Seven, Again

Dipsomania

Thank you.

Addict.
Junkie.
Fiend.

Glutton.

A Caramel tint plagues her eyes, an Ethanol smell plagues her voice.
Amongst the haze lies a lost friend. Not any different from who she once was. Someone who is still loveable, endearing, friendly. Someone who is ALIVE.
Yet the constant drink after drink after drink blurs that girl in the haze. A person who isn't what they were. A lost soul in the endless haze of what once was.

Wasted Potential.
You could've been so much more, T.

"Fuckin'.. asshole. Fine. You get to walk home. Knowing you, you'd call an uber for a 3-minute walk."
T cursed at Kentaro, pulling out from the restaurant's curb onto the main street.
The two had just gotten into an argument, with Kentaro storming out of the car in anger.

Blocking the road in front of her, she notices a man, wearing a black robe in the middle of the street.
"Probably a crackhead. Looks like a pedophile.."

T honked her horn at the priest, who barely even moved.

"..."
T stared down at her feet, a wave of regret hit her face.
She's too old to be bickering with friends, especially with how rare it is for her to find people like Kentaro. People who care for her. Who stuck by her.
God, I'm sorry... I let you down.

"Ow! OOWWWWW- SHIT!"

Pain hit T's tongue, a pain never felt before. Like someone burning it on charcoal, her tongue stung with a pain never felt before. Her eyes watered, yet her hands clawed on her chin like a pain never felt before. The only words blaring in her head were the same words:
A pain never felt before.

She mustered enough tolerance to grasp her rear view mirror and point it at her mouth.
That wasn't there before.

She saw a sort of marking on her tongue, burnt into her taste buds like a tattoo. It took shape as a water drop. Looking at the tattoo, she noticed she could actually taste it. Almost like a burnt candy, it was rather sweet, like the smooth burn of a drink she once indulged in. She remembered the taste like it was just this morning when she took her first drink.

After the pain subsided, she looked forward to seeing the priest gone. Must've crossed the street.

Should I go to a doctor..? Are there any actually open? This doesn't feel like I need to go to an emergency room.. I should be ok.

T shrugged it off and drove home. She blinked, and suddenly saw herself in bed.
Something's been happening to her. She doesn't even remember getting into bed, barely anything but hazy memories from the car ride home.
What's going on..?

She shut her eyes, just to tune out the world outside her. Silence. Angelique wasn't back yet, so T got the apartment to herself. She couldn't keep herself in bed, couldn't sleep. Even with the apartment to herself, she couldn't shake the feeling of loneliness.

She dreamt back.
Back to the car ride with Kentaro.

She collapsed into Everest's car seat, Kentaro jumping in right beside her. She twisted the key on and sped forward, out of the garage and onto the main street.
That morning, so long ago, life was good.
"Hey, T? Can I ask you about something?"
"Hm?"

"Is that your flask?"

T looked down at her pocket, her flask peeking out because of the angle of her leg.
Her face dropped completely.

"It's just a souvenir. I keep it around b-because I need a reminder of how far I've come."
"T."

"It's jus- IT IS ONLY A SOUVENIR!" "T, WHY ARE YOU LYING? IT'S FULL- IT SOUNDS FULL!"
"It's water!"
"T."