Little Bird

A Step Forwards, in the Wrong Direction

On that grey, dismal day, Lucy spent many hours finding shops on the highstreet, trying to find employment. Some shops weren't taking new workers, but sometimes it had been a nightmare trying to find the person to tell her that. Some shops had "for hire" signs up, but Lucy was aware that she clearly didn't fit the mould they were looking for. Retail shops seemed to want outgoing, fashionable girls, which Lucy would never be.

It was near the end of the day, and she considered finding a coffee shop to get a drink to go. Avoiding any big chains, she searched for a shop that would potentially have something cheap. It was then that she found a small little coffee shop at the bottom of an older shopping center, a corner of the area that was less popular than the shiny new buildings further on. It was here that she decided she would get her drink.

The place was fairly simple, wood flooring, with plain red decor here and there, the occasional painting or cushion. The shop's menu was littered over tables as laminated pieces of paper, and written with no flair on a blackboard behind the barista.

It was mostly empty, bar an older couple silently drinking coffee, and a group of young males who seemed to be lounging about carelessly. One of the men looked over at her, a little too intensely for her liking. He had piercing green eyes and shiny dark chestnut hair. His features were sharp and chiselled, and he wore a simple green beanie over his hair. She noted the beanie as weird, as it certainly didn't suit the weather.

The awkward interaction was cut short by one of the other men, a red haired man. He briefly glanced at her, nudging his companion in the ribs, before saying something quietly and softly laughing. Her thoughts went into overdrive, out of humiliation she stared down at her hands, blushing with a soft grimace. Were they laughing at her?

Brushing her thoughts aside, she made her way to the till and quickly bought a tea to go. She was highly aware of their presence on the way out, but made a point not to look at them. Upon leaving she noticed that it had gotten even darker outside. She pulled out her phone to see what the time could be, but cursed under her breath to see that her battery had run out. It didn't matter, she had no commitment, and only home to go to.

By the time she got home, she was dismayed to see what some workers had set up scaffolding outside her home, blocking her front door completely. Upon the top of the scaffolding, inspecting some bricks, was a young broad shouldered man, geared up in all the typical luminous builder gear.

"Uh-uhm... excuse me?" She said quietly and nervously. Much to her surprise the man turned round. He had soft brown skin, a square face, and magnificant thick brows. He pierced carefully down at her with narrowed brown eyes.

"Aye?" He asked sceptically.

"Uhm... that's my door," she said pointing at the door nervously.

The man raised a magnificent eyebrow, "I was told that no one lived ere?" His accent was thick, Scottish.

"I... I live here," she said nervously, almost doubting herself.

"Well that's a problem," he frowned, fingering the brim of his yellow protective cap thoughtfully. "You'll need to talk to my manager, he's just round the corner, down the long alley at the back, you know it?"

Lucy gulped at the thought of having to drag this issue out further. "I... I do," she replied, before quickly adding, "but I can wait if it won't be long!"

The man smiled knowingly, leaning down a little, "don't work like that lass, this ain't moving till the morning at least. So you best go have a word with him."

Lucy watched helplessly as he turned back to his work. It was so odd that he was working so late, but she didn't question it too hard, she had limited knowledge of these things. Building up courage, she made her way towards the alley.

The alley and its surroundings could be simply described as damp and dingy. It boasted many large bins, lots of rubbish, and probably a few rodents. She wasn't sure what the boss of the man was doing in the alley, but guessed that he might be looking to fix the area up for the local council. At the edge of the alley she could vaguely see a man in the distance, his back to her.

"Hello?" She called, fear in her voice. The man didn't even flinch.

Sucking up courage, she tried again. "Hello?" She shouted loudly, gaining no response.

Knowing she had little other choice, she made her way down. She was fairly certain of her safety, as the man on the scaffolding was aware of her location, and surely people with uniforms could be trusted? Out of fear of being rude, she didn't shout any longer, and simply waited until she was just within arms reach to speak again.

"Uhm, excuse me?" She asked for the millionth time that day.

She expected him to turn round, instead she was grabbed suddenly and sharply from behind, causing her to gasp loudly. Before she could make any more sound, something strange was put over her mouth. Muffled, and now inhaling some strange awful chemical, Lucy tried to squirm and fight free, screaming hopelessly all the time. Managing to turn her neck slightly, she quickly saw that it was the builder from the scaffolding that held her in a ridiculously strong grip. Sadly she had no time to process much else, as she blacked out shortly after.