Blind As a Bat [1st book complete]

Too Much Attention

I focused on things outside of what happened and my surroundings. At some level I heard damage control with bouncers explaining to several people about the events. They played it off as unruly people high on something had caused trouble and that they had been properly handled. It probably didn't take long to quiet the tides of unrest, especially when drink prices were lowered for the rest of the night, and the music had reached a screaming flushed tempo.

I focused on the bereft feeling along the bridge of my nose where my glasses no longer were. They had probably fallen off when we- no, not thinking about that. I felt along the edges of my fingernails, scratching at the abrasive sections, trying to keep my head down and eyes closed. I have eyes, I have eyelids, I can 'look around', and I can blink. Everything works except the ability to see itself, so I just focused on keeping them closed. Maybe if I did and kept quiet, everything else would get quiet and go away too. Just leave me.

I shuddered when something big invaded my swollen personal space. A large object encroached upon me and I shrank back a little as it kept coming, eventually settling on my shoulder. The large hand was warm and swamped my shoulder. I flinched back, knocking my other shoulder into the wall behind me, eliciting a hissing grimace of pain. That was the side that 'left' had slashed before whispering in my ear... I shook my head quickly, scrunching my face up and reaching my hands up to either side of my head. I buried them into my hair, pulling at it a little as I scrunched down as best I could while sitting on the edge of a ledge, legs hanging over the side. Yes, the pain to my shoulder intensified, my eyes leaking tears. I opened my mouth; this was just too much.

***

The moment I woke, I knew I was on my back on some type of leather couch. It was supple yet not comfortable like a fabric one; almost slippery yet sticky at the same time and cool to the touch from the slightest of movements. I hated leather couches. I took my time waking up to the surprisingly quiet room. I knew I was still at the club; there was no way to hide the pulsing music even behind this really well sound-proofed room, but it worked a hell of a lot better than my own room.

My shoulder ached uncomfortably, realizing it was bandaged when my fingers lightly brushed over it. First I lost my sunglasses and felt taken without them, now I literally was naked from the waist up. My shirt was gone, just adding to the pile of shit seeming to be exponentially pushing down on me. Sighing, I ran my left dominant hand along my forehead, rubbing over my head and along my eyes. My elbow grazed against the back of the couch, so I reached out to run my hand along it, using my other hand to carefully feel the other side without wrenching my shoulder. When I felt grounded enough, I used the vertical crevice to slowly pull myself up and shift my surprisingly bare feet onto the ground, landing on cold concrete, probably, and what was probably a rug.

It took several moments before I realized that there were actually sounds in here as well. What I had thought might have been a clock of some sort was actually the sounds of someone typing on a computer. I could hear the creak of a chair as this person moved and huffed a sigh. I had turned my head partially to it, working at figuring out the placement of the room. The person was a few yards away on a swivel chair, probably at a desk to my right.

"Oh," I heard, causing me to jump. "you're awake."

I turned toward the calm smooth male voice, not feeling any animosity. My body was still on edge, cycling between defcon 1 and defcon 4. The chair shifted and groaned as the man rose and, from the sound, began walking toward me. I began quickly shifting my head, using his footsteps and what vibrations still seeped in from the club to get some idea of where I was.

There was something not far in front of me, probably a low coffee table. There was another square object to the left of the coffee table, probably another chair. There were small side tables, I think, to either side of the couch I sat on... I felt my breathing hitch then speed, unable to find the door- and he was getting closer. My eyes teared at my constant helplessness and weakness before the adrenaline spiked in fight or flight and I rushed to my left, banging into the unexpectedly extended edging that was definitely some kind of reclining chair. It caused me to stumble but thankfully catch myself on the wall. I turned quickly, back to the wall, and felt along my thigh before pulling out and lengthening my cane.