Sway With The Wind

Chapter 7 - Diverging Paths

As El's headache began to subside, her concern for her friends grew. The silence from their end was uncharacteristic and unsettling. Normally, their group chat would be a hub of activity, buzzing with messages about their night out or plans for the day. The stark contrast of today's quietness left her feeling uneasy.

She pondered over the events of the previous night, trying to recall if anything had gone amiss that might have led to this unusual silence. However, with her memories clouded by the effects of her drinks, nothing significant came to mind. El couldn't shake off the worry that perhaps something had happened after she left with Carl. The thought that her departure might have somehow influenced the mood of the evening gnawed at her.

Deciding that she couldn't just wait around and hope for a response, El resolved to take a more proactive approach. She considered calling each of them, but the fear of waking them up or interrupting their recovery process held her back. Instead, she opted for sending individual messages, asking if everything was okay and mentioning her concern about the silence in the group chat.

With her messages sent, El tried to focus on her assignment. The International Commerce Centre, with its towering presence and significance in global commerce, had been an impressive sight. She attempted to channel her thoughts towards the architectural marvel and its impact on international business, but her concern for her friends kept pulling her attention away.

Every buzz of her phone had her reaching for it, hoping for a response that would ease her worries. She couldn't help but feel a bit isolated, left out of the loop, wondering if the dynamics within her circle of friends were shifting in ways she hadn't anticipated. The waiting game was agonizing, but she held onto the hope that there was a simple explanation for the silence and that soon everything would be back to normal.

If the silence from her friends wasn't troubling enough, the task of piecing together the fragmented memories from her journey home the previous night added another layer of unease. Each attempt to connect the dots between the moment she entered Carl's car and her arrival back at her place was like trying to navigate through a maze without a map.

The more El tried to piece together the fragments of her memory, the more elusive they seemed. The warmth of Carl's car, the gentle hum of the engine, and the softness of the leather seats—all of it felt like a prelude to a dream rather than the tail end of a night out. The care Carl had taken to ensure her comfort, adjusting the temperature to ward off the chill from the night, stood out in her mind. It was a gesture that, under different circumstances, might have seemed endearing, but now, it only added to the fog of her recollections.

She remembered leaning her head against the window, watching the city lights blur into streaks of colour as they drove. The conversation, if there had been one, was lost to her, drowned out by the weariness that enveloped her senses. It wasn't like her to fall asleep so easily, especially in the company of someone she was still getting to know. The drinks she'd had, more potent than she was accustomed to, must have played their part in dulling her alertness.

The smoothness of the ride, the absence of jarring movements or sudden stops, had lulled her into a deeper sense of security. It was a contrast to the noisy, bustling streets they had left behind at the lounge. In the quiet cocoon of Carl's car, the rest of the world seemed distant, irrelevant.

Now, trying to recall any specific details of their conversation or the route they took felt like reaching into a void. Did Carl say anything noteworthy, or did they ride in silence? Had she fallen asleep immediately, or had there been a lull in her consciousness before she succumbed to sleep?

El's frustration mounted with each unanswered question. The lack of memory was disconcerting, a blank space where her sense of control should have been. She knew the night had ended safely—she was here, after all, in her room, without any sense of harm or foul play. But the inability to remember everything left her feeling vulnerable, a stark reminder of the risks of letting her guard down, even in seemingly safe situations.