The cool night air and the smell of the ocean is all I know. The raging heat from the fire, chasing away the cold; the sound of laughter and the loud murmur of everyone’s voice fighting with the roar of the waves. The push and shove of their bodies moving to the music and I feel sick, trapped in this maze of human bodies. Surrounded by nameless people; the thick haze of the drugs distorting each passing face. The night sky spinning; swirling with the glowing red of the flames and fading to the white of the smoke. The constant pounding of the music acting as my heart, each beat hard, loud pounding in my ears. The feel of my hand against the softness of my hair, a display of colours dancing through out the crowd guiding me to some invisible place. To the soft melodious laughter that seems so contagious, it fills my head with thoughts of her. Of blacken trails that follow the sway of her hair, of her eyes that glow with this golden light that see right through me. She smiles and it all seems to fade away, to stop almost frozen in that perfect moment.

His hand pulling me out of it, tearing me away from her and I don’t know her name. I don’t know who she is and I need to find out…she has this hold on me. I’ve seen her once and she haunts my dreams my thoughts.

“Her names Carmen Morales,” his voice faint a whisper that answers all my questions. “She’s taken…”

Carmen…her names Carmen. Carmen, Carmen Carmen…it plays over and over in my head. She turns smiling that smile and the wall of people separate us.

“Come on Shane we got to go,” he pushes me into the car. My head swimming with thoughts that can never happen, with images that will never happen.

The door closes with this echoing bang, the cold hard feel of the glass against my forehead. We move and I feel every bump, every pebble. This warm dark slowly covering me, and we can hear the distant whine of sirens as we drive. I think of her smile, of her eyes and the dark takes over me, the world fades away to nothing but this thick blanket of sleep that covers me.