The Lost and the Broken

Don't wake up

The square was empty when I opened my eyes. Shops were deserted but not a closed sign in sight. As I got up from the bench I held my eyes, rubbing them until I could see black dots from behind my eyelids. Christ. Still nothing. I stood up and took in my surroundings; the cinema, town hall and dry cleaners were all in their right place but nothing. What the shit is going on?? I took a walk down Bawland Avenue. I don't know why but something compelled me to do so. Something pulling me like a magnet towards this place. I didn't stop to think why, I just complied. Like a good little girl. As I got to the corner, it felt like a dark Christmas carol, all wrapped up, waiting for me. That's when I heard them. The clique from the Diner, I could see these figures of people I once knew. Now, they looked older, twenties maybe but that wasn't what struck me, it was their clothes; long dark coats, nothing seedy but like something out of a film about the future, but good. They were all there. I could make out Sofie and all those nameless people I'd hated so much for so long and then there he was, in the middle of all of them, there was Billy. But he looked different. Gone was the shining beacon of light I'd once known. Now, in his place stood a darker shade of a man. He had scars adorning his face, short hair and a beard. To some, he'd look attractive but not if you knew him the way I had. I couldn't quite make out what they were saying but it was important and the way they moved was something else. Primal. Frightening. So, what do you do in this situation? Going to them is like walking into a fire, no good will come of it. But you still get seduced by the taste of it. So I did. I walked along past the store fronts until they came right into focus. I was hunched in a small stairwell and felt frozen to the spot, watching this silent movie unfold before my eyes. Then something strange happened. They had been talking seriously since I'd been there then all of a sudden that guy started grinning. He then turned around slowly to look in my direction but it wasn't just that. He was looking directly at me.

Welcome. I've been waiting a long time for you. You have no idea how long.

His voice echoed around my head but his lips were glued shut. He winked at me and my mind was blown. What the fuck is going on?? How??! He then materialized in front of my eyes and blew delicately into my face. My body grew heavy and then the scales tipped and I fell to the floor.

Lying on the tarmac, my body grew stiff like it was being tightened by a giant screwdriver and I could feel my face ageing. They were all stood around me but their voices were not as clear as before. Muffled and my ears started to block, like I was taking off in an airplane.

Then he raised his hand and my world went black.

And that's when things started getting interesting...and by interesting I mean fucking scary.