Karmic Revelation

The champagne cork was on the floor and in her hand was the empty bottle it must have come from. Or maybe it was from the numerous other bottles scattered around the floor.

What was the last thing she remembered? Coming to the party, despite the host was someone she despised. Having fun avoiding the host and socializing with her friends. After that? Lots of drinking and having fun. Then she noticed another figure on the floor, near the cork. Another person who can't handle their drinking, she thought? On closer inspection, though, she noticed a puddle of blood that had formed around the person's head and the cork.

What the hell? she thought, edging closer, slowly. It was the host of the party. Her ex. The one who had put her through years of crap, who had inspired her to attend months of therapy, and months of drinking. She said his name, softly at first, then loudly. She considered getting some cold water to splash on him when the phone rang.

After one of his ridiculous answering machine messages, a voice came on the machine, "Hey, Mark, did you get lucky last night? Nothing like boning your ex for some bragging points. Call me later!" Laurie did a quick check of herself, it didn't appear she had participated in any "boning." She bent down and shook Mark, and he didn't move. She leaned in and listened, and he was not breathing, and she felt how cold he was.

Laurie freaked out for a few minutes, and searched the apartment, no one else was there. Apparently, for some reason, her and Mark had been the last ones up, him preparing to get his ex into bed, her drunk beyond reason for even staying alone in the same room with him.

Laurie had experienced years of good luck after breaking up with Mark. She and her friends had always joked it was good karma for all of the bad shit and abuse she had experienced. Apparently her good karma had run out, and somehow she had accidentally killed her ex. What should she do? It was barely dawn, she thought she had a good chance of sneaking out, without anyone seeing her.

She got a cigarette out, to calm her nerves, not noticing the spilled alcohol near the bar by the door. She looked around, to see if there was anything else that connect her to the party. Her fingerprints were obviously all over the place, but it was a party, that could be explained. But who else knew that she had stayed the night?

She walked out, not hearing the small puff of a flame starting by the bar, from her cigarette and the alcohol. Before she could close the door, Mark's friend, Brett appeared, scaring the crap out of her. He had just recently been released from jail again, for beating his wife up almost to the point of death.

"Laurie, have a good time last night?" he said with a sneer.

"Not really, did any of our friends see me stay?" Laurie asked, hoping she sounded embarrassed more than worried.

"Nope, we found you passed out in the guest room after everyone had left. I am sure Mark will fill everyone in today though." Brett said and laughed. He laughed again as Laurie stepped out of her right shoe and almost fell.

"Is Mark still home?" Brett asked, still giggling.

"He's inside." Laurie replied, and before she could pick her shoe up, Brett tripped over it into the apartment. She closed the door quickly and headed to the elevator, putting her shoe back on as she waited.

Later, after an extremely long bath, she sat down in front of the television, and while flipping channels, saw a news reporter standing in front of a familiar building. It was Mark's building. With a voice attempting to sound remorseful, the reported said that only two people had been killed, with a few others being treated for smoke inhalation.

It was Brett and Mark who had been killed. They didn't say it, they hadn't notified their families yet, but she knew it was them. A small smile formed on her lips, as she lit another cigarette, took a sip of her drink, and thought, "Maybe my good karma isn't gone after all."