Ebb & Flow
ONE
“I don’t know how you do it?” Mirabel asked, sagging against the opposite wall. “You work all night, and hardly sleep.” Mirabel yawned, covering her mouth.
“How do you know that?” Kim questioned defensively. Given what Mirabel was staying was true. The fact that she knew it at all was bothersome. Even more so that it was Mirabel pointing it out. She was no spring chicken; sleep was a necessity.
“Some of the day crew have seen you around here and around town at all hours.” Mirabel continued to talk as she removed her uniform, stuffing her apron and tools into her locker. “I never knew you were such a health nut.” Mirabel slammed her locker and headed down the hallway.
Kim pulled out her backpack and trailed after Mirabel, becoming more uneasy as the conversation continued on. She wasn’t supposed draw attention, yet somehow she had. She worked as an overnight stocker at Golden Barters for that reason. Point blank, she wanted to be a wallflower, so no one would notice her, ever again. She was relatively new to town and to work, yet somehow she had created a MO for herself. She needed to change things up; maybe a new job.
“I guess it’s time to start shopping somewhere else,” Kim muttered under her breath. Mirabel just shook her head making her gray curls even messier. Mirabel swiped her time card and watched as Kim followed suit.
“Oh Kim, don’t be like that. It was Johnny who told me.” Kim held back a sigh. Of all the people to keep track of her it had to be Johnny. Kim knew he had a thing for her. She caught him more than once giving her a head to toe once over; at least he had the decency to look flustered when caught. “He really is sweet on you.” Mirabel learned in conspiratorially, “he meant no harm. Give him a shot.”
Kim didn’t answer as they left through the back entrance. It wasn’t like she didn’t like Johnny; she just wasn’t interested in that kind of a relationship. Not after what had happen. She wanted to steer clear of men all together.
Mirabel quickly got into her car, no doubt turning the heat on. The air was nippy and heavy with mist. Kim waved to Mirabel and slipped her backpack on. She dodged a few of the other coworkers leaving as she made her way to the sidewalk.
“Kim its cold out, hop in I will give you a ride home,” Mirabel yelled through her car window.
“Thanks, but I would rather walk.” Mirabel idled along for a bit before she finally gave up, waving good night.
Kim was just glad Mirabel didn’t use the ‘its dark out’ reason like she usually did. Kim knew her coworkers found it odd how she was willing to walk home in the dark every morning, but the dark didn’t bother her. She loved looking at the moon and watching the stars drift across the sky. It also gave her time to think and mule things over.
Mirabel wasn’t the first person to question her sleeping habits. It wasn’t like she was tired all the time or falling asleep at unusual times; it was that fact that she didn’t sleep at night period. It not only concerned her parents but her relationships. The doctors said she was an insomniatic, but it wasn’t that she couldn’t sleep. She could and proved it more than once by sleeping all day. It was that she didn’t need to. She operated fine on little or to no sleep.
By the time she was almost to her house the sky was starting to brighten, yet the moon was still hanging in the sky as if it was trying to fight going to sleep. She paused at the edge of her property, cherishing the moon before it disappeared. She shivered as a nippy breeze swirled around her. Kim hesitated and looked around; a voice on the breeze, stern and foreshadowing. As soon as she heard it, she dismissed it as nothing more than the breeze itself.
“Daughter of the moon.”
“How do you know that?” Kim questioned defensively. Given what Mirabel was staying was true. The fact that she knew it at all was bothersome. Even more so that it was Mirabel pointing it out. She was no spring chicken; sleep was a necessity.
“Some of the day crew have seen you around here and around town at all hours.” Mirabel continued to talk as she removed her uniform, stuffing her apron and tools into her locker. “I never knew you were such a health nut.” Mirabel slammed her locker and headed down the hallway.
Kim pulled out her backpack and trailed after Mirabel, becoming more uneasy as the conversation continued on. She wasn’t supposed draw attention, yet somehow she had. She worked as an overnight stocker at Golden Barters for that reason. Point blank, she wanted to be a wallflower, so no one would notice her, ever again. She was relatively new to town and to work, yet somehow she had created a MO for herself. She needed to change things up; maybe a new job.
“I guess it’s time to start shopping somewhere else,” Kim muttered under her breath. Mirabel just shook her head making her gray curls even messier. Mirabel swiped her time card and watched as Kim followed suit.
“Oh Kim, don’t be like that. It was Johnny who told me.” Kim held back a sigh. Of all the people to keep track of her it had to be Johnny. Kim knew he had a thing for her. She caught him more than once giving her a head to toe once over; at least he had the decency to look flustered when caught. “He really is sweet on you.” Mirabel learned in conspiratorially, “he meant no harm. Give him a shot.”
Kim didn’t answer as they left through the back entrance. It wasn’t like she didn’t like Johnny; she just wasn’t interested in that kind of a relationship. Not after what had happen. She wanted to steer clear of men all together.
Mirabel quickly got into her car, no doubt turning the heat on. The air was nippy and heavy with mist. Kim waved to Mirabel and slipped her backpack on. She dodged a few of the other coworkers leaving as she made her way to the sidewalk.
“Kim its cold out, hop in I will give you a ride home,” Mirabel yelled through her car window.
“Thanks, but I would rather walk.” Mirabel idled along for a bit before she finally gave up, waving good night.
Kim was just glad Mirabel didn’t use the ‘its dark out’ reason like she usually did. Kim knew her coworkers found it odd how she was willing to walk home in the dark every morning, but the dark didn’t bother her. She loved looking at the moon and watching the stars drift across the sky. It also gave her time to think and mule things over.
Mirabel wasn’t the first person to question her sleeping habits. It wasn’t like she was tired all the time or falling asleep at unusual times; it was that fact that she didn’t sleep at night period. It not only concerned her parents but her relationships. The doctors said she was an insomniatic, but it wasn’t that she couldn’t sleep. She could and proved it more than once by sleeping all day. It was that she didn’t need to. She operated fine on little or to no sleep.
By the time she was almost to her house the sky was starting to brighten, yet the moon was still hanging in the sky as if it was trying to fight going to sleep. She paused at the edge of her property, cherishing the moon before it disappeared. She shivered as a nippy breeze swirled around her. Kim hesitated and looked around; a voice on the breeze, stern and foreshadowing. As soon as she heard it, she dismissed it as nothing more than the breeze itself.
“Daughter of the moon.”