Blackout

Part 2

Exiting the shop, the cold, misty air surrounds me as I make the short walk to my apartment down the street. It's pretty cold out considering it's the middle of June. I can even almost see my breath in the air. Walking past one of the stores I like to shop at, I glance in the window to see what's on sale. I see my reflection, but the face staring back at me isn't me. It has dark brown - almost black eyes and its mouth is twisted into a sick smile. Immediately blinking, my reflection goes back to normal. It must have been my imagination.

I must be going crazy...

Three hours later and I'm still slaving away at work, counting the minutes until I can finally go home. I work washing dishes and helping around with other things at a restaurant a little ways from my apartment. The story behind it is pretty interesting, actually. It used to be a café, but the owners were arrested and sent to prison for attempted murder and a bunch of other things and it got closed down. Then someone else bought it and renovated it into a restaurant, and now I work here.

As I stand at the metal sink in the kitchen washing up the last of the dishes, my thoughts start to drift off elsewhere. Then from my lack of focus, the knife I'm washing slips through my fingers, cutting my index finger on the way down and landing in the water filled sink with a splash. I jump back, startled as I examine the wound. Blood starts to seep from it and down my finger as one of my coworkers rushes to my side.

"Lana, are you okay?" She asks, concern in her voice as she hands me a towel.

"Yeah. I'm fine..." I say, my head starting to spin.

"You don't look so good...here, I'll finish up and you go home for the night." She says, taking the sponge I was using from my other hand.

"No, I can-"

"It's fine; go home and rest. You really seem like you need it." She says, her concern not only showing in her voice, but in her eyes as well.

I try to object yet again, but she won't take no for an answer.

"No buts. Now go." She says, nudging me towards the back of the kitchen where the door is. I give in to make her happy, and make my way out the door to the employee parking lot, leaving the now bloody towel on the counter by the door on my way out. It's gotten dark out by now and a full moon lights up the night sky, making it fairly easy to see as I walk through the parking lot and out onto the narrow side walk. I reach the end of the side walk and start across the crosswalk, unaware of the car speeding my way.