Person of Interest

Chapter 7: Shopping Trip

Your POV:

I walked out the diner doors feeling refreshed, happy in spite of my post-shift lack of energy. As one of only two waitresses Louie's could afford to pay, I really had my work cut out for me. At least it paid well; being a (very) small business, the job was technically minimum wage, but I always recieved easily a hundred dollars in tips every day from the friendly people that graced our humble little kitchen. Our dishwasher, Randy, always scolded me for "buttering up those poor folks up front."

...Whatever that was supposed to mean.

I waved and chirped a cheery goodbye to the last stragglers of the late lunch crowd, smiling widely at their answering farewell calls and likewise waves before I forced open the rusted front door. My smile turned into a wince at the resulting obnoxious creak; I would definetly need to fix that old thing up again on my next shift.

I glanced down and flipped open my relic of a phone to check the time... ah, good. four o'clock on the dot; I would still have time to stop by the grocery store, go home to shower, and make it to my second job at The Free Man's Bar before six.

I hummed happily along to the songs running through my head as I made my way down the street, giggling once or twice at the thick steam that clouded around my face after a particularly deep inhale. There were a couple times where I stuttered, remembering the skeleton from the night before... but I forcefully shoved those wretched thoughts to the back of my mind whenever they surfaced, denying myself the luxury of moping... and denying HIM the privilege of having any power over my good mood. I hummed louder and resolutely hastened my stride, determined not to let that absolute brute ruin my day; I would burn that bridge when came to it, I decided, and not a single second sooner.

My store trip was a standard middle-of-the-month stock up; milk, eggs, bread, lunchmeat, (strike out text) and ketchup, to replace my recently pilfered bottle and chicken flavored ramen. A simple in and out run... or it would have been, if the ache in my feet hadn't pulled me to the insoles on the shoe aisle.

I'd been meaning to buy some for quite some time, and if the pins and needles currently plaguing my heels and arches were any indication, the purchase was long overdue. Maybe some new laces as well; if I took my current ones out, I doubted I'd be able to fit the frayed ends back through the holes.

I was thoughtfully comparing the prices of two different brands when it happened. It started with a sudden chill in the air that would have sent me running for the exit if it weren't accompanied by a sickeningly familiar presence caging me in from behind. I was too shocked to even question how I knew exactly who was behind me without having to look. I just... stood there, stiff as a board, white knuckling the products in my hand as a deep chuckle sounded at my back, clearing my head by at least a foot:

"Well ain't this a sweet surprise?" Sans purred lowly.

I didn't answer. I didn't acknowledge his presence. All I did in response was replace the insoles in my left hand before beating a hasty retreat, dodging to the side and walking quickly towards my shopping cart.

"Heh..."

I squeaked in shock when he snapped into existence in front of me just before I reached the end of the aisle, stopping me abruptly with a firm hand on the front end of my cart, nearly making me run into the handle.