Pieces of Truth

Chapter 8

Wonderland

~ ~ ~

When the elevator doors opened, Clarence lifted his hand to say goodbye. I gave him a short wave as I stepped out after the older gentleman in the gray suit. I was surprised to see that a man of his age had ventured in to a dance bar. I guess you’re never too old to get down with it. Mr. Gray Suit soon disappeared into the massive sea of dance patrons in the basement level. This bar was dark, with different shades of blue LED lighting illuminating the floor, walls and all around the bar. The blue lighting made the room look like it was made of ice. The bar was shaped in a semicircle just off from the massive dance floor that was packed to capacity with people. I headed straight to the bar, keen to order myself a drink so I could take the edge off my still simmering nerves.

As I stood at the bar waiting, a bartender came over and planted a shot in front of me. “What’s this?” I asked the bartender, whose face reflected a mix of darkness and blue lighting that filtered through the air from the dance floor. I looked at the green and red liquid swirling in the bottom of the miniature cup.

“It’s truth serum,” he said, smiling at me, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Are you f*cking with me?” I snapped at him, caught off guard by what he said. After my fight with Clint and feeling as if I was caught in one big massive lie, the word ‘truth’ seemed like it was taunting me, and I was in no mood play around.

“I don’t understand your question. You asked me what the name of the shot was, and I told you. I don’t believe that’s ‘f*cking with you’ as you so politely put it.”

I bit my lip, a little embarrassed I was so offhand to the bartender, who clearly was being punished by me because of my brusque mood. “I’m sorry. What I mean is, I didn’t order this, so why did you give it to me?”

The bartender leaned across the bar, a little closer so he could whisper into my ear. “Some guy ordered it for you and sent it over. I told him that girls as beautiful as you don’t just accept random drinks from strangers. And besides, you don’t look the ‘Alice’ type.”

I pulled my body back and looked at him. The bartender’s eyes waited for me to respond. He had complimented me but also implied I was not some kind of girl. I could tell he was hoping I would enquire as to what he meant, but I wasn’t sure I felt like entertaining him. He obviously like to play mind games.

I looked around at the crowd in the club. The people grinding up against each other to the sound of the thumping ‘doof doof’ music. I looked out to the blue lighting that filled all the corners, and the strobe light that flickered in and out of my eyes. I sighed, thinking about Clint talking to Melanie and her hand on his back, touching him intimately, and the way he threw my jealousy back in my face. That image and our fight filled me with an anger that now replaced my disinterest in this bartender. Entertain him? Yeah why not.

“What do you mean I’m not the Alice type?” I screamed back at the bartender over the heavy beat of the music. He smiled again, allowing his teeth to show, obviously happy I allowed the door of conversation to be opened.

“Well,” he said, holding up his hand, and flashing his five fingers to the other bar crew. Another guy yelled back, “OK, five minutes Eric, and hurry up.”

“Eric is it?” I asked, noticing now that he was wearing a very tight fitted black T-shirt and jeans. The T-shirt outlined his toned muscular arms that were tattooed with various tribal symbols that went from his shoulders to his wrists. His hair was spiky and dirty blond, and he had dimples when he smiled. He walked around to a break where the bar connected in a semicircle to the wall, and stepped out from behind so he could come and stand next to me. I looked up at him as he took the spot to my left. He was almost as tall as Clint. Hmmm Clint, I wonder who he is talking to right now?

“Yeah I’m Eric, and you stunner are?”

“You are all about the compliments aren’t you?” I said, rolling my eyes. “I’m Norah.”

“I like that name.”

I looked at him doubtfully. “Oh, I’m sure you do.”

“That wasn’t a line.” I continued to roll my eyes at him, trying to make it obvious I didn’t like cheesy pick-ups.

As he leaned in to get close to me, I noticed he wasn’t just looking at me, but also at the faces around me. It was as if he needed to make sure no one could hear what he was going to say. He seemed nervous yet quietly calm. I found myself a little intrigued by his behavior but also wary too. He was probably just figuring out how to approach me, but he didn’t look like he had to work me out at all. His confidence felt unnerving.

“OK Eric, I will play along. You said I wasn’t the ‘Alice’ type. What did you mean? Is she some ex-girlfriend who didn’t swallow?”

Eric almost toppled over when he heard me say that, like he had to catch his breath as well as adjust his scattered thoughts. I think he was laughing or was just shocked. Either way, I couldn’t tell, but when he stood up to look at me again, eyes beaming, he said, “Wow, you just go straight for the throat don’t you? Interesting approach. Ummm no, no ex-girlfriend reference. It was a book reference actually. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything. I will get back to work and leave you alone.”

He turned to leave, but I grabbed at his back, making him spin back around. A book reference. Seriously. Was he for real? Now this piqued my interest. I wanted to know what he meant because I was suddenly interested in what book he was talking about. This was not the normal pick-up line. This was something very different, and I wanted to hear more.

“Wait, you have me curious now. Book reference? Which book?”

He smiled, knowing his approach was working. “Alice in Wonderland. You know it?”

I coughed, completely taken aback. Not only did I know the story of Alice in Wonderland, it was my favorite childhood story of all time. How could he possibly be making reference to that right now? The sheer fact he had referred to the story changed my brazen demeanor to friendly and warm. I slipped my hand onto his arm and slowly pulled him closer to my face. “You have my full attention Eric. What does this shot have to do with Alice in Wonderland?” Yes, I was curious indeed. Curiouser and curiouser.

He glanced down to my hand still locked on his arm and inched his face right so it was up next to my cheek, his mouth near my ear. Feeling his whole body push up against me, I released his arm. This was getting a little too comfortable for my liking because all I wanted was an answer to that question.

He noticed I had let go of him, creating some space for our bodies, but he still kept his mouth close to my ear so I could hear him talk. “Well Norah, Alice, from Alice in Wonderland, she was a risk taker, a jumper if you will. The type of girl that isn’t scared to follow the impossible in search of answers. It’s just been my experience here that girls normally fall into two such categories, those who want to go down the rabbit hole, and those who just stand at the edge looking down, always wondering what’s on the other side.”

Oh I got what he was doing now. He was calling me chicken and using a children’s story to do so. I looked at him, not impressed. “Are you implying that I won’t drink the truth serum because I’m scared? That’s stupid. I’m playing safe and I don’t accept drinks from strangers. That’s all.”

Eric made a face like he didn’t believe me, and nodded like he understood, although it was obvious he was thinking I was still a scaredy-cat. “Oh I understand your logic Norah, but some people would still risk it anyway. I guess some people want to follow the white rabbit no matter what the consequences, just like Alice in Wonderland. Hence the term beautiful.”

This was very interesting. I wasn’t sure if Eric was challenging me to do this stupid shot by using my favorite childhood story as some kind of manipulation, or if he was genuinely trying to get some kind of reaction from me. But how could this guy possibly know that I loved Alice in Wonderland? Was I letting all this paranoia get inside my head? There was no possible way that this guy could know how much I loved the story. Perhaps this was fate or a weird kind of sign that I should just go for it, be like Alice, jump down that rabbit hole.

I was still feeling the effects of my fight with Clint, and the darkness in me needed to find a way to vent, and even though a little angel on my shoulder was screaming, “Don’t you dare Norah!”, I lifted the truth serum shot, gave Eric a devilish smile, and said, “To following the white rabbit!” I downed my shot, throwing my whole head back and closing my eyes as I swallowed.

Eric’s fingers locked with mine as he leaned towards me, my head still tilted back. “I can understand why you are worth fighting for. Enjoy the ride Norah,” he murmured into my ear with smooth satisfaction. He then let go of my hand. I held my head back and let the sweet and sour shot flow down my throat. It had an incredible bite that stuck in my mouth, and when I brought my head back to its rightful position and opened my eyes, Eric was gone.

I scanned the bar to see if I could find him, but he didn’t return to bar service.

Where did he go?

And what the f*ck did I just do?

Panic started to set in as I stared at the bar, waiting to find Eric. I had just stupidly ingested a substance given to me by a stranger, and the stranger who had served me had vanished into thin air. I stood paralyzed, just staring at the bar, waiting for Eric to reappear. The songs continued to play around me as I remained transfixed, watching the bar, hoping that I would see Eric and get some kind of reassurance I had not just made a very stupid mistake. I heard David Guetta & Sia chanting something about ‘falling to pieces’ that filled my ears and echoed through my body. I went to take a step away from the bar, and then the wave hit.

Whoaaaaaaaa!

Suddenly the ‘doof doof’ music that was blaring started to sound like ‘dool, dool, dool’. The blue lighting began to change into hues of purple, white, yellow and green, and I felt my feet lift off the ground as if I was floating.

I read an article once about how mind-altering substances can have an array of different effects on the brain. Some people’s minds get very clear and focused, others paranoid and crazy, while with some people, it can take them to the far corners of their mind to where dreams are made, and where imagination comes to life.

My mind had gone even further...

and it felt,

so

f*cking

good.

I could feel the music. It had entered my toes and had moved from my ankles to my knees, shaking up my thighs, having a quick rest in my stomach before exploding through my heart and out of my chest. I was flying in the sky on a cloud of music.

“Noooooooooooooorahhhhhhhhh.”

Hmmm, that sounds nice.

“Noooooooooooooorahhhhhhhhh.”

There it is again. I know that voice. Who is on this cloud with me?

Samuel was standing in front of me, surrounded by all the colors of the rainbow. I jumped towards him in an excited frenzy.

“SAMUEL! You are here! On my cloud! I’m so happy to see you. How are you? Wait, can I ask you a question? If we dream within a dream, then when is a dream just a dream?”

His eyes went back and forth looking at me. He was trying to talk but I could only hear fragments of what was coming out of his mouth, which was also streaming rays of sunshine. “Norah...OK? What...wrong with…? Need…get you…help. You...find...Devon Lockley. Stop Clint.”

I giggled as his words echoed all around me. They sounded like bubbles popping in the rain and I stared off towards the lights that flickered around Samuel as his speech moved through my body, causing small bursts of shakes on my skin. I noticed the sunshine still streaming from his lips. “Your mouth is so pretty Samuel! It’s got pretty rays of sunshine coming out of it. I need to inhale that sunshine. I need light for my darkness.” I leapt forward to him so I could suck the sunshine that was coming out of his mouth. It was warm and made me feel like going to the beach. Hmmm, sunrise and sunset. Soft smooth sensual sunshine.

Something lifted me higher from the cloud I was on and away from the sunshine I was trying to consume. I turned and saw sparkly green eyes. Flashes of recognition for the handsome face flooded my stomach.

“Josh, Joshua, Joshy! You are in my dream too! This is super happy awesome yay! Are you going to help me find the white rabbit?” Josh was trying to speak now but all I could see was pinky candy coming from his mouth. I reached out to try and catch the candy, but it kept slipping through my fingers. I needed to try and catch it a different way. “Hmmm, candy. The sweet sugary goodness.” I reached for Josh and put my mouth on his mouth, trying to lick and taste the candy from his lips. As my tongue explored his mouth, I became surrounded by white fluffy clouds. “Josh, you taste like wishes and stars. And candy. Oh candy.” It felt so good and I never wanted it to stop. The pink candy was then ripped from my mouth and I lay alone on my cloud, staring up at Samuel and Josh, who were yelling at each other through sunshine and candy.

That is an interesting sight. Now where is that white rabbit?

As I scanned the clouds, rainbow-colored fireflies now appeared before me. I quickly lifted myself so I could try and chase them. The sudden rush seemed to overwhelm my senses, and made me want to go sleep. “OK sunshine and candy, I’m going to bed now and so I’m taking the pony home.”

I fell into a fit of giggles. “Aren’t ponies the cutest things ever? Why does everything come back to ponies? Huh? Why? OK, I’m taking the pony, finding the white rabbit and going home to go to sleep.”

BLACK.