Ominous

Chapter 1.

It was strangely chilly today.

I stuff my hands in the pocket of my jacket as a puff of white smoke billows past my dry, cracked lips. Behind me, two girls from Woodmont High school are talking about someone whose name sounds faintly familiar. While to my side a boy is listening to heavy metal though big thick headphones, yet it's still easily recognizable. Five Finger Death Punch. Jekyll and Hyde. One of Sally's old faves.

A smile stretches across my features as I lean back in my seat, my eyes on the screen above the center aisle. In bright red letters the street names flash across the screen as we pass, the apathetic voice on the speaker calling each out.

As the bus stops at Gregory St. I throw my school bag over my shoulder and stand up. My grip tightening on the seat in front of me as the bus takes off. My smile widens just a bit as the bus gets closer and closer to my destination. This has got to be the one! Third time's the charm, right?

"Next stop: Oak Street."

I walk towards the doors and dismount the bus after saying farewell to Mr. Klaus, who doesn't really bother to look towards me, but he does mumble out something reminiscent to goodbye.

However, the smile falls once I see Sally dressed in her signature black and white hoodie with her new parka over it and a cigarette Between her lips. She looks up as I approach, her lips pulling further down as she pulls the cig from her mouth and pats the stoop next to her.

I sit, despite the urge to just turn tail and walk home.

Sally takes another drag of her cigarette and rubs her head with her free hand. She grumbles something in what I assume to be German. Her voice is low and devoid of any traces of the goofy girl I'd grown up with for practically my whole life. "How's it going Morrigan. Tell me something good. Please."

I sigh and huddle a little close to her. "Well, Mel's — Mel, I suppose. Nothing's really been going on with me other than the multiple failures to get a job. I think Mel's waiting for something though. She gets all excited when she looks at the mailbox. And a little sad when it doesn't come."

She sighs as she looks to me, then stares ahead. It faintly looks like she knows something about this — she probably does, she is Mel's cousin — but doesn't say anything about it. Instead, she drags the finished cig across the ground before pulling out her pack and slotting the remains into the empty space. Then, after a few seconds of contemplation, she lights up another and rests her head on her palm.

We stare at the small colony of gulls at the edge of the lot, pecking at something someone had probably dropped earlier. "That's good, I guess. Can't say it's much better for me." She shakes her head and continues to mope for a little bit. "The old man is sending me off to the Norvrant to go watch over his precious princess. And I was really hoping I'd be able to convince him to let you take my job, but the jackalope's being so damn stubborn. Hired his stupid nephew instead."

She groans as some guy comes walking out the store, dragging a girl behind him. They were kids in my grade, a couple from what I'd heard.

"Stupid!" She mutters as a skinny black haired guy, a few years older than me, walks out of the store. His eyes briefly looking around the empty gas station lot until they settle on us. A scowl comes to his features as he walks up.

The area around his eye is already starting to turn a funny color and his lip looks a bit busted up, too, but he dosen't look too bad... yet.

"What'd you do this time dummy?"

He sticks a cellphone in her face. "Uncle wants to talk to you, Mutt."

She rolls her eyes and whispers a curse under her breath before snatching the phone out of his hand. Her eyes move up to him after he didn't leave. "Why don't you go take care of the store, Mr. Soon-to-be black-eye."