Jacqueline, A Retrospective

"Whoooo!" Jackie whooped into the night, swaying drunkenly to Tiffany's rendition of “I Think We're Alone Now.” Her hair was poofy and just the right amount of wild. She was young and beautiful and this bonfire was going to be the best night of her life.

Snap.

Club Zoo pulsed with music so loud it obliterated thought. A little high, Jackie floated through the grasping hands and rolling hips. Only rhythm, the feel of the dance, the crush of people, mattered. Floating in the back of her mind, the two hundred dollars charged to a Visa for a dress she couldn't afford waited for the morning but for now there was no night like tonight and it was hers.

Snap.

Pain and pressure ramped up, building until Jacqueline howled, beyond caring about anything outside of the pain. Hours passed with spikes of even more intense pain that grew faster and faster until there were only overlapping waves. When it finally stopped a cloth bundle was placed into her arms. Even exhausted, this was the best moment of her life.

Snap.