Revengeance

Friday, August 9th, 6:00 pm

"What the hell Mer?" a familiar voice snaps my thoughts forward. A mixture of relief, grief and dread halts my abrupt awakening.

Panting, I realize it's only a dream. Only a dream. Running my hands down my face, they linger for a moment to rinse away the fear consuming my every thought. He's not here. I chant internally where deep haunting secrets rest until the darkness encompasses me. Darkness some call sleep. I call hell.

"Hello? Are you going to tell me what the heck just happened? Did you have another nightmare?" Easing two fingers apart, I turn and peer one eye through to veer at my best friend and nod. She turns her focus back on the road shaking her head. "Are you sure you're up for this? Maybe you should call Uncle Theo."

Removing my hands quickly, I slap my legs and glare at Anna. "No, I'm fine. I don't need him babysitting me." My words come across short and curt making me feel a little guilty for snapping at my friend.

Her eyes dart towards me. Sighing, she accepts, "Okay. Let's get your mind off that bullshit. Shall we wager on how many numbers we can get tonight?"

Exhaling dramatically, "Anna, don't you think we've beaten a dead horse? Plus you're taken," I sink into the passenger seat beginning to feel a little more like myself-whatever that is. I watch the ridiculous hula girl on her dash wiggle with each pothole she manages to not miss. Insisting on telling everyone she's Hawaiian when she's more Irish than a leprechaun. Her argument, "I live close to Hawaii, therefore, I can call myself Hawaiian." See what I put up with?

"Uh... as far as I know you're taken too. Oh, and back to your question, maybe you have beaten a dead horse, Little Miss I have no social life, but I haven't." She air quotes mocking me and taking her hands off the wheel in doing the jester. I take a deep breath and close my eyes at her idiocies. Chancing a gaze at the passing skyscrapers contemplating we're minutes away. The pain in my head obscures the world to a colorless form. I wish more than anything I could dream normally. No. No normal dreams. Only a nightmare. Only a mess has been left in the wake of memories.

Shaking the fogged thoughts, I force myself into conversation. "Whatever snot. I have a social life." I retort watching the cars zip pass as if their lives are more important than everyone else's.

Anna clucks her tongue, "I hate to tell you this my friend, but going to the Range doesn't constitute living the wild life." She pauses. Uh oh, wait for it. There's more she wants to say. I can feel it. Studying her behavior enough to know, something daddy instilled. "Be observant. Watch people. You can learn more about people from sitting back and letting their character speak." He would educate.

I may possibly bet money she's going to say more if there was someone I could entertain the idea. Releasing a groan she mutters, "Screw it!" Suddenly, the car swerves hard right on the freeway. Horns honk from all directions and she flips them off as if she isn't the cause of their abrupt irritation. Hula girl squirms something fierce. Perhaps a little exotic. Hastily she throws the car in park. I scowl with wide eyes wondering how I wound up with an erratic Anna as my best friend. How is it possible I allowed her in my pitfall? Honestly, I'm careful in all aspects of my life.

With her hands gripping the steering wheel rubbing them back and forth, she continues. "After this conference, we are going to go out and celebrating. You've gone on a date. What is that? Oh yeah, a first in a lifetime and you called him back and had him meet Uncle Theo." Celebrate. My breath hitches still uneasy from my nightmare. The word takes me by surprise. Contemplating how I can come up with an excuse, I bite my fingernail. The air has become suffocating. Searching for the button, the window rolls down. A whoosh of congested engines, tires burning and city smog enters the cabin. The city air is still welcoming. Anna returns the window to its previous position. Panic erupts out of thin air. I need the window open. I fight her with the button. Relentlessly this goes on for seconds. "It's my car! Open the damn window!" I yell.