Scrubbing the bamboo tables, Juliard only hoped for her Prince Charming to rescue her. It was only a matter of time before one would burst through the bar doors and sweep her off her feet to take her to fantasy lands. she would rein as queen, and never have to toil over dirty floors and dishes ever again. Sadly that was only fairytale, maybe she could visit lands of science fiction or some cheesy rom-com.
"Yo Chef Joyardee, what's shakin' bacon," Oskar slurred from his usual bench. Oskar Valederi, the local drunk, hipster, only 22. He never made much sense if anything, except when hopelessly flirting with Juliard. He had a large snoz and gold hooped earrings. He had a tall black faux hawk, and his skin was a very dark chocolate brown. He only bothered to talk to Juliard at the bar because, "she made the first move, and now she's playing hard to get," which is a complete lie. But he's the only one that believes it. His rancorous behavior at the bar often resulted in broken chairs, or holes in the walls that his empty pockets could never fix.
"What do you want Oskar, besides getting in my pants?"
" Dear, your hotter than the Shack's five alarm burger."
"I think you need to leave, and don't take that beer with you."
Oskar was slobbishly finishing off his sixth beer that Derek gave him. He never cared to cut off any customers, he thought it was funny to see what kind of drunk they were. Oskar was the bipolar drunk, you could set him off at any minute. He slammed the rest of the drink and threw the glass down with a thud.
"Derek my boy! Another"
Derek sluggishly responded with another glass full of the nasty liquid being slung across the table. It's contents flying out Oskar swiped the drink off the counter.
" Derek! I just fucking cleaned this counter!"
"Sorry bud, maybe I'll have better aim next time."
This world was full of douchebags, and The Shack seemed to house all of them. Juliard sighed to herself, maybe one day she'll get a better job, better pay, better coworkers. Wouldn't that be nice? But is that the way the world works? No, it isn't. If only Armageddon could rain down upon her and send her out of the world in a ball of fire. Having no life would make life a whole lot better. Compared to the way her life has ended up so far.
Meanwhile, Oskar and Derek slammed shots at the bar table. Juli should have cut both worker and customer off, but instead she clocked out after she filled her due. She exited the dingy bar, with the rightful name of The Shack. It tried to be beach themed, but it only ended up looking like a trash heap. Mice inhabited the small dingy corners, and the grime suggested it had never been cleaned since the time that Derek had been employed. No matter how hard she scrubbed the surface, Derek made it dirtier than it ever was.
She exited the The Shack, her body in dire need of a run down the beach front, or the boardwalk. Jersey's beautiful weather permitted nice exercise weather. She made her commute back to her under minimum wage apartment, where she changed into exercise clothes. She brought along her phone in case of emergency, even though there was no one to call except 911, but if something were to happen they'd be late no matter what.
It was just a feeling.
She strolled down the boardwalk, passing many touring families. She smelled greasy and cheesy seagull food. They swarmed anything that looked slightly edible, even black womens' weaves. She made her way down the sandy path, back to somewhat fond memories of her preteen years. She began to jog down the seaside, watching hopeless fisherman, and the setting sun. The carnival lights began to flicker on the darker it got, and the more her heart rate increased. She was panting as she reached her roundabout point, and turned around to make her way back to the apartment the moon guiding her. The moon gloated above her, boasting it's stagnant job. Never having to work, and just being a stupid hunk of stone. She huffed past the same fisherman, he was now picking up. Stars started littering the sky with their beautiful gleaming figures. Waves crashed louder, and the blood was pounding in her ears. The more the night wore on, the more the tired and carefree she felt. She sat out on the sand and let the silkiness flood over her toes with the salt water that ebbed and flowed towards her. The sweat washed off of her legs and she longed for the rest of the water to wash her away, it's not like anyone would notice. People have lives anyways.
She dragged her feet of the tug of the waves, and proceeded up the same pathway that led her to the beach. She pushed past the oncoming flocks of passerbys and walked of the few flights of stairs to her space. I gave a small nod to my neighbor, Leonard, who was about my age. He was stocky, and had your average nerd figure. He wore black rimmed rectangular glasses, and carried around a satchel. He was a peaceful neighbor and never minded any noise, I or anyone else would make. Share for Theresa, the sorority girl neighbor, who partied about every other night, but she kept to herself, and we kept to ourselves. It was annoying but we could handle, it could be worse.
She absentmindedly threw her jacket, phone, and keys off to the seat that sat by the door. She pulled out a glass, and filled it up with water and leaned across the counter, sipping. Only then tomorrow, she could restart the process, and continue to live the modern struggling adults' life. Except she was shoved into it, unlike others she knew. At least they had someone. But that was besides the point.
She picked up around the living room, throwing old blankets aside and making sure no holes reopened in the pleather couch. Then, she prepared herself before sleep. Checking the locks more than once, making sure the taps weren't making her water bill any more expensive, and killing the lights in all of the rooms. She trudged into her bedroom and flopped onto her bed. She bent her arms behind her head and made herself comfortable. Which was hard to do these days, but she would have to get up for work anyways, so sleep or no sleep, she would be up.
She set the alarm, took a sip from her drink, and drifted off into slumber under her covers.
He screamed, it pierced the air around her. Embedding itself in her memories. Thud. Thud. Thud. The hits scored her brother again and again. Relentlessly. There was no mercy. "Juli! Don't just stand there!" Her mother screamed at her, more blood and screaming across the sands. She could hear a snicker, and more gore being strewn about the beach. Her father was already lost, her brother and mother next. I could never remember what happen before or after the incident, I was 18, I should have. Maybe the police could have brought the killer to justice. But all I could do was stand and let it happen. Freeze. She was torn, physically and emotionally. Her stomach spilled. She let out her last screams, hoping someone would come. There was running, screaming, and light....
Tears covered Juli's pillowcase like they did every night after her problems started.
4:56am
The time her clock read. It was far too early to begin getting ready, and far too late to sustain another night terror. She got out of bed, and decided another run was the only solution. She picked up her things from the door and restarted her routine. The only difference about this run was that there was no fisher, no crowds, no families. The beaches were deserted, no one else but herself. No one there to pick her aching body up after it collapsed with exhaustion. She laid in the middle of the beach heaving up water. Her eyes burned and she remained on the beach where she would wait until it was time to go back to the apartment.
Cold and steely, it washed up against the girl's sleeping body. She felt the change in temperature and jolted awake. She reeled backwards from the object. It was a layered disk, with a strikingly blue core. She inched towards it slowly, expecting it to harm her. It didn't appear to be going anywhere, she started to cradle it with her fingers.
Jolt.
It sparked, what a horrible idea. The core lost its lustrous blue glow and her fingers stung with the crackling electricity. Look. She broke it like every other thing she touched. She dared not to poke it again, but to push it back into the ocean with a branch. The spark went to her brain and it burned a headache that would last days . She looked off at the disk that floated off, it began to glow blue again, to the pulse of the throb in her head. The pain was splitting. She stood back up and walked back to what she called home.
It didn't take long to forget the odd exchange that happened earlier that morning. She threw her hair up into a pony tail not bothering to ever make it look nice. She didn't have the time, money, or mirror to care. She fumbled with her keys while she locked up the space and walked down the flight of stairs again. She pushed open the doors and waved a goodbye to the other tenants as she left. It was her morning to open The Shack, even though she always did because Derek never bothered to. It didn't take long for Oskar to meander his way back over to fulfill his addiction.
"You can ask Derek for beer when he gets here, I'm not in the mood."
"Aw come on baby girl."
"I said no, Oskar, do not ask me again, because the answer will be the same."
It was a few hours. Still no sign of Derek. Oskar looked at her oddly, something was different about his future wife.
"Joy, baby, what's wrong with your eye sweetheart?"
"What are you talking about you drunkard?"
"Sweetness—"
"Call me that one more time..."
His eyes grew wide, " Your eye, it's all swollen.."
He stuttered.
"And blue."
She retorted," You're lying"
"Why would I ever lie to my beautiful girlfriend."
"One, you are not in a relationship with me, and I guess you're right, you have my said anything to me thus far."
She grabbed a spoon from a silverware container and look inside the foggy utensil. There she looked, her eye was indeed for swollen, and an electric blue.
The same blue from she watch drift off into the ocean. What kind of crazy trick would someone play on her of all people. Why her? She got angry.
"Joy, calm down sweetie,"
She cocked and threw her punch. "WHO did you pay to do this!"
Picked his beaten body up of the tile, " What are you talking about?"
"You obviously did this! How did you do it"
"I didn't."
"You planted it didn't you!"
"Planted what?"
"Don't play stupid with me! The thing from the ocean!"
Oskar continued to deny all affiliation with what happened to her. She gave him a good beating in return and the two remained in the bar in silence. It was too quiet. Oskar attempted to ask for his alcohol fix, but it was always a harsh no. It didn't matter how long it would be, she would never serve him again. Hopefully he gets the message and he stops pestering the poor girl. Distressed she was oblivious.
Derek never showed up.
(Tell me how it is and if I should continue, don't worry it'll get better from here :) )
