-7-1-8...nothing.

So, I tried it again. 0-7-1-8.

Still, nothing but a quick beep accompanied by a red light. My only option was to keep pressing the 'ring' button. But no one ever responded.

I could feel a good difference in my high but I was still a bit hazy. "Prince!" I yelled, banging on the gate. I think it was maybe around 3 a.m., but I was oblivious to the time and the fact that he did have neighbors.

"Princetopher!!"

I didn't have enough energy to go on after shouting his name five times, so I turned my back to the gate and let my legs give out on me.

The gravel beneath me was uncomfortable and made me feel dirty. No street lights lined the road. The one lamppost Prince had on his property was enough to make me feel safe. But I'm sure, if I had been completely sober, I would've been scared as hell.

I talked to myself for a minute or two, questioning my rash decisions, and then I just fell out right there where I sat.

While in a light slumber, I could hear dogs barking from a distance and a swift wind made me flinch, but I jumped in fear when I was awakened by a roaring engine and blinding high beams. I quickly shielded my face with my arms and turned away. I dug my knees and hands into the gravel.

Before I could crawl away, someone swept me up and threw me in the back of the car. I wasn't alone. There was someone else there sitting next to me. "Lisa?"

"No, Wendy," the girl said, laughing.

The car slowly started moving forward.