Burning Sands

--- x x ---

Suzi's eyes hurt.

They burned from yet another night of depression, not enough sleep, and lights far too bright for her sore eyes.

The sinus headache was a bonus from the bathroom in her aunt's daylight basement. It would pass when she left the tiny and steamy room.

Twisting the cap off the tube of Crest, Suzi didn't need to keep her eyes open to brush. Everything was gray for weeks.

Suzi's department closed and job given to temps. She'd had a big argument and breakup with Jimmy about bills, before she was done with unemployment paperwork.

They'd fought before, and she hadn't thought this would be any worse. Almost all her stuff was at their apartment and her ex- hadn't threatened anything about her clearing it out.

A week and they'd make up with some great sex.

Suzi realized that the toothbrush had stopped moving and she let the sad daydream fade as she started on a molar again.

They'd never make up now.

Jimmy died. No accident, no illness, he was shot at a public event by some nut-job who had nothing to live for.

She still couldn't cry, no matter how much her eyes ached and burned at the funeral, and after.

Suzi started a sob, but inhaling toothpaste nixed that and she spit it out. With her eyes burning, Suzi finally looked up at the mirror to check her teeth. They looked clean enough for another day of moping.

“Can you hear me?”

She shook her head. I'm imagining his voice. I need more sleep.

“Wake up, little Suzie, wake up!”

That made her smile as she rinsed her mouth. Jimmy loved that old song because of her name. Skipping the comb and make-up, she was done with the least wash-up she could get away with.

As she dressed, she could remember how he sang it with his voice cracking a little.

But the singing kept getting louder, until she searched through the basement and then upstairs, without finding a radio in the empty house. Pinching and a needle prick didn't help stop it either.

Finally Suzi yelled, “Shut up, Jimmy!”

“Can you hear me now?” He had to be smirking.

She kept stalking through the house looking for the sound, but even her aunt's skittish cat was sleeping.

Dropping onto the sofa, Suzi wanted a stiff drink, but her eyes were burning with sand and everything hurt. “Jimmy, I... I'm sorry we fought. I can't imagine life without you.”

The house was silent again, long enough that Suzi thought she must have dreamed Jimmy's voice.

A draft of cold air, and a plaintive voice sang. “I found her diary underneath a tree, and started reading about me...” His voice was clearer than usual, but Jimmy's voice sang of love and loss.

Before she heard more than a few words, she wept soothing tears and could not stop even when the song ended. “Jimmy?”

There was only silence until the phone rang.

--- x x ---

A/N: Challenge words are Crest, “Can you hear me?,” ex-BF/GF, a diary, and an illness.

Brief song phrases taken from songs “Wake Up, Little Suzie” by Simon and Garfunkel and “Diary” by Bread. Thanks to my beta reader, who's been kind enough to point out errors for me. Any others that remain are not intentional... Reviews or a PM to let me know what you think would be very appreciated.