The Hidden: Draco

Chapter One

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and looked up at the clock. It was almost six and that meant the end of my sift at small Italian restaurant I worked at. I looked around and saw that my last table of the quiet Monday night had just walked out the door. Our manager Mina was talking to one of the other waitresses, so I took my phone out and walked to the back to answer my call. Mina was a lovely lady to work for. As the sister of the owner, she was just happy to be included in the family business and enjoyed her work which made for a great working environment. Her only strict rule was no phones on the floor which was understandable as some of the younger girls would have them glued to their faces and miss calls from the clients.

My mothers face showed on the screen as I went to answer while taking off my apron and heading to the back. Hoping this was not a call to lecture me on how little I've been up to the farm to visit as of late. Growing up my family had enough money to live comfortably but since I was about sixteen my father developed a gambling problem which plummeted my family into a debt. By the age of 21 I had to take a job to finish paying my own studies forward as well as send money home. The farm was a family home and was paid for generations back and what little money was left of the trust my mother inherited could now only go for my sisters' studies. Since my parents paid for my undergrad in History it was up to me to pay for my post grad which is fine with me but it worried me that if dad did not stop soon there wont be enough for Alice, my sister to finish her degree.

Putting my phone back in my jean pocket I figured ill give her a call when I got home. It was only a five-minute walk to my small one-bedroom apartment and I could have the rest of the time to prepare myself for the lecture from her.

It wasn't only the amount I went home that she wanted to lecture me on but also to find out if I was keeping up with my craft. Saying my magic is like a muscle and if I didn't stretch it out it would become stiff. Being in the city away from the farm meant practicing magic wasn't as easy as she might think but there was one gift, I was never able to get away from. My Shyth sight. Every time someone touched my skin, I had to see whatever mundane thing they were going to do in the week to come. Whether it's a fight with a spouse, getting their phone stolen or losing their car keys making them late for work. Humans never had anything terribly interesting happening in their lives.

My gran was right in saying the Hidden always wanted to know the time of their death and with the few I knew here in the city it was the same, but we never saw death. Time had to many moving parts for us to see something as final as death. The only things we did see were things that were final based on decisions that were already made. Like a forgetful person losing their keys.

Sometimes this gift came in handy when meeting new people as it was a small glimpse into the person they are. It sure made dates easy.

"Emily don't forget you have an early shift tomorrow." Mina poked her head into the back office where a row of lockers was set up for us to put our stuff in.

"No problem Mina. Ill be here at 9. You still remember I took Wednesday off? If I don't go visit my parents my mother will come here and drag me out by my hair." Mina laughed but I was only half joking. After grans passing my mother lost it just a little bit. Becoming more volatile and easily irritated which was when dad started with his gambling. They were by no means bad parents, but it just seemed that Alice and I were no longer that much of a priority. Which was probably why Alice and I both decided to go do the human thing of studying after being home schooled on the farm our whole lives. Just to get a little distance.

"I didn't forget. Have a good night and get home safe."

"Thanks Mina. See you tomorrow." I said walking out the back door and onto the street. I took my two turns to get home and then I was heading up to my floor.