Screaming song after song played on an irritating loop over the radio. No matter what station you went to it was heavy metal or alternative rock; whatever the hell people called it nowadays. Even if I slammed my head against this desk I wouldn't be able to get those songs out of my head.
Finally turning off the radio, I leaned back in the chair, resting my feet on my desk. I still was half-heartedly expecting Zak to just pop up even when I knew the letter said he wouldn't be. My mind was going wild with so many ideas as to what he may have done to get himself tied up with Ben and the others. Or were they rewarding him? I didn't know, but those thoughts still plagued me all day and night.
As far as the past few days have gone, I haven't heard a single thing from anyone but our customers. I guess that was good, but I also had this nagging feeling that they were somehow onto me. I don't think I really was too big of a threat to them right now, but the plan had been and still is to lay low until I get my chance and I find a way to get over that fucking wall. That couldn't happen when I was stuck in this shop.
Shutting my eyes, I rested my head against the headrest of the comfy chair we had splurged on and tried to relax. It was around 2-3 in the morning, which meant it was an incredibly safe bet that no one would be coming into the shop. I'd taken little cat naps here and there throughout the last 5 days. Every time I was in the bathroom, I refused to look at myself in the mirror because I didn't want to see the dark and deep bags I just knew would be under my eyes. I probably looked like I was detoxing for hell's sake.
I was starting to believe that tonight would be the night I finally give in to sleep. My body couldn't sustain this sleep deprivation anymore. I needed a nice 6-9 hour sleep and not just a 30-minute nap that got me through 2-3 hours before feeling absolutely beat and exhausted once again.
The silence of the shop lulled me closer to sleep, and I finally let go and let myself succumb to going to sleep.
...
Looking around the lobby, it was clear that there was not a certain theme or characteristic that tied us all together. There were young ones that appeared to almost be newborns, and there were some ladies and gentlemen that looked about 60 or so. The only similarity that we all currently shared was that we all were equally frightened at what was going on. We just knew we clearly were on the same team, and we needed to find a way out.
There were younger children sitting at their parents' feet, holding on tight and crying. The noise pulled at every heartstring I had. Husbands clutched their wives closely to their chests, wanting to protect them through whatever was coming.
Lastly, there were individuals like myself. Alone, with no friends or family in sight, and clearly more worried than those who had loved ones near them. Did that put us at further risk? Would we be considered unworthy and be killed? Were people even being killed? Just what in the hell was happening here in Scranton, and did this mirror what was occurring in other cities across the United States?
Many people had already tried to get out through all of the doors, and even some of the first-floor windows, and it had become painfully clear that we were locked in. It was obvious to me that there was absolutely no way we were getting out, and I figured instead of sucking up everyone else's grief, I would go back to my own room and soak in my own despair.
I was one of the few people who had actually been staying in this hotel before these people were towed in here overnight in about groups of 30 at a time. I'd taken many precautions to make sure that I kept my room key on me, and thanks to this day it still worked. No one cared to look at me as I got up and walked out of the lobby, heading up the staircase to my room. In all honesty, they probably thought I was going to go and end my life, tragically as a few others had already done.
"Hey! Hey, you! What the heck are you doing?" A female voice whispered harshly, as I reached my room.
Turning around, I was confronted with a rather tall woman who looked to be a few years older than me. She was sporting a simple grey hoodie with a beanie on her head. Her arms were covered in tattoos, her ears were stretched, and she had on a pair of glasses. I absolutely hated judging people based on their appearances, but right now I couldn't take any chances. Even if she would have been a 90-year-old lady with a cane I honestly would have been questioning her intentions at this point.
"What are you doing?" I snapped back.
"Trying to save dumb asses like you who just wander off. Get in here!" She growled, practically shoving me into my room before locking it.
"Who are you?" I demanded to know.
"Goodness, you're more feisty than you look. Anyways, my name is Allie. I live here in Scranton, I work as a florist, and I used to date - well, I was actually very shortly married to one of the men turning this city on its fucking head. I hate it and I want out. So now tell me who you are." Allie said, shutting the blinds.
"I'm...um....my name is, uh, Bea." I lied.
"Well um...my name is, uh Bea. When you're going to lie to not just me, but anyone about your name, try sticking with it and making it a little less obvious that you are indeed lying. I mean don't get me wrong, I could care less if you lie. It's actually most likely to your advantage if you can pull that off, I'd just make sure you don't sound like a bumbling fool when you do so." Allie warned me, plopping down on my bed.
"No, no, no! You don't get to just come in my room, tell me you were married to one of the people doing this...whatever this is...and not explain yourself or this situation. What is going on here?" I hissed.
"You might remember right after the government fell that we looked to others that we deemed "everyday people" to help us take over. Well, that backfired like a motherfucker. Those we entrusted to help put us under their own rules. There are cities where gangs, religious groups, actors, and your ordinary wackos and so forth where they've taken the city under control. That's the same for this town. Cameron Fisher is the main man that has taken over this city. Most of them were born here, and their sorry assess decided to come back and make this their little shitshow." Allie explained.
"You're telling me some random group of men in their 20s and 30s has managed to take over this whole city? What in the hell can they truly do? ?" I asked her, finding this all to be a little ridiculous.
"That's not them at all. They're very smart and calculated. He's actually a very intelligent man. Intelligent enough to get his a mob of people behind him to take control of this city. It didn't take him too long to get them out of his way though and chuck them out of Scranton. They're all actually pretty smart. Well, Gabe is a bit of an odd addition, but I'm sure he just downplays his intelligence. I think." Allie said.
"So you were married to this guy?" I questioned her, wanting to get the full story.
"No, not Gabe. One of Cameron's right-hand men, Roman. It was a very short marriage, and taking over an entire city and holding most of its inhabitants isn't exactly the advice our marriage counselor gave us. That really doesn't matter right now though. What matters is that I can help you. You just have to trust me, and I swear I will help you get through whatever is coming our way." Allie told me.
"How can I trust you?" I wondered.
"Because right now you don't have anyone else to trust." She sighed.
My response to her was cut off by horrific and shrill screams echoing from all the way downstairs. Allie and I froze for a few seconds before she darted out of my room, and I ran after her, not wanting to be left alone anymore.
"Oh, my God!" A woman howled in pain.
Allie and I looked over the railing to see just what was going on, and I myself screamed in a voice that I didn't recognize as my own when I saw the man sprawled out on the floor, a puddle of blood slowly pooling around him.
His body was contorted in a way that was simply unnatural, and the woman who I assumed to be his wife screamed and cried as others around her tried to console the newly made widow. I knew in that second that this grisly scene and those horrid cries would be something that haunted me forever.
"There's your second option. You can jump too, or you can trust me to help you. Take your pick." Allie whispered.
"Ok, I trust you," I told her, my voice breaking as I too broke down.
...
"No, no, no!" I screamed, opening my eyes once more and relieved to see that I was back in the flower shop, grateful that the recurring nightmare from what happened inside of that hotel was once again over.
Tears were still freely strolling over both of my assumably flushed cheeks, and my entire form was shaking like a leaf. How I wish I could just have those memories burned out of my mind.
Sitting up in my chair, I pressed my legs to my chest, wrapping my arms around them as I continued to softly cry and sniffle into the soft fabric. I honestly had tried to push all of those memories out of my mind, but that had meant pushing Allie out of them too. I hadn't talked to her since she told me the day before we were released from the hotel that she got me a job at the flower shop, the one she had previously worked in.
I jumped out of my seat, turned on the lamp that was on my desk so that I could actually see where I was going, and grabbed my purse. Rummaging through it like a mad woman, I tried to find her card with her phone number on it, but I came up short.
"Oh, fuck." I groaned, realizing that I probably had left her card in the safe inside my house.
Even if someone broke into my house, which was not likely at all to happen, they wouldn't be able to get it. Allie had never told me exactly what part she played in this, or if she continued to be in contact with this Roman character. That's why I had hidden her card...I didn't need to get into any trouble with anyone. It was safer to just hide things nowadays.
"Hurry up, Zak," I growled, unlocking the shop's door.
Peeking down both sides of the road, I realized that things were quiet. That was good, the moment this city started waking up was truly the most frightening to me. It was an opportunity to be spotted and recognized.
My mind quickly went to the one dark thought that scared me more than the rest of the darker thoughts.
Would my life be better had I jumped too?
I shivered at the thought of that and grabbed the clipboard that had not only the orders that were being picked up today but the orders that I also needed to get prepared for tomorrow.
"Just another day in hell." I sighed.