Life is a joke

ATARIAH’S POV

Who says the universe doesn’t have jokes? I just got humored. A snort escaped my nose as I gulped down the rest of my alcohol. Wincing at the burn in my chest, I let out a hot breath.

“I am concerned you might drink yourself to death.” My best friend, Sheila, mumbled over the noise worriedly.

I sniffed and poured more alcohol into my glass. “You asked me to come out here to have fun, and that is what I am having.”

“What I meant by fun is dancing, meeting people, and sweating the stress out. Not gulping down alcohol like tonic water.”

Sheila acts so much like a mother sometimes that it stresses me out.

“You don’t have to sound so judgmental. After all, I am not driving myself home.”

She held up a weak smile and reached for my hand. “Atariah, I know how much you have bottled up inside. And it’s okay if you are not ready to talk about it. But don’t you think it is unfair that you are the one who has to walk around with dejection? You did nothing wrong.”

Making the wrong decision was what I did wrong.

“I don’t know how to toss the feeling aside, Sheila. Look at me; I am financially stable and do not have to worry about the future. I got my freedom from a monster, yet I can’t seem happy with myself or anything around me.” I mumbled.

“It is a slow process, girl. You don’t have to get it all at once. Stop thinking too hard about all that happened. You did nothing wrong, and this phase will pass.”

I hummed with a grin. “What would I do without you, Sheila?”

“Nothing.” She muttered with a giggle. “So, I was thinking you could stay until we round up here and head to my crib together.”

“Are you sure you do not mind me being around? What about Landon?” I asked about her fiance.

“Landon wouldn’t mind. Moreover, he isn’t home at the moment. Went on a business trip.”

“So, in a word, do I have to stay until this noisy place becomes quiet?” I asked, looking around the club with a cringed expression.

Sheila runs the club, which she inherited from her uncle, who loved her like his daughter. For the past six years, she has done a fantastic job making the club one of the most visited in the area. I frequented it a few years ago until I was forced to stop abruptly. And now everything feels strange.

Sheila nudged me on the side. “Come on now, don’t act like this wasn’t your favorite place before...” Her words trailed off.

“Before Mathew's issue, just spit it out and stop holding back. I can take it; I know how it is,” I said with an eye roll.

“I haven’t even said much, and now you sound angry.”

Angry? That is not the word! I am livid. And it has nothing to do with anyone. All of the emotions are directed towards me, who refused to see the bloody flags when they have always been there.

“Let’s get off the topic, Sheila. I think one of your staff needs your attention.” I said, motioning towards the meek-looking attendant trying to call for her.

She groaned, glaring at the poor guy. “They can’t do anything right without me. I probably should just run the whole thing myself and ease them of their supposed burden.”

I caressed her hair to soothe her. “Don’t sound like that. You will only collapse, and I will be forced to nurse you back to life. And I am no nurse, so go help them with what they need.”

“Are you sure you will be okay by yourself?”

“I am not a child. Stop worrying and leave.” I shooed her off.

“Okay, wait here; I will be back soon.” Sheila mused and went away.

The space suddenly felt empty, even though there was noise everywhere. A part of me appeared stoic to all that was happening around me. My life had become so grey that there was only a little excitement.

“I knew my eyes saw right, Atariah Lowe or Atariah Carson. Oh, I almost forgot you recently got divorced.” The annoying voice of Owen Taylor, an old friend of my ex-husband Matthew, bellowed with a braying laugh.

He looks stupid with the curls he added to his hair. Did he even look in the mirror before leaving home? Before I could tell him off, he was comfortable sitting beside me. I jolted in shock, moving inches away from him.

“What is this, Owen?” I questioned.

Owen grinned like the fool he was, his eyes sizing me up. “Don’t act all poise now. We have all heard the news about your divorce. I hear the marriage was quite messy. Considering how pompous he was, we all knew what sort of man Mathew would become.”

Do I smell jealousy? This must be the reason Mathew cut ties with him. Owen had asked me out in college, which I had turned down. Since then, he has taken every chance possible to get at me. He must be delighted to know things didn’t end well between Mathew and me.

“I believe you came here to have fun. I paid for this space to enjoy my time alone. You should leave before I get the security to put you out.”

He snickered, “Stop taking your anger out on poor me. You look lonely, Atariah. My offer is still very much open. I could do you the favor of warming your bed and making sure your fountain never runs dry. Most importantly, I won’t touch you like Mathew did. I am a perfect gentleman, unlike that beast.” He winked at me.

It crept to my skin just seeing him so close to me. Fixing my jaw, I glared at him. “I am not going to warn you again, Owen. Leave!” This time, I raised my voice, not caring if the music came to a stop because of me.

“Stop playing so hard to get, Atariah. You are getting older and might miss the chance of having someone to love you.”

My palm itches so severely with the desire to slap him. “Leave now, Owen!” I bellowed more forcefully this time.

He seemed to get the message that he might get it from me if he kept sitting there. As I watched him scurry off, the tears I had been holding back for so long flooded my eyes. That bastard! I only needed this night and moment to forget all about my heartaches. He just had to poke at a barely healed wound.

I wanted the tears to stop, but it didn’t. Instead, they kept running down my cheeks so fast that everything became blurry momentarily. Dazed, I staggered and headed out of the club, forgetting that Sheila needed me to stay back. I required air; my lungs were getting clogged. I might lose my mind and scream at the top of my voice if I don’t get away.

The cold air hit me hard, but it didn’t stop me. Like a lost cause, I kept walking with no destination in mind. A helpless cry and a coarse voice made me pause abruptly. It took me a second to realize I had walked into an alley.

But it wasn’t the dark, creepy silence that startled me. It is the sight in front of me. I had only read of such things, and they sounded like wild fantasy. And right before my eyes was a man with claws sticking out of his fingers and fangs sinking into the neck of another man whose life was slipping away. I am staring at a vampire taking the life of an innocent human. My heart raced at a speed that seemed like my life was about to end.

He raised his head, and the vicious eyes stared into my soul. I took two staggering steps backward. It took me a brief moment to find my feet and immediately bolt. Just when I thought I was getting away, the monster stood in front of me with his fangs dripping blood.

An ear-piercing scream escaped my lips, and suddenly, I became engulfed by darkness.