Cursed (6 page)

I could hear the kissing and talking starting up
as I walked along the dark grass back to the house.

I shook my head roughly disturbed I had
believed he was into me when really he was probably drunk and just
being pervy.

I shook my head at myself, I knew Shane better
than that and he had noticed I was in mourning and not
wearing colors. I truly wondered suddenly if he liked me
like that. Secretly I knew I would never date
him now that my sister ruined him forever so I let the
thought leave my brain but I couldn’t make it leave my heart.

Blake was standing at the back door looking out
at the back yard, knowing full well he was looking for me
I ducked along the hedge next to me and crept to the
other side of the house and slipped in the front door.

I wasn’t ready to go back to normal yet, what
little pride I had left was wounded. My heart was sore, maybe
not broken but sore to say the least. I was full of mixed
emotions that I needed to analyze alone with my mom.

I pushed my feelings down again, making
the depressing feelings take over my body as I fought my
way through the hallways surrounded by noise and teenagers acting
crazy.

The house was so full I couldn’t even place
faces anymore; it was a sea of teens getting trashed. I knew
everyone in the house in one-way or another but it was so crowed
their faces seemed to blend together.

I walked up the stairs in the family room to the
bedrooms; no one was up there yet. I sat in the hallway on the
carpet against the wall feeling the house vibrate from the music.
Giselle walked up the stairs smiling when I saw her.

“Hey girl, you’re just the person I wanted to
see. I have a drink here we can share. Some hot guy just gave it to
me, he looked familiar but I couldn’t see his face properly, it's
yummy.” She passed me the glass thankfully before she sat down and
potentially spilled it everywhere.

She shrugged up close and giggled, “Have some
Lemonade Aimee.”

I smelled it and wrinkled my nose, “What’s in
it?”

She laughed, “Nothing, just a bit of vodka, you
deserve a little vodka every now and then.”

I wanted to turn her down but remembering the
evening I had just endured I decided to be a rebel and share the
drink. I took a sip feeling the warmth of the liquor heat the whole
way down. For a cold drink it burned. I smiled at her, “Yeah it
tastes good but it’s not really my thing. Besides you don't
know who gave it to you.”

I wasn’t lying it did taste great and if it
weren’t for the burn I never would have known there was even
booze in it but it made me nervous some random gave her a
drink.

Giselle took a sip and passed the glass back,
“Hot guys give me drinks all the time dummy, I'm hot. You need a
little more than that tiny sip you had. Its only one glass for two
people, you need to relax. Have fun. Boys like fun girls."

I nodded thinking about what she said but then
she started rambling again.

"You’re not like your sister you know. You’re
easier to be around. She is really high maintenance.” The
irony was that Alise would have said the same thing about
Giselle.

I took the glass and drank a few big gulps
amazed that it tasted so good. I didn’t know what I was
doing but was able to rationalize that it was a small glass of
booze between two people, we would get a little warm and that would
be it. I knew I wouldn’t get drunk off of such a small
amount. I had enjoyed wine with my father’s family several times
and only ever got a little warm and less intense.

Giselle started to babble but my thoughts
were stuck on Blake, I wished I could take back
everything I had said and done. I loved him as a friend
and wanted things to go back to normal.

Suddenly I was thinking about Shane, I
wanted to taste his lips just once. Then suddenly the mystery man
with the blue eyes was in my brain. I laughed out loud as
I started to feel a little dirty enjoying the company of so
many men in my head.

Unexpectedly the most awkward thing occurred,
Giselle started making sense and I really liked her.

I looked her straight in the face and said as
matter a fact as I could, “Giselle I love you. You’re so
awesome.”

I knew then I was drunk. I didn’t know
what the feeling was until the word awesome left my mouth followed
by a giggle.

I was thinking about boys with no shirts on and
giggling with Giselle. How had it happened, I started to
panic but felt like I could do nothing about it.

It got progressively worse, we had only drank
the one glass of lemonade as far as I knew but I found
myself slipping down the wall laughing and unable to push myself
back up.

Giselle lay down beside me and I tried
to talk but my mouth couldn’t make words anymore.

Then suddenly noises and pictures came in fuzzy
flashes. I saw my sister laughing, Giselle was being carried
away randomly and I saw Blake, he was upset. I could see
him and my sister talking for a second.

Suddenly my sister grabbed Blake’s face and
started to kiss him, Blake grabbed her back and pulled her up into
him. They were making out and as luck would have it my eyes
were stuck open. For some reason I couldn’t get my eyes to
shut so I watched a terribly painful moment while drooling on
myself and unable to control my body.

I heard a voice, which made them stop and Alise
went down the stairs leaving me with Blake.

He brushed my hair from my face and smiled. He
said something I couldn’t catch and then suddenly my eyes
shut.

After a while I felt really free, there was
no sound what so ever, the music was gone but I was still in
the hallway at Shane’s.

I was standing now though, facing the stairs
still. I turned around and saw a figure slumped on the floor I
was wearing the same shirt as her. I reached for her but my
hand went through the girl’s body like mist. I looked
carefully realizing I was the girl on the floor. I was the corpse
girl on the floor turning blue.

I panicked screaming but no sound came from my
mouth.

I tried to bang the walls, where was
everyone.

My or rather her face was turning very
blue, I looked closer at the pile of what appeared to be vomit
by her lips. My body was choking, where were the idiots
who had left me in the hallway to die. I looked up
at the sky, well ceiling; I didn’t see a light or the ceiling
opening ready to greet me, which freaked me out a bit. My mom
was up in heaven there was no doubt about that and I
had hoped if I was dying that was where I was going
too but with no light to take me there how would I get
there.

I didn’t feel finished with life. I looked
over the edge of the railing and made sure the floor wasn’t opening
up with hellfire licking the railings and stairs. Thankfully the
stairs were just stairs.

Suddenly there he was, Wade from Port Handley
was beside my body. He stuck his fingers into my throat and started
fishing around in there. I grimaced watching a strange guy
root around in my mouth and tried not to think about the sanitary
issues and tried to remember, to at the very least, rinse with
mouthwash when I woke from all of this.

Wade looked directly at me, his piercing blue
eyes were wide, his mouth moved but I heard nothing.

I turned and looked behind me but no
one was there, he was actually able to see me, I waved my arms
back and forth as he waved me over to him. He put his
hand into my mouth again and this time my body heaved and shook as
piles of vomit started to pour out.

It was like the exorcist and I was barfing
all over the hottest guy I had ever seen. His eyes were
panicked as he pointed to my body again.

There was darkness and then I felt sick
suddenly and dizzy as I reached my hand out and wiped my mouth
off. I was on the floor and everything hurt in ways I
didn’t know were possible.

Wade spoke softly, “Welcome back Aimee, you
scared me.”

I was excited Wade knew my name. He was so
handsome. The smell of my vomit was more than I could
bear. I heaved again and threw up some more.

“Next time chew the veggie burger all the way
through ok.” He picked me up off the floor.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.”

He lifted me like a princess as I laid my
face against his chest and felt like I was floating.

He carried me to the bathroom but in the
mirror he wasn’t there, my reflection was but his was missing.

I closed my eyes and pressed really hard but
when I opened them he was still gone.

He smiled his beautiful smile at me and laughed
softly, “Yeah you’re dreaming, weird things happen in dreams like
people having no reflection.” His voice was like my favorite song
as it floated into my ears sending a shiver down my spine.

I looked I was smiling at myself in the
mirror but I was looking at him. He didn’t need a reflection
to be perfect.

I felt my body ache before I even
recognized I had a body. Everything was burning and
hurting.

My skin ached and my head pounded.

I couldn’t move my head properly because
something was in the way.

I cracked open one eye letting in the light,
which burned everything so much more. I winced as my eye opened
completely seeing a strange room.

Instantly assuming I was at Wade’s house I felt
nervous. Who was Wade and why would he take me to his house. I
opened my other eye feeling sick at not only the pain but also the
empty hunger. My stomach was burning and grumbling with starvation
but the very thought of food made me nauseous although my mouth
tasted like I might have already been sick.

Straining I reached a hand above my head and
felt the towel still wrapped on my head. I pulled at it slightly
trying to get it off. It was folded in a bizarre way I had never
folded my towel before. Giving up on the towel I looked around.

The room was small with a queen bed and a floral
print. It screamed guest room in every way. I lifted the covers to
reveal my naked body and blushed hoping I had gotten into bed on my
own. There was a water glass on the right bedside table. I knew
instantly it was someone else’s as I always put my glass of water
on the left.

Using every inch of strength I sat up wrapping
myself with the sheet I looked for clothes, none were there. I
pulled the towel off after some work, it reminded me of the way
African women folded their headdresses. My hair was still wet of
course as thick wavy hair would never dry in a towel, which was why
I would never fall asleep with one on.

Pulling the sheet tighter to cover myself I
realized my ring was gone. My mom’s ring was missing from my right
hand where it always was. I showered, slept and lived in that ring
from the day my mom died. I had cleaned the blood off of it
myself.

The sick feeling in my stomach got much worse. I
swung my legs around the side of the bed and prepared myself to
stand. A wave of nausea and sweat instantly covered me. I breathed
through the chills and put my hand on the bedside table to stand.
The door creaked open as Alise peaked her head through.

I looked anxiously at her as she walked in, “Oh
my god you’re okay.”

I put a hand up to stop her, “No I don’t think I
would say that but please stop shouting at me.”

She laughed softly still wearing her disturbed
expression, “What do you remember Aimee?”

I shrugged, “I remember dad asking me to get
groceries with his truck and you wanted me to drop you off at
Shane’s house. I don’t know, everything is really foggy or black I
guess. I remember that guy.”

She gasped, “Oh Aimee that was two days ago.
You’ve lost yesterday completely. Giselle is in the hospital Aimee
we think someone drugged you guys.”

Alise sat on the bed beside me rubbing my arms
noticing I was shivering suddenly. Her hand felt like razor blades
dragging up my skin.

“We need to take you there now. You’ve been
throwing up all night.” She put an arm under me to help me stand.
“I need to get you in a robe at least ok?”

I nodded I felt it. I needed a hospital. I was
sick in a way I had never been before.

“Where is, uhm, ah, you know what’s his name?” I
asked still foggy on everything.

“Blake” Alise asked blushing.

I frowned, “No Wade. Wade with the eyes.”

Alise frowned, “You remember Wade?”

I nodded, “he helped me I think.”

“He’s been gone for a while Aims I think maybe
you’re confused. Ready?” She asked pulling at me.

I nodded. She got me standing and dressed
reasonably with only a minor amount of pain everywhere including my
hair.

I wondered what Giselle had to do with me being
poisoned, I hated Giselle. Shane walked into the room smiling at
me, “Hey Aimee, are you okay?” He asked gently. I didn’t understand
what was happening in any way. I was with my sister and Shane.

I looked at my sister, “What did you do to
me?”

Alise frowned remorsefully, “I never did
anything I swear.”

I felt the room moving like a choppy ocean as
glimpses rolled back into my mind. I looked at Shane and winced
remembering some parts of the evening. I shook my head swaying back
and forth slightly, “I got sick on your hallway. I’m so sorry
Shane.” My words were thick in my mouth.

He shook his head, “No, really please don’t be
sorry. I’m the one who should be sorry. I clearly have friends who
are sleazy fuckers. Someone did this to you Aimee and I will find
out who it was. Now I’m going to carry you to the truck okay.
Ready?” His sweet face was truly and genuinely distressed.

I nodded as he picked me up like a princess,
“Wow you are way lighter than Alise.” He snickered as he said it
and Alise smacked the back of his head.

“Owe, easy I’m sorry I didn’t mean it in a bad
way.” He carried me down the stairs like I was air, it was familiar
to me. Something about this was creepily similar in my mind about
me being carried on his stairs.