The Party: Aftermath

Marie feels her head throbbing as she starts to wake up. Opening her eyes is a process because they feel gooey and irritated like when she once had pink eye. When she rubs them they feel crusty. In fact, touching her cheeks and her nose her whole face feels a little crusty. Still too groggy, maybe even still a little drunk, to fully feel panicked. Once she gets her eyes open there's very little to see. The room is pitch-black. She runs her hands down her body and discovers she's buck naked. Not a stitch of clothing. The panic starts to push through and her brain starts waking up.

She touches between her thighs and adrenaline shoots through her system. It's sensitive but more worrisome, like her eyes, gooey and crusty. She takes a deep breath and tries to piece together the night before she starts blindly feeling around the room.

Although she was only 18 and in her last year of high school her brother, Steve, had asked her to come out to visit him at University. He insisted that Marie bring along her best friend, Kelly, who she knew Steve had a crush on. The University was only 45 minutes from her home so it wasn't too much of a hassle getting there. The girls were excited to experience their first frat party.

Steve tried his best to be a good brother and moderate his sister's intake when he first arrived, but at some point, they lost track of each other in the sprawling mansion that doubled as home for Steve's fraternity house. Left alone, the two girls were quickly provided with shot after shot after drink after shot after drink. They felt more desired than ever by the guys at the party but felt more hated than ever by the sorority girls.

The last thing she remembered was Kelly joking about going through the woods to knock on Mr. Marcon's door. Mr. Marcon was their high school principal and he did live about a half mile through the woods. She thought 'maybe I followed Kelly into the woods?' No, that couldn't be right.

Vaguely she remembered running into Steve again. She thought he might have said something about finding someone to give her a ride back to their father's house? It was hazy.

She had a flash of seeing Steve arguing with one of his frat brothers. Something about it being a bad idea to bring his high school sister to the party. Did they tell him he'd regret it>

Another moment she recalled was watching one of the sorority girl's cornering Kelly and trying to scare her by saying she was Steve's contribution at the virgin sacrifice.

Marie briefly thought there were sirens with red and blue flashing lights. Did the party get busted by cops or was that music and party lights?

She couldn't piece together how she ended up in this dark room. She had no idea what time it was. There seemed to only be the mattress on the floor, a pillow, and some sheets. Was she ?

What happened? All Marie knew now was she had to get up and find a light switch. And, as if she willed it, that was when the room lit up sending a shock of hangover pain into her head. She clenched her eyes closed in response. And, before she was able to open them, she hears a voice.