Part 3 The waitress - Glimpse I

She was running down the tunnel farther and farther from the light, they were so close now they could pierce her. At times the light from their flashlights illuminated her back, but that just spurred her on.

The sleepers were hard to run over and she always had to be careful not to trip in the dark of the tunnel. Eventually she arrived in a train station she recognized, though she didn’t stop there for fear of revealing her location. If she was to use one of the stations as an exit she needed to use a new outlet.

Eventually she found her way to a subway station coated with red bricks and a chandelier was hanging from the gothic ceiling, but the lights were turned off.

She looked around for context and she noticed on the platform was an entrance to a cafe named “Le Pink Trabant”, faintly light by a small European style lamp.

Because a light and noise started coming from one of the tunnels she climbed up the platform so she wouldn’t be hit by the train. And sure enough a vehicle did pull into the station.

It was a topless pink trabant filled with a camera crew recording a man driving it. At this point she had sunk her body into the brick wall, trying to blend into the scenery as much as possible.

A white haired woman in the back of the car turned her gaze to her and she felt as thought that woman could see through her disguise, yet the bizarre passengers continued their journey down the tunnel and no one got of.

She exhaled once they were out of sight and ear shot. She didn’t need to breath but some habits you just don’t let go. And so she went up the stairs in order to leave the subway and came out at a Paris style bridge, adorned with black lion and golden women statues. Underneath the bridge she could see a street leading to a art deco looking city, and when she saw that she knew exactly where she was.

If she didn’t wake up soon she would need to find a little square red door. That would take her out.

- Hey! Wake up! He said while shaking her shoulder.

- What? Where? Ah, Ok, good. She rubbed her face.

- Don’t let the boss catch you sleeping at work again. The supervisor added.

- Thanks. She whispered smiling, and begun to check the restaurants reviews again.

- Are you narcoleptic or something? 

- What? No… just tired.

- You’re always tired and falling asleep everywhere, you’re lucky this places hires disabled people. Should I get you a coffee?

- Tea? Black.

- Ok.

- Thanks.

- What was your problem by the way?

- Depression, you?

- Multiple sclerosis. Isn’t depression curable? Why do you still have it?

- What time is it? She said attempting to change the conversation.

- You have a clock on your computer. He said trying to not roll his eyes.

Seems like playing dumb works on him, “good”.

- Oh no! I have a doctor’s appointment, I have to run, thanks so much for the tea! See you tomorrow.

- I didn’t… fine, bye.

She ran to the changing room to take of her fox-maid costume, then ran to the bus station to have some privacy, away from co-workers.

It was very early in the morning, she couldn’t tell, but definitely no doctors worked with the public at this hour, she was glad he bought the lie.

She passed her favorite shoe shop and then sat down waiting for the bus, while she took out her notebook and began to ad the subway station from her dream to the city map. The cold autumn wind gently animated her hair.

It seemed like the subway hole was in the south side, though she wasn’t sure the sun always rose in the east there. It was her best guess and she would ad it and the bridge to the map when she got home.

The gentle purr of the bus always soothed her, and the trip was a long one home, but she couldn’t afford to live closer to work, nor did she want that, she liked her isolation at the edge of the forest. Though lately there were things in the forest that scared her and the idea of moving wasn’t so far fetched anymore.

The subway cart swayed and clanked at each track joint. When she opened her eyes she couldn’t remember how she got there. So she got up and started walking to the front of the train. There were a lot more people toward the front.

She pushed her way in between a crowd of silent and still people, only to find the gutted remains of a large fish. She covered her mouth instinctively, only to realize she couldn’t actually smell him.

When she raised her eyes a little old woman in red looked her in the eyes, acknowledging her. And the people’s hands were covered in the fish-man’s blood.

The waitress bolted immediately to the tail of the train as a bloody monstrosity burst toward her, grabbing the bars and advancing like a flash flood on the roof of the carts.

Before the creature could grab her she spread out her arm and willed for a hole in the floor. She knew the fall and even death would be a less bad fate than being engulfed.

And so she dropped though the hole, into the abyss.