☉ Ananya ☉
Our plan is simple. We will work in pairs. We will step out, wearing the masks in the off chance that somebody recognizes our faces from the shrine. We will visit different places and try to get the story behind the hikers that didn't come back, what the hell that virus is, what happened to the thousands of people whose photos were on that shrine, and what is up with the face masks. And after a decent night's sleep of tossing and turning, I feel that I'm ready to find out what actually happened.
Liam is coming with me, Becs is with James and Ali is with Logan. Liam and I will go to the diner, hopeful the diner owner will recognize Liam and open up, and a pretty face always helps. Their words not mine, though I am not sure whose face they meant, Liam's or mine. Becs and James will go to find out what happened to Dorothy, and how the hell Althea ended up looking so starved and neglected. While Logan and Ali will try a little farther in town and get new sim cards for all of us.
As we make our way out, Althea trots next to James with an expression that says don't even think about leaving me behind bro. It is adorable if you ask me.
We all part ways and head to our respective destinations. Liam and I are silent, anxious about what we may find out. Anxious that we will find that that date on the receipt is the real one and that our hypothesis was correct.
As Liam and I enter the diner, I am surprised to find it pretty full. We make our way to the counter to place our order. Matt is not behind the counter, but there is a younger looking girl and her eyes light up when she sees Liam. I am practically invisible to her. The way Liam's arm curls around my waist has me feeling warm and content. Yeah, this bitch isn't gonna get what she wants.
"Hey there. How can I help you?" she chirps.
"Two flat whites. Extra shots. What's on the menu?" Liam asks.
"We reopened just a few weeks ago, but we are bringing more items back on the menu. Today we have eggs with a side of mushrooms and mash, bacon and French toast, strawberry waffles with whipped cream, and the good old cereal with dry fruits." She leans forward on the counter, giving Liam a peek of her breasts. I am rolling my eyes. Like, girrrl, have you seen MY boobs? Your skinny ass boobs aren't gonna do anything!
Liam senses what she is trying to do, so he turns and asks me, "What would you like babe?"
"Eggs with a side of mushroom and mash, and waffles," I say, literally drooling.
Brittany, as the name on the tag says, turns her attention to me then, and she gives a smile. It's a genuine smile. She's still leaning on the counter though. She doesn't seem fazed by the fact that Liam easily ignored her. Well good to know. I wouldn't have to worry about her spitting in my food, I hope.
"Great, and for you?" she asks Liam.
"Same, with an extra egg please."
"Sure. Would you like to grab a seat? Your food will be out in no time. Are you new around here? I don't remember seeing a good looking couple around here in ages," She asks. Still good-naturedly.
"Yes actually. We were in a nearby town and thought we'd see what's been going on in the world, you know?" Liam says
"Yeah I know what you mean..."
"So, what's been going on here? How is everyone dealing with everything?"
"Well you know the virus really took a toll on the economy. We are still wary of coming too close to people, for fear that they might be infected. Our population was slashed by 20%. It was brutal. And because this is a touristy place, we were affected by a lot of foreigners bringing in the virus from whatever country they were coming from. It was bad. But I am glad things are getting back to normal."
YOU ARE READING
Tug of Fate | When Stars Align Book one
FantasyGoing about their normal everyday lives, little could they have imagined that there is more at play. As they wrap their minds around unexplained connections and pulls, they follow their hearts and set off on a hiking trail. What starts as a journey...
