I sighed and looked down at my watch. The scratched-up glass read: 12:55 AM. Five more minutes and I can finally close up shop. Dee called in sick again and I was stuck doing her dirty work, again. Truth is, she probably just skipped her shift to go clubbing... again. I walked around the café aimlessly and wiped down all the tables for a second time. Only a few regulars sat in their usual booths and a couple of drunks were half-dead at the bar. I was wiping grime off the benches when my boss, Doug came over to me.
"Hey Maddy, I'm heading home." He said rubbing the back of his neck with a tired expression. He was an older man with a bit of a belly and an even bigger heart. Like most nights before he left, he wore his brown trench coat and fedora that his wife bought him for his fiftieth birthday. If I didn't know better, I would have mistaken him for an old-fashioned sleuth detective.
"Alright Doug, have a good night," I mumbled, not taking my eyes off the bench cushion.
"Thanks again for closing up. Dee should really be the one to do it. But on the bright side, more money for you right?" Doug gave me a grin and I smiled politely in return.
"Yeah, it will go toward my classes this semester.”
Doug patted my shoulder and walked toward the entrance of the café. He stopped to ring a small golden bell that hung on the side of the wall.
"Attention all customers! Douggie's Cafe and Bar is now closed. Please drive home safe and thanks for stopping by." One by one, everyone eventually drifted out of the shop. When I finally finished picking up all the chairs, I noticed there was still a man, sleeping at the bar.
"Hey," I nudged his shoulder. When he didn't respond I tried again. "Hey, buddy, it’s time to go. Come O-" This time I pushed him a little harder and instead of waking up, he fell off his stool. "Woah, sorry about that! Are... You...Okay?"
The man lay slouched on his side and as I rolled him over, my eyes widened in shock. His face was drained of any color, his skin stuck to his body, like a pair of tight leather pants, and even his lips lacked the blush red that any person alive was trademarked with. Worst of all were his eyes. They were a gross shade of grey that had sunken into his skull. They bore into me with no other purpose, but to strike me with even more terror.
My hands shook as I went to check for a pulse. Every second that went by that I didn't feel a beat, made another hair stand up on the back of my neck. When I felt nothing, I took a step back and crouched next to the body. I waited for about five minutes, hoping he’d just taken some bad drugs and would return to the world of the living soon. When he didn’t, I did what most nineteen-year-old boys would do.
I freaked out.
"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!" I started pacing. "What do I do? What do I do?" My strides got faster and I began biting my nails. "Think Maddy, there's a dead guy, two feet away from you... Well, what does one do in these situations?" And then it hit me, like a brick to the face. "How could I be so stupid!"
I ran over to the back office, picked up the phone, and called the cops.
When the police arrived, I told them everything I knew and answered all of their questions. After they let me go, I walked over to my boss, which the cops decided would be their next victim for twenty questions. I felt really bad for making Doug come all the way back to the café, but he said it wasn't my fault and I did the right thing. When they were through with him, he pulled me over and handed me something in a brown bag.
"What's this?" I asked looking inside the bag.
"It's something to calm your nerves. You look scared out of your mind, and who can blame you." Doug gave me a sympathetic smile.
"But, I’m not legal," I whispered unsure who was listening and pushed the bag toward Doug.
"I think we can make an exception just this once." He said nudging it back in my direction. I unscrewed the cap and chugged the drink.
I squinted as I felt a burning sensation slide down my throat. It tasted awful, but I couldn’t get that man’s eyes out of my head and I hoped the alcohol would do the trick.
"Hey- Hey! Not so fast!" Doug looked around to make sure none of the cops were paying attention. He patted my back and smiled like a proud father watching his son turn into a man.
“Thanks,” I mumbled as I handed the bottle back to him. “I think I’m going to head home.”
“Sure, sure,” Doug nodded. “Be careful.”
I gave Doug a small wave, before speed-walking toward the door.
"Hey kid," I turned my head over my shoulder to see one of the younger cops staring at me and I wondered for a second if he had caught me drinking.
"Uh, yeah?" I said turning completely around.
"Do you need a ride home? I can give you a lift." He asked approaching me.
"No thanks, I'm good." I was far from good, but I didn’t want to deal with more people.
"Are you sure? I mean, you look pretty shook up. And there’s a killer out there." The smart thing to do would have been to go with this guy, but I'm not that smart. And besides, if there was any danger, I could take care of myself, or at least that’s what the alcohol now streaming through my veins had me believe.
"No, really, I'll be fine, but thanks again." I turned my heel and started heading for the exit, only to have a strong hand on my shoulder twirl me around once more.
"Well if you have any questions, or need someone to talk to," He scribbled something on his note pad and ripped it out for me. "Here's my number."
I looked down at the seven digits and then back at the cop. He looked only a little bit older than me. He had short black hair and dark emerald eyes. He had a strong jawline and you could see his muscles through his suit. This guy was what all women dreamed of- tall, dark, and handsome- and here he was giving me his number. I gave him a small awkward smile and walked quickly out the door.
The cool Autumn breeze made me shiver as it nipped at my face. I cursed at myself for not remembering to get my jacket back at the cafe. But I didn't want to go back and deal with that cop again. Which reminded me, I still had his number in my left pant pocket. I looked at it one last time before crinkling it into a ball and throwing it into the nearest trash can.
"He shoots he scores!" I cheered when the scrappy piece of paper made it into the bin from what looked like an impossible angle.
My victory moment came to a halt when I heard a chuckle. I furrowed my brows and turned around.
“Hello?” My voice echoed in the midnight air. After a beat, I let out a sigh and continued walking. There was nothing, but a dying street lamp doing a horrible job of lighting my path.
At some point, Doug’s "calming remedy" had worn off, and I was starting to feel paranoid. Every sound I heard made my skin crawl and my breath shaky. My own footsteps hitting the pavement even spooked me out to the point where I thought I was being followed.
It was only when I saw the familiar golden numbers of my apartment door that I started to relax. However, frustration quickly took over my emotions when I realized I had left my keys in my jacket.
“Damn it,” I muttered as I flipped my doormat over to reveal a spare key. “Why didn’t I just go-“
As I reached down to grab them, something or someone hit my ass. My eyes went wide as I let out a small yelp. Without trying to figure out what or who was behind me, I stood up, like a springboard ran inside my apartment, and slammed the door shut. I pressed my back against the door and did my best to muffled my ragged breathing.
Tonight, was getting way too weird for me and I tried desperately to believe that what I felt wasn’t real, yet the shaking in my wrists told me otherwise. Thoughts of the murderer following me home were enough of an incentive for me to sit by my door all night with my phone in hand, ready to dial the police at any moment.
However, fatigue got the better of me and it wasn’t long before I started yawning and feeling my body grow heavy. I did my best to shake myself awake every few minutes, but soon I was drifting into a nightmare.
*~*
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