10 Being Followed

Was it not just today that they spoke of safety? Was not this the day they were all planning on going home to freshen up for the upcoming weekend?

They were all buzzing around like bees just a few hours ago, weren't they? And what now? Everything seems so desolate and dreary.

The majority of their days had been spent relaxing at the cafe, but can they do so now? The cafe was where they spent all of their most joyful times. What if they lost a friend there in a horrific way, though? Would that still be the case?

It would be a source of sorrow in their lives. The familiar surroundings were gone, and many memories took their place.

With a gasp, Alice swiftly lifted her head from her eerie dreams, only to groan aloud. She wasn't sure when she dozed off on the table. Yet as the pain in her neck and back grew, she regretted it.

"Shit! It's night already," cussed Alice and hastened to finish the remaining job that was left at the cafe. It wasn't wise of her to stay longer at the cafe. The dawn had reached twilight, but she was yet to reach home.

She loaded her small backpack with the necessary items after depositing the cash from the cashier. The cafe was no longer a secure place. The door needs to be repaired. It was impossible to predict when the burglars would break into their cafe.

Just next to the trash can, she surrounded the glass shards and wooden boards before mopping the floor once more. She finished cleaning the dressing room, locked it, and left the cafe.

By the time she reached the intersection, she was staring at the clock tower in the middle of the street. While the long hand was getting close to twelve, the shorthand was on the roman number eight.

Only a few folks were passing by on foot. The street light, which was her nighttime companion in the pitch-black perfection of early night, lit her path.

The sidewalk was glistening under the golden blubs of the streetlight. It looked as though an elephant in a stiletto had tottered down it, causing great cobwebs and cracks. Weeds flourished in the road cracks, bringing splashes of unwelcome green to the gray city.

As though being followed, she felt conscious of her surroundings as she walked down the street. She glanced behind her. There wasn't anyone who caught her eyes suspiciously. A cold wind swept past her, leaving her shivering in its chill.

Alice clutched her backpack's straps and fastened her footsteps. She was panting more than she could count by the time she arrived at her front door. Her throat felt dry. She felt like she had not had a sip of water for ages.

Catching her steady breath, she sat on the doorstep and took a deep breath before glancing behind her cautiously at the roadway she had come by. It was pitch dark. No lights were visibly lit. Not a creature was left to be seen by her naked eye.

Not waiting a minute longer, she took out the spare key and unlocked the door, taking a deep breath. Soon after she entered her house, she shut the door and peeked out through the keyhole cautiously.

"Alice?"

Startled, Alicia gasped as she heard the voice and hit her forehead on the door handle.

"Aishh!!"

The lights in the hall turned on reflecting not so brightly and she heard the familiar voice from behind. "What took you so long to come home?" Alicia rubbed her forehead and turned around to face her mother, who had her hands on her hips with a stern look.

"Uhh... that—we had a lot of orders to deliver today. So, you know, mom. I can't leave them back just like that," Alicia lied to her mother.

Mrs. Anderson sighed, softening her gaze. "Huh... Go freshen up, dear. I'll set the dinner on the table," she said, ruffling Alicia's hair.

"Don't bother yourself, mom. It's reached the quarter to ten already. Why don't you go get some sleep while I freshen up and serve dinner for myself? It's no big deal," she said as she sat on the little couch, took off her socks, and put on her furry slippers.

"Silly girl," her mother flickered her head playfully and entered the kitchen, chuckling to herself.

Alicia stood up from the couch and walked toward the curtained window. She glanced back at the kitchen entrance. She could hear her mother humming a song along with the clanking of the kitchen utensils. Alicia took a cautious step toward the window and slid the floral grommet semi-sheer curtain a little, only to peek through it. Her hands shook as she did so in fear and alertness. But strangely, the street lights were lit. A frown etched her forehead.

"You're still here?"

Startled, she slid the curtain entirely open as she heard her mother's voice from behind.

"I thought you were already soaking yourself in the water." Ms. Anderson waved her spatula as she spoke and pointed it toward Alicia. She glanced over Alicia's hand that was still clutching the hem of the curtain, which had been slid open wide for them to see the empty street. "What's the matter, Alice? You seem so troubled," she questioned as she stepped forward with concern.

"Nothing to be concerned about, mom," she waved her hand with a chuckle and walked past her mother. But before she could step up the stairs, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced behind her. Her mother was still giving her a concerned look.

"Really, mom! It's nothing," she tried to convince her mother, "just caught up with the work stress. You see, the cafe's anniversary is coming up. So... everything's too bustled up." It was part of her worries too, but not at the moment. She placed her hand over her mother's and squeezed it with a reassuring smile.

Her mother hummed but didn't seem to entirely settle with her excuse, "Off you go, young lady," she patted her shoulder and shooed her to the bathroom.

"Fine... fine," she muttered and walked up the stairs, sliding off whatever thoughts had been bothering her earlier.

She entered her room, and the first thing she did was walk right toward her little dressing table. The best gift she was ever given was from her mother on her eighteenth birthday.

She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Definitely not a beauty queen, she thought. Slightly reddened eyes with an exhausted look with all those unexpected things that took place the day at the cafe.

Sighing out, she tucked her snowy hair behind her large ears and ran her index finger over her earlobes. She could feel the not-so-soft texture of its plastic surface. If one were to touch it, they'd figure it isn't anything near a real one.

Slowly but steadily, she took the plastic thing off her right ear and followed the same procedure with her left ear. "Uhh... How awesome this feeling is after taking it off," she muttered relaxedly as she rubbed her ears, which were now itchy and pink. "Sheezzsh!! It's really hard to disguise these weird ears." She scratched her ear tips, "I wonder why you aren't like any others, my dear ea-"

"Alice!!!" she heard her mother's voice coming right down her room through its wooden floor.

"Uhh... How many zillions of times have I told her not to scream like she's on the stage?" She muttered under her breath and answered her mom, "Yes, mom?!"

"What did I tell you this morning, huh?"

Alicia's eyes widened sources, as she heard her mom question and her footsteps clink coming from the stairs.

"Did she perhaps—"

'SLAM!!'

Before she could say a word, the wooden door slammed open wide, startling her once more.