And she glared at me. “I have had it done before here, and this is an expensive watch. I don’t want to take it to a jeweler.” The anger radiated off her so badly I had to take a step back. I’m an empath after all. I could also swallow it and feed off it if I wanted to.
I stood my ground. “We can’t work on it since it’s not one we carried, and if they have worked on one, then they lost their job because of it. I said no.”
And since she was acting that badly to me, I decided to take it away from her and influence her since I didn’t want to keep arguing with her. The emotion of anger was like a little red ball swirling around, and I took it into me. I replaced it with the blue ball of calmness.
She relaxed and said, “Okay, I will just take it somewhere else then.” And she walked away….
I sighed, taking off my nametag and gathering clean clothes. My apartment is my place to unwind and get away from the world. Another day was done, of this job from hell at Kyle’s General store. The hot water of the shower soothed my sore muscles, but it did nothing for the goop that ran off me in clumps going down the shower drain. Clumps of negative energy residue leftover from the customers at my job. The shit that gets sloughed onto me day after day, of working in a man-made prison of manual labor. Or hell. And I’m a witch, but I don’t know what kind yet.
I don’t know which one though. I have been hidden for six years as a retail worker, and it slowly kills me.
God, I hate it there! I hate the stupid shitty customers assaulting my mind with impatience, anger, hatred, and fear. Their negative energy can make an awesome day into a bad one. I have a few good customers that make my day, and one asshole can ruin it all. Someone bitching that we are not able to work on their watch since it’s one that Kyle’s doesn’t carry. One guy made me want to punch him in the face since he was an asshole about it. Some even treated you like you were an idiot, like this one dumbass was treating me, like I didn’t know what a facial brush was when I don’t even work in the area. And another bitch was on her cell phone trying to get me to show her where the Under Armor was when I showed her twice that she was in front of it. The customers think we are idiots.
Of course, I do have botanicals to combat their onslaught, a combination of lavender, sage, and dandelion helps me in keeping calm and soothes my anxiety.
It leads me to think over the recent break up I’ve had since it was a bad breakup. I still have to see his stupid car around. It sucks I can’t blow him up. All the times Austin tormented me with every new girl he brought around to make me jealous. He was such an asshole and always criticized me for working retail. Then he acted like he was such a god’s gift to women. More like I feel sorry for whoever falls for his act. He treated me like shit and criticized me all the time, even made me cry on Valentine’s Day. And then made me feel bad since we didn’t get his car when he came back from his deployment. He wasted my time and cheated on me when I waited a year for his ass. I met him at Next Star and was brainwashed they were trying to control me. They needed me for something, and to this day I still don’t know what for. Sure, he was good looking, with dark hair to his shoulders, dark brown eyes, and tan, with a scorpion tattoo on his arm. He had a built body, but he was a cocky asshole who loved to hit on women and claimed to screw a lot and wasn’t very picky about the girls he had sex with. A douche to me. I loved the fact that he was a part of Next Stars soldiers who got supernaturals to the base. Until I realized I wasn’t special to him, and that I was a number on his belt. He is dead to me so he should just leave me alone already and stop stalking my place of work. He brings in some whores of which he ignores and tries to shove his relationship in my face.
I am a cashier, apparel, shoes, and I answer the phones while helping in the fitting room and take the keys to the jewelry counter when needed. It changes from day to day depending on where the idiots need me. I just wish I had a better way of dealing with the people and their emotional states. I dried off after my shower and got dressed in a nightshirt and pants. I have to have this god-awful job. I hated it since I don’t get paid nearly enough to deal with their emotional crap. I say screw it and pour myself a drink. It at least calms me down and makes me forget about everything. It doesn’t help that the customers look at me like they feel sorry for me.
Supernatural creatures came out of the closet years ago, and it was amazing when the first vampire appeared on television, fangs bared for the world to see. They came out of the closet since they needed humans in order to help keep their species of creatures going. It took place a few years ago, and there are even creatures living here in Crystal Crest some. There is actually a club so creatures and humans can mingle right near me. They don’t want to hurt us either, and they can even take on human lovers if they want. It’s been interesting since then since I’ve spotted some creatures here and there. It would be cool to see one up close and in person.
I turned on the television to make time go by faster. My life was boringly human, and despite my abilities, I could pass for a normal person. Not hard either, just act like a sheep and bitch over things I can control.
My favorite show was on called Hard Ass Pawn Shop, and the customers on this reality show were more outrageous than the idiots I have to deal with. I doubt I could handle the way they are yelled at. It made me weep for humanity. I watched the show for hours since a marathon is on and finally fell into a dreamless slumber. The quietness of sleep took me after I stopped worrying about dealing with idiots tomorrow, and the alcohol makes me fall asleep even faster. Too bad I drank too much.
Or, I thought I had gone to sleep. I was now in a forest with green trees, and a cloudless sky. I looked around the place, and a white light appeared before me. It sparkled and changed shape into a guy. A very sexy guy with short, dark blond hair, spiked, and the prettiest blue eyes I have ever seen. Built too, but he was not an ordinary guy since cream-colored wings are sticking out of his back. It didn’t matter since the moment I saw him I forgot everything, and nothing really mattered except him. He is all I can think about. He is all I ever wanted, and I knew he was mine since I’ve never felt that way about anyone before. Weird. He was the sexiest guy I’ve ever seen and made me forget about my ex-douche.
He smiled at me and said, "We will meet again my angel..." Then he disappeared. Damn it come back….
I woke up the next morning disappointed it was just a dream, and all I wanted to do was go back to sleep and see the cute angel again. The angel who is my other half and knew me better than anyone else. I felt drawn to him. If only it were real instead of a dream. I knew he was someone special in my life, but reality brings me back to the fact that I’m alone and in a dead-end retail job where the only way up is to ass-kiss. And to the ex-Austin who put his new bitches in my face, and he had actually ignored one of them. At the time, he was smiling at his phone, so he was probably cheating on her with another. He wasn’t a good catch since he was a loud mouth douche with baby mama drama. His family was the worst by giving me hope when there wasn’t any.
I had to go into work though anyway to earn a paycheck, as shitty pay as it was. At least until I didn’t feel like hiding anymore. Or, I didn’t feel like taking Salem, my stupidvisor’s shit.
I got up to shower and dress in my slave uniform. And I took Tylenol for my headache since hangovers are the worst.
Black pants and a red shirt with a stupid name tag. Angeline was my full name, but I put Angel for short, so they didn't have to say my full name. I even put on makeup and accessories. My shift started in a few hours leaving me time to ponder. 12:00-9:00 today! Before I did anything, I put on my crystal quartz and program it to block the signals of the brains of the many customers that walked through the doors of Kyle's General Store. Even block it from the other employees’ brains. I knew how they felt. I got it from the resident witch Ginger Stone, and she gave it to me in order to help me block the emotions of people and keep it from overwhelming me. She was the one who told me I was a witch in the first place. I showed up
to her shop after I first discovered my abilities. She taught me how to control it some.
I didn't go to the grocery side till the 2:00 shape up. It was off Surrey road in a rich part of town, and the customers could be snobby.
I got a move on to go there, dreading driving on Surrey road, the main one in Crystal Crest which is run by psychics. They needed people who could help in case the realms went to war with one another, and some people didn’t trust them either. Humans needed help against a supernatural enemy in case there was one, and they even had psychics in the military and police. Music blared from my stereo, drowning out the annoying noises of cars and trucks with drivers too big for their britches.
I could feel people in their cars like pulsing mounds of energy with emotions buzzing like bees. People were angry, sad, mad, and happy while driving their cars to wherever. I grabbed my opal ring on the black, rough dashboard and put it on the metal making their energy even duller so I couldn’t feel shit. I hated feeling people anyway, and I had been dealing with this since high school.
These stones I was wearing would give me the energy I needed to block the crowds on Black Friday. It’s November the 25th, and since I didn’t have anyone to celebrate with, I didn’t mind working since it would help me take my mind off things.
Today was one of the busiest days in retail besides the day before Christmas, with people itching to get their hands on the latest gadget, television, tablet, and deals they would not normally have every day. I got to the parking lot amidst the crazy drivers, parked my Karcano, and turned off the car. I sat there in silence and closed my eyes, shielding the emotions to block it all out.
I imagined my body’s aura around me and surrounded my whole body with metal like a tower blocking everything out. I imagined a rock around my body, and it enabled me to fully block out everything. Nothing could get through except for my own thoughts in my head. I didn’t want to feel anything for the next few hours from people. I could read minds as well as feel their feelings.
Fully prepared, I walked through the door of the crowded store. I saw the front-end registers already busy with customers shopping with carts full of goods. People checking out, and the beeps of ringing up the items as they were being passed across the register scanner.
“Hey, Angel, you finally made it didn’t you?”
I smiled when I heard that voice since I knew who it belonged to all too well.
Kalisa Stryker, my light at the end of this retail tunnel. She was also my best friend, and one I could vent to at a bar at the end of a long, workday full of assholes.
“Yep, I did, though I wish I hadn’t since a nice customer went and messed up my hard work…”
Kalisa had wild auburn curls, yellowish-green, catlike eyes, and green eyeshadow with a poison ivy leaf at the end of her corners. She even had cherry plump lips that made guys fall to their knees. She was pale like the full moon shining brightly in the sky. She did not take shit from anyone and she loved people. She always had a smile for me and any man dumb enough to fall for it.
I had been friends with her since elementary school, and I really loved the fact that she was not a mindless Kyle-kissing drone. I swear some of the employees must have sucked his dick to get the promotions they got. Or, Salem did, to get to be promoted to stupidvisor. The dipshit.
“Good. We need to stick together in this retail hell,” she said.
Her eyes widened when she saw the mess the customers left. “Fuck me. The messy customers are out more today than any other day. That is the sixth fucked up pile of clothes I’ve seen today.”
I smiled sadly. “It won’t be the last on this hellish day.”
We began picking up the wreckage of clothes the customers left and tore through like a lion through a gazelle.
After I was done, the supervisor Emma found me amidst all the craziness. She wore the uniform that curved to her body versus fought it like mine always did. She had an earpiece in her ears connected to the walkie to listen in on idiot managers. She was actually one of the good managers who loved her job, unlike some of them who sat there and bitched. Some didn’t do jack shit to help their sales associates. She smiled at me, and it was one that told me that one of my worst nightmares was coming true. “Since you’re done with that task, I would like to have you man the jewelry counter with Dreama since she needs help while Jasmine is on her lunch.” She gave me the keys, and I took them from her. The little metal keys opened the cases, and it meant showing the zombies the merchandise. I mean, customers...
I smiled at her even though I wanted to kill her. I hated the counter as much as I hated the register. Kyle always hung around the front and hollered when there was no one at the counter.
“No problem, only an hour, right? How bad can it be?” I said, using fake enthusiasm. I made my way there only to see it was already busy with non-stop humans. At least they found all the items since they did not have it earlier. Great! Thanks, bitch, for making me face the firing squad and endure being stared at like a zoo animal. Dreama spotted me, her blue eyes sparkling like I saved her from dying. Her long black hair hung in a ponytail, curled to her back, and she was tan from the beach. The uniform was perfectly molded to her body like a second skin making her curves stand out.
I headed behind the counter to tag team with Dreama to thin the lines down. I serviced a few people by showing them pieces and ringing them up when they were satisfied. It was not too bad.
Chapter 2:
I walked up to the front noticing the ones in line were glaring at me like it was my fault the lines were long. They always seemed to look at the sales associates who were putting up stock when they were waiting in line with such venom just because they were not up there servicing their every whim. The lines were now so long they were past the counter, and some were getting so impatient that they tried to check out at another register like the jewelry, electronics, or sporting goods. I went to a customer service manager to get the dreaded register number since they were numbered 1-40. It was a big store, and some were lit up thanks to Black Friday.
The customer service manager, Melissa, who had long, wavy, light-brown curls and light-brown eyes that could see right into your soul since she was suspicious of everyone. She had the attitude to direct cashiers as if they were soldiers going into the battlefield against an army of mindless shoppers. They were mindless since they had glazed over looks in their eyes shuffling the shopping carts. I made sure she spotted me and resisted the urge to hide in a clothes rack so she couldn't see me. I’ve tried that already and it failed. I got my register assignment.
I plastered a smile on my face and imagined them dead. I got up to the dreaded register, punched in my keys and yelled, “I’m open.” Even though I knew some of them would ask if I was really open with my light on. They advanced like zombies to my register, taking merchandise and putting them on the rotating belt.
One bitch said, “Bout damn time. I have been waiting forever!”
Aww…you had to wait, poor baby!
I grabbed her items and passed the barcode over the scanner, hearing the beeps as the items scanned. Then after it beeped and appeared on the screen, time to bag!
Fruits and vegetables went together. Dairy was separate as well as meat since meat could leak out everywhere contaminating everything. All the crushed items went in a separate bag like bread and chips. I always put eggs in a separate bag and gave it to them. Lastly, no mixing chemicals with food either, since you don’t want them to get mixed up and spill on something. I double bagged wine and cans. Some people had particular bagging preferences, and I asked about it so I wouldn’t get yelled at. This job was easy, but the customers could make it more difficult than it needed to be.
I tried to talk to the customer in front of me as I bagged her items. But I got done and then told her the total. Even though I’d rather be anywhere but there, checking out people.
“Ma’am, your total is $179.28.”
Her eyes widened. “You can’t be serious. I thou
ght it would be less…”
“Taxes make it higher to keep the creatures at bay, and we wouldn’t want a werewolf eating the dogs, now would we?” I replied cheerfully since we had taxes in the Crystal Crest realm high to help please the supernaturals by paying them to live in the Luxor realm so they could let us be in peace. But I would love to meet one. And this woman made me wish I had a zombie nearby. They had taxes to keep humans safe since there was actually a spell keeping Crystal Crest safe from danger. Crystal Crest was mainly for humans to live in peace, and then there was Luxor, created so creatures could stay safe from humans. It could cost money keeping people safe, and Ijust made sure not to piss off a major person.
She glared. “Then let me take something off. I can’t believe these freaks make our taxes high. It’s bad enough the monsters under our bed are real…”
She looked at the items already in the bag and gave me enough items to void until the total was to her liking.
“Your new total is $70.00.”
She smiled. “Thanks, but you could have been nicer.” Turning me from sweet to bitchy in 2.5 seconds because they treated the people behind the counter like dogs. Or servants.
“Yes, maybe, but you need to factor in tax before you jump down my throat for something I can’t control.”
She glared again, turning to bitchy. “You need to learn manners.”
“Whatever, take your shit and stop arguing with me over stupid tax dollars.” I fired back.
She took her bags after I gave her the receipt, but not before I erased the memory of me being mean and gave her new ones. I did it because people like her complain all the time. I’ve had this ability since high school when I wanted to erase a moment that happened like the school bully laughing as I slipped on paper. I had powers and I used them for fun. Maybe one day I could find someone from there to see why I had all these powers, but I couldn’t’ go there because only a real supernatural creature will be able to feel the entrance to the realm and know its location.
Ember Page 6