𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠|𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐱 (𝐟)𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Chapter 1:Inception

Inception
The establishment or starting point of an institution or activity.
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Flashforward

Hurriedly rushing through the forest, I scampered out of this deathly maze without glancing back. What had my life come to? My hair whipped from side to side, my body bruised and beaten. Would I die here? I spoke aloud.

"𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲" growled a rough, masculine voice. Tears pricked my vision and i couldnt muster up any courage to glance up. I had to escape.

Flashback/present time

Rinngg!
My head tilted to the side slowly, I needed more rest.

Brrringgg!

Yawning in tiredness and annoyance, i grabbed my phone and winced at the harsh light it produced. Squinting my eyes, I did the best I could to decipher the text.

Athena:
Wake up!!!
Ur gonna be late for work🙄🙄

Rhea:
You have got to be waking up earlier

I huffed out a breathe and checked the time.

11:45??!?!

I rushed out of bed, still drowsy and tired. My work started at 12am till 8pm and I was barely awake. Groaning in pity for myself, i threw on my clothes and grabbed my belongings: home keys,car keys,lip gloss, money and pepper spray.

I didn't carry pepper spray because I was paranoid, simply because it gave me a sense of safety;in the city I lived in, murders and serial killers were rare but never impossible.

I swung open the door to my ratty car and drove over to the cafe i slaved away at. Quickly checking the time, which was 11:56, I sped up as fast I could until i heard a loud shout.

"Stop."

A man clad in a worn out,dirty yellow hoodie scampered across the road like a leapord, fast and elegant. Although his words were directed at me, his gaze was fixated on a slightly chubbier man with muscle for bones.

The shouting mans monotone voice grated at my nerves and I huffed a breathe of anger. Being late always irked me.

Neither men looked my way as i halted to a stop. I frantically beeped to convey my irritation until I felt a sharp gaze pierce my face and a shiver spread across my body like a disease. Taking one final glance before speeding off, I noticed another man had joined them;lanky but shorter than the shouting man.

Perhaps if i had payed closer attention, I would have realised their gazes were locked onto my form.

Yanking my car door open, i hurriedly closed it and rushed inside only to be met with a scene not even my worst nightmares could conjure. Inside the BUSTLING cafe was family's after family's, eagerly waiting to be served.

I winced at all the commotion and scouted out the manager but it seemed luck was on my side today as she sped walked to me with a busy look on her luminous face. As i cleared my throat and prepared my 1000th excuse, she interrupted me and said:

"(Y/N)! Im willing to forgive you just THIS once" she gave me a pointed glare, I gulped "for being late but we need you serving customers ASAP!"

Her use of an acronym made me smile despite my shitty day, somehow it always did. Her name is Inessa and,although she can get seriously strict at times,her caring personality can brighten anyones day.

But today felt... different. As if the course of nature itself had changed paths and that unerved me. Why did i get such a sudden feeling of being watched?