Kept In The Dark

Chapter Three

The warm glow of the morning sun beamed through the thin bedroom curtains. Mia's head pounded from the night before, and her back ached as she'd slept on concrete. As her eyes fluttered open she looked around. There she was lying on the floor of her friend's room, fully clothed and with as much makeup on her face as she had on before she left her house earlier the day before.

"Am?" Her voice was stuttered and she slurred her words slightly.

Her mouth felt dry like she'd been out in a desert with no water for days on end. But that wasn't the worst thing, a horrible taste clung to the roof of her pallet. It had a strong meat taste, maybe beef or pork. The idea that she'd consumed meat or something she thought was meat, turned her stomach. Brown filth like mud coated her hands and her nicely manicured nails were filthy and chipped.

She quickly tried to stand, but every inch of her body ached all over as if she'd been hit by a car or something. Mia clung to Amelie's bed, and carefully managed to pull herself to her feet. A bad feeling stirred deep within her stomach. Whatever she'd eaten she felt certain she'd see again, very soon. She took several deep breaths, again and again. Sometimes this made the sick feeling go. Mia perched herself on the end of the empty bed. She assumed Amelie had gone down to breakfast with her family, and decided to leave them to it.

Oh no! Oh, dear. There was that feeling again. And this time no amount of deep breathing was going to get rid of it. By the time Mia ran out into the bathroom, she couldn't control it. One cough and up it came, it splatted a foot or two in front of the toilet, with at least half covering the posh roll-top bath.

That was it. No more. Instead of waiting around and apologising for the mess she'd made, Mia carefully and quietly nipped down the stairs and out of the front door. She hung her coat over her arm and hurried down the road. Her head throbbed as if a drum beat repeatedly inside her mind. The more she walked the more her stomach twisted and turned, as it made some of the worst gurgling sounds she'd ever heard. A shimmering coating of sweat covered her forehead and clung to her dark hair. Her legs began to feel as if the bones were no longer there as they struggled to keep her upright. She reached out her hand to grip the front garden walls of the houses on her friend's street as she struggled to walk a few minutes back to her own home. Having already been sick once, the last thing she wanted to do was be so ill again and in public of all places. Mia wasn't stupid, she knew what she had to do, and whether she liked it or not, home was the safest place right now.

Her eyes began to close as if a force dragged her eyelids together. They felt heavy as if weights were attached to every lash. She blinked, once, and then again quickly. Mia knew she had to keep going, maybe a rest would do her good. She moved slowly, each step more difficult than the last, in the direction of a bus stop and a cold, hard metal bench nearby where she could rest for a moment. Mia inhaled deeply as she headed in the direction of the bus stop. She placed her bag down on the bench and sat beside it.

Mia sat quietly. Her headphones in her ears she listened to a bit of music to pass the time, just long enough to feel a bit better. But again, her eyes felt heavy, and her breathing became shallow until all darkness clouded her vision.

"Hello..."

A soft voice whispered as Mia felt a hand on her shoulder. Their touch was just enough to wake Mia from her deep slumber. She blinked and rubbed her eyes as the midday sun beamed down obscuring her sight. Mia looked at the lady who stood in front of her with a small tear in her eye.

"You're Donna Meadow's daughter aren't you?"

The voice was soft with a drizzle of care and just a hint of a slight Welsh accent. As Mia gazed up, a kind face she knew well came into view. She ran her fingers through the lengths of her hair to move the strands of darkness out of her eyes.