“*blaargh*… haaaah… haah…”
The cold and lonely stone floor of the alleyway outside the bar greets my lonesome self, the radiating atmosphere of the inside doesn’t reach out here.
“Guh- *blaaurgh* Haaah…”
The loud and rowdy bad doesn’t seem to care for the me throwing up the contents of her stomach in the dim corner of the alley.
“Haah… haaah… haaah…”
Dishevelled and a mess, I struggle to even sit upright as a sense of dizziness washes over me and begins a gradual takeover of my senses. Glancing at the ends of my hair, it had unfortunately become baptized in the stomach acid slowly draining its way into the gutter.
I don’t think I’ll be able to make it back home tonight… Better get old Joey at the bar to call me a cab… Though, the fare is probably going to be large, especially at this time of year – and that’s money out of my alcohol budget.
Gathering my thoughts, as well as my sense of balance, I raise myself using the wall as a support and hobbled my way back to the side door of the bar. The alcohol in my system combined with the already dim lighting and the rugged broken cobblestone of the alley made the short journey far more difficult than it needed to be.
“…-ow where Talia is? It’s about to start.” As I made my way closer, fighting off my light-headedness and sleepiness – fully recognising I had taken it a bit too far this time, there was a voice on the other side of the door.
“Probably puking her guts out, it’s no secret how she gets carried away when alcohol becomes involved. Looks like half of what’s on the top shelf is too much even for her, y’know?”
“Woah, what are you saying all of the sudden? Don’t let her hear that or she’ll come for you like the bogeyman. I heard that she once drunk someone under the table and left them with the bill for saying things like that, scary stuff.”
“Poor guy… Still though, I never thought I’d live to see her of all people defeated by the bottle.” Their voices were a bit difficult to distinguish from the rowdy mob in the bar, but it was definitely the voices of two other regulars I knew.
Needless to say, I silently promised to justify their fears the next chance I got after my bank account recovers from tonight’s drinking spree as I arrived at the thick metal door and latched my hand onto its stainless-steel handle and pulled, but to no avail.
“…Huh?” Trying again, but with extra force this time, I once more pulled.
But the door didn’t budge. It only opened from the inside; it seems.
*bang* *bang*
I had started banging on the door to get the attention of those two bastards on the other side, but it had seemed like they had already moved on, from the lack of response.
Coincidentally, the lot of people inside had become audibly more vocal and to make matters worse, it had already drowned out my banging on the door.
I ceased the banging and just held onto the handle and leaned onto the door to steady my balance as I felt the strength slowly start to leavy my body and glanced at the cracked watch on my left wrist.
“…11:59. Shit I really am going to miss it, aren’t I?” Voicing my complaint to nobody in particular, I turned around and began to slump down with my back against the wall next to the door. It was already becoming difficult to keep my eyes open.
“I’ll leave myself with old Joey… he should know where I am…” Although It’s definitely dangerous for a woman like me to black out in an alleyway in the city, I knew the streets well and we were in a good part of the city, lots of patrols – especially at this time of night, even more so at this time of year. And more than that, I had faith old Joey would notice my presence missing at the bar, as my constant flow of orders would have left his pockets feeling empty.
I’m sure I’ll be fine.
“““10… 9… 8…”””
Slowly, I close my eyes as I begin to give in to the heaviness of my eyelids, as the joyous atmosphere of the inside of the bar comforted me slightly.
“““4… 3… 2… 1…”””
I surrendered myself to my sleepiness as the waves of drowsiness washed over me. I never thought I’d fall asleep in a back alley of all places.
“““HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!”””
What a way to start the new year.
