The bodyguard on the screen comes up behind the thief and hits him on the back of the head, knocking him out.
Lisa giggles and throws popcorn at me. "It doesn't work you know," she said, "I know you were wondering again, ya weirdo!"
The room goes blurry and I start to feel hot and damp. I look down to shake it off but there is blood on my hands and they are shaking. My stomach lurches and I jump up off the sofa, nearly tripping over the bowl of popcorn I drop as I tear down the hall to the bathroom.
I run in and slam the door closed with Lisa hot on my heels. Sinking, sinking. My knees hit the floor hard and I gasp for air. I can't seem to breathe. I notice what might be a loud banging but it seems like I'm under water, drowning. All sensation is muffled. Even my knees on the floor feel cushioned somehow. Something tickles my neck and I realize it's a tear.
I reach up to wipe it off but my hands are too wet to help. It's just smearing. I look down but all I see is red. So much red. Swirly, bloody red.
My heart is pounding or is that the door? Lisa's voice comes through the door. "Are you alright? What happened? Are you sick? Are you gonna hurl?"
I rest my head against the door and close my eyes. The pounding gets louder.
*thump thump thump*
I open my eyes again, but I'm in Lisa's back yard, dancing, the music thumping. The New Year's Eve party! Oh thank goodness! It was just a dream.
I lift the bottle in my very dry, very clean hands and take a long drink out of the tequila bottle. The lights are pretty the way they blur as I move my body to the rhythm of the beat. Thump, thump, thump. Bang! I love the fireworks, sparking up the sky with beautiful colors as though even the gods are celebrating with us.
Everybody seems as lost in the revelry of the music, the booze and the fireworks as I am. Bodies pressing together in the small yard. The song ends, bringing me back to the present. A voice on the radio reminds us that the ball drops in ten minutes. The dancing crowd begins to disperse and people start to pair off, holding hands, getting ready for the traditional New Year Kiss.
*Thump thump thump. Are you ok? Open the door.*
I look around but where is Lisa? We always kiss the New Year in when we're both single and this year I can't wait to tell her how I really feel about her. I don't see her anywhere in the yard.
"Have you seen Lisa?"
"Yeah, she was talking to the pizza guy when I last saw her. Maybe she's in the kitchen."
*thump thump thump*
The pizza guy? Why was he still here? I work my way through the crowd and over to the house. The kitchen is empty. There is a couple making out on the sofa in the living room. "Lisa?"
"She just went upstairs with some guy," the guy mumbles against his girl's lips.
I stumble up the stairs. There's the pizza guy and he's holding Lisa up, taking her into the bedroom. "Hey!" And I run up the stairs, tripping asking the way. He grins at me and pushes into the room and closes the door. I push back up and get to the door but it's locked. My head clears up a little and I pound in the door screaming "open up!"
*thump thump thump*
"Everything ok?" The guy from downstairs is behind me.
*thump thump thump*
I shake my head. "No, Lisa was almost unconscious and he was dragging her in here but the door is locked."
"I come on. Together on 3. 1-2-3!"
We crash into the door and fall to the floor as it breaks loose. The guy is on top of her, unbuttoning his pants and he turned to see us. He's got a gun!
*thump thump thump. Open up!*
I grab his hands before he can point and yank the gun. He turns to move away but I'm quicker. The gun slams the back of his head before he had one foot off the bed but he's still moving. How did that not work? It always works on TV. I bang again but he's still moving. I crawl over the bed, staying on him. Hitting, hitting, Bang! Bang! Bang!
*thump thump thump*
The guy is finally on the floor. He's not moving and there's so much blood. My hand is red and slick with his blood. I drop the gun and move to check on Lisa. She's not moving. I shake her but she's not breathing.
"Lisa!"
*thump thump thump*
"Somebody help!"
The guy who pushed in with me pushes me away and started checking for a pulse. He opens her mouth and puts his finger in. I grab his shoulder but he yells, "Call 9-1-1!" He starts pounding on her chest.
*thump thump thump*
The floor is cold and hard under my knees. The door vibrates against my head with each thump. My stomach lurches again and I crawl over to the toilet and lose all the popcorn Lisa and I'd shared.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah," I moan. "I'll be right out."
The thumping on the door stops.
I wash up and put cold water on my face.
I open the door to an empty hall.
"Lisa?"
I walk back into the living room to find it empty and the movie still going. I pick up the popcorn I drop and there's a knock at the door.
"Honey, are you there?"
I set the popcorn bowl back down on the table and go across the room to open the door.
Mom is standing outside looking very fancy yet somber in her black dress.
"Honey, why aren't you dressed? We need to get going!"
"Going where?"
"The funeral is in an hour and you have that deposition afterwards. I'm sure they'll say it was self defense since he obviously killed Lisa with whatever he slipped in her drink and you have a witness that he brought the gun but still, you need to be ready and be sharp. Now go put on something nice!"
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