A Pawn And A Joker

1 - Cycle

Drearily, she slowly opened her eyes.

Her covers were twisted, wrapped around her body like a second layer of clothing atop her plain gray pajamas. Her room was dark, blurry eyes slowly adjusting to the same ceiling she always sees every morning.

Her long hair was sprayed across her pillow as if it had tried to suffocate the sleeping device in her sleep. It twisted and curled, and there was likely at least a knot or two she'd have to deal with later.

An annoying and constant dull beeping infiltrated her ears, nagging at her brain to get rid of the awful sound. But her limbs were heavy and the covers, despite how messed up they had become during the night, called for her name with sweet warmth.

She let out a soft groan, one of a mixture of resignedness and annoyance. Slowly she lifted her head from the comfort of the pillow, swinging her heavy legs to the side of the bed. On the counter next to the bed sat the origin of that infernal noise, the alarm clock which beeped red with the icon of 5:00 AM.

She smacked the top of the alarm clock, finally releasing her ears from their torment. She reached for her black glasses set next to the alarm, placing them onto her face and allowing the world to become a little clearer.

How wonderful. The start to another day.

. . .

She poured herself a bowl of cereal, sitting alone at the table in her dark, tiny kitchen. It connected right to the hallway which led to her room and the bathroom, as well as the door to the entrance of her apartment.

She lazily munched on whatever bland cereal she was currently eating. She couldn't remember the name of it, nor did she really care to remember it anyways. It was supposed to be some sort of healthier alternative. All she knew is that it certainly tasted dull.

She aimlessly scrolled on her phone, looking at whatever happened to pop up in front of her. It didn't really matter what it was. It was too early to care.

Once she finished her delightfully bland meal she sat her bowl and spoon into her sink, leaving it as her future self's problem. She looked down at herself, making sure she had properly remembered to change into her uniform.

Oh, her name tag was missing.

She quickly grabbed her name tag, entering the bathroom and putting the pin through the shirt. She almost didn't care if she pricked herself, but she didn't want to deal with bleeding right now.

Melissa. Spaceburst Coffee.

About as boring as any name tag could be. White background, black lettering. Not even the name of the cafe she worked at was stylized. Completely, and utterly, boring.

And then she looked up at herself. Thick, black rimmed glasses that took up just too much of her face. Straight black hair that went down past her shoulders, which she should probably comb but can't bring herself the energy to. And while aimlessly staring into the mirror, dull gray eyes stared back.

Boring, like her.

With her name tag on and a small bag on her back of everything else she needed on a daily basis, she was ready to go. She hesitated at the door, before stepping through and leaving her apartment. With a quick twist of the key, the door was closed and she was in the hallway.

After a short wait for the elevator, the doors opened with no one inside. With an inward sigh of relief she stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for ground floor.