The Gray Dancer

24. COFFEE SHOPS

HANNA COULDN'T SLEEP DESPITE KNOWING SHE HAD WORK THE NEXT DAY. She didn't know why, but her eyes wouldn't close. It seemed that her mind buzzed with thoughts as it did on an average day. Her thoughts were restless as they bounced around, jumping from one side to another. They didn't sit still no matter how much she hoped for them to quiet down.

Hanna couldn't sleep until the sunshine glimmered through her curtains. It wasn't until then did she have the slightest urge to close her eyes and drift off into a fairytale. But now, she couldn't allow herself to do so, even if her eyes wanted to close so eagerly. Hanna had no choice but to push her bed covers aside and sit upright.

It didn't take long for Hanna to get herself ready for today. Within no time, she put on her usual pencil skirt and a button-up shirt. She didn't put on makeup today, skipping one of the most important steps of her daily routine. Hanna simply didn't have enough time to, nor did she care much for that matter. It wasn't like a pound of makeup would make her look any better than she was.

Hanna didn't waste much time, grabbing her small bag and stuffing her laptop inside it. She picked up her phone from the counter and her set of keys, holding it in her hands as she looked around her apartment. Hanna checked to make sure all the windows were closed and everything had been put away before she stepped out of her apartment.

The lack of sleep had clearly been getting to her as she walked through the streets. Hanna could hardly keep her eyes open in the harsh sunlight as she strolled on the sidewalk, her heels clicking with the concrete. She didn't think wearing heels had been the best option for today, considering her lack of sleep. She wobbled as cars drifted past her. Hanna squeezed her eyes shut for a second to focus on getting to work in one piece.

By now, she regretted not sleeping at all.

Maybe if Hanna had slept even a little bit, her day wouldn't have gone this bad. She bit her lip, letting her thoughts strangle her until she made it to her office just a few more minutes away.

Even as she settled into her seat at work, Hanna couldn't get anything done. She could hardly keep her eyes open at work. It seemed that nothing seemed to be working out today. No matter what she did, none of her work finished.

Due to the limited amount of sleep she got, every time she tried to type a few sentences, her eyes would threaten to drift closed again. It was almost unbearable. Having done a rehearsal the day before and choosing not to sleep had to have been one of the worst decisions she had made so far. She didn't know why she couldn't get her thoughts to calm down. If only she had, maybe she wouldn't have been in a situation like this.

As she tried to finish her workup, her eyelids continued to droop.

Hanna couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't get anything done like this. Everything she tried to read seemed blurry and hazy. Almost instantly, Hanna wished she had slept even for a few hours last night. She would do anything to turn back time and get back the lost sleep she missed out on.

Mumbling curses, Hanna closed her eyes for a second, placing her head on her desk as to rest. Maybe she could get a small nap in before she had to continue working again. Hanna allowed her eyes to close, making sure she didn't fall asleep. She tried to stay awake as best as she could, only simulating the idea of falling asleep.

She didn't realize how much time had passed until a quiet whisper echoed right next to her.

"Hanna? Is everything alright?"

Hanna's head lifted from the desk ever so slightly. Her eyes fluttered open as the voice echoed around her in a soothing melody. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep; her eyes had simply closed. It wasn't common for Hanna to fall asleep in the middle of the day at work. Her head turned just enough to see the face standing by her table, a concerning frown across their features. They stared at Hanna with parted lips, eagerly waiting for Hanna to say anything.