Undercity: Manifest

Chapter One

'You're pregnant'. Sadie semi-squealed as she pulled her sister into a tight embrace. 'Emilie, that's amazing. Is Chris excited? I bet he can't wait. Oh my god you have to tell me how you broke the news'. 

'Sadie, take a breath'. Emilie said through a loving giggle. 'I'll tell you all about it tonight. You're going to be late for work'. 

Sadie finally released her sister and tied her apron around her whilst frantically piling her phone and purse into her bag. Her brown hair was tied back into two French plaits, perfect for a long shift. Her look, like everything about her was ordinary. 

'I am going to hold you to that'. She replied before the smile returned to her face. 'I'm so happy for you Em'. 

Emilie returned the smile, but it dropped slightly. Sadie noticed. She noticed every small detail in her twin. 

'What is it Em?' 

Emilie sighed and dropped her gaze. Her blue eyes and blonde hair gave her the delicate beauty Sadie often felt she was missing herself. People more often thought they were sisters, and they didn't correct them. It saved all the standard can you hear each other's thoughts inquisitions.  

'I'm moving in with Chris. It makes sense with the baby coming. But don't worry, I'll still help with the rent, and I'll come over all the time and...' 

'Em, we're twenty-three. I'll be fine'. Sadie stated, cutting her off from her rambling. Verbal spew was a shared trait between them when they were nervous. It was one of the few twinisms they had. 'You don't need to help with the rent. Tony is practically begging me to take overtime and I have that interview next week for day shifts at that coffee shop'. She offered Emilie a reassuring smile before swiping on her lip gloss. 

'I know Sadie. I just feel bad leaving. We've only had each other for so long and now I've got Chris and the baby and you're....' She stopped herself. 

'I'm what Em? Alone?' It was hard to hide to irritation in her voice. 

'I don't mean it like that'. Emilie brushed a hand over her forehead to adjust a stray hair. 'I just worry about you'.

Sadie turned away and busied herself by moving over to the sink to fill her water bottle. She knew exactly what her sister meant. She paused when she felt Emilie's hand on her shoulder. Sadie lifted her own hand and placed it on top of her sisters' wordlessly letting her know that all was forgiven. They both remained in position for a heartbeat before Sadie dropped her hand and moved to collect her bag.

'I'll see you in the morning'. Sadie said on a forced smile.

'Keep safe and give 'em hell'. Emilie responded with a knowing grin. 

'Always'. This time, Sadie's smile filled her face as she closed the door behind her. 

..........

  It was only fifteen minutes before the warm glow of the cocktail bar came into view. Sadie had worked at Angelo's, the upmarket bar in the North District, for the past three years after dropping out of college. She loved her job, for the most part. The customers were wealthy and paid her little attention which suited her. Being unremarkable had its perks. 

The faded paint of the door to the staff entrance was a stark contrast to the white and black décor inside the main bar area. It opened with a groan and thumped into a discarded delivery box. She pushed past the piles of abandoned boxes and barrels and made her way into the staffroom.

'Evening Sadie'. Tony greeted as she opened her locker to deposit her bag. He was middle aged and effortlessly gave off a fatherly warmth. Sadie often imagined his children looking at him with adoration. The thought, as it always did, filled her with a nostalgia -which was strange since she had never known her own father. She shook herself from her thoughts and turned to him. 

'Hi Tony, how's it looking out front?'

'Steady, but it will pick up. There was an event on at the arena earlier'. 

She nodded in reply. It was usually busy following a District wide event. The Northern District events were exclusive to the elite classes and nobody outside of their circle knew what happened inside the arena. Sadie had often wondered what the monthly events entailed. They weren't advertised and operated on a strict invite only policy. The invites extended to those deemed worthy from the other three districts and it usually meant a busy night at the bar welcoming a mix of people from across the country. People from South, East and West rarely frequented the Northern District, but Event Night was the exception. 

She needed busy to distract herself from Emilie's news. She was happy for her sister. A family and children were what Emilie had always wanted. Yet, despite her happiness for her sister, Sadie couldn't help but be reminded of the festering reality that she had no idea what she herself wanted. She shook herself from her thoughts and made her way through the building crowd to the back of the bar. 

When the first customer had been served, Sadie slipped into work mode smiling and greeting customers as she took their orders and mixed their drinks. It was easy to block out her thoughts when she was busy- thank the stars it was Event Night. 

Sadie was about to step out for her break mid-way through her shift when she spotted an unfamiliar face sitting alone at the far corner of the bar. He was dressed all in black with only a faded red jacket offering any colour to his ensemble. He didn't have a drink, so she assumed he must have just arrived. Noticing that all the other bar staff were busy serving, she moved over to him, deciding he would be her last customer before she took her break.

'What can I get you?' She asked as she stopped at the bar beside him. He didn't answer straight away choosing instead to look at her. His dark eyes met hers and her breath caught. His head has been down studying the bar when she had noticed him, so she hadn't seen his face until now. He was terrifying in a captivating way. His face was beautiful, but held a darkness she couldn't explain. She looked away, and her eyes were drawn to a red tattoo on his right hand, which she would have taken for a scar, if it wasn't for the image. It was a half-moon surrounded by what she assumed was sunlight, and covered almost his entire hand. 

'What do you recommend?' He asked, shaking her from her thoughts. 

'Well, it's a cocktail bar, so I would say that's where we excel. But you don't strike me as a cocktail drinker'. 

'What do I strike you as?' His deep voice carried a slightly amused tone which made her uneasy. She hid her feelings and maintained her server smile. 

'I honestly have no idea. Nice tat by the way. I've never seen one like it before'. Her response was light and practiced. Offer customers a compliment, make them feel comfortable and get through the shift with a few tips. It was a system which usually worked flawlessly. She was taken aback when his eyes hardened and he glared at his tattoo before looking back up at her, and moving his hand to his side behind the bar. 

'I'll take a beer'. His response was curt and held none of the softness it had before. Sadie forced a slow nod before turning and preparing his drink. He did not speak to her again other than to thank her as he handed over the money to pay.

As she poured herself a soft drink and left the bar to have her break, she could feel his stare burning into the back of her head. She mindlessly rolled her necklace between her fingers as she often did when she felt uneasy. 

Her necklace matched her sisters. They were the only possessions they had from their mother after when they were both abandoned shortly following their birth. Neither sister took them off as a reminder of the woman they would never know. Emilie had hers re-cast into her engagement ring when Chris had proposed last year. Sadie kept the deep red stone in the same gold necklace her mother had left for her. 

Sadie continued to roll the stone between her fingers as she sipped her drink and ate the sandwich she had prepared at home. Lost in her thoughts about the strange man at the bar, she didn't notice the back door to the bar being pushed open.