The price of My Afterlife.

Saffron I

An aroma of busy, caffeinated, humans hits me as I walk into the market. The grey sky is contrasted by everyone's multicolor neon windbreakers. I dodge a group tourist, each one almost hitting me with the lens of their Nikon cameras. The 5th street public market in Seattle might just be my most and least favorite place. I love the atmosphere and the food, but the tourist, they are animals. They are also the reason I have to show up to the market thirty minutes early just to get a good house coffee from Starbucks and a few pastries from the bakery next door. It is my Sunday treat, for making it through another week of study and work. 

I grab My coffee from the barista and run out of the store before the doorway is blocked again by teenager girls taking selfies. The smell of it makes it all worth it, and I grab a table outside of the bakery, the waitress brings me the usual bacon and goat cheese croissant. I get about halfway done with my breakfast before my phone dings. 

Text Message:

"Cme 2 wrk, need u, 2 bzy, 1st oven is BROKEN!!!! SOS."

Why does life hate me. I scarf down the rest of my breakfast, and run to catch the trolley. This will get me there faster than walking. 

The shop is packed, a line is forming out of the door and it is at this moment that I knew I am going to have to reschedule grocery shopping. I run into the locker room and change into the extra uniform shirt I keep in my locker.

Pizza after pizza comes down the line, each one filling up my thought with its portions and ingredients. Working on assembly is terrible when the oven is broken, each pizza waiting while a new one is crammed onto the line. This might just be the worst shift of my life. 

When the neon open sign shuts off, I rip my apron off. This stupid job, taking my entire life up. I walk over to my locker, grab my shit and go to close it. However I find a white envelope on the top shelf, catching my eye. Odd, payday was last Thursday. I flip the envelope over in my hands and look at the beautiful gold lettering on it. It says "Charon". I guess its not for me, I plop it in my purse and head out to find the garage my car is in. The rain begins to pour down, and I run to the trolley. I don't even bother changing out of my uniform. Right now I just want to be home, to bad I have a 45 minute drive home.

I hop on the last trolley of the night and take it to the parking garage. It's dark outside already, but the garage is usually pretty safe. I wave to the parking teller sitting in his toll booth. 

my car is one of the last ones parked in the garage. It's a 1979 jeep CJ, old but still running pretty strong. I get in and turn on the radio.

"well, folks the weather outside is really frighting, it looks like everywhere from Seattle to Portland is going to have 50 mph winds and a lightning covered sky. Drive safe and keep an eye on the road as some spots might have high water and flooding." The news always makes me feel so sad. I pull out my phone and plug in the aux, I like to blare my own music on my way home. 

The rain splashes violently against my windshield and the road twists and turns as I make my way out of Seattle and down to North Bend. Lightning flashes the sky and temporarily blinds me, the jeep lights up like a flash bang just went off in front of it. I just barely see the flowing river covering the road ahead of me to, I get scared and slam on my brakes right as I hit the water. I spin out of control and the jeep is pulled off the side of the road and it smacks into a giant tree on my side. I hit my head on the window. Pain fills my vision, and my hearing, then I hear  the shatter of glass and everything goes black.