Bethany stumbled out of the bar just in time to vomit on the sidewalk. Her neck felt weak and incapable of supporting her head. She looked up, trying her hardest not to close her eyes. A disinterested woman flicked the cherry of her cigarette into the adjacent gutter in utter defiance of petty concerns like lung cancer and the flammability of the various debris that had collected there since the last rainfall. The woman looked down at her, apparently contemplating what to do about the situation in front of her, eventually choosing to walk away rather than risk getting vomit on her new pair of Louboutins.
Tallinn, Estonia / April 2018
Bethany’s memories of the last few hours started to fade as she desperately held onto them, like a handful of balloons slipping out of her fingers and floating off into the sky. She could barely remember where she’d been and how she had gotten here, crouched on the sidewalk and collecting gravel on her hands. The night had started at someone’s apartment… in Williamsburg? Maybe? She was doing Fireball shots with a few friends in celebration of someone’s birthday. Someone was crushing a pill into a powder with a credit card, and a group of people were huddled around the coffee table taking turns with a metal coke straw. What were they crushing up? How much did she do? How did she get to the bar and who brought her? Was she talking to anyone? Did she leave her drink somewhere? She couldn’t remember. Her eyes began to close as her arms collapsed under her, holding onto her last remaining moments of consciousness for dear life.
Two guys walked up to her and noticed her slouched over on the ground. One began picking her up by her shoulders. A woman nearby broke away from her friends and came running up. “HEY! Do you know that girl? Where are you taking her?” The men paused. One spoke. “She’s my sister. We’re going to take her home and get her cleaned up.”
“Yeah? What’s her name?” The man paused. “Her name is uh, Sarah.” Bethany lifted up her head and spoke in slurred speech. “I’m… Besssth” The man dropped her and ran, leaving his friend behind to answer to one very angry bouncer and two cops rounding the corner.