I spent the entire day in a town I didn't want to be, in a hotel I didn't want to sleep in. I made the best of it, I thought. I went for a nice lunch, had a few beers even. Danced with a man in the middle of a restaurant with no music at all.
I went to bed early that night, too early. Not exactly tired, just eager to leave this day behind me. Theorically speaking, I did wake up the next day, just past midnight. I heard the first boom and my eyes opened slowly. Usually, I would have been confused by the time, I would have looked at the clock, maybe panic for a second. There was none of that. I knew exactly where I was, the time, the date, all painfully too clear and... real. I got out of bed and walked to the window. I could see the soft glow of the lights outside and the reflection of it on the water. Like a forest covered in snow, the room absorbed every bit of sound, giving a dream like atmosphere to my surroundings. Even the ongoing detonations seemed to be happening so far away.
My body was still warm from lying under the blanket and a chill went through me as I stood there, silent, bathing in the yellowish glow of the night. I closed my eyes, heard a few more "pow", followed by a louder one. The "grande finale", then nothing.
I left the curtains open so I wouldn't be in the dark and went back to bed, shivering. There, surrounded by the cheers of happy people, screaming and laughing, I never felt so desperately alone. Hugging one of the pillows tightly, I took a deep breath and whispered to myself;
" Happy New Year Myriam".
A few hours later I was at work; In my head, the echoes of the fireworks.
