A New Year

A single glass filled with a off white liquid, still slightly bubbling. A single hand, lifts it up. My hand. The corner of my lip twitches upward in a half hearted attempt at a smile.

"Happy New Year." I whisper, lifting the glass up above me. To the silent room. A toast to memories of the previous year I long to put behind me and never look at again.

To the loneliness, hopefully that will be only a memory this time next year.

"Let me find true friends, this year." I wished as I emptied the glass. A year no longer alone. Please. Just this once.

-Inspiration while waiting for midnight to hit.

Head Injury

I couldn't stop staring at the man. I'm sure most other girls would have noticed the muscles rippling under his tight magenta shirt, or the longer wavy hair encircling his nicely shaped face.
Me? All I could focus on was the large band aid in the middle of his forehead.

I leaned my chin on my hand, my fork slowly lowering back to my plate as I watched him join the line. What had happened? I idly wondered. Obviously there had to be an injury underneath the bandaid, but I hadn't known a guy to cover injuries to the face in such a fashion. Usually they just left them be. Yet this man had made an effort to cover the inj-- I ducked my head back to my food, a heat rising to my cheeks as I realized he'd been staring back at me. Oops. I flicked my eyes up and down quickly. Now he was staring at me. Foolish. Now I felt foolish. But I hadn't been able to help it. I was curious. Why the large band aid? What had happened?

-Inspiration from People Watching at the Food Court in the Mall today.

If I Ever -Had a TV Show

If I ever have a TV show.
It would be fun to have a mini story as the opening credits are rolling.
You know, when the opening theme song is playing, or the voice over narrative is giving the opening dialogue? During that 30 second to 2 minute intro...It would be fun to create a mini story.
Either with minor characters of the show, or with main ones.
Mini stories that could show things like every day life, or short encounters or something.

It would be fun. :)
Possibly annoying because if music and or voice over is going....the mini stories wouldn't have any dialogue.
However, that could be a fun challenge. A silent story.
Perhaps one that would tie into the season finale?

I'd probably be evil and make it so it didn't tie into the episode at all.... lol.

Who knows.
It's a fun idea though. :)

Rekindled Memories

A hand clamped onto my wrist, pulling me into a side alley. The other covering my mouth to prevent me from screaming as my unknown assailant held me close. "Quiet." A familiar voice hissed. "I won't hurt you." My breath caught, that voice. I knew that voice. How could I know this voice when all the others, my friends, my family...were unknown. It was a voice of memory. A voice....
His hand relaxed from my mouth after the footsteps of my chasers faded down the roadway. "Are you alright?" He asked turning me so I could face him.
His face was shadowed, which made sense considering we were in a dark alley. But his touch, his voice. "Ummm....for how I am. Yah." I managed, I bit my lip. "I'm sorry...who are you?"
His head tilted and he gave a soft laugh. "I would be James, Megan." He said with a half shrug.
My heart jumped as he said my name. James. James. Was this actually the guy in all those pictures I'd seen in the photo albums? Was this the one familiar piece that I could actually latch onto in my forgotten memories? I reached up to his face, my fingers curving around his head to pull him forward into the light of the street. I had to see. I had to know.
A familiar smile, crooked in its amusement met me first, but then his eyes. Those chocolate eyes I couldn't forget even if I didn't quite remember them. "James." I whispered.
Heh nodded holding still in my hands. "That would be me. I heard you'd been injured....are you alright?"
I knew he knew that I wasn't. "You came back."
His own hand reached out to stroke my cheek. Keeping the movement slow and gentle. "Why wouldn't I? I couldn't leave my best friend to wander alone when she can't remember anything."
I laughed weakly, closing my eyes and pressed my head into his chest, letting my hands fall. "Good. I've been wanting to see you." Though I still didn't know why for sure. My best friend huh? I could deal with that, though if I had my pounding heart to judge by, I felt a lot more than friendship for him. "I would have pummeled you if you didn't show up before I remembered anything." I muttered, relaxing as his arms wrapped around me.
"I'm here." He said soothingly. "I'll always be here when you need me, don't worry about that."

-Inspiration from watching Detective Conan Movie 4.

If I Ever -Decide to Sing

So over the past week or so,
I've had a bit of fun coming up with alternative lyrics to Christmas songs that I hear playing over the radio.
Verses to Silver Bells, Jingle Bell Rock, Carol of the Bells. etc.
These lyrics tend to involve work related topics -since I have a lot of them when it comes to working in a pet store. lol.

And it's been rather fun.

So if I Ever decide to sing.
Or at least give more of a voice to those lyrics besides to myself. Either via by a YouTube video or to be crazy an actual album

I would probably do a series of songs relating to work topics. lol.
Since I already have a half a dozen I've already created. :)

It could be fun.
Though who knows if my singing voice would at all be tolerable to others ears. lol

A Lil Soup

I stared at the sign. Not quite sure if I was actually seeing what I thought I was seeing.
"Closed?" I mumbled, barely giving voice to the words as my throat was so sore it hurt to speak. I hunched my shoulders, blinking a time or two to see if the words would change. But no. There they were. ~Closed for Renovation, See you on January 2nd!~
I slumped back against the door of my car, briefly pressing my head to it's metal surface. Closed. I'd barely managed to drive down here without dying, both on the icy roads, and with the trouble I had seeing straight with my cold, only to find the little café had closed for a remodel.
Of course it had to be too much to ask for the closest café that sold fresh squeezed orange juice and the best chicken noodle soup around to actually be open when I was sicker than a dog who'd eaten chocolate.
Exhaling, I slipped into my car, resting my head on the wheel this time, mentally trying to convince myself I was fine. The next soup place was a ten minute drive. The grocery store nearly that far. And I had no idea if I had the energy to even leave the parking lot.

-Inspiration from personal experience (though I'm not that sick)

Playing For Royalty

I stiffened feeling the hard press of the barrel of a gun against my back, before the bag was torn from my head. "Don't do anything stupid." The voice of bad guy one said.
Would responding to that be considered stupid? The though crossed my mind. "Okay." I said deciding to keep it short. Guns were rather persuasive in that manner, I supposed.
"All you need to do is play for a while alright?" Bad guy two ground out.
"You'll be returned to your home when we're done, so long as you're not an idiot." Voice One added.

It wasn't like I hadn't had time to process that I'd been sat on a piano bench, I'd sat on enough of them over the years to recognize that no matter the quality. And this particular bench, yah it was nice. Not fantastic, but doable. The Piano, I ran a hand along the keys listening to the notes. "Well, at least you tuned it." That was better than half the dark joints I'd played in when I first started out. I smiled and shrugged. "When do I begin?"
The pressure on my back eased up. "Now." Bad Guy Two stated. "Don't stop."
"Alright....though if you could bring me a bottle of water, that would be helpful." I said absently picking out a tune on the piano. "If I'm going to be playing for a few hours, I will eventually need a drink if you're not going to give me a break." I studied what I could see of the room as I warmed up with the tune. Fancy. Not a mansion. Possibly a higher end bar. Perhaps a hotel room? Obviously I'd been kidnapped for some sort of party judging by the tuxes and the waiters mingling with trays full of wine. Yah, definitely wouldn't be touching that. I would need to keep my wits about me...and figure out who would kidnap me so brazenly. Definitely someone powerful. Possibly a bad guy, but who knew it could have been a senator for all I knew. Though usually they sent requests months in advance.
Rolling my shoulders, as I sense the two bad guys leave without another word, I increased the tempo of the song, my left hand trailing further down the keys to give my music more of a voice. Play they said. I could do that.

-Inspiration from reading online that a piano player was once kidnapped to play at a party of a famous mobster.

Left Behind

It felt so lame now that I was standing on her doorstep, the large peanut container cold in my hands. The white ribbon I'd dug out of the back of the closet now looked grey, ragged, the bow I'd tied limp and lifeless.
But...It was all I had at the moment. At least, that I hadn't opened yet.
Taking a breath, I bent down placing the peanuts on her doorstep, the sticky note with a hastily written "For Miss Creyer," barely visible under the bow.

This was stupid. Just stupid. But I'd already placed it down and straightened.
I turned away, quickly retreating to my own house, plagued by self doubt.
With my luck, she'd be allergic to peanuts and would see my attempt at a present as a threat.

Still....the fact that she'd failed to give me a present this year, when she had every year before....had irked me. The one constant in my life. Gone. Not that I'd given anything in return before to her.

I just didn't want...another thing to leave.

I closed my eyes. At least I'd tried to be nice this time around. That was good enough.

-Inspiration from giving gifts to neighbors

Forget About It

I'm not sure why it lingered, the headache.
I could feel it coming on last night as I was heading for bed.
But I figured that sleep would make it go away.
As I was tired, and was staying up even though I was tired.

It didn't work that way though.
Apparently my muscles didn't relax during the night.
and I woke up with an ache behind my left eye and a shoulder that was sore and tense.

Meds didn't help.
Cleaning tasks at work didn't help.
A Dr. Pepper helped a bit.

But really, it was probably distraction that finally made the headache go away as I forgot about whatever I was tense about. lol

Thanks

He pulled the brim of his hat lower down, shading his features from view. "Honestly, it's nothing." He commented turning away.
I grabbed onto his shoulder. "It's not nothing! You literally just saved my life!"
He shrugged. "Any one would have done it, please, I need to get going."
Slowly, I let go, frowning at him. "At least let me buy you lunch or something as a thank you."
That at least got a smile from him. He nodded. "Alright...I'll take a raincheck for now though, excuse me." He turned disappearing into the crowd before I could say another word.
I brushed my hair from eyes, staring at where I'd last seen him. "...how will you find me though if I didn't give a name or my number?" I mumbled.

-Inspiration from watching the Detective Conan Episode 1 Remake

Round 2

If I had to venture a guess.

I probably got too hot.
I mean bundled up in a sweat shirt underneath like four blankets and taking a nap? That's just asking for trouble there from overheating.

But that's my guess.
Too hot.

And my brain is rebelling against me.

Of course it could also be due to only getting a handful of hours of sleep last night because my brain wanted to be extra creative before bed.
It could be trying to take a nap once I got home only to be startled awake....

Or it could be the heat....

Who knows.
But definitely not fun to get two headaches in a row. XP

Sleep Deprivation

I suppose it's only so much to expect to be able to stay up until 4am reading and then get up a little later at 10am to go out and grab myself food.
Sleep deprivation is definitely not a good thing to do when trying to avoid headaches.
I ended up staying up a bit after I got back from food when I'd intended to go straight back to bed, and so unsurprisingly ended up with a sleep deprivation headache.
Unfortunately heading to bed for a couple of hours didn't solve that headache issue though it should have since I knew the cause of it was lack of rest...
But thankfully some Excedrin solved the problem. Yay Meds.

SunShine Cons

I couldn't believe it had taken me this long to realize what was bugging me. Even after all these years, even I was capable of slipping up.
With a curse, I jerked into the shadows of a tree, standing right next to the trunk where the sun couldn't reach me, a hand up to my eyes.
I had wondered why the sun had seemed extra bright today. Why my skin had felt more irritated than normal with being outside during the day.
Now. I finally pieced all the stupid signs together.
I'd forgotten my shields at home today.
I groaned, banging the back of my head against the trunk. It was the most basic part of a vampire's survival kit and I had run out of the house without them this morning!
How could I be so--
"Stupid? An Idiot? A Nincompoop? Because I think all apply here, honestly enough."
I opened my eyes for the most welcome unwelcomed sight. "What are you doing here?"
"Saving your life apparently." He replied back with a raised eyebrow. "What vampire forgets his shields?"
I barred my teeth. "One who was running late."
"Mhmmmm luckily I happened to be in the area then."
Highly doubtful that he just 'happened' to be by. Highly. Highly doubtful.

-Inspiration from being outside today and the sun seemed brighter than normal.

Back To You, Unfortunately

"Just sit in the corner okay?" She exhaled after a long scary silence where it looked like she was trying to not strangle me.
"Okay." I mumbled, obediently if shakily going where she pointed. What more could I do? It wasn't like I'd asked for this to happen. But the fact that it had, and I was here now when I shouldn't be. I let myself collapse into the corner, pulling myself into a ball, trying to not feel how weird it all was. This body. Only my shock at suddenly having a body again probably kept me from sensory overload. After all...I was supposed to be dead. She'd killed me. And yet somehow...I'd come back. To her. WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I DO THAT?! I mentally yelled. Why come back to the psycho murderess? Why? WHY?

-Inspiration from reading about body switching

Karma's Money

I kept the pleasant smile on my face even though inside I was seething.
I couldn't believe it. I'd paid full price for the shirt just the day before, and now I could only get back half of the money I'd paid because my shirt had gone on sale today? What sort of stupid sale system was that?! It was obvious on the receipt that I'd paid the full amount the day before. And I desperately needed that money. More so than the new shirt I'd been saving up for. But...bills had to be paid. Even if I would have to dip into my savings, again, in order to make it up this time. Because the dullard at the till refused to listen to me with his condensending smirk. And there wasn't a thing I could do. Because I could read and the words "manager" on above his name tag were a giant clue that I wouldn't be getting any more help from this place.
I kept the kind smile though. Took what little money I could get back since some was better than none, and turned on my heel stalking from the wrongly named "Angel's Halo" as quickly as I could. The Devil lurked inside that store and I hoped Karma bit him hard when the time was right.

-Inspiration from standing in line waiting to return an item. (I got back the exact amount I paid so no worries)

First Encounter

I could feel his eyes on me as I stood up from the table, once more refilling my cup with soda before returning to my studies. I affected not to notice. I'd been here first, and I wasn't about to leave first because someone was glaring at me. Running a hand through my hair, I adjusted my sitting position, allowing me to briefly see the grimace on the man's face as he glared in my direction. Honestly I couldn't tell if he was staring at me or through me. It wasn't like I'd taken his seat. I'd come to this place every day at the same time and sat at the same place. I tapped my pencil against the blank notebook page, trying to gather my thoughts. Honestly, if he kept it up any longer I'd be tempted to write about him and turn him into a serial killer. I grimaced. Wrong thought. Even if I liked writing mysteries, I didn't need to freak myself out by suspecting people who were staring at me were wanting to kill me. That would lead down a path of paranoia I really didn't need in my life. Still...though. I looked up with a frown, finally meeting the man's gaze. What do you want? I asked silently.
He didn't react. Just kept staring at me.
I exhaled and looked down. Okay...hopefully that meant he was just staring in my direction and not at me. Hopefully.

-Inspiration from sitting in a food court for lunch.

Return It

A small smile, more sad than triumphant appeared on her lips as her fingers closed around the cool cold orb in the crevice. There you are. She thought carefully bringing the golf ball sized crystal out of it's hiding place. It gleamed slightly in the reflective light that made it to the ocean floor. Finally I can take you to your home too. She pushed away from the crevice but instead of moving up to the surface moved towards the deeper waters. Some gems weren't meant for human contact. Ever.

-Inspiration from putting my hand in my fish tank at home.

Compliments

"You look rather nice today." a male voice sounded from nearby.
I didn't react or pause in my attempts to clean a sticky stain from the glass window. It wasn't like I hadn't heard him, but I had good hearing and I'd heard that line spoken by hundreds of guys to other pretty women in the shop before now. I jumped as a finger tapped my shoulder. I half twisted to look at the stranger, a young man probably around my age. "Yes?" I asked putting on a helpful smile. After all he was a customer and I the worker.
He tilted his head, his dark eyes studying me before he smiled. "I said you look rather nice today."
My hand paused on the glass and reflexively I looked down at my uniform that only looked flattering in pitch blackness. I looked back up, raising an eyebrow. "Thanks?" I questioned. How could I look nice in something I wore everyday?
His eyes sparked. "You don't believe me."
I smiled and shook my head. "Not in the slightest, it is a work uniform after all." I said with a shrug. "It's not supposed to look nice. "
"You make it look nice."
I barely managed to not roll my eyes. "Mmmmm, Can I help you with anything else?" I asked tilting my head.
His eyes widened in surprise before he shook it. "No, just thought you should know."
I smiled. "Well...Thanks. You have a good day."
"...You too." He said with a slight frown turning away.

-Inspiration from a brief interaction at the mall.

Distraction

"Could you quit that?" I demanded, though my tone hardly had the snap I wanted it to have.
She laughed, leaning on my desk, her brown eyes swirling with mischief. "Quit what?" She asked innocently, twirling a finger in her curly hair.
I gestured vaguely at her. "That!" Honestly, how could she not realize how distracting she was?
"I can't stop being me, John."
"Well, quit distracting me then."
She smirked, leaning in closer. "I'm...distracting you?" She asked tilting her head like the concept had never occurred to her.
I rolled my eyes, hoping my cheeks weren't as red as they felt. "Go bug someone else."
"Mmmmmm"
I glowered at her, before I lowered my eyes to the worksheet in front of me. Life had been so much easier without her in class. ....if not duller. I tsked myself. Was I actually growing to like her crazy antics?

-Inspiration from reading Fanfics

Scrubadub

It was probably tension.

The managers have been on our case all day at work, to get the store looking in tip top shape for a visit tomorrow by one of the higher DM people.

Which meant I spent the day scrubbing things, which made my muscles sore and tense.
Which after some sleep...probably meant I slept tense.

And therefore gave me a headache...that will hopefully go away once I get some sleep....
Since I have to go to bed early to get up early....

Poisoned

I couldn't do it.
It was right there. Just one bite and I would have food.
But I couldn't.
Hands shaking, I lowered the burger.
"I'm sorry...I can't." I pushed the plate away turning from the untouched food.
"You need to eat." Alex said quietly. "You can't not eat, Cara."
I bit my lip, closing my eyes against the unwanted images that tried to flood my mind. I shook my head. "I'm not hungry." Not now, probably not ever again.
"Cara." Alex knelt in front of me, grabbing my hands. "You have to eat something. Fruits, veggies, bread...a chicken nugget, ice cream?"
I shook my head. "I'm not hungry." I repeated quietly.
"You haven't eaten since we found you yesterday, Cara. That's not good."
I lowered my head, clenching my fists in his hands. "....I can't Alex. Not right now."
He exhaled, and nodded releasing my hands. "You have to eat something soon, Cara. Please...as soon as you feel hungry. Let me know."
I nodded. "Alright." I could do that. If I ever felt like eating something.
He flashed me a smile. "Alright then. For now...just take it easy okay?"

-Inspiration from eating dinner tonight

A New Start

It was an idiotic thing to do.
I knew everyone would say that when I got home.
I was too young, too flighty. I mean, I was just getting back from a spur of the moment trip overseas.
No one would ever peg me as someone who'd settle down, who'd stay in one place and get a desk job and be responsible.
I didn't even peg myself as that sort of person.
I probably never would be that sort of person.

Yet, I'd just gone and put my foot in my mouth so to speak.
Or well, my hand on the paperwork, and a new responsibility in my life.

Honestly, I didn't even know how I passed the test.

But when I saw her bright blue eyes.
I couldn't leave little seven-year-old Maggie at that orphanage.
Not when she latched onto my leg and refused to let go.
Not when the caretakers told me that I was the first person she'd smiled at.
Not when she'd said quietly "Don't go." after my month of being there had come to an end.

I couldn't leave her.
This gentle child who's heart held the entire world.
There was something special about her.

And it helped....a lot, that she was well behaved....screaming kids weren't quite my thing.
But Maggie.
She was so mature for her age.

I couldn't leave her behind.

I didn't leave her behind.
I rested my chin on her head, stroking her hair once more before I gently shook her. "Mags." I said quietly, as she jerked, eyes opening wide in panic before relaxing when she saw me. I smiled. "Plane's landed you need to get up."
She ducked against my chest, with a murmur, closing her eyes again and I chuckled. "I can't carry you and our luggage at the same time you know." But that didn't stop me from wrapping my arms around her and holding her closer.

-Inspiration from a David Archuleta Concert where he spoke about visiting an orphanage in China

If I Ever -Have A Need For Speed

If I Ever have the chance to change something about our freeway/highway systems....

I'm going to work on the speed limit system.

After all there is already an unofficial rule that the left lanes of the highway moves faster than the right lanes. You have the 'slow' lane and the 'fast' lane and such.

But there are people who insist on going slow in the fast lane.

It would be nice to designate lanes.
Like Right lane would be "You can go between 55-70"
Next lane: "70-75"
Next lane: "70-80"
Next lane: "75-85"

or something.

So that if anyone is caught going below the speed limit in that lane. (besides when the unconventional rush hour traffic happens)
Then that can be grounds to be pulled over.

....
Okay.
That may be a bit extreme.

But honestly. It would be nice if there were speed zones where drivers could choose how fast they wanted to go and be in a lane that would move within that speed zone so that there would be less congestion built up when faster cars get stuck behind smaller cars......

Need More Hours

It was the lack of sleep.

Honestly, in the past 4 days I've probably only gotten around 20 hours of sleep.

Yah you read that right. About 5 hours a night.
Due to me being distracted with reading and such mostly.
And not having the opportunity to nap.

I was sleep deprived.

I could feel it hitting me last night.
The ache behind the eyes that said: "You're tired."

So I tried to go to bed early.
I managed to actually go to bed on time at least.

But I knew I was in trouble when I woke up still tired, still with the ache, and with an 8 hour shift at work ahead of me.

Add into it the stress of managers and opening and being tired....
The headache stayed with me for most of the day.

Thankfully I managed to get in a nap today.
But definitely should head to bed soon if I want to totally get it out of my system....

If I Ever- Closed

If I Ever Have to Close my Store.

I would probably give my workers better discounts on product than my customers.

"Oh this is 50% off? Here, take 80%"

That way, those who stuck with me until the end, could take what they wanted for more affordable prices.

Of course, if I still had product on the shelves after the doors close for the final time.

I would probably be like.  "Just take it." To whoever wants it.

And whoever doesn't want it.

I'd probably take the rest of the product and donate it.

Depending on what was left.

Depending on a lot of things really.

Who knows what I can and can't do when I'm closing down a business....I'm sure if I were part of a corporate chain there would be rules I'd still have to follow. But if its my own home run store....I probably can do whatever I want so long as I can pay the debts I owe or whatever.

Still.

I think it would be good to give my workers first option when it comes to buying product once the decision is made to close.

Of course.

That may never happen. ;)

I have to open a store first. lol

-Sarnic Dirchi

Me: *finishes story* That was such a good story! I really liked that.
Brain: You should go find another one.
Me: What? No! Why? We just finished this one.
Brain: The next one will be even better!
Me: You don't know that, we had to go through multiple stories before we found this good one.
Brain: You should start another. Now.
Me: But.
Brain: Now!
Me: Okay.

A New Life

My fingers dug into my temples as I tried to stave off the squiggly lines crossing my vision. It wasn't like I had wanted to read the stupidly fine print of a fifty-five page contract. But with everything on the line here, for my life, for my sanity. I had to make sure I wasn't signing away my first born son or anything.
I needed a new start. And a new start required a lot of contracts and a lot more paperwork.
I exhaled, again flicking my eyes back up to the third paragraph beginning it again since I had no idea what I'd just read.
Why do they have to make it all so complicated? I wondered massaging my temples harder. Why can't they say: If you do A, we'll provide you B, but if you break C then expect D to happen.
Oh right.
Because that would be easy wouldn't it?
And this group hardly liked to do anything the easy way.

-Inspiration from reading a housing contract earlier.

Nine Lives

Bang.
A fire between the eyes.
Then.
...Nothing.

He jerked awake with a gasp, sitting up right before a wave of nausea swept through him. Wildly, he looked around, but his eyes hadn't yet adjusted to the darkness of wherever he was.
Wait.
Shouldn't he be...
He lifted up a hand to his forehead, and flinched, feeling a small crater there, but surprisingly no hole.
"What's going on?" He muttered, the thumb of his other hand digging into his palm. Pain.
So....either ghosts could feel just like regular people....or he'd somehow survived. Survived being shot in the head. That should have been impossible.
He felt around in the semi darkness before he cautiously stood from the floor. Lights off. Laying on the floor. Had no one actually found him?
"Good, you're awake." A cool voice said from behind him.
He jerked, stepping back as he whirled hands raised defensively.
"I wasn't sure you'd wake up you know...there was an awful lot of blood from that death wound."
He blinked. Death wound? So... "Am I dead?" He asked.
A quiet chuckle. "Not anymore."
He blinked. "....How?" If he was dead he should still be dead. Dead people didn't rise! It wasn't like Zombies and Vampires actually existed right. ....Right?

-Inspiration from being annoyed at a story killing off a favorite character.

If I Ever- Was in Charge

If I Ever Own a Business....

I really would hope that I'd be less concerned over budgets.
I mean, yes, Money is important.
You need to make a profit and such in order to keep the business afloat.

But I definitely would think I'd give my business, or even company if I get that far....a lot of leeway.

I know budgets are there to keep people from going crazy and buying up things like mad.

But I don't believe that a budget should prevent the store from working at true potential.
I mean.

Right now my work is suffering because we're over budget on both supplies and payroll however that happens.
Oh right. People stay late. And things break and need to be fixed.

But anyways. My work is suffering right now.
Where they've cut back our coworker presence.
Though for some reason it's really only my department that appears to be taking the hit.
Which is depressing considering my dept -besides the cashiers- is what really needs a presence especially during the Christmas season. Can you imagine the nightmare it is to work an 8 hour shift by yourself, and then get trapped at work for another hour because customers kept showing up but your coworkers who were supposed to relieve you got stuck in other departments and so couldn't come to bail you out?

It wouldn't have been so bad if there had been two of us. Like there should have been on a Saturday. A busy Christmas filled shopping Saturday.
Instead. It was just me.
Trying to keep up.

Nor is it helpful when budget prevents you from ordering much needed supplies either.
Forcing you to find other means to get what you need done with what you have.

It's irritating.
Very irritating.

I understand that companies need to make money. That companies can't afford to have people going totally crazy with buying things.

But I'd feel like there should be like a....grey zone with the budget.

Like. You tell the stores: "Hey you can only spend this much."
But in reality. They can spend like twice that much.
Because really. Life happens. Things break. More money needs to be spent one month compared to the next.

If you only want to have stores working a certain amount of hours.
Have them work that. But make it grey. You can only have so many hours for your coworkers....but guess what? There's actually a higher cap. Because life happens.

If I was in charge of a company I would want to make sure each store can run to the best of its capabilities.
If a particular store needs to order more supplies due unforeseen circumstances. Go ahead.
If a store needs to bring on more people in order to better cover the store during peak hours.
Go ahead.

Really.
If I was in charge of a store.
I would be less concerned about how much extra money I could make.
I would be more concerned that my stores looked neat, that things were in good appearance, that my workers were happy and getting enough hours. That Customer service could be done with help....

It's when money starts becoming the main focus that things start falling apart.

So if I ever own my own store....
Definitely going to be more lax on hours and the budget until proven otherwise.

Me: We should write!
Brain: But, what about checking out these websites first??
Me: We should write!
Brain: But, you haven't eaten yet! Food!
Me: We should write!
Brain: But I'm so tired....we should take a nap first.
Me: We should write!
Brain: But, you just read a really good story! I'm sure the next story will be just as great!
Me: ....We should head to bed.
Brain: Okay...but Hey! How about we think about this Amazing story idea we should write!!
Me: *groans*

Welcome Home

"I don't belong." He said with a shrug.
She raised an eyebrow, her mouth quirking in her familiar smile. "That's a load of Hogwash and you know it." She said her grip not slackening from his arm. If anything it grew tighter as she tugged him forward. "You're family now. You'll always be welcomed."
No. That wasn't true. It couldn't be. He shook his head. "I'm hardly family after the pain I put everyone through with my selfishness."
"Yet you came back to fix it. It's not like we don't all go through dark phases Mr. I Can't Be A Hero." She tugged his arm again. "I'm telling you to come with me, not asking. And if you don't come I'll hunt you down and make sure you come. So you might as well save me the trouble and just move those lead bricks you call feet."

-Inspiration from watching Moana

Almost There

I slump to the ground, hand gripping my shirt over my chest as I struggled to breathe. Blast it. Blast it Blast It Blast it. I growled to myself. Why did my body have to betray me now? Only a few more minutes, another mile and it would be worth it in the end.
Shakily I pulled myself to my feet, staggering more than running but unable to do anything more. Just a few more fee---I groaned as blackness covered my vision, as my cheek hit cold pavement. As I lost more than my consciousness with my ineptitude.

-Inspiration from random thoughts.

Over Slept

I didn't meant to crash for four hours.
How was I supposed to know how tired I actually was?
...Well I knew I was tired because I didn't get much sleep the night before.
But sleeping for four hours is a bit long for a nap....
Usually it's 3 at the most.

So it was unsurprising that I had an unpleasant guest behind my eyes when I finally woke up.
I'd slept too long.

Thankfully some meds seems to have helped. :)

Cold?

"Megan!" Cody cried out in shock. "What are you doing?"
I frowned at him. "I'm helping you guys take out the trash?" I said making it a question.
I had had a spare moment to help out. After all, there was a ton of trash form work that needed to be taken out to the dumpster. More hands made quicker work.
"No! No! Why aren't you wearing a jacket!" He gestured to me and I looked down, blinking. Oh yah.
I looked up with a smirk. "It's not that cold guys." I said grinning wider at the two guys. Both of them bundled up in their heaviest coats, with hats and scarves as well as gloves. Honestly it wasn't like they were in the Artic or anything. It was just a little snow storm.
"It's freezing!"
I shrugged, spreading out my bare arms as I was only in a T-Shirt. The weather didn't feel cold. Sure snow was falling thickly, but it actually felt quite nice. "No it's not." I said with a laugh. It never would be for me.

-Inspiration from personal experience at work today.

New Beginnings

She never thought that she'd leave. Cassandra's flitted her gaze about the office, the place that had been her home for the past four years. There were so many memories here. So many good memories. The slight bent to the potted tree where John had accidentally crashed into it when he'd been fixing the tile light above. The long scratch against the boss's window from an unfortunate incident with a rat. The laughter of her coworkers as they recounted the calls that they'd gotten from customers that day. The place had been a haven against the rest of her life. A place to form bonds to call home.
And now.
She was leaving.
She blinked rapidly feeling tears welling in her eyes.
Why had everything had to change? The new boss, the stricter rules, the new policies. And one by one, her friends had gone. Day by day the laughter happened less. The lights dimmed more.
Until finally, she was the only one left.
The only one who had been hoping that things would return to how they had been. That she'd come around the corner and see Benny juggling his pens from boredom, to see Megan going for her fifth cup of coffee that morning. To hear Ashley giggle whenever she was asked a particularly stupid question.
Cassandra swallowed, her smile fading from a grin to an echo. An echo of a smile to fit the echo of memory. Trailing her fingers along the rickety desk that had been hers with regretful longing, she silently apologized. She'd stayed as long as she could. But perhaps even on the morrow, her desk of four years would have a new occupant. Perhaps.
Hitching her satchel over her shoulder, she took one last glance around the office, listening to the voices of the strangers that had been her coworkers.
"Later." She whispered aloud, mentally hearing her old group call back their own goodbyes. Lifting her head she pushed through the doors.
It was time to find a new home away from home.

-Inspiration from a random thought that popped in my head when I was thinking about people who choose to quit their jobs.

Day After Stress

It was probably a combination of things.

Probably it started with the after effects of having to deal with the Black Friday crazy the day before.
It probably was compounded upon by moving a heavy fish tank and causing my muscles to become really sore.

And then...
I had the stress of going to a game night, where I would be interacting with people. Where I would only know two of those people.
Where I was pretty confident this was a 'set up' by my friends to meet one of their guy friends and test the waters to see if we'd click or not.

Oh yes. Unknowns are stressful.

So, BlackFriday, Sore muscles, Stressful situation.
Definitely good cause for a headache.
Hopefully it fades....

Black Friday -No Surprise

It's unsurprising that I ended up with a headache today.
I mean, considering all the chaos and stress of having to work the crazy that is Black Friday....there's definitely no surprise that I got a headache midway through my shift.
I mean, first off I hadn't gotten enough sleep.
Second off I had to quickly try and open as much of my dept in an hour before we opened for the Black Friday Sales as I could (hint: I didn't get far)
And then spent the rest of my shift guiding and helping customers out who were searching for deals on tanks and cat litter and food and basically everything else.

It was crazy.
It was chaotic.
It was a ton of people for waaay too long.
So it's unsurprising that I ended up getting tense from all the different energies swirling about.
Thankfully though, I managed to make the headache go away once I was able to come home and decompress a bit and relax in the 'quiet' of the house where I didn't have to talk to anyone at all. :)

A Treat

He shrank back at the sudden onslaught of noise as the doors opened to the home. A steady hand on his back, kept him from darting back into the night. "It's alright." The man said with a warm smile down to the boy. "You're welcome here."
The teenager shrugged, shoving his hands into the pockets of his ragged jacket. "You don't have to do this." He said quietly.
"Of course I do, the least I could do for you saving my life is to invite you to Thanksgiving Dinner with the family."
The teenager swallowed, unable to hide the hunger as the smells of Turkey, Bread, and other scents wafted over to them. "I-I.."
"Come on." The man said giving him a light shove. "They won't bite. Especially when they find out you're the reason I made it here and not to the morgue."

-Inspiration from standing in the cold outside a restaurant.

Staying Healthy

"Sam....when was the last time you ate?"
Sam frowned, his eyes still glazed as he focused more on his project than on what I was saying. "Huh?"
"When did you eat last?" I repeated again.
He shook his head looking up at the clock on the wall reflexively. "What day is it?"
I blinked. "...Thursday..." I said slowly.
He frowned, studying the clock before a hand absently brushed his stomach. "This morning then."
I stiffened. "It's nearly midnight!"
"Yes?"
"You need to eat Sam!!" I exclaimed moving forward and tugging him off the chair. "You can't survive off of eating only once a day. It's not healthy."
"Hey! I'm fine...let go. Stop!" he struggled.
"No, you're not coming back here until I get food into you." I responded firmly. "Come on Sam, food. Remember what that tastes like?"

-Inspiration from my realization I forgot to eat again.

If I Ever -Cafes

If I Ever open up a café...

I'm going to make it book themed.

Like not literally book themed, but that the foods and such we'd serve would be based off of foods found in books.

Because it's frankly rather annoying to read about meals in your favorite books, but not be able to eat them.
So it would be fun to take food mentioned in said books, and create a menu item based off of it, or have it.

Of course, since there are like a gazillion and a half books out there.
It would be pretty impossible to have all foods mentioned in the books.

So I'd probably have to theme my café....like Fantasy foods or something.
And then sell menu items based off of The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The Wheel of Time...etc.

But I'd probably have a 'requests' section.
Where customers would be able to leave requests on what type of foods they'd want to sample in the future.

They'd have to say which book it is, what food it is, and then put down their name and number so that when/if I had the opportunity to sell that food item, I could let them know that it was now available.

I'd probably a monthly food extravaganza or something. Where I'd create menu items based off of customer suggestions, then sell them for a month.
Some items may make it onto the main menu, others may disappear back into nothing...

Still.
It's a fun idea. :)
A café where you can go and eat food from the book you're reading.
I think it would be quite immerseful. :)

Never Cold

"Renee are you crazy!!" My coworker, Mary Sue demanded rushing up to me. "You could have frozen to death! It's COLD!!" She scolded grabbing onto my hands and pulling me further inside.
I blinked, surprised at the concern. "Someone had to go out and shovel the driveway if we're to get any customers in today."
"Yes, but usually people shoveling in negative degree weather wear a Coat!" she hissed, frowning down at my hands in hers.
Oh, right. A Coat. In the moment I hadn't even thought about grabbing one. "Honestly, it wasn't that cold." I said. "You must be sensitive, your hands are colder than mine."
Her frown deepened. "How in the world is that possible? You just barely came inside!"
"Cold doesn't bother me." I said with a shrug, pulling my hands from hers. "I like winter unlike some people."
"Unlike most people." Her dark eyes met my light ones.

-Inspiration from going outside to gather carts without a coat when my coworker complained it was cold outside.

Chatterbox

I continued to smile, though if anyone had paid attention to me they would have realized that my smile no longer held the warmth it had just moments before.
Pretend. Smile. Keep the smile. I thought to myself as I once again had my words cut off by my another girl in the class.
Honestly, how hard could it be to get a simple idea across? To tell a story?
Very hard, when it comes to the other girl. Shandra Laywick. Hyper. Energetic. Bubbly. And unable to hold quiet long enough let me say more then a few words before interrupting.
At this point I doubted she actually realized that she was interrupting me. It had happened so many times before now. And not just to me, I had to concede. She did it to others as well in the classroom. Not everyone, some could hold their own against her.
I wasn't one of those.
Again, I tried to speak out, only for Shandra to burst into motion once more, repeating the exact same words I'd spoken moments before.
Did anyone else notice? Had anyone else heard me in the first place? Really, my attempts to not be a wall flower were going pretty badly here. It was so much easier to just sit back in this particular class and keep my thoughts to myself. I was wasting energy otherwise trying to get my opinions heard.

-Inspiration from personal experience

Destressed?

It's probably from my back.
It's been aching since around lunch time.
In an odd way.

Like...either my muscles randomly relaxed and aren't used to being relaxed.
Or...they just got tensor.

And there isn't really away to tell for sure which one it is.

As the unfamiliar feeling probably got me stressing over it.
Which caused other muscles to tense.
Which in turn went up to my head.

Where there's now a nice dull ache behind one of my eyes.

Oh goodie.

Impossible

"Three.
Two.
One."

Her gasp had a smile crossing my face as I braced myself briefly against the wall, fighting against the drain in energy that accompanied me anytime I performed actual magic. What could I say, I was a sucker for damsels in distress.

"But how?" She gasped out, and I could only imagine her fingering the gem she'd been trying so hard to get her hands on. Too bad for her, I'd been a step ahead the entire time. That was part of the job really. Be a step ahead or else you get caught.

I chuckled, pushing away from the wall, continuing in my other preparations. "A magician never tells their secrets, M'lady"

"You must have an accomplice on this flight." She deduced.
I hummed in response. Not giving anything away. If I had any money to afford an international flight that would have been a grand idea. But I wasn't made of money despite what everyone thought of my thieving ways.

-Inspiration from a Magic Kaito episode

Velvet

Okay, the lizard in the worker's hands didn't look so bad. I leaned forward staring at the pattern of orange and brown on it's back.
"It's pretty soft too." He said with a smile running a finger down the lizard's back. "Usually pretty mellow, they don't jump much."
Hoping my hand wasn't shaking too much, I reached out mimicking the man's gesture, and smiled. 'It's nearly like velvet." I said in surprise. The skin on the lizard was soft. I'd been expecting rough edges that would catch on my fingers. "This...wouldn't be so bad."
I smiled at the creature and leaned closer to see, picturing Mia's surprise when she would get home.

Then the creature jumped.
Literally Jumped.
At me.
I screamed, darting back as the worker deftly caught the lizard before it had gone more than a few inches but it might as well have leapt for my throat!
"It's alright, they do that, but they don't bite." He reassured with a smile.
I held a hand briefly to my pounding heart, breathing quick and shallowly. Oh no. I would not go for something that could JUMP. "How about...next." I whispered while mentally banging my head against the nearest wall. Why did Mia have to be into Reptiles of all things?! It would be so much easier to buy an animal that didn't require bugs to eat!

-Inspiration from interacting with a customer this morning at work.

Double Whammy

You know what's worse than being sick?
Being sick and WITH a headache.
That just makes for an all around miserable me for sure.

How did I get the headache?
Best guess is from trying to sleep off being sick.
Took a nap.
Probably slept a bit tense.
Woke up with the aching head.

And it's gearing up to be one of those 'miserable' night headaches as well. Guess we'll see if I actually get any sleep tonight....

-Sarnic Dirchi

Too Responsible

Breathe.
Focus.
"Hi, can I help you today?" I asked, managing to keep myself from sounding sick. Managing to smile. Hoping that my face didn't convey how feverish I felt. Only four more hours to go. Four more hours before I could head home and call it a day.
I blinked, to try and focus.
The customer needed help. I needed to help them.
Focus.
Breathe.
Walk like normal. Pretend the floor isn't tipping weird. I know the store by heart now, I can get there without having to watch my feet.
Survive.
I couldn't leave.
Not when everyone here depended on me because there was literally no one to cover for me if I too fell sick.
I was sick.
But no one needed to know that.
My hand caught onto the shelf, steadying me from almost falling.
Breathe.
Focus.
I could do this. I could...I closed my eyes my legs crumpling beneath me.

-Inspiration from working sick. -Small Cold nothing major.

If I Ever -Speed

If I Ever get into a relationship,

My boyfriend is going to have to be one of those people who drives fast.
Because it seriously gets my eyes twitching whenever I get stuck behind slow drivers.
Or get stuck in a car with people who are driving too slowly.

No.
Speed. Fast.
I need a guy to keep up with me.

Cast Away

"I can't believe you just did that."
Hannah looked over at him and grinned, as she held up the wiggling nearly a foot long, trout. "I told you not to compete against me Dave!" She said with a toss of her hair. "I'm the best around these parts."
Dave rolled his eyes. "This is your FIRST time."
"Beginner's luck is always my forte." She said with a shrug. "You know that better than anyone."
Didn't he ever. Dave thought, once more casting out his fishing line to see if he could actually catch a fish before it stole his bait. Hannah had already caught at least six fish and they'd been fishing in the exact same area, using the exact same bait! "Well...I suppose that means you aren't going to go hungry tonight."
Hannah shot him a hundred watt smile. "I won't, I may even share with you if you ask nicely."
"I'll save that for when we actually return to camp, until then. Game on."
Hannah shook her head. "Bet I catch at least a dozen before you catch one."
"Beginner's luck has to end at some point, Han."
"You keep telling yourself that Dave." She said threading another worm on the hook and casting it out. "Just watch. You won't pull up a single fish now."

-Inspiration from....out of the blue really.

If I Ever -Sponsor

If I Ever become Immortal

One of my goals would be to help fund some sort of artistic group.
Something that will become famous at some point.

Right now, I'm thinking of a group similar to BYU Vocal Point.
Where the members are constantly changing since you can only be a member if you go to BYU.
It would be fun to sponsor such a group.
And just watch how it evolves through the years.

Plus it would be fun to become a legend in their eyes.
As an Immortal I wouldn't age....
So I would always look the same as they grow older...

But yah.
It would be fun just to be that 'secret' the group has.
That the sponsor has remained the same through years.

If I Ever become Immortal I'm totally doing this. :)

Play Date

The door slammed open, banging against the wall as the police force moved in. "HANDS UP!" they yelled as an older woman with grey hair turned, eyes widening in surprise before breaking into a smile. "Oh, are you Jer-Bear's friends?" she asked with laughter. "Don't you all look so cute. Have you been playing in the back all day?"
The officers looked to each other in confusion. Playing? She hardly seemed frightened of all the uniformed officers.
"That's right mamma" A tired voice said from the side door. The thief leaned against it, a hand against his side where a red stain was visible. "We were playing cops and robbers." He smirked to the officers briefly moving his hands in a 'stand down' gesture, before he moved to his mother. "But we got hungry. Is there anything to eat?"
She laughed, kissing his cheek. "Of course Jer-Bear, I just finished making these sandwiches."
"You're an angel like always mamma. Thanks." He said with a smile, leading her to the living room to sit. "We'll eat in the kitchen, why don't you get to your favorite show, it should be on soon right?"
She gasped, hands going to her mouth. "Oh you're right! I can't believe I almost missed it." She sat down willingly enough eyes already glued to the TV as he turned on the DVR.
A glance to his mom, the thief returned to the kitchen, his smile fading as his hand once again went to his injured side. "Mind if we take this outside guys?" He asked, grabbing a sandwich off the counter and biting into it. "I'd rather not mess up the kitchen."
His main rival stepped forward with a frown. "Is...your mom alright?" He asked.
The thief shook his head. "She's as fine as she can be." He said simply. He grinned though there was no happiness to it. "She'll always think I'm nine no matter how old I get." He jerked his head to the door. "Come on then, let's go 'play' some more."  He darted outside into the darkness.

-Inspiration from a conversation about parents getting dementia.

Open Spaces

My fingers tapped on the steering wheel as I stared at the sea of red lights in front of me.
I knew I should have known better than to attempt to drive in the middle of rush hour.
But the mood to flee where I was at had hit rather strongly.
So in the car I had jumped...
And now I sat stuck in the middle of the city.
Trapped in more ways than just in the car.
I took a slow steadying breath, trying to ignore the feeling of the towering buildings looming over me.
They weren't moving, they weren't going to fall on me, there was blue sky in the narrow strip that allowed roads to move between the masses.
I was fine.
The tapping of my fingers on the steering wheel got more frantic.
I was fine.
I would be even more fine if the cars in front of me ever decided to remember they had movement so I could get out of the tight area.
Open space.
Any open space was preferable to here.

-Inspiration from driving home in rush hour traffic.

Escape

I darted away, running as fast as my legs could carry me.
It wasn't fast enough.
From behind I was tackled, and we rolled, my assailant landing on top of me.
That didn't mean I wouldn't go without a fight though.
A bucked, struggling to break from his grip.
Only managing it when his cohorts jumped on him to hold me down.
It was enough to loosen his grip.
Enough for me to wiggle in the mass of bodies.
Enough for me to roll free, jump to my feet and disappear around the corner before they knew what happened.
That had been too close.

-Inspiration from watching an animal video lizard escaping snakes

End Times

The darkness closed within, tightness in the chest.
Watching.
Waiting.
Hoping against hope that this, this wasn't going to be the route taken.
But time passes.
And it dims, it fades, to barely a flicker.
Hope.
Hope.

Surely there still should be hope....

-Devastation from Election Results

From the Book

The book slammed shut in my face, nearly catching my nose before I pulled back. "HEY!" I cried as Megan slipped the book away from me holding it out of my reach. She danced back as I stood. "Jay get your face out of a book for once and socialize!" she called with a grin, darting into the nearby room.
The nearby noisy room. I groaned, nearly sitting back down in the chair. Honestly? Why did she have to do this to me? I had purposely avoided the party for that very reason. Socializing with rich people wasn't up my alley, no matter how many times Megan tried to push me to make friends with them. She was friend enough, I didn't need any other brats taking away my books.
Running a hand through my hair, I bit the bullet and moved to the party. I'd get the book back from Megan, and then I would find a corner and finish that chapter without her interrupting me again.

-Inspiration from reading all day.

The Fake Smile

Why could no one else see her for what she was? I wondered, my hand tightening on my pen as her cool flint eyes swung over me. How could they take her smiling face as anything more than a façade? The muscles on her face were too controlled, the smile never changing the coldness in her eyes. How could they not feel the rage boiling under that small smile? Every instinct I had was screaming at me to get out. Get out now! But I couldn't. Not if I didn't want to draw attention to myself. If she didn't notice me, I would be able to fly under the radar.
At least that's what I told myself.

-Inspiration from sitting in class.

A Spot To Eat

The banquet was well underway when I slipped into the hall, casually adjusting the black strip of cloth I was using to mimic a tie. I hadn't ever owned a tie, but with the dim lights, the bare suggested shape should keep me from standing out. Black shirt, black pants, black fake tie. So what if they were a little worn, in the darkness, people wouldn't notice.
And that's exactly what I was counting on.
With the lights dim, the audience's attention on the speaker up front, I could quietly slip over to the banquet table where the food was piled high and grab myself a plate.
I moved quickly. As much as I wanted to stuff the whole table into Santa's Sack, I would restrain myself. One plate. One delicious plate of food that wasn't rotten and I would be out.
Keeping my head down, I finished in under a minute and turned snaking my way to the door. A table for one would do just fine whether it was here or up on the roof. Frankly though I preferred the roof.

-Inspiration from random musings