//------------------------------//
// 1. This day was going to be perfect. 
// Story: Orchestrated Chaos 
// by ReFro 
//------------------------------//

	Chloe awoke to the warmth of the sun shining down on her and the sound of birds merrily chirping in the distance. I don’t even remember going to sleep… how long have I been out for? She groggily opened her eyes to the bright light, letting out a small yawn in the process.

And why in the world am I—she stopped mid-thought, blinking her eyes a few times to make sure that what she was seeing, was in fact correct—outside? She sat there as her mind reeled, franticly searching her memories for an answer to this whole conundrum. The fog that had been clouding her mind gradually lifted, allowing the memories of last night to clearly come into her mind’s eye, eliciting a wave of nauseating pain. 

Oh shit!

She quickly swiveled her head around, scanning the area in search of her friend, Gennie, who she had been sitting next to before this happened. She took note of the lightly wooded area that she had somehow managed to wake up in. The next thing she noticed was the deep blue sky; there were a few wispy clouds lazily drifting across it with the bottom half of them being lit up in the soft, orange glow of the dawning or setting sun—she couldn’t determine if it was the former or the latter. 

Her gaze fell back to the forest that seemed to be all around her. The haze of waking up was fading, and she noticed that her field of vision seemed a bit, well, off. She could see considerably farther with her peripheral vision than before, making her a bit dizzy every time she moved her eyes. The dizziness was only temporary it seemed, as it passed within minutes. 

Now that her head wasn’t spinning, she could actually focus on her surroundings. The grass, the trees, and everything else around her looked so much clearer and more vivid than anything she had ever witnessed before in her life, but something else beside her vision was a little off. 

It wasn’t her new, but totally awesome, cat-like vision that had been gnawing at her brain, or even the fact that she had woken up outside in a forest, it was the damn colors. These colors just didn’t make any sense at all! It looked like everything had been painted by a 4 year old with too many pastel-colored markers at their disposal. And it looked every bit as fake.
        
This is so freaking bizarre! It has to be a dream... I have never seen anything like this before. But, it doesn't feel like a dream. She had been staring at a lone yellow and blue flower a few feet away from her as she collected her dream-thoughts. But, did Gennie and I really die in that accident last night? She frowned and kept her stare on that single flower, as if it held all the answers to her questions. Is-is this, Heaven? 

She had been pondering the meaning of this very lucid dream—it had to be a dream, there was no other way of rationally explaining it—for what seemed like an hour or two, putting her into a near trance-like state. A loud, gut-shaking sound emanated from her belly, pulling her from her thoughts and back into reality. She needed to get out of here and find her way back, as well as get some answers as to what had happened.

Looking back up at the sky, it seemed to be getting brighter out and the clouds no longer held the sun’s rays in them like they had before. It must be morning after all, she mused to herself. At least I won’t be wandering through this forest at night. That would suck.

She had been lying in the same position when she had awoken a few hours ago, her arms and legs felt odd but they were probably just asleep. She gradually pulled her arms out in front of her and gave them a good stretch to get the blood flowing. 

And that’s when she noticed, them.

She froze mid-stretch. A small gasp escaped her lips as she stared blankly down at these, things. She gave her left arm a slow shake and this furry, light grey colored stump followed her commands as if it was actually her arm. She willed her right arm to move and the other stubby appendage followed her command as well. She stopped telling her arm to move and the thing in front of her stopped, once again following her commands to a tee. She lay there, in a bewildered state, moving both of her new arms when it dawned upon her. 

Hands. 

She had no hands! They were gone! Complete and utterly missing! She touched her, what used to be hands, together hoping that her favorite digits were just hiding somewhere inside these grey monstrosities that were now her arms. This action created a sharp crack as if stone had just hit stone. The ends of her stumps were smooth, devoid of fur, and semi-hard. She could bend them slightly but they were no replacement for misplaced hands. 

No no no no! This cannot be right! This just proves it, I must be dreaming, or hallucinating, or something! She tried hitting herself, holding her breath, anything she could think of to wake herself up. When that didn’t work, she went into a full blown panic. Her breathing became short and shallow as she clenched her eyes tightly shut. Her mind raced a mile a minute, trying desperately to tell her that this was all a lie—the car wreck, the strange place she was at, and most of all, her new arms—and that any minute she would wake back up home in her bed, safe and sound. She tentatively opened her eyes, hoping that this nightmare had passed, but to her dismay, the same pair of grey arms were still there, still taunting her.

She sat there with her eyes fixated on the alien appendages as she tried to comprehend how in the world that this had happened. In turn, this made her forget all about her hunger pains as well as forgetting that she needed to keep breathing as she passed out.  



<><><><><><><><>



Two days prior:


—BEEP BEEP BEEP...
 
Chloe groaned, turning over in her bed, burying her face into the pillow.
 
...BEEP BEEP BEEP—
 
It didn’t work.
 
“Fine, fine, I’m awake,” she mumbled while reaching for the phone to silence the hand-size banshee. She grumbled, unwrapped herself from the warm cocoon of her covers. 

Getting out of bed and placing her warm feet on the ice-cold wooden floor of her studio apartment was not part of her ideal morning routine. She made herself a mental note to pick up the biggest, fuzziest pair of slippers she could find the next time she was out shopping. She shuffled over to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee—after all, coffee is the most important meal of the day. 

With the liquid pick-me-up brewing, she glanced at the window and yawned. The only light that shone through was the artificial glow of the streetlights below. Normally she wasn't up this early and enjoyed waking up when the sun was already part way through the sky, but today was not a normal day. It was the day of her first concert—well, first real concert anyway—and she had to be at the auditorium at 7 A.M. sharp for dress rehearsal.
 
Walking into the bathroom, she turned on the glaring row of lights above the large mirror. After her eyes adjusted to being momentarily blinded, she groaned at the mess that stared back at her in the mirror. Her usual straight, black hair was now matted down on one side of her head, but on the other, it stuck out in every direction. 

Chloe scrunched her face at her reflection, knowing that she didn’t have the time to properly fix her hair in its current state of disarray. She would just have to give it a quick rinse and hope for the best.
 
After taking a quick but oh so comfortable warm shower, getting into a shouting match with her reflection in the mirror over makeup issues, and spending way too much time trying to tame her unruly hair before giving up and settling on just tying it into a long ponytail. After all that, she was finally able to get dressed in her formal attire. It consisted of a set of black dress pants, a black button-up jacket, a white undershirt, and a pair of glossy black high heels. Although, she would forgo the high heels until the concert started. She loathed wearing those torture devices. For now, she opted for a pair of comfy, well-worn sneakers.
 
By this time, the coffee had finished percolating, and she poured it into her favorite mug, setting it on the table along with a bowl of the best cereal known to man—Lucky Charms™. Breakfast was a quick affair and before long it was time to leave. Her coat and cello sat next to the door where she had placed them last night, ready and waiting. She made her way out the door after donning her coat, grabbing her prized cello, and the plastic bag that contained her high heels. 

It was a short walk down the hallway, past the elevator and to the stairs. The cursory glance she gave the elevator door confirmed her suspicions. The "Out of Service’ sign that had been taped up on the door months ago, was still there. This happened after someone had caused a minor explosion in the pit of the elevator shaft. For some reason, they thought dumping old kerosene down it was a perfectly logical and rational thing to do. 

Morons, shaking her head as she walked past the elevator and into the narrow stairway. Chloe adjusted her cello, cautiously making her way down the five flights of stairs, trying not to damage her clothes or her instrument.
 
She skillfully navigated her way down the stairwell and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The first light of dawn was just starting to show itself as she walked to the curb as a cab was pulling away. She patiently waited for another one to come by.
 
After trying for several minutes to hail a cab without success, she gave out a frustrated sigh. The auditorium was several blocks away, and it would take her around forty minutes to get there by foot. She took out her phone to check the time: 6:42 A.M.. She stood there for a few more minutes, hoping that she wouldn't have to walk in the cold—that would just be the icing on the cake that has been her morning so far. She checked the time again: 6:47 A.M.. 

“Dammit,” she grumbled, picking up her cello and walking towards the auditorium with it slung heavily across her back. What a lousy way to start the day this is.
 
A long and cab-less trek later, she had arrived at her destination. It was a large 8-story building, off-white and grey, with massive arches adorning the outer walls and several large windows that allowed one to see into the foyer.
 
“Only twenty-five minutes late and to your first concert of the school year no less…” She shook her head while pocketing her phone. She hoped that she wouldn't be in too much trouble, despite her instructor being very strict about punctuality, amongst other things.
 
Opening the door to the theatre as quietly as possible, the voice of her instructor, Mr. Jiao, could be clearly heard from the edge of the stage. He was addressing the orchestra members, going over the details of the day's events. His voice abruptly stopped when he eyed one of his cellists trying to sneak into the auditorium—not an easy feat with a large instrument strapped to your back.
 
“Ah, Ms. Griffin, so nice of you to join us.” He glanced to the clock on the wall. “And only twenty-seven minutes late,” Mr. Jiao snarked as a few of the more punctual members of her ensemble turned around, staring at their red-faced band member.
 
Fuck, she had been caught. I guess it’s time to run some damage control. She looked down at the floor, trying to avoid his scrutinizing eyes. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jiao,” she stated in an apologetic tone. She didn’t want her dreams to be crushed just because of some fucking lazy-ass cabbies were conveniently never around when she needed them—okay, maybe she was just slightly bitter at this point, maybe. “It won’t happen again.”
 
“See to it that it doesn’t, Ms. Griffin. We still have much to cover before the actual rehearsal, so please, find a seat.” 



<><><><><><><><>

 

“Any other questions?” Mr. Jiao asked after giving a very lengthy itinerary of today’s events. “No? Alright then, everyone please come up to the stage and get into position.”
 
A feeling of relief passed through the ensemble members as they were released from their seats after hours of sitting. Chloe stood up and stretched her arms before heading onto the stage along with the rest of her members. 

Everyone was busy settling into their respective places, making sure their instruments were properly tuned and ready to go. There were about seventy musicians that made up this school’s philharmonic orchestra, and Chloe was near the front left of the stage, along with her fellow cellists. 
 
“Hey, Chloe?”
 
She instantly recognized the voice of one of her closest friends, turning around to meet him with a giddy smile. “Hey Michael,” she started, but paused briefly. This was the first time she had seen her in formal attire, and boy did he look handsome. “What's up?” 
 
“Is everything alright?” he asked with a hint of concern in his voice as he leaned closer to her. “It’s not like you to be late, especially for something this important.”
 
She sighed, “Yeah, I know, it has just been a rough morning is all. I couldn’t fall asleep last night because I was too excited. When I woke up, my hair was a wreck, and I didn’t have enough time to fix it, which is why it’s in a ponytail now by the way. The super still hasn’t fixed the elevator after all these months, and I don’t know if it’s ever going to get fixed. It’s can’t really count on him to be punctual about fixing anything anyways. The only thing that sorry excuse for a man ever does on time is collect rent.”

“Oh wow. You have had quite the rough morning, haven’t you?” Michael raised an eyebrow as Chloe paused to catch her breath.

“And that’s not even the half of it,” Chloe deadpanned. “Since he is such a lazy bastard, I had to carry my cello down five flights of stairs while not messing up my outfit. After that, I was forced to walk all the way here—that’s the reason I was late and tried to sneak in—because there are no freaking cabs in this damn city, and the only one I saw had just drove away!” She finally stopped, almost on the verge of tears after laying out her pent up frustrations.
 
She was a good friend to him, but he didn’t quite know how to respond, so he did the next best thing. He got up, giving her a comforting hug.
 
Chloe gave a quick sniff. “Thanks, Mike. I’m sorry I dumped all that on you like that, but I really needed to get that out of my system,” she half-heartedly chuckled, wiping away a single tear from her eye before it could ruin her makeup.
 
“Anytime, Griffin, and if it means anything, I kinda like your hair up in a ponytail. You should wear it like that more often,” Michael smirked, removing his arms from around her. "Now let’s get ready before Mr. Jiao decides we aren't moving fast enough for his liking and gets on our case.” 

He had just said he liked her hair, my hair! Okay, calm down, Griffin, just play it cool. Chloe laughed. "Yea, good idea. I don’t need him irritated at me anymore than he already is.” She turned back around and went to work, making sure her cello was properly tuned, rosining her bow, and making sure it was at the correct tension—she didn’t need anything else to screw with her today.
 
“Everyone to your places please,” Mr. Jiao said in a firm tone, “We will be starting dress rehearsal in just a few minutes.”
 


<><><><><><><><>


 
The rehearsal went about as well as could be expected; there were a few missed notes here and there but nothing major. The scheduled concert time was quickly approaching as people started making their way in and filing into their seats. The golden stage curtain was thankfully closed, as Chloe and the other members of the ensemble were fidgeting nervously and talking amongst themselves while they awaited their time to shine. 

Chloe turned her head, shooting a quick smile back to Michael. He returned the smile, playfully sticking out his tongue at her. She softly giggled as the small gesture did wonders in calming her nerves. I can’t believe this day is finally here. Even after all the crap I had to put up with this morning, the rest of this day was going to be perfect. The sound of the announcer’s voice brought her out of her thoughts as she turned her attention towards the closed curtain.

Ladies and gentlemen! Please welcome conductor Sam Jiao and the Chicago Academy of Performing Arts Symphony Orchestra!
 
The roar of the crowd was almost deafening as the stage curtain ascended, revealing Mr. Jiao standing in front of his podium with the rest of the orchestra behind him at the ready. Chloe gulped, looking out over the sea of applauding crowd. Over two-thousand were in attendance for tonight’s concert, and it felt like all eyes were on her. 

Mr. Jiao took a deep bow before turning around, lifting up his arms, and pointing the baton to the ceiling. The theater fell silent as the ensemble readied their instruments.

Chloe took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, forcing the thoughts about this morning, along with any lingering doubts, from her mind and waited for her instructor’s lead. Mr. Jiao pointed to the string section with his baton as they started the first of tonight’s many songs. After the first few bars, Chloe’s prior nervousness melted away as she poured her heart and soul into every movement of her bow. She had become one with her instrument, and at that moment, nothing else in her life seemed to matter.

 

<><><><><><><><>



The concert continued on for the next two hours, but to Chloe, it felt as though time itself was standing still. With the final bars of the final song, Mr. Jiao’s conducting came to a close. Chloe was so enthralled with the music that she was almost confused as to why her instructor was stopping but then noticed that they had completed their entire set. 

Mr. Jiao was very pleased with their performance and smiled proudly to the band members before turning around to face the audience. Bowing deep, as he'd done earlier, the audience roared into applause. He bowed a few more times until the ovation died down, and the golden stage curtain descended. As soon as it was fully closed, Mr. Jiao turned to his group with the same proud smile he had shown them just a moment ago.
 
“Exceptional performance! You all should be very proud of your first performance together.” 
The group members began clapping and congratulating each other. They had earned it after all; their long hours of practicing had paid off with tonight’s outstanding performance. 

This is going to be an exciting year, Jiao thought to himself. It had been a long time since a concert had gone this well with a group of freshmen. “Have a great weekend, go relax, and remember that we will be resuming our normal practice schedule on Monday.” He set his baton down on the podium. “You are all dismissed!”
 
“You were amazing out there tonight, Chloe! I have never heard you play quite like that before! You must have been practicing your ass off!” exclaimed Michael.
 
Chloe blushed upon hearing the praise. “Thanks, something inside me just clicked, and with all those people watching me, everything just fell into place. When I started playing, it felt like I had merged with my cello and it was no longer just an ordinary instrument, it felt like it was an extension of my own body. Throughout the performance, nothing else mattered as the music seemed to flow from my very soul. It felt so wonderful; it felt so, so...” Chloe trailed off as she tried to piece together the correct words to try and describe the way it had felt, but words were failing her.
 
“...so incredibly powerful and moving that you wish you could just live in that one single moment for the rest of your life?” Michael finished the thought for her.
 
She thought for a moment, “That is a pretty good way of putting it. But the great thing is that I now know, without a shadow of a doubt, what my calling in life is,” she stated, matter-of-factly with a big grin on her face. “I want, more than anything, to be the very best cellist I can be and to perform on the finest stages this world has to offer.”
 
“Yeah, I feel exactly the same way as you do, Griffin.” He gave her a light nudge on the shoulder. “Hey, let’s make a promise to each other that one day, both you and I will be part of the best orchestra in the world. We will play for presidents and royalty alike.” He gave her a look that she knew all too well. It was the look he gave when he was being equal parts serious and goofy. He reached his hand out to her to solidify their promise.
 
“You got yourself a deal, mister,” Chloe remarked as she vigorously shook his hand, both letting out a laugh as they broke the handshake. Chloe quickly looked at the ground just as Michael was turning around to pack up his things.
 
“H-hey, Mike?
 
“Yeah?”
 
“I-I’m sorta hungry, and I... well, I was wondering if you wanted to go get some dinner,” she said with a sheepish look on her face. “You know, just the two of us.”
 
“Oh, um... hey, I’m sorry, but I had already made plans for tonight,” Michael said as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from her.
 
She began to study the floor with her eyes, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to make themselves known. “Oh...okay. Maybe some other time then?” she muttered, a hint of rejection evident in her voice.
 
“Sure thing,” he started in a cheerful tone. His tone changed almost instantly when he saw her dejected look, “but hey, let me know a few days in advance next time, okay?” Michael hadn’t been aware Chloe had feelings for him in this way up until now, and it seemed to come right out of the blue for him. Yes, she was a good friend. But, she was more like a sister to him than anything else. And he wasn’t just making excuses; he really did have plans for tonight.  

“Al-alright,” Chloe whispered, her stomach in knots.
 
After a short but awkward silence, they both made themselves busy packing up their things. Save for a few stragglers, everyone else had already left the stage.
 
Way to go, stupid! What if everything now becomes awkward between us? Not only did he not seem interested, you may have just lost a good friend too! You should have waited for a better time, you idiot! Chloe mentally berated herself as she finished putting her cello in its case. She was still deep in thought when Mike’s voice broke her concentration.
 
“Hey, I’m getting outta here. I’ll cya on Monday for practice, okay?”
 
“Yea, okay, I guess I’ll see you then,” she responded, trying her best to act as if nothing was wrong. “Have a good weekend, Mike.”
 
“You too. Cya, Griffin.” He gave a warm smile before headed to the exit at the back of the stage, giving her a final wave before leaving.
 
Chloe sighed in frustration as she replaced her high heels with her beloved sneakers—she was glad to finally be rid of those monsters for the night. Walking to the backstage area, she grabbed her coat and pulled out her phone, checking for any messages.
 


1 new text message

From: Gennie
hey classypants how ddi the concrt go
i am goin bar hopin toniht did u wana come


 
Chloe had met Gennie at the start of college last semester. They shared a Musical Theory class together. Gennie was almost the exact polar opposite of her; more outgoing and well... crazy, to put it lightly. She was into digital music such as techno and dubstep, rather than classical music—‘real music’ as Chloe would put it. The first day of class, the professor, Mr. Franklin, had asked each student to briefly talk about their musical tastes and experiences to get to know them better.
When it had been Chloe’s turn to answer, she had stated that she had been playing the cello since she was around six years old and that her parents were very adamant that music be a part of her life. She went on to explain how she loved Gioachino Rossini, Edward Elgar, and George Frideric Handel amongst others. She explained how classical music was the truest form of musical expression—it was the source that all modern music stemmed from.
After hearing this, Gennie scoffed, arguing that classical music was only for old people and that digitally made music was far superior to any ‘old dusty scrolls or whatever they wrote their music on’. She argued by saying that there are far more people in the world today who enjoyed digitally created music over classical.
Chloe’s eye twitched. She’s now pulling statistics out of her ass to support her argument?! How could someone be so out of tune with reality? If it wasn’t for the great composers she wouldn’t have her damned techno noise in the first place! 
The two of them started arguing, almost yelling at each other right then and there while their classmates looked between the two livid females. Mr. Franklin just sat back with a grin and listened to the two passionate students argue over what form of music was “better”. But after Chloe and Gennie got nose to nose, he decided to break it up before things got physical.
They didn’t talk to each other for weeks after that. As time went on, they started to respect each other as they both learned more and more about each side’s position on music. Now, they were almost an inseparable pair.
 
Chloe hit the reply button on her phone and began typing;
 


To: Gennie
You know, after tonight I could use a few drinks. Pick me up at my place in an hour?
PS. You know I hate that nickname…


 
She slipped on her coat and grabbed her things before exiting the building. Once she got about a block away from the auditorium, the crowd had thinned out considerably, and she tried hailing a cab. She really didn’t want to walk all the way back to her apartment. Lady Luck was on Chloe's side this time as a yellow cab pulled over as soon as she raised her hand.
 
“Thank God.” She placed her cello in the trunk and hopped into the cab.
 
After the cab ride, she made her way into her bedroom, changing out of her dress attire and into more suitable clothes for going ‘bar hoppin’. She had just finished changing when her phone chirped. It was a reply from Gennie. She would be there in thirty minutes.
 


<><><><><><><><>

 

Chloe was nervously pacing outside of her apartment building. It had been fifty minutes since the text message from Gennie, and she still wasn’t here. She had tried texting Gennie again, but she wasn’t responding. She was about to go back inside when she heard the familiar sound of Gennie’s car—although, heap of junk would’ve been a more suitable description.
 
It was an old early 90’s dark blue Ford Mustang that had seen better days. There was more rust than paint left nowadays, and the paint that was left, was badly faded and peeling. Mechanically, it was in just as bad shape as the cosmetics.
 
As Gennie’s car rolled up to the curb, it sounded like a shotgun had gone off as it backfired, making her jump and think twice about just calling them a cab. Against her better judgement, she opened the passenger side door and slid in.
 
“Yo, Chloe, sorry I’m late, had to make a pit stop and get some rad fluid for the beast.” Gennie smirked as she patted the dashboard gently. “So, how ya been?”
 
“Hey, Gennie. Been better, I guess,” Chloe stated in a defeated tone, “How about yourself?”
 
“Well, besides the professors riding my ass about my studies, I have been doing great. Went to a new club downtown last night, Gravity 93, and met this awesome guy there. I think his name was Jim, no, John… Jamie? I can’t remember, I mean, I was pretty wasted by the end of the night.” She giggled at the thought. “He bought me some drinks. We talked a bit, then danced like maniacs till three am and closed the place down! All in all, it was awesome!” She exclaimed, grinning widely as they took off down the road.
 
“Oh, Gennie,” Chloe shook her head, “You’re going to get yourself into trouble one of these days. What if that guy had done something bad to you? You could have been hurt or worse!”
 
“Hey! I can take care of myself, you know?”
 
“I know you can. I just worry about you and your reckless behavior. I just care for you is all,” Chloe stated in an almost motherly voice as she put her hand on Gennie’s shoulder.
 
“Yea, yea, I know,” she chided, brushing off the hand. “Enough of that mushy shit already, let’s go get wasted! WOOO~,” Gennie howled and slammed down on the gas. The Beast backfired again before roaring back to life.
 
Between the backfire and the sudden lurch of the car, Chloe’s anxiety was almost through the roof, while Gennie just laughed.
 
“What in the world did I get myself into?!” Chloe cried, covering her face with her hands as they sped towards their first, of many, destinations that night.



<><><><><><><><>



It was getting close to 11pm. They had been out drinking for over three hours and had hit up four bars already. The current establishment they were patronizing, on the north side of Chicago, was an Irish bar called “O’Reilly’s Pub”. It was a small but lively place and had about twenty other people currently eating and drinking, with a few playing darts in the corner. Chloe and Gennie were currently seated at the bar, having just finished up their meal.

“Soo what’d he ‘ay aft’r y’ as’d him to dinn’r?” Gennie slurred out after finishing her third Jager Bomb in the past hour, forcefully slamming the shot glass down on the bar, making a loud crack.

“W-well...” Chloe started to speak in a low tone, thinking back to the conversation with Michael, “After I asked him about dinner, he... he looked away from me and told me that he already had plans for tonight.” She started to get teary eyed as she thought about what had transpired. “I don’t think he would lie to me about something like that but... but it felt like he was pushing me away from him. Like there was something he wasn’t telling—”

“That JERK!” Gennie almost screamed, causing some of the other bar goers to stare. Her eyes filled with anger as she glared over Chloe’s shoulder towards the entrance.

“Gennie! He’s not a jerk! It was my fault for suddenly asking him out, not his! I should have thought it through mor—” Chloe was interrupted as Gennie grabbed her head and turned it towards the entrance, almost knocking her off the barstool in the process.

Chloe’s heart sank at what she saw. Michael and another woman about their age had just walked in and sat down in a booth across the room. He was completely unaware that Chloe was at the bar watching them as they kissed before sitting down and settling in.

That was all Chloe could take. She got up, quickly making her way to the exit, trying to not been seen by the couple.

“Shit...” Gennie said, turning back to the bar, grabbing the shot glass that had just been replenished, and slammed it down—just because her friend was having a breakdown was no excuse to waste alcohol. She quickly threw some money on the counter and went after Chloe.

“Y’ coud’va ‘est told-told ‘er the trooth, ASSHOLE!” Gennie slurred/yelled at Michael as she ran past him. He watched, with a very confused look on his face, the woman that had just berated him stumble out the door. 

“Who was that? And what in the world was she yelling at you for, Mike?” His date asked him.

Michael just shrugged, shaking his head, “I have no idea....”

Gennie ran after her friend or at least she tried to. She had a bit too much to drink tonight and was finding it difficult to maintain her balance as she stumbled her way to the parking lot around the side of the building. She found Chloe leaning up against her car, sobbing quietly.

She hobbled over to Chloe, grabbing her in a big hug, holding her close while trying to keep her balance. They embraced each other until Gennie broke away, placing her hands on Chloe’s shoulder.

“Itsh gona be ok, classy’ants” She smiled, looking into her friend’s eyes, “Com’on. Let’ get y’ home.”

“A-alright,” Chloe whispered as she wiped the tears from her face. They got into the Beast and Gennie turned the key. The engine spun over a few time and just sputtered. She tried again. More spinning but this time, they were greeted with the familiar sound of a loud backfire.

“Com’on, don’t let me down, baby...” Gennie cooed, rubbing the dashboard lovingly with her hand while turning the key once more.

The engine spun over a few more time until finally coming to life. A wide grin came over her face as she looked over to Chloe.

“Shee? Works e’ery time!”

Chloe giggled at her antics as they drove out of the parking lot when a thought suddenly crossed her mind. Shit! Gennie is really drunk...she shouldn’t be driving at all! Her driving seemed fine at first, but as time went on, it was apparent that Gennie was having difficulties taming the beast. 

“Gennie...” she said with a concerned look, “are you sure you’re okay to be driving, you had quite a bit to drink tonight.” 

“Yus, I’m perf’tly alr-alri-I’m good ...” Gennie boasted, smiling at her as she crossed the double yellow line before jerking the wheel back.

They were rapidly approaching the red light at the next intersection, and Gennie showed no signs of stopping.

“Red light,” Chloe pointed out.

“.. I do th’s all the time!” 

“Gennie! Red light!”

“Huh?” 

“RED LIGHT!” Chloe screamed as Gennie suddenly remembered that she was in the driver’s seat.

She slammed on the brakes, locking up all four tires as they slid through the red light causing Chloe to scream. There was a brief white flash from the red light camera the moment they passed the white line and into the intersection. The sound of screeching tires and car horns could be heard as they came to a complete stop. Chloe started to hyperventilate.

“FUCK!” Gennie screamed as the white smoke dissipated around them. “Now I’m gonna get a tick’t an poss’bly a DUI!” She turned to look at Chloe who was now white as a ghost.

“Ya okay?” Gennie asked, nudging her friend. Chloe nodded her head as the blood slowly returned to her face. 

“You are right, Chloe. I am too drunk to be driving,” she said in a surprisingly sobering tone. “Let’s get outta the middle of the road and you can drive.”

“S-sure thing,” Chloe stammered, not sure if that was a good idea or not since she could still feel the effects of the alcohol in her system.

Gennie had just started to pull over to the curb when suddenly the whole car started shaking like they were in an earthquake, but they were in Chicago—there are no major fault lines around here.

The two of them looked at each other in confusion as the car lurched downwards. There was a moment of silence before they both let out a blood curdling scream as they fell into the sinkhole.