Masked Roses

Chapter Four

My eyes flew open at the sound of my alarm and I turned my head towards it, sighing as my eyelids relaxed. Turning off the alarm, I stretched my arms above my head as I then rubbed my eyes, walking into the bathroom to fix up my hair before putting on some clothes for work. I looked at my face in the mirror, the circles under my eyes less pronounced than yesterday, but they still lingered. I groaned and rolled my eyes, grabbing the hair brush to run it through my hair.

Once it was smooth and not frizzy anymore with the help of some hair products that prevented stray strands of hair from sticking up in random places, I decided to leave my hair out of its usual ponytail and just walked out into my bedroom, looking at the somewhat stuffy room. I seriously needed a new apartment, but this was the only cheap deal I could find that wasn't infested with rats or other pests that I didn't have the time or money to exterminate myself. Let alone hire an exterminator to get rid of them.

Putting on a more colorful shirt with blue orchids dotting the white fabric, I put on a pair of white jeans and grabbed my phone that rested on the bedside table, glancing once more at my room. The dusty blue tinted sheets had a few stains from...those times during the month, due to me being unable to properly wash out those stains. The walls are decorated with posters of various bands and some from different shows I used to watch a lot. It honestly resembled my old college dorm room from three years ago, but I dropped out because of my mental health and decided it was a waste of time.

Sighing to myself, I walked away and into the living room, looking at the pale purple sofa and neon yellow recliner that didn't match the lilac hue of the couch. It was distasteful, but at least they functioned and were comfortable. The TV sat dormant on the table it rested on, the remote for it sitting just underneath the power button. I never had the time to watch TV much nowadays, much less even pay attention without becoming antsy and wanting to do something that would keep my mind off my current state of wellbeing. Sometimes I'd cook to keep myself entertained, or draw and try not to mess up every single line while my hand shook with nervousness as the inner perfectionist in me tried to make everything smooth and appealing to my eyes.

Walking into the kitchen, I opened the fridge to grab some leftover noodles that I had for breakfast yesterday morning. It was pretty much mac and cheese in its most simple form, but wasn't as good since I was in a bit of a rush to make it. Heating it up in the microwave, I tapped my fingers against the counter as I listened to it whirr and soon beep, announcing that my meal was done.

My hand immediately pushed the button, opening the door as I grabbed the hot bowl and quickly set it down before closing the microwave's door. Carefully holding the edges of the bowl, I went and sat down at the table that was in the middle of the kitchen. It was a bit annoying to work around, but it gave me more space for when I decided to make more complex meals that took time to perfect. Sitting at the table, I chewed the noodles slowly as I listened to a distant clock on the wall make noise, the only thing breaking the silence.

It was a bit unsettling, much like the one at work and I sighed in frustration. Definitely need a stronger prescription...I thought to myself as I ate my 'breakfast' in the deafening silence. When the bowl was empty, I got up and rinsed out the bowl, leaving it for tomorrow with the other few dirty dishes in the sink's cavity that I planned to wash on Saturday if that one girl would be willing to cover for my shift to give me a day off.

Looking at my phone, I realized it was only five minutes till five in the morning and I decided if I should just head to work early or kill some time while I was still here at home. Shaking my head, I figured I'd just go in early and clock in for some extra minutes and stock whatever needed to be stocked in the store. Walking over to the door, I picked up my bag and placed it inside before grabbing my coat and tugging it on as I walked out of my apartment.

The drive was a bit risky getting to the store. It had obviously snowed somewhat during the night which was given away by the slick and clean layer of ice on the roads. I hoped that some salt trucks would come by later today and hopefully deal with that so I wouldn't have to drive home on the still crappy roads. I didn't mind it in the day, but with it being so early, it wasn't all that great. The moon was still out, covering the town in darkness besides the street lamps that dotted the sidewalks and the few traffic lights that organized traffic in the thick of the small city.

Pulling up to the familiar store, I put my car in park and leaned back against the seat, closing my eyes as I enjoyed the heater of the car before grabbing my bag and walking out into the cold. Locking my car behind me, I walked up to the door as I took out my keys, though I froze when I heard them slide open without looking up. Looking up in confusion, I suddenly realized that I hadn't locked the doors, my eyes widening in horror at my mistake. And it seemed someone else had realized that sooner than I had.

The shelves were knocked over, products strewn all over the floor in a mess and I looked over at the register to see it untouched. That was strange. Were they just robbing the stock? Or had I actually locked the register before I left? I wasn't sure, and before I could question myself further, my footsteps halted as I heard papers shuffling just beyond the office door.

I looked over at the door, seeing it was cracked open and I gulped, debating whether I should call the police or deal with it myself. I had a pocket knife for self defense in case something did happen to me, but what if I hurt an innocent person? Shaking my head, I wasn't going to take any chances and I quietly reached into my bag as I walked towards the door quietly, my footsteps deathly silent as the shuffling papers covered up the taps of my rubber soles.

My fingers grasping the smooth metal and plastic, I took it out, but didn't release the knife as I walked up to the door and peeked inside. I saw a shady figure hunched over the desk, sorting through papers as it grunted in frustration, some torn paperwork thrown all over the office's floor. I gasped quietly which was my one, fatal mistake. The figure paused and looked at me, a dark blue mask staring back at me.

We stared for a while until I narrowed my eyes and pushed through the door, releasing the knife blade as I rushed at them with a shout. Before I even had time to react, they had dodged to the side and taken out a sharp object that I couldn't register fast enough. A prick in my neck made me falter as a hand wrapped around my waist, making me thrash as black spots coated the edges of my vision as I kicked and flailed. My efforts proved futile though as my attempt to get away grew weaker and weaker.

My eyes slowly shut as I heard a sigh from the figure behind me...