The car slowed to a stop; his fingers slid from the cold, black wheel. The keys clanged against the ring on his finger, as they were pulled from the ignition. The hot sun beat down against the black car, already warming the previously air-conditioned interior.

He sat thee for a moment, eyes closed behind his favorite pair of black sunglasses. A deep sigh pushed its way through him as he finally unbuckled, pushing the car door open. He walked inside the bar, sat down and ordered his drink.

A lone ice cube bobbed gently in the brown liquid, its sides trailing around the edges of the glass as a hand swirled against the grain of the table. The image on the mat below was magnified through the crystal; surreal shapes forming and morphing before mixing into a kaleidoscope of colors.

He’d seen so much darkness; he was more than ready for the light. If it ever came. If it ever chose to grace him with its presence. There were days when it seemed to be at the end of the proverbial tunnel, and days when he questioned its very existence.

In some ways, it had been the darkness that had shown him the light he was still missing out on. Sometimes the fear of losing someone else could be too much. Could get to the point where, regardless of his surroundings, tears would spring to the back of his eyes, threatening to spill over and stain his cheeks. Fear of what, though? His life was fairly simple, if not a little mundane.

After his sister died, he’d begun to revaluate. Felt himself changing. It was the burns that were the worst. The burning desire he now had for something, anything to fill the void within himself. He could’ve turned to alcohol, but he didn’t fancy that path. The burning fear of losing someone else he cared about forced him to obsess. Most of his friends hated him for the random late night phone calls, just checking up, but Alex. Alex didn’t seem to mind at all, seemed to understand, on some level, that he needed the support.

He looked down at his glass. It was empty. He didn’t remember drinking it but the dull burning sensation at the back of his throat proved it. He looked up when the bartender asked “Another sir?” He slowly nodded his head.

Just as he drained his fifth glass, and was ready to go, he realized that he was way to drunk to drive. But who should he call he didn’t want to call Alex because she would be disappointed in him. She was one of those people you respect, and care what she thinks about you. He was about to have the bartender call him a cab when Alex walked thought the door.

“Thought I might find you here Johnny.” Came her sweet, and caring voice.