Within Us

Chapter 7

I woke up with a sore neck. I must have been moving a lot as now my neck was bent at an angle, against the window. I shook my head and groaned at my sore neck. Glancing at my watch which read 8:08pm, I became a bit pissed.

Where the hell is he?

The sun was gone, lighting up another part of the world that isn't this alley. The alley now felt ominous and somehow even more unwelcoming than before. It was dark to the point you can see anything beyond a small area that was lit up by the flickering Boris's Booze Bar neon sign. The dirty pink light that the sign gave off was more of red and gave the back entrance a devil's gate vibe. After some mental deliberation, reluctantly got out and walked in. I was surprised to see no big bouncer checking for my ID. The bar had this weird repetitive techno music to it. It sounded like a flute mashed into some synthesizers. It felt like something out of the 90's because of how odd it sounded. About less than 10 people were there. Most of them were playing pool in the corner and a few at the bar drinking. This has to be one of the cleanest bars I've ever gone into. There was no odor of cigarettes. It smelt like dirty linen.

This is the loneliest bar I've ever seen. Where is everyone? And how is this place even in business still?

The only part that was well lit up was the bar itself. It had a row of dangling dark blue crystal LEDs that was over the bar. The crystals were in a wonky offset grid like pattern. The rest of the club was much darker and only lit up by the pink neon tubes that ran across the top of the walls . I walked up to the bartender who was wiping a glass clean. He had a vertical red and white striped apron on. I didn't have to yell over the music like most other bars I've gone to in the past. The repetitive disco music wasn't very loud.

"Hey excuse me, have you seen a tall dirty blonde guy with a gray hoodie"?

He nodded "He went to the back room over there" He pointed to a hallway entrance behind me that had some pink heart crystal door beads. The hallway looked a bit dark and was only lit up by the room at the end of the hall.

"Thank you" I turned to walk before he whistled at me like I was a dog.

"You have to buy something if you want to stay here. Sorry buddy, policy"

I rolled my eyes and groaned in a bit of frustration. I wasn't in the mood for a drink and got a shot of fireball as it was one of the cheapest things. I threw it in a plant while he was turned away and placed the shot glass on the counter. I walked through the pink heart shaped door beads. There was a lounge-like area at the end of the hallway. I could see that the room was only lit up by 2 hanging lamps and there was an empty table directly in the middle. I felt chills tickle down my spine. Possibly from the now distorted disco music that was now playing, or the fact that this was one of the quietest bars I ever went to. I wasn't fully creeped out but I was on edge.

"Wake up, Will. Come on, snap out of it and wake up" A adult female voice said. I whipped my whole body around to identify the person who said that. No one was there. Ok I'm really on edge now!

"Hello"?!

"Wake up!" The voice was now louder and closer as I did a full 360. The female voice sounded like it was from an adult and judging from her tone, she sounded worried. I was a bit horrified to find no one was there and I started to run into the room.

"Darryl"!

My body involuntarily shook a bit before I jerked up out of the car seat, nearly face first into the dashboard. Darryl was shaking my shoulder

"We're home, come on"

I glanced around and indeed we were parked in front of our house. I shook my head.

What the hell was that all about? Was my brain fucked up more than I think?

I rarely had any bad dreams but that was just weird. I could have sworn I heard that repetitive disco music as I fell asleep that night. The same flute playing the same rhythm with synthesizers over and over again. I whipped and turned in my bed until I was a human burrito and woke up. I de-burritoed myself from my sheets and thin blanket. I reached for my phone that was laying on top of a signed copy of The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.

Best book I've ever read. It's what really got me into the romance genre. Before that I exclusively read adventure books.

I turned it on to see what time it was and turned into a deer in headlights as the screen lit up and blinded me with the bright white L wallpaper from Deathnote. I squinted after being flashbanged. I scrambled to lower the brightness.

"Mother trucker" I blurted out loud. It pissed me off. . . and now I can't sleep.

EVERYTIME! I should really lower the brightness before I sleep

I was awake now and it turns out I've only been sleeping for about an hour and a half. Some unread Instagram notifications popped up from Syria. I would answer but I decided to look at it tomorrow and set the phone back on the book. I closed my eyes to try and go back to sleep again. I started to fall asleep once more after a while but instead of hearing that disco music, I heard a faint conversation. It was on the verge of being able to make out what they were saying but just faint enough that I couldn't.

What's happening to me? Is my brain really this fucked up that I'm hearing voices?!

I wanted to process but my body said no and dragged my mind into nothingness once more.