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Before She Wakes

章 1: First Time Fears

It was almost closing time. Daniella watched the clock, making sure she wouldn't be late on closing again. There were only two guests at this time. One was at the bar and the other at a table near the restrooms. She had everything cleaned except for the places the guests were at. It was almost silent. The bar was only an attachment to a popular club. The club had shut down an hour ago due to it's size. It took awhile to clean. The bar was considerably smaller, although it did shut down sooner than it used to because of the pandemic.

She had called for last drinks a couple minutes ago but neither of them placed an order. The man by the bathrooms played a mobile game and the man at the bar seemed to be contemplating his life, silently staring off with his drink resting between both hands. Daniella checked the bottles to ensure they were all there and not a bit messy. Satisfied, she double checked all the dishes were clean and where they were supposed to go. She made sure the bathrooms were mess free and clear, and began her rounds to sanitize handles and anywhere else people would touch tomorrow.

The man by the bathrooms was the first to head out. The ringing of the door must have brought the other man out of his thoughts. He downed the last of his drink, mumbled a goodnight toward Daniella, and went for the front door. She sighed in relief. It didn't take long for her to finish the table spaces the men sat at and the final sanitizing she had to do before she herself could leave. She made extra sure the front door was locked before taking her exit out the back.

She worked at the club before the bar was constructed. She had agreed to work at the bar when it was finished, mostly because she had worked as a kitchen staff for the club before the changes. Food and drink could only be consumed inside the bar. Although, the bar itself didn't serve food, only drinks. They no longer allowed food or drink inside the club due to a lawsuit. Someone had slipped on the floor and sued the club. The lawsuit didn't stick because they had all the proper posting for wet floor and cautions about spilt drinks being common. They decided having a separate area for drinks would be more beneficial for the future of the club. There used to be a seating area on the second floor, but they took them out to make more space for dancers. The kitchen had been up on the second floor, they had turned it into a VIP area which the guests absolutely loved. She was happy she didn't have to deal with VIP guests. She only manned the bar in the evenings before closing.

Daniella had a car, but she didn't live very far from her work. The night was always nice, especially after the stuffy atmosphere of the club. She waited for the walk signal, even though she could have just walked across. Cars on the road were almost nonexistent at this hour. It was another thing she enjoyed. The nights were always so peaceful. The breeze shifted. It was unusual but suddenly Daniella began to feel uneasy. She had walked home night after night with no fear before but something about tonight seemed off. The light seemed to be taking longer than normal. The street ahead of her seemed darker. The night air seemed warmer.

The light finally changed. Walking across the street she caught scent of something burning. It made her stomach turn. Her nose cringed up because of it. She heard something on the opposite side of the street. She jumped a little, looking in the direction of the sound. All she saw was a dark alley. She touched her neck instinctively and almost panicked when she felt it wasn't there. A necklace her mother had given to her on her sixteenth birthday used to hang around her neck. The pendant used to sit where her fingers now rested. It had been years since it last hung around her neck, but the uneasiness of the night caused her to reach for it in a search for comfort. She had lost it during vacation for her graduation celebration. Her family had taken her to California to visit the beach. She lost it while swimming in the ocean. She cursed herself again for not taking it off beforehand. Her parents had lectured her for it but dropped it before the day had ended. There wasn't anything anyone could do about it once the ocean had claimed it.

She sighed. She only had two more blocks. Her house was seven blocks from work. Her uneasiness grew when she heard voices nearby. It added to her fear when she saw someone walking in her direction across the street. She scolded herself internally because of the fact that the person was across the street. Yet, that feeling still remained regardless. It began to feel like she needed to run, but she fought the urge. Daniella, she thought to herself, no need to seem like a coward. She walked this way every day. Why did it seem like tonight was so spooky? It was still a couple months before Halloween.

One more block, she thought as she rounded the corner. She could see her house. She let out a breath but realized she wasn't quite to safety. She stepped onto her property, cutting through the grass. She just wanted to get inside. There, she would most definitely be safe. She reached the door, the key already in her hand. Quickly unlocking it, she almost fell through the doorway. She didn't even look behind to be sure if her suspicions were correct. After making sure the doors were both locked as well as the windows, she retreated to her room. Sighing, she quickly changed and crawled into bed. It took her awhile to clear the fear from her mind before she drifted off to sleep.

***

The next morning, Daniella woke up earlier than normal. Her sleep was very fitful. Her dreams were like an unending series of nightmares. She didn't want to get out of bed. She stayed how she had woken up, staring at the wall. Her yawn brought her to reality. She sighed as she crawled out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. It took her a moment to realize she hadn't turned on the light in the tiny room. She scoffed at herself, hoping it wouldn't be a theme for today. She turned on the light before washing her hands.

In the kitchen she began to prepare a small breakfast for herself. Just scrambled eggs and toast. She scooped some egg onto her toast and made it into a sandwich. She mindlessly finished the eggs left on her plate as she thought of what she had to do today. She didn't have to work until later in the evening. It was only eleven in the morning, little after, but still. She had plenty of time to do whatever she needed to do. After the restless night, she couldn't remember what she had planned on doing today.

Daniella went and checked the mail. A couple letters sent from businesses hoping she'd start an account with them. One letter from the power company, and the last was from the hospital, just a survey on how they did on her last check up. She was perfectly healthy. She tore the junk mail before doing anything else, throwing the shredded paper away. Checking her balance in her bank account using the mobile app, she decided she could go pay her power bill. It was something productive. She made sure she had everything before locking up and heading to her car. The grocery store was further than the club she worked at, so she drove there.

She went straight to the customer service desk when she entered and paid her bill. She then wandered the store. Her fridge wasn't empty, but she figured she could stock up on the things she was low on while she was there. She recognized one of her regulars. He recognized her as well but didn't say anything. He walked next to his wife. She was pushing the cart, almost nagging at him as they walked. Daniella only gave them a friendly smile as she walked past. The woman just glared at her as the man gave her an apologetic smile. It didn't matter to her, though. She couldn't even remember his name. She went to pay and left for home.

While she was putting her groceries away, there was a loud sound like metal crashing. Daniella frowned and went to check. She saw an orange cat running away from a fallen trash can. She exhaled in relief, picking up the can and setting it somewhere it wouldn't fall over easily. The lid was a little further off near her shed. A chill ran down her spine as she bent to pick it up. Standing straight, lid in hand, she looked around. Someone was watching her from the back alley. The shiver through her body was involuntary. She was thankful for the chain link fence between them. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat, smiled and waved. The man didn't react at all, just turned around and walked down the alley, opposite of the way he was facing.

Fear ate at her, making her feel so cold. She went back inside and forced herself to put away the last of her groceries. She didn't want to be there any longer. She looked at the time. Work wasn't for another three hours. She could take a nap. She doubted she could after the man watching her from the alley. Add that to the spooky feeling from last night and it made her seem like she was paranoid or something. She took a couple deep breaths to calm herself. Two hours and forty-seven minutes. She sighed. Why was she so afraid? It's not like anything is going to happen to her. She's lived in this tiny house all by herself for years. This is, however, the first time she's ever been scared.

Perhaps a nap really would be good for her. She'll sleep for two hours. It'll give her enough time to get to work. She went and rested. It took her a moment to fall asleep. Her dream was strange. There was a fight. She was fighting people. She knew exactly where to punch, when to kick, and how to dodge. There wasn't time to celebrate. they kept coming. Her enemies were coming in waves. How was she fighting them off so well?

Suddenly, a man dressed in black walked up to her. The people stopped fighting her as he walked past them. She took a fighting stance facing him. He held a book in one hand the other held a black bag. The man muttered something. He dumped some of the contents of the bag onto the pages of the book. It looked like gunpowder. He took some between his fingers and threw it toward her as he chanted something. The chant must have caused a small whirlwind to have the powder fly straight to her face.

Daniella woke up. She didn't move. She felt stuck in her position. At least it felt comfortable. She looked around, only able to move her eyes. Everything seemed normal. The only thing that seemed off was her inability to move. She closed her eyes and focused her breathing. Her concentration went to moving her body. It took a little while but she slowly was able to move her fingers and toes and then her body was fully under her command again. She slowly sat up in bed.

She glanced at the clock and had a mini heart attack. She was going to be late! She brushed her teeth and her hair. She barely remembered to grab her keys before rushing out the door. Due to her being late, she decided to take her car. What usually took her fifteen minutes on foot only took her three minutes in her car. It especially helped that it was so late in the day, there wasn't much traffic to slow her down. When she got there, she wasted no time in the car and quickly relieved her coworker who thanked her as she left. Daniella breathed out in relief. She walked in with one minute to spare. It wasn't too busy right now. She knew it wouldn't last too long, though. Especially, since it was a Friday night.

There were some shouts at the pool table, causing her to glance over. It was a group that usually came after work on Fridays. She smiled and prepared a drink for a guest who just came to the bar. " There you go!" she said, exchanging money for drink.

"Thanks, sweetie," the lady said as she walked away. She went and sat with a couple regulars.

Daniella looked around. There weren't as many regulars as there normally was. That may be due to the pandemic. She saw a couple empty tables with glasses and decided to clear them so the next customer could possibly sit there. She went back with a cloth to wipe down the table, even though there was just a single ring on it from a glass. Time went by quickly. She continued to help multiple people. It was nice that the bar only served drinks. She didn't have to worry about food orders. She noticed a man staring at her from the corner booth. Taking a deep breath, she went to see if he needed anything. He smiled as she walked up.

"Anything I can help you with? Would you like something to drink?" Daniella asked.

He shook his head, not saying anything.

She clapped her hands together and said, "okay, if you do need anything, just let me know. Wave at me or something. I'll be at the bar."

"Thank you, Daniella," he said.

She smiled and walked away. There was a guest at the bar, smiling over at her. She went around the bar and assisted the gentleman. He flirted a little bit, but she just kept the conversation professional. He finally wished her a goodnight and went and sat at a table to finish his drink. She went to the pool table to make sure everyone there was doing all right. They all agreed they were. A man stopped her before walking away saying, "Actually…!" and ordered another drink.

She was wiping down the bar when she noticed the man again. He was watching the pool table with a smile on his face. He had brown hair long enough to fall into his brown eyes. He had a nice face, a bit of stubble on his jaw line, and he wasn't extremely thin but he wasn't heavy set either. He turned and looked at her. Daniella didn't look away. Instead, she walked over to him.

"Excuse me, sir. Are you going to have a drink tonight?" she asked, her voice completely professional.

"Not tonight, no," he answered.

She nodded once. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave, then. You can go in the club but it's going to close within-" she glanced at the clock, "over an hour. I can't have you sitting here if you're not going to order a drink. There are seating areas in the club, not many but you can sit in there."

He smiled. "I understand," he said. He left a tip on the table even though he hadn't ordered anything.

She took the money and watched him walk out the front door of the bar. That was strange, she thought. Some dancers came and went throughout the night until the club closed. Some people came and finished their night at the bar. The guys at the pool table left and with a half hour before closing there were three guest's total. Two females sitting together in the corner booth, chatting away and that same guy who played on his mobile phone as last night. Tonight, however, he sat at the end of the bar, still near the restrooms.

She started going through the closing process, making sure everything was cleaned and sanitized, preparing for the afternoon when they opened again. The ladies came up to the bar and ordered one last drink, downing it before exiting the bar. I told the man playing his phone that it was last call. He shook his head, pocketed his phone and left. She still had ten minutes before the actual closing time, but she figured an early close tonight should be alright. She sanitized everything and made sure everything was in it's proper place before locking the door and leaving the back of the bar.

The bar was built into the parking lot area, just a small square block protruding from the taller club. She cut across the parking lot, almost forgetting she had taken her car earlier in the evening. The only reason she remembered it was by seeing it sitting across the street in the public parking space. She laughed at herself as she crossed the street. She got in and was a block away from the club before she got this feeling like she was being watched.

"Daniella," a male's voice from the passenger seat. She looked over and the man from earlier who didn't order anything sat there, in her car.