The Pin Drop

I awoke in my chamber and pushed myself up. I didn't get out for what must have been minutes, but felt like hours. I placed my hands on my face and closed my eyes, wishing it were over, that it was just all a bad dream. The hands slid down and the eyelids opened. No. still here. I threw off the white duvet, letting the artificial air hit my body at a perfect 20 degrees Celsius, I rotated myself and let my feet hit the floor. It was cold. I pulled myself to my feet and walked over to the marvellous cinematic window. There was a faint bleep, followed by the rise of the silver shutters, flooding the room with light. Some people would say they never got tired of this view. I did. I turned away towards the wardrobe and removed my vest. Another bleep, followed this time by a segment of wall drifting open to reveal a dozen empty coat hangers. Oh right, I thought. I glanced around the floor and noticed a jumpsuit discarded at the end of the bed. I crouched down and picked it up, shaking it and letting the arms and legs fall into place. I held it in front of me for what must have only been seconds, but felt like minutes, staring at the emblem on the breast. The emblem of home, and my name embroidered beneath it.

***

"You're really going?"

"Hmm?" I replied, I wasn't really paying attention.

Back in the room, I looked in front of me to see a pint of cheap local beer in my hands, resting on a dark wooden bar top. I looked up to see coloured bottles and glasses on shelves, light hitting them, creating little streaks of green, purple and blue behind the bar. They surrounded a smudged looking mirror, and there I saw myself. A young man, brown hair, black glasses in a blue collared shirt staring back at me. I turned to my right. There was a blond man sat on a stool, in dark jeans and a blazer, with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry, I zoned out there for a moment". I said, blinking and shaking my head a little. The man looked away and smiled.

"You're going to be missed, you know that right?"

I turned behind me. There were people everywhere drinking and smiling and talking and drinking.

"Yeah, I know" I said "I'll miss them too"

***

I ripped open an unmarked sachet and poured the viscous substance into a small bowl. I placed the packet in between two fingers and slid them down it. It's the same I'd had for the past however long. That's the thing about being up here; you lose track of time. You see the sun rise and set 16 times a day. You don't know what to think. I threw the sachet on the counter and picked up the bowl. 

I walked across the cold white floor to the furthest of three long white tables in the room. The one by an even bigger window, glass thicker than you could imagine. I sat in front of the window, looking the other way, towards the kitchen. I'd rather look at anything than the vast nothing of out there, beyond the window. Bollocks, I thought. I forgot to grab a spoon. I picked up the bowl and put it to my mouth, tilting my head back.

***

"I could never do what you're doing" She said. "I'd miss parties like this too much"

I could only just make out what she was saying over the music which had now been turned up to eleven.

"I'll have my own parties" I said smiling at her.

"And they'll be out of this worldddd!" She joked, making rocket noises as she lifted her shot glass to the sky, before necking it back.

The girl was sat at the bar beside me, facing away from the alcohol and at my friends dancing away and making out and playing beer pong on the pool table with a snooker ball. The bartender walked over and put his hand out, gesturing for them to hand it over.