The pain returned, throbbing red flashes across her eyes as it worked its way from one temple to the other. Sparkles of white dots flashed into view and she gripped the guardrail tighter to keep from falling. She kept putting one foot in front of the other, moving slowly and trying to not let her face show the pain she felt. Twenty more feet till her doorstep...fifteen...the hallway stretched an impossible distance almost as if it was trying to keep the front door just out of her reach. The screeching began after a few moments, starting off as a quiet, high-pitched whine and increasing to an all out siren-wail. She reached up to clutch at her ear, hoping to drown out the noise while still attempting to maintain her balance as she kept moving through the hall. Finally, she slumped against the apartment door feeling the veins in her forehead pump against the hard steel. The handle felt cold in her hands as she twisted and fell inside, collapsing into a pile as she gave in to the swelling darkness.
Minutes, hours later, she awoke on the floor, groggy and discombobulated. Her cellphone buzzed from inside the pouch of her purse and she reached for it, answering with a disoriented “Hello…”
“Amy, I’ve been calling for hours! Where have you been!” the voice of her friend asked in a panic. “Don’t tell me it happened again. I wish you’d go see a doctor about this. I’m worried…”
“...I know. But I’ve seen one before - they couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I’m not wasting any more time doing ridiculous tests all so they can tell me nothing. I’m fine, really. It’s just stress from the job, ok? Now what’s up?” She gingerly moved to a sitting position leaning her back against the door for support. Her eyes had still not fully focused and it was hard to tune in to what her friend was saying.
“They found a two dead bodies in an apartment down town,” Janelle told her.
“Um….so? People die all the time. It’s the way the world works, sweetie,” Amy replied perplexed at her friend’s concerning tone.
“Oh don’t patronize me. You think I’d be calling if it was something so commonplace?” Sad how dead bodies in apartments have become commonplace… “One of the bodies was already dead….Like he was dug up from his grave. The guy died months ago! Someone dug him up and killed the owner of the apartment then left that thing there! No one has any clue why. And the mess, good lord, the mess. The woman who lived there was torn apart. Like something out of one of those zombie movies you love so much.”
Already dead…? She tasted copper on her tongue and grabbed the compact mirror from her purse, checking for any cuts - nothing. Where was that coming from?
“I mean, they even found bits of the woman’s flesh in the dead guy’s mouth and under his nails. How does that even happen?”
Amy sighed, “I don’t know, Janelle. Someone was very bored and very sick. Look, can we talk later? I feel awful and need to lay down. I’ll call you tonight.” Amy hung up the phone and let it drop to the floor as she pushed herself up and managed to stumble to the bathroom. The bags under her eyes contrasted sharply with the pale white of her skin from the weeks of little sleep and the constant voice in her head telling her something was wrong but not informing her why. Her brother had passed away back in March and it was soon after the headaches came, increasing in force as the months progressed to now, five months later and frequent blackouts. Thankfully they had not come while she was at work or driving but seemed to begin towards the latter part of the night after she had left Horowitz & Associates.
Doctors had been no help - only contributing to a higher debt from unpaid medical expenses carrying over from her brother’s passing. They subjected her to tests of all kinds: blood, brain, xray, bone, nerve, you name it, she did it. But not once have they found anything to explain the blackouts preceded by mind numbing migraines. Psychiatrists had put her on pills and suggested she see therapist because clearly it was a symptom of depression she felt from having no more living family members left.
“Shawn, could this be caused by the void you left behind?” she asked her reflection, hoping to catch a glimpse of him from beyond. Histrionic. Stop. Splash some water on your face and move on. Everything has an end and this too shall pass. Amy gargled with some mouthwash and spat into the white ceramic sink, surprised to see blood mixed in. That explains the copper taste...but no cut? She examined her mouth further and found no signs of a tear so shrugging, she left the bathroom and moved to the kitchen to grab a glass of wine. Empty bottles lined her counter from many nights of drinking and minimal nights of cleaning, partially because of the extended hours at work lately. Julian Horowitz had been more than pressuring to get her at the office for longer - both to decrease his workload (as she was shooting for partner) and to try and entice her into a relationship. Amy declined as many attempts as she could but the temptation was still there. He was a handsome, strong, charming, powerful man that made her fingernails itch but her heart recoil. Julian reminded her too much of Connor; much the same in demeanor and just as much an asshole when it came to women. Sure, they could woo you away in a matter of minutes but once conquested, they soon grew bored and threw you out for the next one. It was the same thing he did to Janelle, though Amy did not see it until it was her turn. She genuinely thought he loved her. Janelle was weak and and not altogether graceful when Connor turned a blind eye on her and focused it on Amy. The two didn’t speak until a few months after he broke up with her too. And now she has Julian lapping at her heels. Part of her enjoyed the power of seducing these men but the other knew it was all a sham and they held all the power. Her red hair and green eyes attracted a lot of attention but most was unwarranted and unappreciated. So yet again, she was single and filled her life with more work than social until the headaches started resulting in the fear of going out anywhere, worrying she would black out at the bar and suffer the embarrassment of the patrons thinking of her as a drunk.