It's Friday night again. Another evening is to be spent drifting in and out of sleep. The alarm clocks harsh gaze keeps my drooping eyelids open for few seconds before the heaviness settles in and captures my head. I curl into the couch, reveling in the silence that has been bestowed since the television broke. After a handful of minutes drag by I peel my eyes open to argue with the clock once more. It flashes mockingly at me, laughing at my sad attempts to pass time. I grow restless watching the clock hands chase each other and stumble up from the plush leather to find a drink.
The door greets my face as I stagger forward and collide with solid wood. I rub hands lightly over the forming bruise as I sway for the second time towards the kitchen. Cool metal slides under my hands and I pull the steel handle swiftly. My eyes are enveloped with light immediately and it takes a few seconds for them to stop seeing stars. Meanwhile I fumble blindly along the top shelf of the refrigerator, finally connecting with a slender bottle. I grab the cold canister of water and close the door, forcing my eyes to re-adjust. The sink is full of dirty dishes but I ignore the crust developing and simply rinse one of the cleaner ones with hot water, pouring smooth liquid into the glass as soon as the jet stream has finished blasting away some of the dirt. I tilt my head back and swallow quickly, ignoring the burn as it slides down my raw throat. I take a few more sips before deciding I’ve had enough and setting the glass back among its dirty relatives.
The couch calls my name continuously but I disregard its strangled yelps and pace to the window. Midnight sky stares back at me, its starry eyes blinking slowly and cloudy hands swiping at the airplanes drifting slowly towards the airport. I sigh, dreamily watching the traffic swell past me, wishing I too had somewhere to be. As if on cue the clock catches my attention and shouts a few minutes past twelve at my eyes. I feel tiredness leaving my body and look back out the window, staring at the red and green lights gracing the busy streets. This Friday has been the worst by far; it has conquered me as the Roman's conquered Europe.
I gazed one last time out the window at the ever inviting hour of midnight, before walking a few steps to the staircase. The stairs are chilly beneath my feet and I wish for warm slippers as I continue on my way to the basement. As the cement walls meet my fingertips I grope madly for the light switch, pondering what I will do once the light clicks on and reveals no more fun then the waiting couch on the floor above. I put thoughts of loner and boring out of my head and shield my eyes as the single light bulb yawns awake. What to do? I glance dishearteningly at the bookshelves adjourning the back wall and think intriguingly that maybe I could read a book? I sigh and turn to the other wall scanning the board games that require sadly more then one person to play them.
I sit down on the bottom step piteously and put my head in my hands. Much ado about nothing is what comes to mind as I remain sitting on the basement walkway. Every night it was the same; usually more noticeable on Friday's especially because for one, Fridays are the ultimate party night, and two the steady stream of traffic buzzing outside won't let me forget that I’m home alone. I get up from my lonely perch and wobble back up the stairs. I reach the top and stare down as the light clicks off; darkness swallowing the passageway quickly. The couch is still calling weakly, although my blatant protests in ignoring its yells have managed to keep it from growing louder.
The midnight sky is fading and it seems I’ve won a small battle in this raging war against time; a whole hour has passed since my journey to the bottom floor. I'm starting to get tired again and for whatever reason my eyelids have resumed their heaviness. I stagger in the direction of the kitchen, thinking of the bottle waiting calmly on the other side of the metal door. Pausing slightly I've finally decided to give in to the nagging couch and I settle down against the cool leather. My eyes close involuntarily and before I know it im gone; taken over by sleep's brutal and shameless armies.