[ WP ] A Mental Inferno

The place stunk of regret, tinged with alcohol and cat piss. 
 
 `` Oh fuck,'' I thought, `` Not again''. I was in my room, vintage guitar strung above an unkempt bed. The carpet floor, affectionately nicknamed `` wardrobe'', was strewn with the dim memories of good times. Or whatever they are after the 7th shot. `` What did I take last night?'' I bellowed at the world in general. When no response was forthcoming, I delicately stepped over a shining bong which was the only clean object in the room and opened the door onto a blue field of noise. 
 
 Seventh grade swim meet. It was a long walk upstairs from the change room -- what idiot designed this place -- especially when your legs feel like jello. I look out across the seething mob of varied excitement and boredom to spot my parents sitting in the first observation row. That must have been mom, my dad was always busy with his work. He was sitting there on his blackberry, while mom was screaming with the rest. I walked up to the starting blocks -- ramps actually -- and saw a girl beside me. Tall, willowy figure with blazing red hair. She looked over and smiled at me, and I noticed the twinkle in her eye. I took a deep breath in surprise, lost my footing, and fell right into her. We tumbled together, limbs interlocking, and fell face first into a dirty puddle. 
 
 `` And stay out!'' came the bellow of a man with a brick for a face. `` We're 19 we swear! ``, but it did n't matter. She was laughing, even with her long red hair tangled and matted she was beautiful. I was in love. She picked me up and with the same mischievous twinkle in her eye said, `` I know how to get back in, I've got a plan... 
 
 B, and a condom for us. Nothing can go wrong''. How can a 23 year old resist that? The bed rocked to the music of love that night, and for many nights after that. Some time later she lay her head on my chest and started crying. And screaming. And crying. And screaming. 
 
 `` Congratulations sir, it's a girl!''. The child looked up at me and opened her eyes. They sparkled. 
 
 I flew from memory to memory faster and faster until I found myself floating -- really floating -- above a foggy city. A light touch on my pinky finger made me aware of her presence. 
 
 `` Where are we?'' 
 
 `` I do n't know, but it's pretty.'' 
 
 `` Is this real?'' 
 
 `` Probably, look I can see our house from here''. She pointed out across the vista to a point in space that was probably close to where we lived. 
 
 I looked over at her face. Slight wrinkles were now appearing where her smile usually lived. 
 
 `` Are we dead?'' I asked. 
 
 `` Are you?'' she answered with a smirk, taking her gaze off of the city and letting it rest on my grey hair. `` You can dye that you know, you look so old''. She ran a hand through my hair and tousled it unimpressed. 
 
 `` I would be lying. I hope I'm not. I wonder if this is heaven.'' 
 
 `` The pearly gates need to be scrubbed.'' 
 
 `` Where do you go when you die, do you know?'' 
 
 `` Honey,'' she said, concern appearing in her eyes, `` what makes you think you were anywhere in the first place?'' 
 
 I looked at her sparkling eyes. She slowly faded as the sparkle became a star, and grew until it encompassed my whole field of view. 
 
 My eyes opened to an emergency room. Blinking furiously, I tried to focus on the white ceiling. I could hear yelling and furious activity beside me. I reached up and felt a tube coming from my mouth. My face was wet. I lifted my hand up to my eyes and saw red instead of white. Across the hall I could hear a nurse arguing with a drunk man. 
 
 I looked across the room to closed drapes where the action was coming from. Doctors and nurses ran into the veil. The heart monitor beat loudly. 
 
 `` Last one, clear!'' 
 
 The heart monitor beat once, and screamed like a banshee. It screamed for one second, two seconds, ten seconds, a minute. It screamed forever until forever was interrupted by a doctor flipping a switch and sighing. 
 
 `` Let's get you somewhere less stressful''. Someone started wheeling my gurney forward, and I happened to glance at the space between the wall and the veil. I saw her blazing red hair and knew. 
 

