Weight. Such weight was pressing down on her. Her arms, her legs, not an inch of her body could move. And yet it was so warm. So comfortable. Why would she want to leave?
"-Wai. Big sister Wai" hands, such soft hands, wrapped around her, pulling her. She seemed to be floating now. Floating? No, only her head was moving. The rest of her body was still weighed down by that black mist.
"Who?" Xiao Wai tried to look around herself, tried to look at the person hugging her. But she couldn't. A twinge of fear started to tingle in the back of her mind. "Who are you? What?"
But before she could go any further with her questions the other voice started to say…something.
"I can't hear you. Speak louder! Please?" but the voice was already gone.
She was falling now. Falling so fast. The black mist which she had left just moments ago seemed to reach up and pull her back to her body. As her head and body reconnected the black mist gentle washed over her, seeping into all her pores. It was so warm. So comfortable.
"EXIT LIGHT! ENTER NIGHT!"
With a startled snort Gu Xiao Wai struggled from beneath her layers of blankets and extracted a hand. She groped around for her phone before giving up and surfacing from her nest.
"TAKE MY HAND. WE'RE OFF TO NEVER-NEVER LAND"
"God DAMMIT!" Xiao Wai snarled as she snatched her phone from the floor and hit the stop button. With disapprobation she glared at the blurry numbers.
"It's fucking 8 am. Why am I awake at 8 fucking o'clock?!" sitting up she ran an agitated hand through her tangled hair and started to look for her glasses.
"Oh, that's right. Brunch…shit…" Xiao Wai grumbled as she remembered the promise made weeks ago between herself and her best friend to meet to brunch on this day.
"Why can't we just go to, I don't know, IHOP for brunch. She lives an hour away from me and doesn't want to eat at any place but that diner. Ugh."
Xiao Wai grumbled and cursed through her toiletry routine before going to her closet.
"If I show up in hoodie and jeans, she'll probably kick me, the heifer. So fancy shirt and jeans? What's the temp anyways?"
Xiao Wai pulled out her phone and checked the weather app before snorting, "Freezing. Of course, it'd be freezing."
With a disparaging glance at her overflowing laundry basket Xiao Wai turned back to her closet, hoping that there'd be one nice sweater left she hadn't already worn. To her regret there weren't any. With a sigh of resignation Xiao Wai upturned her basket and started to root through it.
"Too high of a neck. Too skin tight. Too retro. Perfect!" Xiao Wai pulled out her favorite sweater, an asymmetrical grey cotton sweater which had a fringed cowl neck. "A spritz of Febreze and we are gonna be easy breezy Covergirl."
Xiao Wai chuckled to herself then stopped and groaned, "Caffeine deprivation sucks. Time check? It's already 9?! Fuck, make-up!"
With the swift hands of the practiced, Xiao Wai applied the typical steps of priming to setting in 30 minutes. With a quick glance in the mirror she fluffed her short hair and pronounced herself ready to face the torment of the world.
"Keys…wallet…phone?" after a pat on pockets and a double check in her wallet for cards and cash, Xiao Wai zipped up jacket and boots before heading to her car.
With ACDC blaring out her speakers, she maneuvered her car into traffic and began the hated drive. Perhaps it was because it was a Sunday, but the roads weren't as congested as she feared. But the weather was steadily getting worst. As the sky grew dark and the clouds started to thicken with precipitation Xiao Wai started to get annoyed.
"Hell and damnation, does it seriously have to rain now?" Xiao Wai switched from AUX to FM and turned to a news channel.
"And our cold front is going to be coming nice and strong into tonight, folks. So, it's best if you head inside and stay warm. Snow is estimated to begin…"
As the news reporter continued to drone on about this week's weather, rain started to pelt the roof of the car. The drops seemed to be taping in an driving rhythm, tap-tap tap-tap, before steadily increasing in tempo. The taps steadily grew louder and louder until Xiao Wai's head started to pound along with it.
"I better tell her that I'll be late." Xiao Wai grumbled and pulled her phone from its cupholder, only to find that her friend had already texted her.
Hey babe. Weather is awful and the hubby called out of work. So, we need to reschedule brunch! Sorry! Luv U!
"Fuuuuuuuuucccccckkk." Xiao Wai hissed before texting back.
Its cool. Let's text later. Was already on road. Need to find exit to turn back around. Stay safe and dry! Luv u 2
"Lil' heifer" Xiao Wai hissed before looking up only to find that she had been at a curve and was currently heading toward a wall.
"SHIT!"
And that was how our foul-mouthed heroine's soul escaped her body. Ignominious, this author knows, but let it be a warning. Don't text and drive, especially in foul weather.
As Xiao Wai was giving a double one-fingered salute to the sky, she felt the dark mist from her dream coil around her.
"Wha-?!" and with a suctioning feeling, she was sucked up. It might have been her imagination, if souls could have imaginations, but she swore the mist gave a satisfied belch.