Midnight Calling

Waking up in a pool of my cold sweat and sitting up straight to attention; I clutched at my chest, sighing heavily and breathing gone wild. The alarm clock on my bedside table teased me with perfect green neon letters which read 4.19am and I ran my fingers through my hair roughly before falling back down against the mattress - trying to forget the reoccurring dream I’d been having. The sounds of phones ringing in my head seemed to trigger off a mix of emotions and a terrible series of panic attacks. My mind had now forever associated dial tones with the promiscuity of death. Feeling around the sheets to see if company lay by and being greeted with nothing but fingers running through cold cotton sheets; I fumbled around, reaching down beside the bed to grab a cigarette and lighter and without a care of what I was dressed in; marched into the bathroom to get things sorted.

With the sounds of screaming, coming from downstairs and voices playing off arguments with one another; I hopped up onto the bathroom sink counter and with cancer stick in my mouth, lit up - hoping that another quick fix of stress release would mean the end of the nightmare I was living. Back to the mirror; I leant over, reaching for the fan switch to turn it on which would mask the tobacco scent and rested back, afraid of my own reflection. Legs bare and swinging to and fro over the edge, I twisted the ends of my hair tightly around my fingertips hoping to make out the conversation which was happening below.

‘Why don’t you go ask her for it then? Seeing as your eyes are always fucking glued to her when she walks in.’
‘Shelly, fucking.. just take the spoon.’
‘What so you can get me high and we’ll just fuck again?’

Sadly enough, what I was hearing was something that I was completely use to. Prior to my dad passing away mom had met this gentlemen who had decided to show her the darker pleasures of life - a sinful tragedy which Ruby had gotten herself involved in before the disappearance. The sound of plates flying and crashing against paper thin walls indicated something wasn’t right. Putting the cigarette out in the sink plug hole and washing my mouth out to get rid of the taste; I scampered down, taking a peek of the two adults turned teenagers through the lounge room door.

Ian with this hand around my mothers throat; pinning her to a wall and no remorse showing from the either of them was enough to make me stop believing that eventually, one day - we’d all just return to being the perfect american-family. White picket fenced house with green manicured lawns and a golden retriever who’d bark at the mailman. The high cracks in the walls and faded daisy covered curtains reminded me that socially and status wise; I wouldn’t be feeling emotional resentment anytime soon. Trembles slipping past my lips and fingers scratching at the hard wood door frame; I was spotted by my mother whose eyes pleaded with me to leave. To just.. go. Get lost. Forget and let go. The lounge room I remembered as a child now had little furniture in it. Most of it pawned off for quick fix money purposes. The fireplace roared violently as pages of book classics burnt up like dry grass and a pile of silver spoons and needles had made their home in the middle of the room.

“What the fuck are you looking at?”

Eyes glancing over to the scene of Ian dropping my mother and heading over to me; I stumbled back, heading straight for the front door and slamming it shut behind me as fists began to rage in contact with it. A collecting of racial and sexist slurs aimed towards me, I didn’t bother waiting around to listen for more. Racing down the garden path and skipping over the overgrown greenery that created patterns for my feet to overcome, I just started running - again, like that night before.Dejavu. Just running.. until again, I wasn’t sure where I was headed.

Starry nights and city lights showering down over me, I’d made it to the strip - Kensington’s own mini boulevard of broken dreams. Feet patting lightly against the sidewalk, I spun my head around to read the billboards and signs which glamourised the low life slump. Maia’s Chicken Take Out; Ho Laoung’s Nail & Beauty; The Harem ~ fantasy tonight; Network Video + DVD. It had all changed from such a person friendly environment to this so many years back. Quicker than the snap of someone’s fingers. Heading straight for the convenience store; I wandered towards the counter - noticing it was empty and tapped the bell for assistance.

“Charlie.. what in the world?”

Peeling my glare from the liquor cabinet behind the counter and turning on my heels to face the voice I was surprised to see Liam, a boy I’d gone through school with acknowledge me. He was closer to age with Charlie but of course with how Charlie treated me - her friends eventually became my friends and none the less vice versa. His white shirt seemed to pick up off the florescent and sickening lights which created this urgent feeling and within steps he was up to me like a dog waiting for a leash.

“I um.. I need a lift to Louis’ place”, I explained quietly, biting my bottom lip.
“Is everything alright?”, he asked. I could hear the concern in his voice as he reached over the counter, grabbing a jacket and offering it to me. It was at least 4 sizes to big on my tiny frame but it was the thought that counted. Slipping my arms into the sleeves I began nodding my head but then quickly turned to shaking it. Tears swelling and a moronic overview clouding my mind. Why the hell was I crying in the middle of a convenience store?

“It’s okay.. hey - it’s okay”, he coaxed me with a smile, hands running down my arms. Liam always did have the nicest of smiles. Friendly, warm, slightly intoxicating. I could understand what Charlie had always meant about him but that’s another story in itself.
“Mhmm..”, I mumbled out incoherently.
“Let me just sign out of my register and call someone to come in a little earlier and take over my shift alright?”
“Liam, you don’t have to—.”
“Charlie, relax. I’m going to.”

Walking off with a few long strides and leaving me to be, I felt a vibration in the front jacket pocket and dipped my hand in, rummaging around to pull out a cell phone which was violently shaking in my hands.

“Liam!”, I called out, holding it up for him to see it. Already on the phone he made an ‘answer it’ gesture with his hand, pinky to his mouth and thumb to his ear like a handset. Swallowing and assuring myself things would be fine, I slid across the accept call bar and placed the phone to my ear.

“Hello.. um, this is Liam’s phone..”, I stuttered like an idiot.



The line was quiet.



“Um.. hello…”



Again, no reply.
Just as I was about to take it away from my ear and hit end call, a voice crackled up from nowhere….









“Little Charlie Fleming; what a surprise. Look outside; you’ve got 7 days until you die.”

Notes

just a tiney-tiny-update :)
ps: make sure you scroll all the way down <3