The Gray Dancer

15. BRIDGES

HANNA'S EYES FLUTTERED OPEN TO A POUNDING HEADACHE. Her head throbbed each time her eyes blinked, batting against her eyelids. Hanna regretted drinking every time, but nothing else gave her the freedom she desired. Nothing gave her the comfort that the bottle of green liquor did.

Hanna couldn't resist it, no matter how hard she tried. It allowed Hanna to experience a new reality, a life she only wished she could live. She didn't mind dancing to its sinister melody as long as it gave her the happiness she desired. Even if she wasn't happy forever, a few minutes was all she wanted.

The sun continued to peek through the ebony curtains as Hanna found herself confined to her thoughts, believing everything to be a dream. Her eyes continued to stay closed as she did what she did best—think.

Hanna heaved a light groan as the piercing sun rays made their way through the room. She couldn't help but let her eyes flutter open to the quiet room.

Her thoughts seemed to calm down as her mind became occupied with the new world that surrounded her.

Before Hanna could open her eyes further to adjust to her surroundings, a voice sounded into the otherwise quiet room.

"You passed out, Hanna."

Hanna couldn't tell who it was by their appearance, not with her fuzzy morning eyesight. She couldn't see anything but a hazy outline. But, she didn't need her sight to know who it was.

The deep raspy voice that spoke only belonged to Derrick.

"Hanna?" His eyes seemed to widen as he waited for a response.

Hanna never responded, her head only tilting a slight fraction of an inch, stuck in the morning daze. A rosy pink dusted over her cheeks just like the night before.

A light frown crossed over Derrick's lips as he watched the girl. She seemed so fragile.

Derrick held back a sigh, shaking his head as his eyebrows rose, "Do you want a painkiller?"

Hanna nodded at him, saying nothing else.

Derrick didn't know why he asked her. He knew her answer long before she said anything. Anyone would need a painkiller after drinking as much as she did.

He pursed his lips as he made his way through his small apartment, finding his way towards his small medicine cabinet. Derrick didn't have much in the meager cabinet. He didn't get sick often to have medicine. He had no more than the essentials in case of an emergency.

Derrick shuffled through the tiny bottles until he found the one labeled as a painkiller. He flicked open the cap with his finger, letting one of the tiny blue pills fall into his hands.

At first glance, the pill seemed as fragile as Hanna. It appeared so tiny compared to the rest of the world—a fragment of the many things that made up Earth, but the pill could do so much for being that tiny.

Derrick grabbed a small glass of water before making his way back towards Hanna, his mind brimming with thoughts he didn't dare to say.

"Hanna?" His light voice echoed through the bedroom, "I got you a painkiller."

Derrick held his hand out for Hanna to grab the painkiller and the glass of water. His eyebrows raised, waiting for her to notice.

Hanna overlooked Derrick at first, her thoughts distracting her once again.

Once she did notice him, her lips widened into a light smile. She grasped the tiny blue pill and swallowed it down almost instantly with the water. Even though it didn't relieve her pain immediately, Hanna couldn't help but feel like her pain lightened. The weight she bore on her back seemed to lessen.