Chapter 3: A Cry in the Dark

The sun streaks through my worn curtains as I groggily turn over in bed. My head pounds like a freaking elephant is stomping on my skull and the sound of clattering dishes in the kitchen isn’t helping. Reluctantly, I pat the nightstand beside me and pick up my phone. The screen lights up, displaying the time: 12:07PM. So much for an early morning, huh?

Squeezing my eyes shut, I force myself to climb out of bed. I shuffle over to the bathroom, wincing at my rugged reflection in the mirror. My short brown hair is greasy, causing it to stick up in every direction like some sort of anime character . A line of dried drool rests at the corner of my mouth as dark eyebags color my otherwise pale complexion. What the hell was I even thinking? I need to go back to bed.

River yells out from the kitchen, “Hey! Are you up? You want some grilled cheese?”

I grumble, both annoyed and incredibly tempted by the sound of grilled cheese. I make an incoherent yet affirmative sound as I pad my way out of the bathroom. The kitchen bustles with chaotic movement as River bustles about. I slink into a bar stool at the breakfast bar, letting my head fall against the countertop.

River fights back a grin, “How are you holding up there?”

I let out a groan, gripping my head as the hangover seeps further into my body. Every freaking time. I know how bad it is, but every time I go out again, and again, and again-

River chuckles, sliding some Tylenol and a glass of water my way. I gratefully take it, begging for some relief.

“Figured you’d be more than a little down for the count. Especially with how much you were babbling about this ‘angel’ the whole way home.”

“Angel?” I ask, voice rough and gravely as I drink down another gulp of water.

“Some blonde in the club? Honestly, you might have been so drunk you hallucinated the whole thing. Kirby and I had no clue who or what you were talking about,” River adds with a laugh, fondly remembering the jokes her and Kirby shared about it all the night before.

“A blonde…a-” I gasp, bolting straight up as I suddenly am flooded by flashes of images: a rush of platinum blonde, dazzling sapphire eyes, a look that could kill directed at the cowering pervert, a gentle hand on the small of my back.

“The blonde! Oh my god! That wasn’t a dream at all. That happened at the…and we were…” I gesture between myself and River, struggling to form a sentence as my slow-moving brain desperately tries to process everything.

“So you weren’t making that up? You met some woman there?”

“Yeah! She swooped in like some sort of…like a-”

“An angel?”

“Yes! Just forced that guy right out of the club and cared for my wrist. Then when she led me back over to you guys, I was gonna ask her name and I just…”

“Forgot. Huh. That’s the same story you told last night.”

“Sh*t, I’ve got to find her.”

River shifts her weight, looking at me in confusion, “Find her? For what?”

“For-Because! Because I’ve got to at least properly thank her,” I say quickly, a lingering feeling of something deeper bubbling up that I desperately need to squash down right now.

“I mean, you could maybe try and swing by there again tonight? I don’t know what she looks like, but if she was there once, she might be there again.”

“This is why I keep you and your smarty pants brain around.”

“That’ll be $6.99. I take cash, credit, or Venmo. Thank you,” River snarks back, sliding a freshly cooked grilled cheese in front of me. I roll my eyes, very used to this song and dance. I take a big bite into the sandwich, my mind already made up.

That night, I awkwardly pull down on the hem of my black cocktail dress as I make my way into the same club. Did I get a little bit too dressed up to come here just to ‘thank’ this woman? Yes, most definitely.

My eyes immediately scan the dance floor, pushing my way through a crowd of intoxicated people. One guy gets a little handsy right out the gate, gripping onto my hips. I swat his sweaty hand away from me and make my way over to the bar.

She’s still not anywhere to be seen. Damn. Maybe I was a little too hopeful for this night.

Scrunching my lips together in thought, I flag down a bartender with bleached hair and dark roots showing through. He sidles up to me with a practiced smile, “Hey! What can I do for you?”

“Hi, I’m actually just looking to see if you’ve had a certain blonde here today? Little taller than me, hair down to her chest, bright blue eyes?”

“Hmm, I mean we do get a lot of blonde women in here. You got a name I could look up?”

“Uh, well…no. Not yet. That was kind of-”

“Ahhh! I see. Looking for a lost lover, eh?” the man grins, giving me a playful wink.

“What?! No! No, I just, I’m just looking for-”

“Ah, I’m just toyin’ with you. Like to create my own little love stories here while people mingle about, ya know? Keeps the job interesting.”

“I, uh, I get that. Heh…”

“Unfortunately, I can’t really do much to help you, girlie. But I hope you find your lady!” The bartender gives me a supportive smile before tending to others further down the bar.

I hide my face in my hands, definitely not expecting the conversation to turn the way it had. Lost lover? Like come on. That’s totally not what this is…

With one last drop of hope, I try the bathroom. Making my way past the giggling stalls, I stand at the mirror, applying and reapplying my lipstick just to watch the flow of women trickling in and out. Still nothing. Ugh! Where is she?!

Not getting anywhere in here, I head back out into the club, grab a drink at the bar, and slowly sip, watching over the crowd until last call. Maybe I didn’t get here early enough? Or maybe she works on Saturdays?

Wearing a deep frown, I grab my bag and head out into the crisp evening air. My thoughts race as I wander through a nearby park, using the dimly lit path as my shortcut home. Definitely a bit more on the sketchy side of things, but worth the time it cuts out of my walk.

Really was hoping I’d see her today though. Maybe I’ve just got to try again. Who goes to a club every single night these days anyways, you know? Yeah, tomorrow! Wouldn’t hurt to try one more day, would it?

And so I do the next night, and the night after that, and the night after that. I spend all day thinking about what I’ll say to this mysterious woman while also trying to remember every detail of her face and her soft smile. God, I could really get lost in those eyes…Then make my way into the same club every evening, sitting at the bar and watching the crowds fade by.

After nearly a week of searching, I’ve made the tough decision; tonight is the final day. If I don’t find her today, then it just wasn’t meant to be.

I take my usual seat at the bar, order a screwdriver, and wait. The hours tick by, and although I can see countless smiling faces enjoying their time on the dance floor, my spirit wanes with each passing moment.

I glance down at my phone, which displays the time I’d been dreading: 1:33AM. Bartender’s about to give out last call, and I’m already giving out my last hope.

Sighing, I climb down from the barstool and make my way to the door. One final look around confirms what I already knew; she’s not here.

The moon shines brightly over the city as I stroll down the street, heading toward the lakefront. My eyes drift up to the stars above, my heart a lot more disappointed than it really had any right to be.

It was just one helpful encounter. Why am I so caught up on finding her anyways? It’s not like I owed her anything or like…f*ck. Why did I-

A blood-curdling scream echoes across the park, stopping me in my tracks. My eyes dart around, too scared to move a muscle. A loud thud reverberates before a deeper male scream cries out.

My palm sweats, clutching my phone at my side. My brain knows that I should call the authorities, let them handle whatever is going on. I should keep myself safe from whatever threat caused two people to cry out in that manner. But my heart…my heart pulls my feet forward.

I take a few slow steps that turn into quick strides. Suddenly, I’m running, not away from the danger, but straight toward it. Something in my being is calling out to me, telling me everything I’ve been looking for is behind that scream.

Thankful for my practical choice in shoes for the night, I let my converse speed across the pavement and onto a forest trail. A brief hesitation flits through my mind; is this worth it? Is this really the choice I should be making?

Without another thought, I race off through the trees, ready for whatever is waiting for me.