CHAPTER TWO
854 Words
My eyes throbbed and squinched, having a hard time adjusting to the fluorescent lighting. The colorful sale signs and banners were doing me a favor and saving me from madness that was coaxed by the white walls.
I struggled to reach an item, wiggling my fingers and stepping on my tippy toes to see if it would help—it didn't.
“Fuck.” I mumbled, dragging out the last bit of the vulgar word. My fingers brushed against the item, only to push it back and irritate me farther.
“Need some help?”
I whirled around, seeing Amadeus, and I nodded my head.
“Please.” I huffed, stepping away from the shelf.
He smiled and reached up, grabbing the item and placing it in my cart for me.
“Thank you.”
“No problem,” he commented, “I haven't seen you on the bus lately.”
“Yeah, I got my car fixed.”
His lips twitched, “That's great.”
The air settled uncomfortably between the both of us before Amadeus spoke again. “Well, let me let you go."
“oh, okay bye.”
He mustered up another smile before he sauntered away.
I exhaled, oblivious at how tense my muscles were around Amadeus. He made me feel anxious, making my stomach churn with dread and foreboding—even more now that I see him everywhere.
Rather that being now as I loaded my groceries in the trunk, watching me with those penetrating eyes as he weighed himself against the brick wall and took the last drag from his cigarette before crushing it beneath his heel.
I couldn't help but to stare, it was hypnotizing, but my eyes abruptly averted to the raucous crow that was perched on the roof of my car. It's beady-black eyes watching me like Amadeus, it was hair-raising.
“Shoo!” I hissed, chasing the bird away with my hands.
“I wouldn't do that, crows remember faces.”
My body stiffened at Amadeus's voice and my eyes closed briefly before I stared over my shoulder at him, “oh really?”
He flashed me his teeth, “Yep!”
He took a bag from my cart and transferred it into the trunk, “Here let me help you.”
“You really don't have to.” I reassured, an awkward smile pulling at my lips as I tried taking the plastic bag from him. I wanted to leave, to get away from him and the choky air that he carried around him.
He frowned and gripped my hand harshly, pushing it away before loading the last few bags into my car. “I said let me help you,,,”
I let him, backing off until he was done and closing the trunk.
“There you go!”
“Uhm, thank you.”
“You're welcome,” he said, “ and be safe!”
That was far from being the only time I'll see him…
My body leaned against the wooden counter as my chin rested atop of my palm—exhausted.
The day was hectic, Mondays are always, but it began to quiet down as dusk approached and the rumble of cars rode home.
‘An hour left.’ I told myself, staring up at the digital clock. My eyes deter away from the clock to the chiming door and my heart sank, Amadeus walks in with a hood over his head and his head facing the hardwood flooring.
“Uh, hello Amadeus, how can I help you?” I asked, my voice wavering as I pushed from the counter.
He stared up from the ground and I gasped; blood oozed from a gash on his nose and a nasty bruise swelled beneath his right eye.
“What happened?” I exclaimed, scrambling to grab some napkins.
“fighting,” he muttered.
“With who?” I coaxed, gently dabbing his wound with a wet napkin.
“It was that guy who harassed you earlier.”
“Wait- how did you know?” I questioned, receding away from him.
“I was out outside, smoking a cigarette before I came in and heard him spat those disgusting words at you.” He seethed, grabbing your hand and pulling it back to his face.
I blenched when he did, not considering what he had just said, and tugged at my hand but he didn't waver. “Can you let go, I'm done cleaning your injury.”
“Sorry, I'm just in deep thought.”
“It's fine,” I waved it off, “but you really didn't have to fight that guy for me.”
“You didn't deserve to be spoken to like that—not that anyone should be speaking to you anyways—” He said, muttering the last part.
“What was that?”
“Nothing, uh, are you still taking orders?” He asked, quickly digressing me from what had just happened.
“Yeah, what would you like?”
Still after taking his order and him leaving, I felt unsettled by his presence—making me feel paranoid.
- Writer
