Emptiness

Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

Ellen

Fire. Fire. It took my brain a moment or two to completely process the bewildering concept the casino was about to burst into a tornado of rampaging flames. The mere idea of it could cause shivers to skip up my spine. The words that transmogrified a simple nightmarish thought into reality struck me; it was nearly as though a lightning bolt had hammered within the abyss of my dumbfounded mind. Never had I been molded into a situation as horrifying - the silly proposal of an orgy, my maladroit tumble... none terrified me as much as the thought that I might be orphaned or dead by tomorrow morning.

I struggled to regain my intelligence and compose myself. Nothing revealed itself, so all I did was stand there with my knees caving inward, my frame trembling meekly.  I couldn't storm up what to do. My brain was a jumbled, unorganized mess. I felt absolutely moronic, a total ditz, but my body seemed to be paralyzed. Then it hit me: RUN, AND LOOK FOR MICHAEL AND PA. My feet hit the ground once more, pounding on diamond tiles as I sprinted in search for the rest of my family. The casino was massive. Flinging myself, I whirled into a hallway with high windows. I could have sworn that I caught a glance at Michael smashing through the glass with a sac, and Pa hoisting him above his broad shoulders. I could have promised you that Michael perceived me as well, for his brown eyes popped. In a whirling second, he and my father were out.

Then a stampede of bodies thumped against mine, and I felt myself collapsing. My sight was flipped upside-down, and I gazed into the faces of people who were rushing toward the exit like mindless creatures... boots and heels stomping.

Then I fainted.

*****

My eyelids flipped wide as I gasped sharply, breaking into a series of burdensome suspirations. Pearls of sweat were accumulating at my temples, which were pulsating from an insufferable headache. I found myself hot, clammy, and sweltry in what seemed to be a hotel room. My muscles were tender, and my throat was nagging for water to kindly grace me. I coughed, rolling onto the cushions and staring blankly at the ceiling.

A crystal chandelier was suspended above me. A single bulb flickered from it, illuminating a limited portion of the room. The satin curtains were still drawn, but the gleaming effulgence of the sun streamed in through tiny cracks. My fingernails snagged on a blanket that had been kindly draped over my frame. Propping myself against a wooden headboard, I prepared myself to rise and fix breakfast.

It was a sudden recognition. I stood up immediately, investigating myself. I straightened out my outfit, the dress from last night. I scampered toward the windows, binding the drapery. The sun emerged, and the bustling city of London saluted me. This couldn't possibly be the hotel that we were staying at... How could Pa afford a hotel as elegant as this one? The fantastic view? I had only ever slept in motels with outlooks of moldy brick walls. This must be someone else's room. I must have inadvertently ventured into an incorrect street, hotel, and room... No... did I drink anything? Oh, please no. I've never tasted liquor before - at least, I'd never drank more than an occasional glass in a toast to whatever company Pa was gambling with. I was not comprehensively cognizant of what the effects would be on me. I must have done something to just lose my sense like that.

I scrutinized the wooden floors for my broken red stilettos, but they were nowhere to be discovered. In a rush, I urged myself to expedite my search. My shoes may be out of sight, but it's not as though I wished to ever don them again. There were a pair of polished boots on the ground that I slid my toes into. There were a couple sizes too large and made clanging sounds as I scrambled, but I prayed that I would flee before whoever-lived-here could catch a second glimpse at my face.

"You're awake!" proclaimed a voice that eventually slipped into an elongated yawn. I totally lost it at that moment, panicking as I feared the worst. I screamed and broke into a blitz, but crashed back into the bed. Clutching a pillow, I threatened to smack the villain across the face with it.