COLOURS

“One, two, three, five…seven” my breath rattled as the cold pierced straight through my jacket, “What comes after seven?” “Whose idea was this?” the devil on my shoulder finally spoke up, “I could be in bed right now safely tacked beneath an army of blankets,”

“Shut up,” I snared, fog bursting through my teeth.

A tactic that had unfortunately failed me since my younger days. I did not have any friends since my graduation and I had only myself to blame. The long hours predicated to finishing assignments, the endless video games I tried so desperately to finish. I was a soul that was firmly grounded in a reality of its own. I was socially disabled and the voices were my crutch. I still could feel my hands trembling under the wind as my cheeks ached from the gigantic smile that stayed plastered on my face. Mum always said count to ten, breathe in and out. It always worked, but not this night. Tonight was different. I couldn’t put my finger on it but, the air seemed to be purple. Something that cannot easily be put into words.

From a distance, the speakers could be heard blazing out; a call against my resistance. I was almost there. Bottle of wine in hand, and pressed against my chest. I could feel my heart beat against the glass in rebellion. My feet pushing forward as though controlled by a mindless ghost, until, they came to a stop. I had done this plenty of times, three steps, one door, and one button for a bell and yet nothing shoved me forward. I was frozen.

“Kelly!” someone yelled as they ran right past me, bursting the door open as his companions rushed in. A slight glimpse of the disco colors and chaos ruptured my state. My eyelids finally moved for a quick blink.

A petite figure, clad in a tightly fitting, shimmering red dress burst forward, engulfing the new guests in a barrage of hugs. ‘You came!” she cried.

“I’ve been starved for months! If I didn’t come, I would have died!” the guest replied, grabbing her by the waist and spinning her endlessly as she screamed. The moment her feet touched the ground, her eyes shot open. Their hands were locked and they both stood their awkwardly as a sheepish smile grew upon her face. “You brought it,” she giggled. All he did was laugh gleefully as their hands split.

From behind Kelly another figure burst forward, grabbing the guest by his arm and rushing in. Tripping over a step, the guest was drawn in and out of sight. Kelly’s face was basically glowing as she watched the two leave. Her dark brown hair somehow glistened as though a part of the night sky lay on her head. She was perfect as always. Skipping in a step, she turned almost shutting the door to suddenly stop in her tracks.

“Hey you,” her voice swayed when her eyes landed on me. A greeting that had become a part of my every day. The bottle of wine shot up in an instant, I was so nervous, I must have looked like a toddler being forced to return a toy they stole.

Before I knew it, she had her arms around me. A sudden warmth, rushed over my body, I could feel my checks turn red. The night turned yellow for a while, boring out the fears and turmoil. I was finally glad I came. “Come!” she yelled as she pulled me forward. Our bodies splitting for an instant. It was purple again.

A house I had been to over a million times felt so foreign. I could not even recognize the paint. Tearing through the crowd, we raced for the kitchen like starved beggars. A calmer vibe resonated in the air as people crossed through with their drinks. “What can I get you?” She yelled in an attempt to talk over the music. Her voice, drowned off, resulted into vague mumbling. All I did was nod in response, barely keeping up with the pacing.

A brief glance at the crowd turned my stomach inside out. Dark figures rushed about, others jumped in a vague attempt to dance. From the corner of my eye, the couch came into sight. It broke my heart. Kelly and my spot, desecrated by the presence of stoners and drunkards. But who cares, I was bound to be stuck there by the end of the night. My hands couldn’t stop shaking and I could feel the life being out of me as we stood there. It was inevitable.

Planting a cup in my arms, Kelly’s eyes beamed up at me. Holding my face to hers, all she had to do was smile. With a quick swig at the drink she had prepared for me, she led the cup to my lips. She had that look in her eyes. Yellow, with a hint of red in there. It always meant trouble for me. As I slowly raised the cup to my lips, she went ahead to rush it forward. A gulp or two and she had her hands tightly gripped around my arms, dragging my body forward.

Our feet scrambled over the steps as we rushed up stairs. The passer byes, already intoxicated, gazed in our direction as they trudged out of our way. I could feel their eyes pricking and scrutinizing my every movement. A brush with my inner most uncertainties that left me shrinking further into my shell.

In a few moments we were barging into her room, slumming the door shut. My breathing, now louder than ever finally caught her attention. “Here,” she whispered as she dragged me further into the room, across the grey locus carpet and straight into her closet. All I did was stare at her blankly as the little door slam shut. “Alone at last,” she whispered as she pushed me against the door. “Is this better?”

Wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me closer, her lips locked with mine. Leaning in further, we both fell flat, however, neither willing to let go of the other. Passion burned hot red with a hint of magenta as her hands searched for mine. Locking them into a grasp that led me up her dress. Her warmth bore into mine, as my heart raced infinitely. Taking a slight bite at her neck, her finger nails dug into my back causing her to gasp. Her hand wrapped around mine, whispered silent instructions towards a climax we both knew we wanted. I could feel my mind fade as a distant fog fell upon me. “There, there now, everything will be alright,” she whispered. And finally, there it was, black.