A hush descended over the room when Lynn stumbled into the table, knocking antique knickknacks to the floor. Crystal shattered, shards skittered across the polished parquet.
The stunned party-goers gaped as Lynn tried unsuccessfully to right herself, but instead crashed into the waiter, toppling champagne flutes.
“Well… I guessss I don’ need ‘nother drink,” she slurred.
Krista strode over to her flailing sister, yanking Lynn to her feet by her elbow.
“Woo!” Lynn cackled. “This one’s a feissty one!”
“Let’s go, ” Krista hissed. “You aren’t fit for public.”
Lynn broke Krista’s grasp, plopping onto the floor in the middle of the spilled champagne and broken glass.
“I’m jus’ fine rii herrre,” Lynn insisted as she slapped her hands in the champagne, splashing it like a kid in the bathtub.
“No, you’re not,” Krista choked back tears of embarrassment.
The entire room was frozen, watching Lynn’s implosion and Krista’s futile attempts to salvage any of Lynn’s dignity. Across the room, the bandleader cleared his throat and the musicians began playing again, restarting the song they were playing when Lynn first fell. One by one the polite guests averted their eyes, turning sideways so that it wasn’t obvious that they were rubber-necking the scene.
“Lissen up, hot stuff, ” Lynn wagged a finger at her stricken sister, “I don’ wanna go home. Home is hell. I wanna stay right here.”
Krista squatted slowly, arranging her form-sitting dress so that it didn’t tear from the unexpected exertion.
“Lynn, we need to go. You’re being an ass. Everyone is watching…”
“Lemme give ‘em somthin’ to see, ” Lynn said, toppling Krista into the puddle.
Startled, Krista squawked and spluttered as she scrambled to right herself. When she finally dragged herself to her feet, she looked down at her ruined dress and her ruined sister and spat out, “You suck. You fucking suck! I fucking hate you!”
Lynn watched Krista flee the party; her last ally had deserted.
“Yup! I fucking suck!” Lynn’s voice sounded gleeful, but she was so far over the edge that her hysterical laughter turned quickly to hysterical sobs. She threw her head backwards, keening the most mournful, desolate sound into the ceiling of the ballroom. The musicians had stopped again and uncomfortable guests began to draw back from the scene, unsure of how unstable Lynn had become.
Lynn rolled onto her stomach, singing, “I fucking suuuuuuck!”
She got on all fours and began to crawl out of the room, braying, “I fuuuucking suuuuck!” over and over as loudly as she could until she reached the door.
Using the doorknob as a hand-hold, she hauled herself to her feet. She winked at a group of wide-eyed guests and bowed deeply, nearly spilling out of her gown.
“I am leavin’ ‘cuz I FUCKING SUCK! No encores for you!”
She stumbled down the hallway, holding the wall for balance until she reached the lobby of the hotel. The concierge intercepted her before she left the building.
“Would you like me to call you a cab, ma’am?”
“Nooo, I don’ think sssso. I wanna go for a walk.”
“Ma’am, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I do. Mmm jus’ goin’ ‘cross street to zuh parrrk. “kay?”
She pushed past the blinking concierge and slammed through the door. The brisk night air slapped her face and she gasped in the chill.
“Izz snowin’! Izz snowin’! Krista, izz snowin’!”
But Krista didn’t hear her. No one heard her because the parking lot was deserted.
“Fllloridaa snooow!” Lynn squealed as she made her way between the parked vehicles toward the road. She stopped, gripping the bumper of a SUV to vomit, the warm liquid hitting her feet. She kicked off her shoes and stepped into the road.
“Cold toesss!” she shouted to the night. “Snow in Floridaaaa!”
She flung her arms high over her head like a ballerina and twirled. She was dancing when she heard the squealing of brakes. She was twirling when she saw the car sliding toward her, the driver’s face a mask with a large “O” for a mouth. In slow motion, she saw the car slam into her. She saw red, then the night sky briefly.
She did not see Krista throw the car door open and stagger toward the heap on the road that had been her sister. She didn’t see anything anymore.
26 Comments
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Souper Sutff
Very well written… heartbreaking as well!
Thank you. I wasn’t sure about the ending — I still think it might be a little gratuitous.
IASoupMama recently posted..Crash
Whoa! Now, that’s irony. I love it! Your characterization of Lynn is excellent. I cringed the entire time I read this, because I could totally picture her. Well done!
Bee recently posted..The Fairest of Them All – (Fiction)
Thank you. I wanted her to be a total freakshow.
IASoupMama recently posted..Crash
You captured this horrible scene perfectly…right from the polished parquet to the Florida snow.
Kristin recently posted..Guest Post: Wednesday’s Woman
Thank you — was hoping that the civility of the surroundings was a good contrast to Lynn’s terrible behavior.
IASoupMama recently posted..Crash
Oh how horrible! You did a great job of portraying the out of control drunk sister. I didn’t see the end coming at all – great twist.
Stacie @ Snaps and Bits recently posted..The Silence
Thank you! I wanted her to be as obnoxious as possible.
IASoupMama recently posted..Crash
Stories about sisters always get me…This was a great one, I definitely didn’t see that twist at the end.
Samantha Brinn Merel recently posted..The Wedding
Thank you! I wanted drama, but didn’t want to know what caused it — hope that makes sense…
Great story! Well written and I loved the details.
Thank you, love! Glad to see you stop by!
Wow. Powerful stuff. Very well written and so very sad. Great take on the prompts!
Suzanne recently posted..Speakeasy: Company
Thank you — seems a bunch of us went for parties and twists this week.
Well if this is light and fluffy I hate to see dark and somber.
Jack recently posted..Inside the Blogger’s Studio- A Dream, Er Nightmare
Yes,this is light and fluffy as a lead balloon, LOL!
IASoupMama recently posted..Crash
Oh how awful! I was laughing at first at the rather believable drunken row, but then the tragic end… Wow.
Georgina Merry recently posted..Crafting (Speakeasy #95)
Glad you found the first part believable!
IASoupMama recently posted..Crash
Quite a party, with a real twist.
Sandra Crook recently posted..Eye Witness (Trifecta Challenge, Week 63)
Thank you! Twist is fun…
IASoupMama recently posted..Crash
This is heart wrenching and powerful.
deana recently posted..Sweet revenge
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
IASoupMama recently posted..Crash
As so many said before, the ending was a surprise and seemed too real too. Good story.
Thank you — I wasn’t sure where it was going when I started it.
I love this line: “She saw red, then the night sky briefly.” That pause — you captured it perfectly. I enjoyed reading this despite the horrible ending. You have a way of keeping a piece rolling in a way that feels physical.
Esther recently posted..Grandpa Fruit Fly
Oh, thank you! What a great comment. I wonder if it is because I trained as a dancer and actor through most of my youth?