A stop over town.
1430 Words
After more than a month since leaving, I had come to the conclusion I was an i***t.
The day I'd left I’d been so caught up in my emotions that I hadn’t stop to think, That I didn’t know how to find a pack or recognise another werewolf for that matter.
I now sat on a bench in the middle of some town called Freestone, weird town, lots of elderly walked the streets, was inland a bit but a very agricultural based town, with its rolling hills of red soil.
When I’d arrived here, the night before last I was too tired to take much notice and had tramped to a motel. Sleeping in a real bed for the first time in a week, I hadn’t thought about money either before making my great escape.
Fucking books made it sound so freaking easy!
My stomach growled, and I looked at my watch it was 12.30, I headed across the street to the MacDonald’s grabbing a cheeseburger meal.
“That’ll be $7.90 please.” The server chirped.
I handed her the money stepping to the side, then I collected my meal and found a table.
Someone had left a newspaper behind, I flicked it open to the job seekers section, there under part-time was a job in a bookstore.
Part-time Job offered;
In Heaven On Earth bookstore
Requirements; Good customer service skills, must be strong and fit, for heavy lifting, have an interest in reading and have plenty of patience for customers.
Must be 18 or over.
$17.80 an hour at 8am till 5pm.
Inquire in store to apply.
34 Main street, Freestone.
Well it couldn’t hurt to ask if it was still available, I had negotiated 4 more nights in the motel at $75 a night with the man in the office, it was quiet in town and it wasn’t exactly a tourist destination, if I got work, he might agree to a long-term, week to week rent of the room at a more affordable price.
At any rate at 17.80 for 9 hours, she’d cover her boarding, food and a little to put aside, especially till she worked out where to go from here.
I finished the food in front of me, looking across the road, the building number read 59, the store on the left of it read 57, left it is.
I stuffed the job add in my pocket, leaving the restaurant, I stayed on the same side of the street but headed left, reading the numbers as I went.
I stopped when I reached timber building, Heaven on Earth Bookstore, was painted in cursive on the glass.
As I opened the door, a bell rattled above me, ding ding ding, once my eyes adjusted to the light, they near bulged right out of my head.
The store front was indeed masking what lay inside, two levels of shelves reaching floor to ceiling, crammed with books of every shape and size, age and colour.
The smell was musty, but you could see the store was well loved, to the best of someone’s ability, no judgement the place was huge!
I heard a shuffling sound, turning towards there was an old wooden counter, a brass bell sat atop of it, tarnished with time, it matched the shop.
I moved towards and as I did the top of a head appeared, then some raised eyebrows, a set of faded blue eyes followed by a crinkled face, gaping in surprise.
“Ahh Hello” I start.
The older man clears his thought, shaking his head.
“My, my how rude of me! Hello miss, I do apologise you just reminded me of someone I met long ago, I thought I was seeing ghosts!” He remarked chuckling now clearly relieved. “How may I help you today?” He asked, a pleasant note in his voice.
“My names is Ivy, I saw the job you advertised in the paper for a part time worker, and was hoping to apply.” I inform.
He suddenly gaping again, he looks absolutely lost, I felt like I’d grown a second head the way he was studying me.
Then he must have snapped out of it, he gestures to give him a minute, turning to analogue phone I hadn’t notice earlier, beep beep beep.
He types in a number without pause, holding it to his ear, he impatiently taps the counter.
I strain to hear a crackle and then a faint ‘Hello Mavis speaking,’
“Hello Mavis, it's George.” He replies.
‘George? What are you ringing home for? Is it lunchtime already? Oh its barely 9!’
“Well Mavis, I have a problem.” He continues.
‘Oh, and what’s the dear?’ the voice Mavis asks.
“I have a young…” He looks at me, “Woman saying she applying for a job advertised in the paper.” He replies, a little heatedly.
‘Oh? You finally advertised a job? She’s going to help you that’s fantastic, tell her she’s hired!” the woman sounds over the moons at the idea.
“That’s just it I didn’t advertise.” He retorted.
‘Oh alright George! I did! Are you happy?’ The woman replied, before continuing.
‘You come home whinging you can’t do it on your own, so I advertised for a part-timer, at $17.90 an hour ok?!’ she informs.
The old mans nearly faints, as he struggles for words.
“$17.90 an Hour?!” He stutters.
‘Yes dear that’s the minimum wage now days, No suck it up and hire her!” The phone cuts off and a dial tone blares, he puts the phone back on the hook turning to her.
“Well I suppose your hire, if only to get my wife off my back. I’ll see you tomorrow at 8am.” With that he storms into the office behind, I turn to leave.
I’d asked the motel owner about the long term rent rates, and he’d seemed happy to hear it and said they’d be very low if I was happy to clean the room myself, when I said that’d be fine, he’d estimated $180 a week much better then I’d expected.
I’d return to my room, opening the book beside my bed, I pulled out the book mark, returning the book to the bed side table, it was a printed photo of Garrett and I, smiling and laughing at the camera, with marshmallows on sticks still smoking from the fire. They’d taken it when they’d gone camping.
I brought it to my lips, kissing it softly before returning it to my book.
I grab the remote turning on the Tv, flicking through the channels was endless romances, finally landing on law and order, that’ll do I think.
I mentally switch off, trying not to think of Garrett.
Garrett POV
I’d been following her trail day after day, Lucus and Mitch had come with me, after I ripped them a new one, they had been very remorseful of going behind my back.
But it was too late by then, Ivy had skipped town, I’d found out which bus she’d taken, after that it had become very hard to tail her.
I was always a day or few hours late, gone one town too far, one too short.
I couldn’t pin point her, no matter how hard I tried, she didn’t seem to have an idea, where she was going.
Or it seemed that way, she has skipped 3 towns with a pack, stopped in one a fews hours and gone again.
She was stirring up too much interest, other wolves had noticed her and my interest in pursuing her, had I been any rank but Alpha this could have been a very tricky game of cat and mouse.
We had landed in a town she had stopped in, more than a week before.
But I had decided to stay the night, the frustration of not finding her was killing him.
But the boys never made comment on it.
“I’m coming for you my love, No one will stop me but you.” I whispered to the photo I’d pulled from my jacket pocket, I slid it back in.
I laid back, closing my eyes, I found myself picturing her the first day, I'd meet her at the bus stop, the way she had stubbornly stood there ignoring his presence, her eyes curious but expression blank, he knew she was different, even then.
He’d find her, no matter how long it took.
- Writer
