Tonight The Lies Will Be Evaporating From Your Lips

There was fire surrounding me and all I could hear were screams of a woman. I could see her in the near distant, she was on her back. She was slightly twisted so she can look at me and she was trying to reach out to me. Her lips were moving, knowing she was trying to say something but her voice was inaudible. I can feel my pulse beating rapidly and I was scared, scared for her safety. I don’t know why but I felt strangely connected to this woman. I felt myself crawling on all fours towards her and then I could see the blood seeping underneath her. She let out a loud piercing scream and it sent chills down my body. Tears were escaping now. I reached up and I felt the warm liquid on my fingertips. But instead of clear tears, it was blood. Deep in my throat I felt a growl rising and I let it out. It was frightening hearing me this way. More blood poured from my eyes and the woman’s body was now lying on the pavement. Her eyes were still open but lifeless. I was going to reach out and take her hand but my body sprang up from the mattress that I was laying on. Sweat formed on my forehead and I looked around my surroundings, I was in my bedroom.

Another dream, and this time it was more vivid. I rubbed my eyes and pull the covers off of me and stepped onto my carpeted floor. My feet lazily carried me across my room and out into the hall towards the washroom. I turned the light on and it burned my vision for a few seconds and then I could see. I turned the sink water on and I just stood there with both of my hands gripping onto the sides. Taking a deep breath, I looked into my mirror finding a girl with long black hair cascading down to her shoulders, tired blue eyes, tiny freckles on the bridge of her nose, and small rosy lips that never knew how to smile. You are probably wondering why I see myself this way. I was just a normal eighteen year old who recently graduated from high school and had few friends but none that were close enough to stay in touch with. Except this eighteen year old didn’t have a mother or father. She belonged to the state for majority of her life. Well that is till she turned of legal age. She started working at age fifteen at the House of Blues. I was very lucky to get a job there at that young of age, but I got it. I have no memory of my parents or where I was born. I was found by a road side at age six, unconscious, and a couple found me and took me to the nearest hospital. Then they asked me questions about myself and I couldn’t answer any of them. So I was taken to an orphanage and never got adopted, leaving the state to take care and provide for me.

I brushed my teeth and brushed my hair into a messy pony tail. I washed my face and stepped out of the bathroom and went to go change out of my PJs. I grabbed my black and white striped tank top and grabbed my favorite skinny jeans. Then put on my converse on and applied a little bit of black eyeliner. I grabbed my phone, wallet, and keys and made my way to the front door and left. Kids were waiting by the bus stop on the corner and parents were waiting behind them to watch them get on. Every time I would see families together it would always pain me. I stopped by the pace bus stop and sat on the bench waiting, leaving me with my haunting thoughts. My dreams never made sense to me. I always dreamed the same thing every night. Sometimes I dreaded going to bed not wanting to face my dream world, but I always failed. The bus pulled up and I stepped on, paid my fee, and sat towards the back. I looked out the window staring at practically nothing. The bus finally arrived at my stop and I got off. My taste buds craved a Starbucks coffee and a slice of chocolate chip banana coffee cake. I walked into the all too familiar coffee smelling shop and stood in line.

“Venti White Chocolate Mocha," Patrick announced and an older lady took it from him. Patrick was my high school crush and when I found out he works at Starbucks near my job, I was happy. We aren’t close friends but we would talk and I would always get giddy when I would see him. I’m not one of those girls who stalk their crush and know every detail of their lives. But I admit those damn butterflies flutter madly inside.

“Hello, welcome to Starbucks," short female greeted me.

“Hey, I would like a slice of the chocolate chip banana cake and a venti mocha frappachino.”

She started placing my order and yelled it out. I saw Patrick looked and he smiled at me.
“That will be $5.68.”

I paid and walked over to the pickup counter and watched Patrick do his thing. He walked over to the refrigerated area and picked up the biggest slice of the cake and he handed it to me. He started making my coffee.

“So how’s your morning so far?” he asked me as he started mixing the crème and added the mocha to it.

“It’s great for now.”

He laughed, “Well I’m sure it’s better than mine.”

I started picking at my bakery good. “Why do you say that?”

“Well, c'mon. You work at the House of Blues while I’m here making lots and lots of coffee.” He started mixing my drink.

“You need to rethink things if you think scrubbing toilets and picking up after people’s garbage is better than coffee making.”

He chuckled. “I bet you get to meet some pretty cool bands.”

“Yeah I guess, that’s the bonus part.”

He pushed my drink over towards me. “Well, I guess I will see you tomorrow morning?”

I took my drink and took a sip. “Most definitely.”

I left the shop with a small smile on my face. My walk over to my job was fast and easy. So finally approaching the doors, I walked inside and went straight towards the backroom. There were two rows of lockers where the employees can put away they’re belongings. I put in my combo and swung my locker open and put my bag in and placed my coffee on the top shelf to grab my phone. I looked to see if I got any messages but there was nothing. Then someone else entered through the doors and I looked over to see my best friend, Liz, walk in. We met through work. She's the boss’s daughter and the first time we met we instantly became friends. If people met us they would automatically think that we were sisters. She was taller than me and she had awesome style because she makes her own clothing. She has really pretty eyes and she always changes her hair color, today was a fiery red.

I grabbed my coffee and put my phone in my pocket. “Hey Liz. How’s it going?”

She stretched and yawned. “Pretty good, just tired as hell.”

“Rough night?” I asked her and sat down by our break room.

“Jake and I broke up again. I don’t understand why relationships never work for me,” she said with some annoyance.

“It just means it wasn’t meant to be you will find someone really soon. Cheer up, okay?”
She just sighed.

“Come on, we have to clean up tables and such or your dad will get mad,” I laughed.

“Being the boss’s daughter would have made you think it would give you and your best friend some working perks, but no. He stuck the youngest employees as the cleaners,” she said dramatically as she stuffed her things in her locker.

“Yeah, well, it didn't go that way, so let’s hurry and start working.”

3 Hours Later

I was wiping the last few tables by the windows and taking the chairs down when I immediately received this headache and it felt like a chain ball was crashing up against the walls of my skull. My knees went limp and I fell onto the floor while clutching my head. What was going on with me? Then I got these images flooding my mind of the same woman, only this time she was holding a small child. She was running away from someone and they were moving fast. Why does this woman keep popping in my head? Her screams were echoing inside and it was unbearable. The child was clutching onto the woman’s shirt crying while the lady was trying to shush her. Then in seconds she was snatched from the woman’s arms. Blood splattered my vision and the pain subsided. I stood up and rubbed my eyes and put my hands on the table, trying to regain my proper posture.

“JOSIE!” I heard my boss call out for me.

I grabbed the Windex and rag and walked towards the bar. He was standing by the cash register counting the money.

“Yes?” I asked him and sat on the bar stool.

“You have been working here for four years and you do an amazing job. So, I am giving you a raise so you will get paid 18 dollars an hour,” he told me.

My eyes grew wide. “Wow, thank you! I really appreciate it. It means a lot.”

“I’m glad. Now finish up, we're going to open at 5PM so you and Liz have a few hours left.” He pointed towards the stage. “And can you fix the cables back stage?”

“Yes, I’ll do it right now.”

I put the Windex away and walked towards the stage and hopped on. The back was dark so I had to make my way towards the light booth to turn everything on. My hands were stretched in front me waiting for my finger tips to land on the cool glass of the booth. I kept walking and walking till my hands landed on something soft and warm like a person’s chest. My insides tighten. I quickly ran forwards and made it inside and turned on all the light switches. There was no one, it was empty and I had this feeling deep in my gut that someone was there, watching me. I cautiously walked out and started to pick up cords and organized them on the side table while I was looking behind to make sure no one was there. Come on, Josie you are being ridiculous right now. First the dream then the headache and now you think someone is after you. Seriously, what are the changes that some psycho freak is out to stalk and kill you? Extremely slim. I finished back stage and walked from behind the curtain and sat on the edge and just let my legs dangle. I couldn't ignore something about me is changing. Every day that passes by I feel... Well stronger, my senses increase, and my surroundings have been weird. But most of all, what was up with my dreams?! Could it be memories? I heard that sometimes your subconscious mind tries to get you to remember things. No that can be it. I'm just Josie who is sleep deprived and is over thinking things.

“Come on, Josie. We have to go put on our uniform. People are going to be arriving soon,” Liz called out.

I jumped off and walked across the floor where the pits would be held. I am just going to push everything in the back of my mind and try to focus on work. Hopefully tonight will be different.