Free Everything to Nothing by Mark Henthorne Page A

sounds of shouts and screams coming from the bathroom.
He instantly rolled over and saw that Sarah was not there and as he
quickly sprang to his feet his eyes rested on the bedside table
which had nothing on it. ‘Oh! The stupid bitch!’
    He quickly
trotted round the bed and reached the bathroom door. The noise from
inside had subsided and he pressed his ear against the door. All he
could hear was what sounded like sobs. He took a deep breath and
composed himself. He tapped lightly on the door and asked if she
was alright.
    ‘Yes, yes, I am
fine. There was, erm, a big spider. I hate them.’
    ‘A spider?
Sarah, where’s the coke?’
    ‘I don’t know,
you had it last.’
    ‘It was on the
bedside table. Is it in there with you?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Can I come
in?’
    ‘No! Don't come
in.’
    ‘Let me in
Sarah. I need to know you are alright.’
    ‘I am alright!
Just give me a minute.’
    Peter shook his
head and looked down at the door handle. He could unlock the door
from the outside but he needed something to turn the lock. He
quickly returned to the bedroom and got a coin out of his copper
jar and then returned to the bathroom door. Using the coin he
turned the lock and slowly, quietly opened the door.
    Sarah was stood
at the sink with her head tilted far back. Peter, in the reflection
of the mirror, saw that she has splatters of blood on her chest and
that her nose was still bleeding. He watched her for a few more
moments until Sarah caught his reflection in the mirror.
    ‘I told you not
to come in!’
    ‘Sorry, I had
to see that you are okay.’
    ‘I told you I
am!’
    ‘Yeah, you look
it.’
    He took the few
steps to her and gently placed his hand on the back of head. He
tilted her head forward and instantly the blood started to flow out
of her nose, down and into the sink.
    ‘I thought you
were meant to tilt your head back for a nosebleed?’
    ‘You’ll end up
choking yourself. Stay like that and let the blood flow. It will
start to stop soon.’
    Sure enough,
after a few minutes it did, and when it had Sarah started to clean
herself up. She pushed Peter away when the bleeding finally stopped
and sat down on the lid of the toilet seat. ‘What the hell happened
to me?’
    ‘Welcome to the
world of drug taking. Everything comes at a price, Sarah.’
    ‘I thought I
was dying.’
    ‘No, nothing
that quite dramatic babe. Your nose isn’t used to it. How much did
you take?’
    Not knowing the
difference between large and small she said, ‘A small line.’
    ‘On top of the
two last night?’
    ‘Yeah.’
    ‘No wonder
then.’
    ‘Why didn’t you
warn me?’
    ‘How could I
when I was asleep? There is no way I would have let you take
another line.’
    ‘Worried about
the impact on profit?’
    ‘No, worried
about the impact on your health. Why did you take another?’
    ‘Couldn’t
sleep, felt sick. I have got the world’s worst hangover going
on.’
    ‘And how do you
feel now?’
    ‘Now that the
nosebleed has stopped top of the world actually.’

‘See how you
feel once that line wears off.’
    ‘I think I need
to go home now. What time is it?’
    ‘I think you
should. About three.’
    ‘Oh! So late.
Where are my clothes?’
    ‘I think they
are scattered all round the house. I’ll find them while you finish
tidying yourself up.’
    Peter left the
bathroom and walked around the house retrieving Sarah’s clothes
while she washed. By the time he got back the bathroom door had
been closed again so he knocked on the door and Sarah told him to
leave the clothes on the landing. He did this and went into his
bedroom and got dressed.
    Peter then went
downstairs and flicked on the television and watched some
Premiership football for what seemed like an eternity. Unimpressed
with the level of skill on show he stuck it out for a few more
minutes until another overpaid sports star missed another easy
chance so he turned the television off in disgust. He was waiting
only another couple of minutes until he