Hidden Realities

Goose bumps covered Celeste's naked flesh as she stood on the tips of her toes, waving her arms above her head, reaching for the rope to the pull-down steps to the attic. The rough twine felt like a hundred tiny needles sticking into the palm of her right hand as she yanked hard on the rope. The squeaky metal hinges whined as the steps lurched down out of the ceiling above her. Celeste jumped back and covered her ears with her hands, the shrill sound reminding her of someone running their fingernails across the surface of a blackboard. When the heavy folding steps landed with a loud thud upon the floor, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Celeste tiptoed back down the hallway into the bathroom to find her stash, because she wanted to be in the proper frame of mind when Damon arrived. She wondered why she felt the need to be so quiet since she was all alone.

Once in the bathroom, she flicked on the switch. The old fluorescent light hummed as she stared into the chipped mirror. After pondering for a moment to reconsider exploring this attic with Damon, she dismissed her apprehension with a sinister laugh. A bottle of gin and a joint on the shelf next to the mirror beckoned her. Celeste opened the bottle, swallowed several large mouthfuls of alcohol, and gasped for air in between each swallow. A rosy glow covered her cheeks and she shivered with desire as she remembered Damon's kisses trailing all over her skin. She fired up the joint and inhaled. For several minutes, she savored the taste and reminisced about their forbidden nights of passion in the attics around Baxter's campus. She snubbed the joint out against the pink tile wall, before it burned her fingertips. Then, she knelt on the bathroom floor and leaned over the toilet. She created a line of heroine, on the top of the closed toilet seat lid, and snorted the white compound. Reeling from the feeling of euphoria, she careened and fell back on the bathroom floor, remaining there until her head cleared and she was able to stand again.

Several minutes passed. Celeste wobbled down the hallway and up the pull-down steps to the attic. As she flipped the attic light switch up, the overhead bulb blew out with a violent pop. She huffed with annoyance and hesitated for a moment, wondering what to do next. Moonlight filtered in through the tiny attic window, allowing her to see nooks and crannies filled with old trunks, furniture and vintage clothing. This attic wasn't warm and inviting like the others. A cool breeze wafted across her naked body and she wrapped her arms around herself. Her instincts told her to leave immediately, but her curiosity held her there.

She weaved across the rough wooden floor careful not to get broken glass in her feet. The room spun. Celeste giggled to herself, but suddenly, a moldy stench filled her lungs. She covered her nose with her left forearm and stood still for a moment. Overwhelmed by the wretched odor she gagged violently. Thoughts raced through her mind. What could be up here? Dead bodies?