She woke up and her head was pounding out of control. She walked over to her black bag and the sun shone in.
It was a black and brown bag. And yet she detested the idea and or the color green. She was highly revolted by it. To her green was like an evil color. Not evil in the immediate sense but more of a feeling.
The light shone even better as her head pounded with pace.
Super ibuprofen is what the bottle read; it was in the pocket of the bag. Athena unzipped the bag. Her camisole exposing some air in between her thighs. She felt cold and watched. And yet the headache pounded with fervor. Her heartbeat kept pacing about looking for anything to beat to, to latch to, to monitor on.
First, it was the sink that started running and now she lie down but with the 4 ibuprofen tablets in her hand. She shook just from the trauma of the night before. The shaking beget more shaking which did not lead to convulsions. The water in the bathroom continued to pour out and then nothing.
Silence. Athena found a water cup. She slurped a little down, one pill after the other rocking between her tonsils and then buttering down her throat. And the rest of the pills coated her throat. A headache subsided with the four pills. Images began flashing around in her mind, her mother and now her father, both deceased trying to claw at her skull, -her mother and father getting her puppy Betty for her 7th birthday- and then her mother and father fighting in the darkened woods. Some sort of emerald green bracelet being dropped, blood caked everywhere with the bracelet and then black goo. First in a teddy's eyes and next from the trees and lastly a cavalcade of blackened blood from Sister Romita Dragunovesky's eyes and then yellow flashes and red and back to yellow.
"FUCK!" Athenascreamed.
Not but 20 minutes later she answered her phone in semi-exhaustion. The phone kept ringing near the end table. Everything was calm and fine once more.
Athena asked, Tanika, is Vander asleep? yes and yes and yes...mommy knows that you are tired and scared because it is you and Vander. And yeah...yeah...put Mr. Milton in his attic. Oh and feed him this time...yeah--____________I mean baby; you and Vander go back to sleep. I told you Saturday."
"Mom just be safe and have fun on your trip. I have always heard of coyotes around that area. And you know please stop at the route in Hawthorne. I know you are in a hotel but 10 miles or so they have a gorgeous diner and well...Vander wants the red and white famous helicopter. Get it for him...Mama kisses. Smooch ." said Tanika.
Athena told, "Okay, honey--I am going now. I have a bad headache and I need sleep. Love ya bunches girly-poo. Take care of Vander. Feed him peanut butter if he smacks his head against the carpet, will you?"
It had to have been noon. Athena decided to rest once more. But a knock at the door.
Garboom! Garboom! GARBOOM!
Athena got out of bed to a loud knock. She undid the deadbolt and two officers came to the hotel door.
"Ma'am this my partner Jack Willard, and I am Clarance Bartholemu ...and we were just wondering bout' something. Ya see out here in Candiceville we don't get much traffic but last night you wouldn't have known anything about a disturbance outside the hotel. Hotel King here, now would ya? " Jack said.
"No, I was in bed and I have a pounding headache officer. I did not hear a thing." Athena said.
"Kinda strange Clarance all these other folk coming down the road in a small and peaceful town. Makes you really wonder...makes you really think about some of these people." Jack said.
"Sorry for wasting your time ma'am. But you hear any damn little thing you let me and my partner know." Jack said.
"I will officers. Let me take your card just in case. I mean I am not even from around here. I am from Atlanta. But I hear anything I will call you. I am out here on business. My uh-firm is er..er...doing a sustainability conference in Hawthorne. Thanks, officers again, thanks sorry I can't assist you further. Athena said.
And with that the officers closed the door and left. Athena meanwhile was trying to pour over everything that had happened. The faucet was still going on and now the floor was flooded. Athena too tired to bother with much went back to sleep.
