Date: Monday, August 19th -9:00am
Location: Seattle, 3.14 and Other Yummy Things
Interacting with: Customers
"Thank you, have a great day and remember, a pie a day keeps the doctor away,"The small shop was filled with its Monday's usuals. Old men sipping coffee while eating a breakfast scone as they flipped through the newspaper. Stay at home moms in yoga pants sat on the patio, nudging their covered strollers with their feet. All the while talking about the pie and how they 'definitely earned it after that morning's yoga session with Jadir'. Just like they earned it on Wednesday and Friday and of course they got some on cheat day Saturday.
Basic coffee and teas lined the counter across from the glass case of pies and other baked good.
In the corner, the tv was flashing the local news. Two smiling newscasters filled the screen. A man and a women. The subtitles moving across the screen as they spoke.
It seems that last night's surprise storm cleared up quickly.
Yeah Sue, I'll tell you that lightening storm was shocking
to the weatherman to say for sure
[a shared laugh]
... At that, Isley glanced up at the screen, in the middle of handing back change to a customer. Feeling her face grow slightly red at hearing about the storm. She couldn't prove anything but...
"I'll have the Humble Bumble Honey Pie, if you don't mind dear," came an old woman's voice, handing her a handful of crumpled bills before pulling out a change purse and counting out the remaining in quarters. "Oh dear, get yourself good there did you love," said the old woman, pointing at a rather sizable bruise forming on Isley's arm.
"Oh, yeah, I had a bit of a slip last night while running," She said with a laugh.
"Nothing to worry about," Although she played it off, the whole incident still left her shaken, even nearly 12 hours later. It caused her to lose a fair amount of sleep last night, and she had debating calling in sick. But it wasn't as though she would have gotten anymore sleep either way.
But the whole ordeal just....It seemed so real. Sure, there was a lot of things that seemed so real. The shadows were growing more visible all the time, she was starting to be able to tell the girls from the boys. She was also starting to see physical features, like bright red hair and piercing eyes. She couldn't tell if it was a good or bad thing that her visions were getting clearer.
It was probably bad.
The bruise had happened after work. She was running in a near by park, as she did nearly everyday after work--usually to clear her head. It was a little game she liked to play with herself. To set a distance to run before the sun set. The rules were easy, to get home before the sun went down. She never thought anything of it, except...well last night there was a girl, a women really. She was there in the park too, and she wasn't at the same time. It just seemed so real, yet unexplainable and impossible. Like, even though Isley could hear the wind and see the late afternoon sun in the trees in the park. It was also night, it was dark. She was alone in an alleyway. And she was scared. She was so scared. There had been someone after her. So Isley ran. She could feel herself running, probably faster than she ever had before. She could see herself passing people walking through the park. Yet, in the alley she never seemed to get any faster or away from...from the man chasing her. Then it was over. A shooting pain in her head. Isley screamed as she crashed into a tree. She heard echo's of life she had never lived come and vanish just as fast. Images of people she loved, but didn't know echoing somewhere in her muddled thought. A vague longing for things left undone before finally fading into nothing.
If anyone had asked her what death felt like...that was probably how she would have described it. For in that moment she thought she was dead herself. It was only the sound of thunder and the splash of rain on her skin that told her otherwise. Although the day had been quiet clear, clouds had suddenly filled the park and thunder shook the trees. So convinced she had been killed. Only to find herself back, sprawled on the ground, watching people all around her run for shelter and the storm raged on around her. She cried.
Partly from relief that she wasn't dead. And partly from fear of how bad the vision had been.
She didn't tell anyone about what she saw. Really, the only comment she made was about the freak storm that had occurred. She was too fresh out of the hospital to need to go back anytime soon.
There was a lull in business at that time and Isley risked another look at the screen.
Weather jokes aside, we turn to a more serious matter. Police are now investigating a murder that had taken place in Philadelphia A women's face flashed on the screen and the room went cold. What ever the anchorwoman said after faded.
Isley knew that face.
Knew it better than she probably knew her own.
The room started to get far away and very very quiet as Isley body went cold as the air around the shop started to shift and the only thing that existed was the woman's face.
Time: 9:45 am
Location: LA, Charlie's Apartment
Interacting with: Sunday (aka, Charlie)
Declan stood in the doorway, resting his head head as the city woke up around him. It was still early, well, early for him, but he found it hard to sleep after what he saw or didn't see. He felt a warm arm wrap around his chest. "You're up early," came a deep voice.
Declan hummed a little bit, buying himself some time before answering. Declan turned and faced the man, even looking at the man, Declan struggled to rememeber who he was.
Justin...no that was Wednesday. This was Charlie...the resident "Hm, just some trouble sleeping,""You should have woken me, I was only sleeping and I can think of at least four ways I'd better spent that time," He felt the boy get closer.
I forgot how starved for attention this one was. Enough Daddy issues to keep more than a few therapists busy...but he is good looking Charlie's head had found itself on Declan's neck. "If there weren't literal lives at stake, I'd stay here with you all day," It was only then that Charlie pulled himself away. "Will I see you tonight?" He asked, hopefully, although it was clear by his voice already knew the answer.
Well, it is Monday. Camila's children will be with their father this week. Got to keep the one who pays my rent happy. "I work late tonight," If that answered bothered Charlie, He didn't let it show. Charlie wandered into the bathroom and Declan could hear the shower running.
"Did you catch the news this morning? It was all over facebook," Charlie came back into the room. "Oh wait, I forgot Mr.'I only use social media professionally'"
Declan looked up, flicking a wayward paper clip that had found its way onto his arm. Charlie stood in the doorway, a towel resting on his waist.
"So what was the news then," Declan said, making a point to stare at Charlie. Putting a vague smile and easing his face into total contentment. The boy was a lot like himself, always wanted to be looked at.
"Oh, some girl got murdered in Philly--"
"In an alley," said Declan, surprising himself. Trying not to think about how he might know this information.
"I thought you said you didn't know,"
"I didn't, it just seemed like the sort of place," "Ah well, it was really sad, my friend is trying to find a place to donate to,"
Declan flicked through his mind, trying to quickly figure out if this was a friend he should be aware of or not. Drawing a blank he simply said.
"Gotta find a way to earn karma points some how. Not all of us get them by getting others to praise the lord," He heard a laugh as Charlie shut the bathroom door behind him.
A heartbeat later, Declan was one his phone, quickly pulling up what he could on the woman.
No.. No... This is absolute bull shit He through angrily, tossing his phone onto the nearby couch. He looked down to see the fucking paperclip had returned to his arm. Joined by his friends the pin and the screw.
And to make matters worse, he could tell that one of his 'Shadow Friends' was trying to make an unwanted appearance.