Should I call you a cab?

Chapter five

The hot water was running in the shower. The apartment was finally silent. Sun coming in from the little gaps on the living room curtains. Coffee machine turned on, like it did every day at 7 am. Vienna took of her night gaun and got under the hot water stream trying really hard to calm her nerves. It was steamy hot. Too hot to be healthy. Vienna's white skin was turning red on the top of her shoulders and back. But she opened the hot water valve even a bit more. The steam filled the room, it made her feel secure. But at the same time alone. Bruno should be there. He would've loved being there, hugging and kissing her in the shower. Talking while they both brushed their teeth before bed. Teasing her when she was doing one of her charcoal face masks and "looked like a zombie".

She opened the hot water valve a bit more. That was one of her ways of punishing herself. One of them. As soon as she finished with the soap she just stayed there, with her forehead on the cold shower wall. She felt sad. No, sad it's too simple. She felt broken. Sex was just a way of getting her mind out of stuff. But even that seemed to be hurting her lately. She couldn't concentrate, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. Siegfried, her boss, was already over the "poor girl with the dead boyfriend fase" and was not pleased with the work tasks she was clearly not finishing. A few days earlier he sat her down on his office to "offer his help".

-I don't know Vienna -he put down his cigarette on the astray in front of her- you were the fastest and most competent corrector we had around here. But now, they sent back one of your drafts Vienna. -Siegfried pushed the printed draft, with lots of red index tabs, towards her on the big desk- Typos! Typos Vienna. You know that makes us look like? Idiots Vienna, we look like idiots who can't manage to correct a book before printing! We're supposed to correct texts before publishing, not fucking them! - Vienna was sitting on his office, looking at the carpet like a little child while being lectured. Siegfried was not a bad man, he clearly had a few issues with booze -the yellow teeth, the alcohol and late fifties big round belly- yeah, he had issues, but he was not a bad man. He lived his entire life for work, for the company. Vienna had known him for over two years, working events and big meetings, even traveled with him, but she only knew he was a divorced man with two sons. And that he had been very proud of Vienna's work, even encouraged her once or twice in the past to write her own stuff, but she always choose to focus on corrections saying she didn't have the time, or that she was not inspired enough. Siegfried sighed- C'mon, I know you've been through a lot this year, but I'm afraid you're not getting any better Vienna. -He sat back on his chair clearly concerned, waited for her to say something, an excuse, a complaint. Nothing, Vienna just stared at the floor- Okey, whatever, go back to work, we need to fix what we've done. - Siegfried sighed and handed her the printed draft raising one eyebrow, she just limited herself to nodding, taking the papers, and leaving the room without saying a thing.

As soon as Vienna left the shower a cold breeze irrupted the warm and comfy climate of the steamy bathroom and she realized she was tired, dying tired. "Of course, you haven't slept all night. Thank Christ it's Sunday." Vienna crashed on the bed right after she got her pajamas on, and had all type of fuzzy dreams.

"- Where am I? Mom, what time is it? -Vienna got up confused.

- Half past eleven Vienna, you should be up already. - Leticia said sweetly.

-Eleven!? Oh my god, I'm so late for work... -She started tying up her hair on a messy bun. The house looked bright and warm like she had always remembered it. She was standing on the living room when she realized where she was- Mum, wa-what's going on? why are you here? Why am I home? -All of the family portraits where there, but she was not in any of them. Not the family vacation, not on the Christmas party when she was six, not even on her own graduation picture. She looked around for her dad, but something told her that he was close, coming home in some way. Leticia sighed and sat on the couch looking disappointed, she was wearing Vienna's favorite dress.

-Oh Vienna, you never know why, do you? - She smiled in a weird way. Suddenly the room turned cold and dark, the sun didn't invade every space like it did before. The light coming from the skylight on top of the stairs turned bright, cold and white. A strong wind blew some of her hair locks that didn't fit on the bun. Vienna saw as if clouds entered the house through the fully open windows. Winter storm clouds. Heavy, thick.

-What's going on mum? I'm scared. -She took a step back, looking at the house she grew up in, but not recognizing it- I was on my apartment, and now I'm here home with you, why am I here mum?... wasn't I sleeping?

-Were you? -Leticia raised an eyebrow.

-I'm sleeping, that's it. I have to wake up then - she started pinching herself on the arms, to wake up or at least to know if it really was a dream- It's so late, I should be at the office already - she pinched hard, on her arms, her legs, she even pinched her face. She felt pain, real pain, but nothing else, she was still in the cold house.- It hurts mum, everything hurts. - Vienna cried.

-Guess that's it then... - Leticia just laid down on the couch looking through the window absently. Vienna felt desperate, trapped. Since pinching didn't work she started hitting her legs, hard. Both hands closed into fists. And then she pushed her head to the closest wall, once, twice, three times. It hurt just as much as you would imagine, Vienna's eyes where watering. Still asleep.

-Why am I not waking up?! -Vienna looked nervously to her mum and glanced at the clock on the wall, the big vintage one she got for his dad on fathers day when she was fifteen. On the clock minutes and hours passed as if they were seconds, the sun started hiding on the horizon, and the house was getting darker- Mum I need to wake up, please - Leticia wouldn't look at her daughter. So Vienna run upstairs to her room desperately, tumbling,  looking around to find her dad, or maybe a way out. Some loud music started playing. She slammed the bedroom door and unplugged her old record player, but the music was still there. It kind of sounded like Queen, or at least Queen's bass, but I wasn't good, every note was out of it's place, and it got louder and louder. Vienna grabbed her head and covered both ears with her hands. It felt like music was coming closer towards her, so loud she could feel the beats on the floor under her bare feet.- Help! I need help! Please help me! -she teared her throat screaming desperately but she couldn't even hear her own voice.- Help me! Bruno!"

That's when Vienna's phone woke her up. It was not ringing, but it vibrated loud on the wooden night stand. She opened her eyes totally confused, and stood laying there, frozen for a second, making sure this wasn't another stage of that vivid nightmare. The phone kept buzzing, so she checked the screen. 19.15 pm, Sunday. Gaston was calling. Bruno's brother. After Bruno's death he would call every single day. He said he noticed Vienna was not eating enough when the stayed for the funeral, but after a few weeks of calls Vienna got to the conclusion Gaston saw something of his brother on her. He was very little when Vienna and Bruno met and became friends, just five years old, a real infant. So he spent his whole childhood seeing them both at home, playing videogames, watching movies and making fun of everyone at school. Ten years later, Gaston was a sweet young boy that loved Vienna as an older sister. The phone calls progressively changed from everyday to twice a week. And now Gaston called her every Sunday night to ask how her week had been.

-Hello? -Vienna's voice was raspy.

-Hey you, oh...Ups, were you sleeping?

-Yeah, don't worry, you saved me from a really bad nightmare. -she sighed.

-I was not apologizing Vienna - he joked- How are you today? Still haven't found a better thing to do but drinking?

-Gaston, the fact that you caught me one or twice drunk on the phone doesn't mean I have a drinking issue - Yes it did, it was exactly what she had, issues. Vienna sat on the bed trying to figure out if the sun was still there or not. It clearly wasn't.

-Yeah, whatever, I wanna know, how's your life? How's your work? Does your boss still bother you? Cause I mean you can always do better, you know? Wanna hear a funny story I heard the other night? Okey, so I was watching TV, Discovery channel, you know I'm not that much of a documentary guy...

-Gaston -Vienna interrupted the seemingly endless speech before he could even start. He sounded anxious, stumbling through his words. He didn't usually talked that much- I'm doing fine, taking my vitamins, eating my food. And that's it. - she shrugged her shoulders- How are you doing? -Gaston sighed and made a brief silence- Hey, what's wrong? -she felt genuinely worried, she really liked the kid.

-Vienna, I don't like this, but I need a favor.