Stargazing: Changing Our Stars

Chapter One

The seasons no longer fear death, nor does the moon fear fading
People no longer fear evil nor do we know it from norm
M. H

I remember staring towards the ocean as a child. The constant changing of the shoreline as wave after wave crashed down in a tumbling roar and the sound of a thousand gulls who constantly circled above had etched itself into my memory. I remember the faint smell of dried out seaweed, nearly completely masked by the vastness of the ocean. But, most of all, I remember praying he would return.

"Daiman, your shift is about to begin." I heard one of my colleagues speak with a hint of pity behind his words as I straightend up my tie.

"Yeah, I'm on my way." I said as I pushed through the door.

It was funny how the world turns. Once a prideful brat, now a waiter in a local coffee shop, living off low wage and seldom tips.

"Table three." My grandmother told me as she slid a small metallic tray towards me. Two cups of coffee. One dark and the other a light brown. My grandmother had told me stories of her childhood. How she had started as a waiter and eventually became the owner of the coffee shop but never had I really payed attention to them. As far as I was concerned, they were just stories.

I lifted the tray and walked over to table three and set it down gently. The customer seemed about my age. Her hair gave off a faint radiance as the sunlight ran its gentle touch through it.

"Awful lot of coffee for one person. Rough night?" I said involuntarily.
She let out a soft chuckle and signaled to the seat in front of her,"I'm not drinking it alone. Take a seat." She spoke. Her Irish accent felt alien yet warming in the harsh winter conditions.

"I can't." I said as I took a seat, contrary to my words. She seemed to have a strange compulsion behind her words which left me unable to do otherwise.

"I was right, wasn't I? Black coffee, no sugar?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"I stared at intrigued as she slid the darker cup towards me.

"You just seem like a glum kinda guy, that's all." She said as she began dumping a countless amount of sugar cubes into her coffee

"Gee, thanks. You know that much sugar isn't healthy, right?"

"Yes. So?" She said bluntly as she dropped one of the sugar cubes into her mouth.

"So it's a risk to your-" I stopped my speech midway as I heard the doorbel tingle and the door swung open up rustle.

"Waiter boy!" the customer bellowed out as he dropped himself down into the nearest seat.

"Sorry." I told the Irish girl as I got up and walked towards the table he was seated at,"How may I help you?" I said gritting my teeth together. Every now and then we'd get one of those customers that got out of hand so it wasn't much of a strange site. After getting his order I walked back towards the counter. My grandmother smiled at me before I turned around. Her smile seemed weak and her eyes looked hollow. Like someone was harbouring alot of pain for a long time.

As turned back I looked over to table three.

She was gone.