"Krewe of Gemini is always the best."
I staggered through the front door. Purple, green, and gold beads decorated my neck. I hit the light switch to the living room. "Now it's time to really get drun—"
A long legged brunette sat on my leather sofa, cotton canvas shoes kicked up on the coffee table. The lotion on her sun-kissed skin sparkled underneath the overhead lights. She didn't look up. Her head buried in her iPhone. "Geminine, Geminine, where in the hell... is this friend of mine?"
I looked at her strangely but spoke over my shoulder. "Stacey, I swear I don't kno—Stacey?" I spun around to the empty doorway. "Stacey..."
"What's wrong, your date bail on you?"
"She was just right here—hey, listen, Tara, what the hell you doing in mi casa?" I reached in my pocket, withdrew a Mardi Gras colored USB with a skull in the middle. I tossed it on a brooding desk in the corner, near the laptop. "Being neighbors since grade school, doesn't give you free access to my house."
"Hush." Tara sighed and tossed her phone aside. She narrowed her eyes to the USB. "What's that?"
"A weird old lady gave it to me." I hung my keys on the rack, walked into the kitchen. "Care for a drink? Vodka/cran? I got some beer-ra-ra."
"Vodka/cran is fine." Tara walked over, steadied a shoulder against the brick chimney. "So, did she want you to read some of her stories or something?"
I poured us a drink. "She, uh, told me—I shit you not—she felt a powerful aura coming from m—"
"Oh please." Tara rolled her eyes.
I continued more facetiously, "...emanating out into the universe like a special being of force."
Tara took the drink, sipped. "The last thing you need is a big head."
"Which one you referring to?"
"The only one you have."
I winked and continued on about the 'Voodoo' lady. "She knew I was a writer somehow. She knew..."
"What?"
"Well, she—Pfft!—said I'm too arrogant for a mediocre writer. Can you believe that shit?" I drank from my cup but paused when I saw Tara look away. My face soured. "Awww... come on, mediocre, really? I tell clean stories. No hiccups. No having to look up big words. No distractions. I want you in the story."
"So, how come I'm not?"
"Yowch..." I hung my head, looked to the tile floor as though rethinking my life's purpose.
"It's okay... um," Tara stammered, feeling instantly guilty, "well, uh, you're creative. That's it!"
"Whatever..." I feigned a pout and sauntered into the foyer, leaving the bottle on the counter. "Anyways... weird lady said, 'In order to be a good writer," I said in a shrill, screechy voice, imitating the old witch doctor, "you need to get into the story. I need to have fun with storytelling like I used to."
"And, that's gonna help?" Tara gestured to the USB.
I shrugged. "...she also told me something about you."
"Me? How did I get brought up?"
I halted, thought about it. "I don't know..."
"Well, what did she say?" Tara asked.
"That you're..." I side-glanced over my shoulder, sung, "...lookin' for love in all the wrong places."
"Tell me about it..." Tara sulked.
"Awww," I put an arm around her, and with a hint of sarcasm, said, "Wanna talk about it?"
"Quit white knightin'. You're no good at it." Tara thumped my ear. "I'll be fine. Derek just needs some time to think—"
"He cheated on you."
Tara crossed her arms, tapped her foot in anger. "Well he—"
"Then he dumped you," I said. "I don't think he's coming back."
"Well, fuck you, Mr. Warmth."
"I'm just sayin'. I don't like seeing ya mope with hope. It makes it that much worse in the end." I eased around my desk, plopped in the chair, and opened my laptop. "By the way, the lady said this could help you too."
Tara puckered her lips in disbelief. "Help me with what, find love?"
"You're still young." I connected it into the laptop. "Is that really what you want?"
Tara didn't reply. She sat her drink down, walked around, and leaned over my shoulder. "I don't see how this USB is gonna do anyth—"
The laptop exploded, emitting a wave of clear current through the room. The force knocked me out of the chair and Tara over the leather sofa. TV short-circuited. Lights flickered. Smart-phones sparked.
"You alright?" I asked, winded. A smoky haze clouded the room. Although she didn't respond, I could hear her moving around. "Hey," I called out again, "you alright?"
"Owww..." Tara groaned. "What did I say, huh? I freakin' told—"
"I don't think that was a computer virus." I made it to my feet, along with Tara. We looked to one another, eyes wide, before turning to the laptop. The computer was seared into my desk. The exposed wires, crackled, popped in flashes. "Shit..."
"Hey!" Tara shushed me. "Listen..."
"What?"
"It's too quiet." Tara bustled to the front door. I followed. She grabbed the handle, whipped it wide. Our jaws dropped at the sight.
My house, alone, appeared to be sailing through the universe. Stars dotted the black vastness. It was eerily quiet, space silence.
We shared bewildered glances.
As I started to peek out, Tara snagged my wrist, shook her head at me. "Crazy?"
"Just a look." I leaned out. The scenery changed to a beautiful white sand beach. The sun set high in the sky, reflecting off the frothy waves. I backed out. Space came back into view. I looked to Tara with a heightened brow.
"What is it?" Tara asked.
I motioned for a second to think, still trying to figure things out. I stuck my head out again. Beautiful beach. Leaned back. Outer space. Forward. Beach. Back. Space. Beach. Space. Be—
"Hey!" Tara jerked my shoulder.
"Give me a sec." I unlatched her hand from my arm, finger by finger.
"No, no, no." Tara gripped me tighter.