I am the storm

Chapter 21 | The pessimistic attitude

I awoke the next morning after a surprisingly peaceful night, my mind felt rested and completely relaxed. The time was exactly seven thirty a.m. meaning I had one hour and thirty minutes until I had to be at work experience.

I got into my pair of brown pants and usual dark green short sleeved top along with my brown boots. Feeling groggy I walked to the bathroom and splashed my face with running water then I proceeded to brush my teeth thoroughly changing my breath to a minty fresh scent.

Then I grabbed my: phone, the PTD, my pocket knife and my taser. After making sure I was completely prepared I walked out the front door, while leaving I shouted goodbye to my dad and leaving the house letting my dad lock it himself from the inside.

I arrived at Flowers and Flora with about fifteen minutes until my shift was to start. So instead of going in and talking to Dorris for fifteen or ten minutes I instead sat outside the shop and just stared.

Starring was peaceful and uninterrupted except for in the distance  peering out from behind a wall was a woman. The woman I could barely see but from what I could see she had: long pitch black hair accompanied by a piercing stare through narrowed dark brown eyes becoming bloodshot at the edges. The woman wore a black dress that hung almost over her ankles with no sleeves, the woman wore on her feet a simply pair of black flat shoes.

The one thing I knew about this mystery woman was that she was starring at me.

So I did the only thing I could think
of...I averted my gaze pretending not to see the woman and I walked inside Flowers and Flora. Inside I saw Dorris tending to a bouquet of flowers that were presumably custom made by Dorris herself.

"Hi Alexis you're five minutes early" Dorris greeted happily with a weary yet warm smile.

"Hello Dorris I am here, and ready to work!" I replied returning the happy tone, even though on the inside I felt unnerved.

"I like the optimism Alexis well you know what to do," Dorris replied as she smiled and walked over to the till.

So like Dorris insinuated I walked over to the watering hose and started my routine of watering all of the plants making sure to keep it at a low pressure to not damage any of the delicate plants. After finishing that task I tended to the growing ivy display using a pair of trimmers to groom the sides of the display that had started to overgrow their confines.

Then, I attempted to clean the water fountain displays scrubbing the dirty basins and spouts. Finally I had to restock the shelves replacing the empty spaces with vibrant new flowers that were still green and fresh.

Suddenly, my mind slowed and my body tensed as if preparing itself for something unknown to me, but within the space of a few seconds the danger revealed itself!

A woman, who had long black hair and piercing dark brown eyes that were wild with worry. In the same instant the PTD from within my pocket beeped as the woman's fist also beeped.

My mind put it together quickly, the woman was a participant and she held her PTD in her clasped fist. Naturally, my body should tense and get ready for a fight instead body relaxed. A question pooped into my head 'was she not a threat to me?'

"A- am I- I to late?" The woman spoke rapidly as her inhaling and exhaling increased.

"What do you need miss?" I asked nonchalantly, trying not to let her think I feared her.

"Please, am I to late?" The woman continued repeating her question.

"I have no idea what you're talking about?" I replied genuinely having no idea what the woman was referring to.