The sun was beginning to set below the horizon, and a steady beam of light shined brightly through the glass double door entrance of my workplace. I held a simple entry level job as a cashier. Nothing that would grant me a sustainable life, but eight dollars an hour is still better than zero. Growing tired of an arduous day of monotony, I was more than happy to see two of my coworkers preparing to replace me for the day. They lined themselves opposite of the register to buy snacks before their shifts. Ashley handed me several bags of chips and a few packages of beef jerky, with a childlike smile plastered on her face. For a slender woman, she sure knew how to put away a mountain of junk food. She giggled as if reading my mind. I handed her the bag and reached for the receipt-
Jolting from my bed, I immediately thought, "Damn, I hate dreaming about work." It's like having to waste a full day, and then going straight back into the grind with only half the pay. Rolling slowly out of bed, I fumbled around looking for my phone. Nearly falling over the edge, I grabbed it from my desk. Through crusty eyes, I peered at the digital clock. "Shit it's 5 already! I can't believe I overslept" 5:00 p.m. was when my shift was supposed to end today. anxiety began to thrive in my fragmented thoughts. Checking through my messages, I came across several from Ashley.
"What happened?"
"Where did you go?"
What is she talking about, I didn't go anywhere. I decided to call her, to apologize for not showing up. She answered within a single ring.
"What happened today? You just up and left without a word." She spoke with worry in her voice.
"What are you talking about? I didn't come in today, I overslept." I replied without understanding the situation.
"No, you handed me my bags, and you got this weird look on your face, and you just left." She asserted.
"That's not possible. I-I've been home all day." My voice began to shake with concern.
"Are you okay? I'm really wor-"
Waking up on the sidewalk a few blocks away from my apartment complex, I grunted as I struggled to stand. My mind went blank as I patted each pocket looking for my phone. Pulling it from my left shirt pocket, I looked at the time once again. "6:36? But I was..." Going through my missed calls, several were from Ashley. As I went to return her call, a large golden retriever bumped into me, knocking my phone to the ground, cracking the screen. Shortly after, a pale elderly woman came to my aid, and apologized several times for losing hold of her dog. I assured her it was no problem, as I reached back down. I looked over the phone and sighed at the cracked screen. The tall slender woman of dark complexion apologized once again, as she grabbed hold of the leash attached to her rottweiler. I looked back down at the undamaged screen on my phone, and shot a glance up towards the woman.
"What the fuck is going on... " My voice trembled as I whispered to myself. I almost began to sob out of fear for the unknown. I shut my eyes tightly and pleaded, "Wake up! Just wake up!" Opening my eyes to the familiar scene of Ashley standing in front of me, she reached for the bag of snacks she had just paid for. Tear drops slid down my cheeks and splashed against the register cabinet.
"What's wrong?" she inquired.
"N-nothing, I just. I don't know, honestly." I admitted weakly.
"Hey, your nose is bleeding." A look of concern replaced her earlier smile.
"What? I just. Blood? I was... Ashley?" I stumbled through the words, as my body began to shake uncontrollably. My legs went numb and my vision blurred. The last thing I remember was the crashing sound of the register and the pressure of my face slamming against the dusty tile floor.
