The Darkest Days

1. How It All Starts

"Veronica Blackburn!"

A woman in her late thirties stands up. She has jet black hair that reached till her waist and curled into soft waves towards the ends.

She leaves her bag on the table she was waiting on for her order.

"That's me." She smiles as she approaches the counter, which said self service.

She glances at the new employee and reads the name tag: Gina.

"New here, aren't you?"

Gina looks up. "Yes. It's my first day."

"I knew that. I'm regular here."

Gina smiles and nods. "Hope to see you again then." She says and hands her her tray.

"Why, Veronica," a waitress asks as she passes by, "not the usual?"

"Usual won't cut it." Veronica sighs.

"Another writer's block?"

Veronica nods.

Gina looks back and forth between them and realises that Veronica is a writer.

"It'll pass. Just like the others.. I don't know what else to say." The waitress sheepishly grins.

Veronica chuckles. "Thanks, Beatrice. You better get back to work; the restaurant section seems crowded."

"I wish my boss would make the restaurant area same as the Cafe." Beatrice pouts. "Self service."

This time even Gina smiles and looks down. Her brown hair falls on her shoulders in a cascade.

"Run along." Veronica laughs and Beatrice hurries towards the restaurant area.

"You got yourself a nice job for someone new to Murkwell." Veronica says to Gina.

"How'd you know I'm new to town?" Gina's hazel eyes narrow a little.

Veronica shrugs and smiles knowingly. "Small town. Everybody knows everybody."

Gina nods in realisation. "To be honest, this.. isn't the job I dreamt of having at the age of twenty four." She chuckles.

"Neither had I, at this age." Veronica says but doesn't elaborate.

She pauses and then speaks again, "it's a catch, I mean. Better to manage the side business Cafe than run around and serve tables at the main restaurant. Half the people there don't even come in this corner. Peaceful, right?"

Gina isn't sure if she could talk about all this more with a customer. "It has its cons."

"Every job has more cons than pros, honey. Every job." Veronica says and walks away with her tray. Gina stares at her.

Well, a nice cynical lady. Good way to start the job. She thinks.

After getting a few more orders, Gina looks at the table occupied by Veronica. She has a thoughtful expression on her face as she keeps her hands on the keyboard of her laptop.

Just then, a man with his little boy, around five, approaches Veronica.

"Excuse me, are you Veronica Blackburn?" He asks.

She looks up and nods. "Most certainly am."

"Hi, I'm Jake." He says as he sits down opposite to her. Veronica seems visibly uncomfortable now and Gina concludes it was because of her privacy invasion.

"I just wanted to tell you that me and my wife read your every single article and it's really helped us in our relationship. Even with our son. Say hello, Thomas."