Lost and Found

1

Everything is a blur, every single thing around me and about me. I pushed past the bodies that are within the bar as I feel myself struggling to stay sober. The Alcohol is having a bigger effect on me, more than usual. My head is throbbing and my heart is pounding, since everything is spinning out of control. Voices around me try to gain my attention, but only one stands out, and it's my fathers. It echoes and fills my head as I push through the door and out to my car. Before I even get it, I grab a cigarette out of my backpack, lighting it. I get into the car, stumbling as I struggle to look for my keys. After my numb hands grasp what feels like my car keys, I put them into the ignition. My eyes struggle to see which gear I shift into, but I feel my way as I felt the car come to life and start to reverse. I turn around slightly, my foot on the break as I slowly back out. I put it into drive as I start to pull out of the parking lot. My car is an old car and tends to make noises with knowing how much is wrong with it, which is the last thing I need as I see my fathers figure behind me, fists in the air as he shouts like an animal. I don't hesitate and looking out into the highway as I turn to look away from the rearview mirror.

I feel sick to my stomach as the toxic drinks wiggle against my stomach. Mark is not a great father clearly, and I don't even question why my mom left him for his brother years ago. But if I wanted to get to a safer place from my dad, I needed to focus on getting to his friends house. Every turn single and streets I have memorized like the back of my hand, even in my drunken state I know exactly where to go. My car lights dim with each passing minute, and so do my eyes. But like the sun shining, I see his house just a few minutes away. I pull up near the house as I check the time. 2:30 am, just in time, the usual time I go to sleep. After locking my car, I grabbed the spare key he gave me and slowly unlocked his door, quietly opening the door as I hear a slight pant running towards me with a name tag sound coming along with it. I close the door softly as I look down at a cute little pug wagging her tail at me. I may be drunk but I know a cute little pug when I see one.

"Hey there Ali" I say, but I could barely make it out the way I wanted as I slurred my words.

I kneeled down and stroked her head, her curly tail wagging as she leads me to the couch in the living room. I place down my backpack and lay down with a flop, turning down to see Ali wanting to climb on the couch with me. With the strength I have left I picked her up with one hand as I placed her on my chest and fall fast asleep.

My senses come back as I smell eggs, and the sounds of the morning news on the tv gets louder as I struggle to wake up. I groan softly, sitting up as I feel every bone in my go weak and crack. Ali runs into the living room, followed by her owner, Dave. His face not yet shaved, and hair a mess. He carries the eggs and sausages on a plate with a pain pill and orange juice.

"Father got drunk again last night, I know the drill" He says, voice still not quite there. I'm guessing by the way he's dressed by his pale skin and skinny body. A gray tank top and blue and white boxers. He places the plate on my lap, Ali sat near the couch as I picked at my food. I took the pain killer and swallowed it with the taste of orange juice.

"Dave?"

"Yes?"

"Why can't you let me stay again-"

"I've told you many times, my landlord just barely allowed me to have a dog in the house" He took turned away to walk to the bathroom, giving me a slight stern look. I sighed and felt my lower jaw tightened up slightly, but I looked down at the food and continued to pick at it as I slightly ate small bits. My stomach was grateful but at the same time not happy about the food. The sound of the fork hitting the plate, Ali's panting as she watches me eat the food, the news on the tv playing and the ceiling fan slowly spinning. It was relaxing but tension was filling the air quickly, and I can't seem to figure out why. Dave came back out, this time with a clean shave. As I was finishing my food, he sat down on a chair next to the couch I was sitting on. Ali pawed at his ankles so she can sit on his lap, which he gave into and picked her up. Dave looked like he hadn't slept in days, the bags under his eyes are clear as day.