Death is Equivalent to Love

Chapter One

          After heading back to bed, the sun came up in what seemed an instant. I never fell back asleep, I was too scared to have to face my dream again. I felt my eyes drift close, finally, but not even ten seconds later, my alarm clock began blaring at me to wake up. I slammed the off button, feeling more aggravated than usual and got up out of bed. I felt unusually dizzy, but brushed it off and made my way across the hallway and into the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, I groaned at what a chore having to fix my face was going to be, I had makeup smeared all over and my hair was a rat's nest. I went at it with all I had in me, which wasn't much.

          Half an hour later, my long, black hair was straightened and up in a ponytail, my face cleaned and fresh makeup applied to it - black eyeliner that made my green eyes sparkle and a dark brown lipstick that complimented my skin tone. I walked back to my room, picked out my work outfit, khaki pants and a white blouse, and then looked over at the clock. I still had twenty minutes until I needed to get to work. I opened up the blinds to my window and saw that it had snowed overnight again. I sighed heavily to myself, packed up my things and headed down to the apartment complex's parking lot where I found my Toyota Camry covered in a thick mound of white crap.

          It was eery being out in the parking lot this early in the morning. There was no one around or on the highway behind the complex, it was just me and my thoughts, alone together in the absolute silence. My mind drifted towards thinking about my dream, but I snapped back to reality when I checked my watch and realized that those twenty minutes were up. I hustled and shoved the snow scraper into my car and hopped in, turning on the wipers ferociously to get the rest off.

           The snow plows hadn't been through the streets yet since it was only five-thirty in the morning. I sighed and pulled out my phone and dialed in my work's number then pressed call.

           "Bob's Corner Restaurant, you come, we serve!" The cheery voice on the other end that was all too familiar greeted.

           "Markus!" I had a huge sigh of relief in my voice and chest that my boss wasn't the one who picked up, but my best friend, my boss's assistant, instead.

           "Hey Abigaill, what's up? Calling in? Because you can't do that, you're the only one working today and we need you here."

            "No, no. I'm just letting you know that the plows didn't go through at my apartment and I'm going to be a few minutes late." I heard his frustration radiating off of his body through the phone. I apologized again.

           "It's fine. I will make up a better excuse. Just get your ass here, pronto." I heard him smile. I thanked him and hung up the phone then prayed to the Lord Jesus that I make it safe to work.

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            I pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and ran in my high heels to the back door where I saw Markus putting out a cigarette in the snow.

           "Hurry up! Table two has customers already!" He looked annoyed and I knew that was never good. I gave him a look, you couldn't help them out yourself? I thought.

           "Who even eats here this early?" He laughed a little and took my jacket as I ran inside and found my way to their table casually, as if I'd been there the whole time, despite my slight out of breathness. I noticed the two people were elderly and I got a huge sigh of relief. This should go fast. I've never been more wrong in my life.

            "Hello!" I greeted them with the fakest smile I could pull out, "My name is Abigaill and I'll be your server today. I see you two already have gotten the menus. Are you ready to order?" I felt so fake, the sarcasm was dripping off of my skin and falling out of my mouth, but they didn't seem to notice. The lady started speaking to her husband,