Across town, a young woman was struggling to stay conscious during her taxi ride home. Her eyes fluttering between open and closed. Each time taking longer and longer to open again. She felt sick to the stomach, fighting the urge to throw up in the back seat of the car and over her expensive red dress.
The taxi driver looked at her with concern through the rear view mirror "Are you OK miss?"
"Fine.. too many parties... want to go home." she mumbled, clutching her stomach, her head resting against the window.
It was only minutes till they arrived at her destination, a typical suburban two-story house in a nice neighbourhood. The driver had to reach back and shake his passenger, alerting her to their arrival. "Miss... we're here."
She handed him a wad of squashed and crumbled notes from inside her tiny black purse, not really caring whether it met or surpassed the cost of the fare.
Fumbling with the door handle she almost fell out of the car and on to the pavement.
"Whoah be careful there! You sure you're alright?" the driver suddenly looking up from counting the bills she'd just handed him.
"Will be fine..." she closed the taxi door and waved her arm gesturing for him to leave as staggered towards her house.
Clumsily she tried getting her key into the front door lock, muttering obscenities as she dropped them several times.
Eventually she was inside. Using the wall for support she stumbled blindly upstairs to her bedroom. She walked to her bed, finding it harder and harder to breathe. She collapsed on top of her soft comfortable quilt and pillows.
All she could think of was sleep.
And the desire to sleep would be her final thought, before she closed her eyes, took a last shallow breath... and died.