Where The Raven Sits

WTRS Chapter 11

Kadie wasn't all too sure she wanted to spend time with her dad after work. He wasn't taking the argument with her mother seriously and that frustrated her. She mulled about the shop, sloppily dusting furniture and greeting customers in a distant manner. Kadie probably would have mentally checked out completely if the music that played throughout the shop didn't penetrate her brain. It was an unnervingly somber melody that was eerily upbeat. It made her think of her dad on the drive over. Her demeanor didn't go unnoticed by the owner who set to sending Kadie to the back where she couldn't put off anymore customers.

The storage rooms where cramped, dark, windowless, and full of old, unwanted things that had once been on the main floor until the owner got the hint that no one wanted them. On the wall by the door hung a flashlight. It was one of those large industrial kinds that shone a beam so bright you may as well have been staring at the sun. But that still didn't stop almost all the employees from smacking their shins, knees, hips, or arms against things. The number of bruising had gotten so high that the owner covered everything in heavily padded quilts. But that meant extra work for everyone else; the blankets needed to be shaken out daily to make sure nothing had crawled in and made a nest during the night. The quilts were heavy and spotted from who-knew-what. They needed to be washed or replaced urgently.

Setting the flashlight on an end table, Kadie pulled on a pair of surgical gloves and grabbed the nearest cover. Maybe I should call Mom. If I work things out with her then she won't argue with Dad anymore. No. They argue all the time anyway. Maybe that means they'll be okay and this is just another of their passing spats. Besides, Mom probably wouldn't talk to me right now even if I apologized.

As she shook it, enough dust flew off the blanket to cover her twice over. It was like a hurricane, putting to shame the anything she had seen before. Kadie hadn't been sent to the back in a while, so one of her co-workers had to be skimping on their job. She burst into a coughing fit so bad that she almost dropped the blanket. I should talk to the owner about getting a fan in here to blow all the dust away. That'll make it so much easier. When her lungs cleared, she got back to work. One by one, Kadie went to each piece of furniture, display case, trunk, and other junk and shook out their covers. In minutes the room was packed with dust. She couldn't breathe, but she wasn't allowed to have the store room door open. Her arms ached, but thinking about her parents took her mind off the pain. Wavering in and out of thought, she wandered through the maze of items, banging against discarded crates and running into spider webs. She was beginning to wonder what the other employees actually did when they came to the back. No one could have really thought this was cleaned on the daily bases it was supposed to have been, right?

In another world people would actually do their jobs. Kadie tried to pull the collar of her top over her mouth and nose. I shouldn't be the only one who's responsible here. The least the owner can do is peek back here and make sure this place is cleaned. Estimating that she had cleaned a good third of the room, Kadie leaned against something she hoped was sturdy and pulled out her phone. Employees weren't allowed on devices unless on break, but no one was going to check on her. I'm surprised there's service in this dungeon. I wouldn't expect anything to get past these walls. The screen's bright daylight setting was a blinding contrast to the yellow hue of the flashlight. She hit the speed dial for the house phone.

Kadie didn't expect her mother to answer it if she checked the caller ID. But she knew her mother was home. Her mother hardly ever left home unless it was to some pre-planned event or after a fresh makeover. Hardly did she go out with people, including her friends, and unless she could talk Kadie or her dad into wearing a selected set of clothing, she didn't often go out with the family, either. When there was an unplanned venture into the horridly filthy and imperfect world, she always left a note no matter her state of mind. So Kadie knew her mother was home. The question was would she answer? Kadie had convinced herself that she was ready to have a conversation about what happened and offer her mother an apology she would accept...but she wasn't sure she would be able to. Luckily, her mother didn't answer.

I wish I hadn't lied. Or that I had lied better. Kadie immediately scolded herself. I shouldn't have gotten all those tickets to begin with. I know how to drive – I'm a better driver than Dad. I should have just taken the handicap plaque when I went out and I wouldn't have gotten half those tickets. I wonder if I could have done better.... I wonder if I have done better. For a brief moment, Kadie thought about the other realities that housed countless versions of herself. She couldn't say she was quite on board with believing in the idea, but it was appealing to think that somewhere she hadn't messed up and still had her car. I wonder if the other versions of me take good care of Harper. I wonder...if I can warn me.