The Five Cursed Witches: Volume 3 - Morana, the Witch of Life

Chapter 33 Mabon - Part 3

Morana

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I felt guilty as I walked through the doors and into work. The way I had been acting that morning had been exceptionally bratty. Alejo had only been worried about me, I knew that. But I really didn't want to talk about any of it. I was tired as hell and couldn't really think straight about anything. That made me want to just occupy my mind with anything that wasn't those weird voices.

But I should have said that. Or rather that I wasn't in the mood for talking, that maybe later. But no. Instead, I had decided to be rude.

I got into the staff room and sat down on a chair there, my head in my hands. Not only was I feeling exhausted from lack of sleep anymore, but also exhausted by myself. I had sort of warned him the day before that I could act unreasonably at times, and he had said he would still be there, but had I really needed to put that to the test already?

I had been upset at him for things he hadn't understood yesterday and then again today. The fact that he had still said he would pick me up was unfathomable to me. Any normal person would have run the other way by now. They all had for less.

I got started at working, making up my mind to properly apologize as soon as I saw Alejo again. It was the least I could do, he really hadn't deserved my moodiness.

At lunch time, my mood had gotten a bit better. I was still exhausted, but other than that, I felt okay. Though I was a bit nervous Alejo would be upset over how I had acted, but also felt somewhat sure he wouldn't be.

I sat down with a sandwich from the store to eat at lunch. Almost immediately, Dereck sat down opposite me. We hadn't talked at all during the day. I felt sure he was giving me space, but also maybe didn't know how to strike up a conversation, considering how I had stormed off the day before. If it had been before I met Alejo, that silence between us would have made me sad. But now I almost didn't care anymore.

"Hey, I'm sorry about yesterday," he said and gave me a tentative smile. "I was acting like a real jerk."

"It's fine," I just waved it off, too tired to get into it more, but also realizing I didn't care enough about him to feel the need. Not in the same way as I had felt with Alejo.

"Are you okay? You look tired," he commented next.

"Just didn't sleep well," I shrugged.

"Oh, that sucks. It's been a while since we hung out, just the two of us, and I thought maybe we could eat somewhere after work," he said.

For a moment, I remembered the first time he had asked me if I wanted to meet up outside of work. I had been so excited about it, happy to maybe have a friend. Now the idea of it didn't make me feel anything in particular.

"Yeah, not today. Gotta just get home and rest," I answered and took up my phone. I missed Alejo and had a vague thought of sending him a text or something.

When I opened the phone, I smiled a little to myself. There was a message from him waiting for me. But when I had opened the message, the smile instantly disappeared and any good feelings that I had managed to gain while working were shouted down by the words I read.

The message was short, to the point, and served as a confirmation of my worst worries.

Something came up. Can't pick you up. Don't know when back.

A logical part of me knew fully well that it could mean a thousand things. A logical part of me knew that the most probable thing was that something unexpected really had come up. But my mind didn't want to be logical at all. Instead, it spun down, down, down the spiral of anxiety and self-destruction and becoming surer and surer Alejo had started to grow sick and tired of me already.