Chapter 9: The Day After

After cuddling for a while, Andrea, Lucy, and I unstuck our bodies from each other. The girls went to Lucy's room and I snuck back upstairs to my apartment. My head throbbed, like a massive hangover after a night of drinking cheap tequila. Pitching forward into bed, I fell unconscious.

Dreams came to me; slowly coming into focus like the light of the sun becomes clearer to a diver ascending from the depths. In my dreams, I was climbing stone stairs. Drums boomed out the cadence as I marched out of a torch lit staircase. The crowd roared in anticipation as I stepped onto a broad, paved courtyard. My guards forced a corridor through the cheering throngs of people.

Details became clearer. The people were short and wiry, dark skinned with straight black hair. I continued across the open space toward a giant, stepped pyramid. Marching stiffly up the stairs the smell of incense grew stronger, almost overpowering me as I reached the top. There, standing behind a tremendous black altar, stood a man who was undeniably a high priest of some sanguine religion. The tall, feathered mask that hid his features was his only raiment. Streaks of drying blood ran down his thin chest and drew streaks along his skinny thighs. I hesitated at the sight of the long black dagger in the priest's hand but was shoved toward the altar from behind. Unable to fight back, I was dragged on to the altar, strong hands pinning my wrists and ankles to the smooth, warm surface.