The silence

August 1st 2020

7:45am

The alarm from my phone sounded shortly before 8am. I had to go and help Woody at the shop today unpacking a delivery and doing stock take. I had eventually rolled out of bed and deciding against taking a shower, I could always have one tonight.

By 8am I had got dressed, manged to get down a piece of toast despite the tail end of this sickness beating my ass, and trimmed my fringe. Might as well make myself look presentable. I had considered asking Dan to give me a lift, but his soft little snores melted my heart, and I couldn't dare wake him up. So, I decided on just walking into town instead.

The crisp morning air was fresh against my face, standing still and breathing it in for a second. The smell of nothingness almost. Just fresh cold air. I don't think I could ever move back home, despite it being a quiet neighbourhood, the city still loomed over it and left its mark. The pollution and transport noise never left, and I will admit I found it hard to sleep here for the first few nights without it as white noise. I started my walk down our road and along the country lane that led into town. I had my headphones on to perk me up, considering it wasn't too dark I didn't think I would have to worry about men trying to attack me, but alas, I could feel someone behind me. I couldn't hear them, but I could sense them. You know that feeling when you think someone's watching you? That was what I was feeling but times a hundred. As if something was trying to climb inside of me and possess my body.

I whipped around, almost knocking the wind out of myself at the speed I had. And there it was. The figure. Again. But it was almost, clearer? It had a defined outline, and limbs, and a face. It had taken on a far more human shape this time. Was it trying to reveal itself to me? Did it now trust me?

I turned around and carried on my walk, picking up my pace. Until I found myself all but running down the road. I looked back, and it was just there. In front of my face. And I screamed like I hadn't before. As I attempted to face forward my feet caught something on the road and fell to the ground. I didn't move, and I didn't breathe. I just laid there and hoped it would leave.

It must have been a good 5 minutes I laid there on the rough surface of the road, before daring to open my eyes. But it had gone, I was alone once again. I managed to pick myself back up and start walking on shaky legs. I peered down at my hands and the flow of blood now coming from my palms, and the black rocks embedded in them. I brushed them off on my jeans and made a mental note to wash them when I got to the shop.

15 minutes later I reached the shop and pushed open the door, wincing at the pain from the hands. Woody sat behind the counter, as per, and waved me over when he heard the bell from the door jingle.

"Hello! How are you this fine day" he chirped, probably in the most vibrant mood he had ever been in.

"Yeah I'm good thank you, you?" I replied.

"I'm just excited to have some help around here at LAST" he shot back, reaching for the clipboard on the counter and coming over to me.

"Right, I have 15 boxes back there that need recording and then putting out, I'll take count of everything already out here. Sound good!" he chirped, taking the clipboard from his hands, and giving a thumbs up as I walked out to the storage room. It was a cold and dingey back room with no windows, it gave me the chills, but it was quiet, and I liked it. I focused my attention on the boxes in front of me and got to task opening them and pulling out the winter coats that were inside, counting as I went and jotting down on the clipboard.

Several hours later of counting and rearranging stock, the bell above the door went and I half expected another customer to walk through. But instead, I saw that all familiar mop of brown hair and Dan striding across the shop.