This is the start to a story I'm writing. I've been working on it for about a month now but I'm having a hard time getting it started. I know where I want to go with it but the beginning is hard. I'm still not thrilled with it but it's the best I have so far. So read it and tell me what you think. The rest of the story isn't going to be so placid.
SPOILERS! (Click to view)
I was in a bar looking at the bottom of my drink the liquid swirling around in it. And older woman sat down beside me.
"You aren't going to find any answers there honey." She said.
I looked over at her. She was beautiful but you could tell from her eyes and the lines on her face that she'd been through a lot. "I'm not finding them anywhere else." I said.
"So what's the problem honey?"
"Astrid. The problem's name is Astrid." I said my attention back on the glass.
"Tell me your story." The woman said. Her voice was warm.
"You don't want to know my story." I assured her.
"I do." She smiled. "It helps to let it out and I have all night." She waited for a second before adding, "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know." The woman placed her hand on mine. "I think you need to talk."
I had no idea what this woman was thinking, why would she want to hear my story? But she was right. I did need to talk. I'd needed to talk for months. I nodded, beginning my story.
I was at a party. I'd been drinking and taking whatever pills were handed to me. Right then I wanted to forget. I wanted to forget how I had been kicked out of my apartment because I couldn't pay rent because I'd lost my job. I wanted to forget how my alcoholic father had kicked me out of the house a year prior because he "didn't want no queers round his new baby."
I was in the bathroom, up against a wall when she came in. She grabbed some toilet paper wiping around my mouth. "You're Mark's friend." She said sitting down on the cold blue tile next to me. "I'm his roommate."
I nodded. Glancing at her. I'd seen her around, always with a different girl.
"Let me take you home. You need to lay down."
I shook my head. "I don't have a home." I told her wiping at the tears that had been threatening to fall all night.
"Then you can come back to my house. You need to get out of here." She said standing up and putting her arms out to help me up. "I'm Astrid."
"Ginny." I said taking her hands and getting up next to her, wobbly. She put one of my arms around her.
She helped me through the house. As we got to the door a pretty blonde girl made her way over to us. "Where are you going?" The blonde asked.
"She's sick I need to get her home." Astrid said. "But I'll call you." She said kissing the blonde quickly before making out way to her car.
She opened the door for me before making her way to the driver's side. "Do you think you should go to the hospital?"
I shook my head. "No."
She nodded. "You scared me."
"You don't know me." I told her leaning my head against the window.
"It doesn't matter." She said glancing at me as she drove.
I woke up the next morning to Mark putting a cold rag on my head. I was on what I assumed to be his couch covered in a blanket. I had no idea how I'd gotten home.
"You scared us last night Ginny." Mark said handing me a glass of water.
"Sorry." I muttered looking up at him from the glass and wincing as pain shoot through my head.
Astrid came into the room sitting on the edge of the couch. Her curly brown hair was pulled into a pony tail. "If you don't have a place to stay you can stay here."
"I don't want to impose."
"You're not." Mark said. "I just don't want to see you dead." He got up heading into his room and I could tell he was annoyed. He hated that I partied.
"Look I have to go to work but here's some Tylenol." Astrid said handing me the pills. "I'll be home later. We can talk about you staying here when I get back. Don't worry about Mark." She added before getting up, and heading out the door.
I closed my eyes and fell back asleep.
