Til' Death Do Us Part

Chapter Two

    The next weeks went in and out with some brain frog. I didn't pay much attention since it all blurred all together until one night. I was working with Sydney, a friend of mine and we were both busy being chatterboxes since there were so little customers.

    There was a festival tonight and everyone in the town was gone but it was to be expected because no one ever strayed from the festival. It was like a holiday that came every five months.

    "So how do you think it's going to end?" We were talking about an anime we'd been watching together for a few months. We'd delved deep into it

    "Honestly-" I began, ready to scare her though I decided against it only because of a small lightheadedness, fairly acquainted by a headache, "I don't know what they're going to do about Bernard but he's in the way of Diane and Lesley."

    Sydney snickered, "No, Diane is in the way of Lesley and Bernard."

    "Oh sure." I snorted, "The two men who-" My eyes stared in glory at the man who walked in the door as it dinged. Both me and Sydney came to attention before returning to our stations.

    He had black hair that barely met his shoulders and skin that looked pale yet full of life. I'd heard briefly of vampire lore and legends and fooled with the idea that he was one of them in my head. I bagged up the five water bottles he'd bought and handed them to him, looking him pleasantly in the eyes as I did, "Have a nice night, sir." I say with a smile and a nod as he took his leave.

    "The same to you, miss." His voice was solemn but he was polite.

    I nodded and once he left, me and Sydney both looked at each other as we smiled wildly like teens. We both refused to utter a word but squealed to each other quietly before getting back to work. That man had been a beauty beyond compare but we both knew that we'd never see him ever again.

    After all, what was a man like him doing in a town like this? Sure, it was bustling but no one really knew of it and there was nothing too significant to come by. A Walmart, three gas stations and a few fast food places. It was nothing more than a small pit stop on a road trip.

    Me and Sydney chatted the four hours left of our shifts away and once hers ended, I went around the back to empty the garbage cans to throw the trash bags in the dumpster.

    Fred, the local homeless man, sat around the corner, sleeping. I bit the side of my lip; I'd always felt bad for the guy. He was sweet to everyone that passed him but no one would hire him because he couldn't get back and forth places fast enough due to his leg injury from the war. He was a Veteran.

    I grabbed the two granola bars out of my back pocket and put them down next to the concrete to the right of his side.

    "G'night Freddie." I muttered, starting on my walk to my apartment. On my way home, I mindlessly delved deeper and deeper into my own thoughts before I was immediately in front of my apartment door. I unlocked the door having already had my keys in my hand and as the keys jingled, I thought about giving my brother a call in the afternoon. He'd recently bought a starter car and I'd yet to congratulate the little high schooler.

    I closed and locked my front door before setting my things on the counter. I changed into some pajamas before laying down and scrolled on my phone for a little while before plugging it in and going to sleep. It didn't feel like long before I was already at work again and like the night before, the store was empty and the man was back, in the same trench coat with the same hat. He bought the same five water bottles and just like the night before he politely told me to have a nice night.

    The following weeks were eerily similar. There was never any difference in our conversations. It was always, "Have a nice night," and the following response, "You too, miss."

Word Count: 733