Death's Awakening

Chapter Twenty-Four: Karmen

The music blasting next door was driving her insane. Karmen wasn't exactly a fan of listening to some woman practically screaming her guts out through a loud speaker. Especially after the day she'd had.

Outside, it was a really nice evening. One of those rare summer nights when the breeze was steady and cool. Karmen had opened the windows in her bedroom after the sun set and the breeze rolled in. Then, she sank down into her comfy bed and pulled the fluffy down comforter over her body. It had been days since she'd really slept.

Losing contact with everyone you know kind of did that to a girl.

Now she had this image of the woman's face from that department store to deal with, too. She'd never seen such terror in someone's eyes. And what was up with the bloody man?

Like a miracle, she had actually been able to find sleep despite her gruesome thoughts. For approximately twenty-eight minutes. Then the music started.

At first, Karmen had just tried to ignore it. She didn't want to unravel herself from her cocoon, so she burrowed in deeper, pulling a pillow over her head.

But the music was so loud.

With all of the windows open, it was practically as if someone was standing in her room singing at the top of their lungs. She knew exactly where the music was coming from, too, which only annoyed her more. Who else would be listening to opera at this hour?

Parrish had been her neighbor for as long as she could remember. They'd even been best-friends way back when. But ever since they got to middle school, Parrish had turned into a total weirdo. She stopped talking to her about normal things like boys and clothes. Instead, she started pouting and listening to weird music. Her style completely changed and she just got so depressing. Karmen had no idea what Parrish's problem was, but she didn't care.

She just wanted to sleep.

Karmen turned over and pulled the comforter higher over her head, then curled into a fetal position. Nothing made sense anymore. Maybe if she could just get one night of good sleep, she would wake up and her parents would be home and everything could go back to normal.

The music next door quieted for a moment and Karmen felt her body falling, falling back into sleep. Then, bam! Another damn screaming high note. Well, she was sick of it. She thought about calling the police about a noise violation, but then laughed. After what she saw at the mall and on the highway today, the police would probably laugh at her over a noise complaint. She would have to deal with Parrish Sorrows herself.

The covers went flying off of her body and she threw her legs over the side of the bed. All she'd bothered to put on when she got home from the mall was a pair of short pink cheer shorts and a white tank top and sports bra. She briefly thought about changing her clothes and putting on something more neighborhood-appropriate. But seriously, who could she possibly run into at almost nine on a random breezy night? Most of the neighborhood was either dead or halfway to God-knows-where at this point, anyway.

Instead of changing, Karmen just slipped her feet into her favorite pair of pink flip flops and stomped down the stairs. She hesitated for a brief moment at the door to her house. The last time she walked out that door, she'd managed to walk into some kind of Twilight Zone. Over the past week, her house had become her own private sanctuary where she could shut herself in and pretend the outside world wasn't a complete freaking mess.

When she left, she had to face the truth. And it wasn't a truth she liked very much.

Still, the roaring sound of the orchestra next door renewed her determination and she turned the doorknob and stepped outside. Every step she took in the direction of Parrish's house fueled her fire. Who did she think she was anyway? Queen of the neighborhood? Didn't she realize there were people still living on this street who were grieving? And what about the people who were sick in bed and needed their sleep?