( STARTER )
Adelaide jolted awake.
3:44 a.m. , her analog clock read. Groaning, she rubbed his eyes. What woke her up at this hour? Ade's body longed simultaneously for sleep and consciousness. This is my curse, she thought, knowing she would not be able to fall back asleep.
“Again…,” she mumbled, her voice raspy with sleep. This was the fourth time this week she’s woken up at this time, and sleep already doesn’t come easy. She recalled a cafe she saw signs for in passing: a 24-hour, 7-days a week.
“Should I go?” A pointless question: Adelaide is already out of her bed, stumbling in the darkness for clothes. If she goes out now, she won’t be returning to her measly single unit until the morning. She shrugged on a sweatshirt, her usual black jeans, and a pair of converse she always wears this time of year. (Only owning three pairs of shoes makes the decision pretty simple.)
Checking her bag for necessities, Adelaide made sure to put her laptop. She left her house, no need to turn off lights as they were never on in the first place. Without a second thought, she left for a Cafe nearby.
There was a slight drizzle outside as she walked, but it didn’t bother her. she tossed her hood over her head and trucked on, hands shoved in her pocket. It’s 4am, no one is around, and the “rain” (if you could even call it that) was refreshing.
the Coffee Shop was about what Adelaide expected: a quaint coffee shop, the exterior draped with ivy and plants. The inside was not much different, several tables scattered about the place, an assortment of couches, armchairs, and hard-backed chairs, and the place was filled with plants like a minimalist hipster’s bedroom. The lighting wasn’t too harsh, but it wasn’t dim enough to cause customers to fall asleep, and there was one lone customer. Adelaide approached, hesitant.
"Can i ask you something?" Adelaide quietly asked.