The Bar.

I walked into the bar, smoke filling the room. The aroma of cigarettes and marijuana filled the room, drunken women falling all over everyone. The music pumping loud in my ear, but I could still hear her voice like she was standing beside me. I walked over to the pool table, where she was standing. Maybe it was wrong, to leave my wife and kids home, thinking I would be returning home with movies and dinner. But I couldn’t resist her; everything about her lured me in. Her smell, her taste, those blue eyes, the way her blonde ringlets bounced as she danced with the music, she was the whole package. She stood beside two older men, they looked as if they were in their 50’s. Leaning closer to her, I could smell alcohol on her breath. We’ve been through this before. I come into the bar, sweep her up, and make love to her like we used to back in high school. But tonight was different, she looked like she was too far-gone to look me in the eye, speak to me, or even walk. I held on to her, trying to walk her out of the bar. I could feel the men’s eyes on me the whole way out. Finally, reaching my car, she dropped to the ground, puking up a yellowish slimy substance. I tried to pick her up, but her body was shaking. I rushed her to the hospital, regretting sneaking around with the girl I fell in love with years ago. I had missed calls, text messages from my family. Reaching the hospital, tears falling from my eyes, she was rushed in immediately. Reaching 3 AM, they told me the news. “There is nothing more we can do, it seems as if she was drugged.”