Ruby Red Marionette

four | release

//: Batul to the side. 

“Look, it’s not even that bad. There’s no blood.”

A pounding sensation was suddenly forcing its way through my head, pulsating at my temples and then moving to the back of my neck. I tried to open my eyes, but just the attempt made the aching worse.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s bleeding - it’s a dead body. Dead. Gone. Caput.”

“Jesus, Tyler, would you stop saying ‘it’? She’s a female.” I felt something poking my side in a way that would have tickled if every slight touch didn’t travel straight up to my head. I was curious now as the two went back and forth, seemingly standing above me with the curiosity of children. There was a possibility that I could be dreaming of these characters, but even if I was, I had to open my eyes. Just to see what had come of me, if I was still breathing or not.

I squeezed them shut, cringing from the sting, and then opened.

Color quickly poured into the void that had once been my vision. First the colors, and then lines, and soon I could see shapes. I was lying on my back in the hallway of The Grove, the taste of liquor still on my lips. I thought I saw a hint of the smoke from last night in the air, but I distracted myself from it and looked at the two people in front of me instead.

One thing’s for sure: they were real.

They stared at me with wide eyes, then at each other, and then back at me. The three of us just stayed still for a while, soaking in each other’s presence, until the male of the two let out a passionate, piercing scream.

“Tyler, shut up!” The girl punched him. She laughed uneasily and outstretched her hand to me. I let her help me to sit up, and stopped in the middle of a failed effort to try to stand on my feet. Not yet.

“Um, hello.” The boy, Tyler, came back from hyperventilating down the hall. He ran his hands through his low-cut hair, sweat already running down his face. As I watched him, a tall, lanky white boy who clearly had anxiety problems, I noticed that he looked a bit familiar. Not so much that I could’ve met him before, but maybe seen him in passing.

“Excuse Tyler’s awkwardness,” The girl smiled at me. “I’m Batul. We spent the night at this hotel. Fourth floor. We heard this wild party going on all the way downstairs, so this morning we decided to come up and check things out.”

“Then we found a dead body.” Tyler said.

“No, we didn’t.” His friend rolled her eyes. “Are you okay? Do you remember anything from last night? What happened?”

I placed a hand on my forehead. Still pounding, but much less now. Batul’s question stirred me. I didn’t exactly know what happened last night. All I could think of when I tried to remember were little blurry snippets, just clips of people and music and darkness. It was like trying to remember the events of a movie I’d seen years ago.

“No, not really.” I shook my head. “What’s your name again?”

“Batul,” She repeated. Her warm smiles were starting to grow on me now; she seemed genuine. I didn’t exactly want to be rescued - it’s kind of embarrassing to be the passed out girl in the middle of the hall the morning after a party - but I had no other choice.

“Yeah, it’s pronounced like butt-tool.” Tyler told me.

“Thanks.” I flashed him a sarcastic smile and stood up from the floor. Batul stood with me, making sure her hands were ready in case I fell. I didn’t, thankfully. Whatever spell was on me last night was gone.

She took my hand and walked slowly with me toward the elevator, motioning with her eyes for Tyler to press the button.

“What’s your name?” She asked. I looked at her blankly for a few moments - I’d almost forgotten how to respond to questions like those, normal questions that are routine for normal people having normal conversations.