Slipping Away From This World

Chapter Five Redo (Last was glitching)

 The next time I arrived at The Shattered Tree, I was greeted by an unfamiliar face. A busty, curvy woman in a too-tight corset and expensive jewelry was leaned up against a wall of the tavern. She was covered in gold necklaces, bracelets, and rings, most of them baring large red gems. She had long, black, wavy, styled hair that reached her shoulders. Her lips were a bright, obnoxious red. Her dress was extravagant, likely costing more than I'd ever make in my lifetime. I was speechless as I walked into the door. I quickly hid behind the counter and leaned over to Almar to whisper in his ear.

"Who is she?" I asked in a hushed voice. Almar shrugged. "Some lady Nick sent in, think she's going to be a manager of sorts," I cocked an eyebrow. "What the hell is she doing in a place like this?" I asked. Almar shrugged. I glanced at her again. A woman like her had no place in a worn-down tavern. She had a regal aura, everything about her screaming wealth and elegance. I noticed that Ada was constantly looking her way, nervous and practically sweating. I swallowed hard and got to work, uneasy under the woman's stare. Even Almar seemed to be affected by her.

We all acted as normal as we could, as if there wasn't an incredibly imposing woman staring at us with a cold expression. She pursed her lips, narrowing her eyebrows as she watched me. I caught her gaze while trying to see what she was looking at. Her eyes stared into mine. I quickly shied away from her gaze and pretended to be cleaning a tankard. I started to assist Ada and Almar in serving customers in a desperate attempt to look hard at work and casual.

During the night, some of the bar patrons strutted over to her and attempted to flirt with her. She simply raised her head, her nose pointing to the ceiling and kept ignoring them until they gave up and walked away, defeated. It was strange to have a completely sober person watching us. It was uncomfortable. She appeared to be a rather judgmental person. She hadn't said a word to anyone, simply watching in silence. It was incredibly eerie.

By the end of the night, the three of us were all collectively afraid of her, some more than others. We all rushed out of the tavern, happy to escape her watchful stare. I was glad to know I wasn't the only one running home. Almar had taken off as soon as he walked out the door. Ada had hesitated before speeding off as well. I was thankful that I had an excuse to run like hell. I got home sooner than usual and quickly stripped down and got into my nightgown. I slipped under the covers and fell asleep.

Over the next few days, she kept watching us from her corner in the tavern. With everyday that passed, it seemed like she donned a more lavish dress than she had worn the day before. Her arms and neck housed so much jewelry I doubted she could barely walk without being weighed down by the sheer weight of the jewels. One night, a gruff, muscular man stormed into the bar and starting to yell at her. He called her Victoria, along with other things, such as "dirty whore" and "manipulative wench". In response, she starting to yell at him, threatening to tell his wife about an affair he'd been having. He eventually left. When the argument ceased, I couldn't help but stare at Victoria. She caught my gaze and lifted her nose into the air.

"What are you looking at?" She sneered, hints of an accent showing in her speech. I quickly hid my face in the stack of uncleaned pitchers on the bar counter.

At the end of the night, Almar, Ada, and I had started to leave when Victoria called for us. "Almar. Maev. Come here," She ordered. Ada glanced back at us with a fearful expression, her eyes full of concern. She lingered around the doorway for a moment before hesitantly leaving, her face full of worry.

Almar and I stared at each other. We came towards her. She crossed her arms and let out a huff. "You two have proved to be ineffective in your work and a waste of this tavern's budget. You are to leave here. You've been replaced. Please return your uniforms as soon as possible," She brushed back a chunk of her black hair. Almar bit down on his lip, clearly filled with anger. He clenched his fists, but then turned around and left, cursing the woman under his breath.