Chapter Text
Carol once again woke up vomiting right over her bedsheets. “Damnit,” she murmured. It had been exactly four months since Helen died, which meant she must have vomited more than 30 times in their bed, as she only let herself sleep there just three weeks ago.
Everything was a mess. Carol rolled over and slid into her slippers. She made her way to the bathroom, taking the time to splash her face with cold water. Carol sighed as she felt the aftermath of the night settling in her stomach. She sat down on the toilet, slowly becoming aware of the events of last night.
It was mostly the usual deal. Drinking like crazy while watching Golden Girls. Falling asleep on her couch and waking up because of her full bladder. Drunkenly making her way to the bedroom. Falling asleep in their bed. And waking up around noon.
However, there was one small issue that made the night different compared to the others. Something that made Carol hate her life even more. She ran out of liquor…
Carol knew she had to sober up in order to drive her car. That stupid breathalyzer has to stay in the car for at least another five months.
She remembers the day like it was yesterday. Their last real date night before the Bloodsong of Wycaro press tour, celebrating the release of the book. Helen looked absolutely stunning as she picked this beautiful black dress to wear. They went to their favorite restaurant. They sat there for hours, both getting knocked up on the different wines ordered from the aesthetically pleasing menu. Carol knew they were both too drunk to drive home, but they had no other choice. Unfortunately, the police were patrolling their area. Just their luck… They got pulled over and… well… the rest is history. Long story short, the breathalyzer has to stay in the car for at least another five months.
Carol sighed, thinking about everything related to Bloodsong of Wycaro leaves a bitter taste on her tongue. She blames herself for Helen’s passing. She should have known better, and yet she was the one that started the argument in a moving vehicle she was driving. On their way back home from the press tour, she decided it was a good time to discuss the email she saw. The email Helen left opened when she slipped away from the fan meeting to go powder her nose. The email that changed her whole perspective of Helen.
Helen was furious when Carol brought it up. She made Carol stop the car to walk the last mile to their house. Carol didn’t want to leave Helen, but Helen insisted. She could still see the clear image of Helen walking when she glanced in her rearview mirror. The mirage glistening on the road. The car coming up behind Helen with what looked like full speed… That was the exact moment when Carol’s whole world flipped upside down.
And now… she found herself sobering up just to buy another few ounces of liquor. To make her own life more fucked up. She drank a few glasses of water and made herself a pathetic little breakfast.
A few hours later she found herself on the road, heading towards Sprouts. She first needed to buy a few microwave meals, as she would run out of them very soon. Then she would drop by the liquor store. The radio DJ’s were yapping about bullshit for the hundredth time. Carol didn’t need to hear the story about a man’s intense love for chemistry that ended up in him cooking meth for money. She decided to continue her journey in peace, but the dashboard was driving her crazy. She pressed the off button but it didn’t work. She clicked on many buttons at once but the man’s voice was still ringing from the speakers. Carol groaned. In her frustrated mood, she stopped paying attention to the road, only looking at the dashboard.
When she jerked her head back towards the road, it was already too late. She saw the tree coming up on her full speed. This is it… This is how her pathetic self will die. Almost the same fate as Helen. Will they be reunited? Carol doesn’t believe in such bullshit, but before she could think about it, she hit the tree. Knocking her unconscious.
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Carol woke up face flat on the ground with her ears ringing, feeling the soft grass underneath her. What the hell happened? She tried to stand up, but her head was aching like crazy. Carol rolled over, groaning while trying to sit gracefully. Memories were rushing back in. She frantically looked around. Where was her car?
Confusion settled in. She found herself laying in a small meadow, with huge flowers she had never seen before. These flowers came up to her knees?
The meadow was surrounded by hills. “What the fuck,” Carol exclaimed. The sun was coming up, which means it’s probably morning time. Carol gave another glance in all directions… concluding one thing… she didn’t know where she was.
However, she was sure of one thing… she wasn’t in Albuquerque…