World of Gods: Blackwater

Chapter 1: Whispers

"Umm... Can I have my coffee?" a man asked, timorously, on the other side of the counter.

"Oh yes! Sorry!" Lucine shouted back. Suddenly, she realized that she had completely dazed out right there in the middle of service! She quickly handed the man his coffee as she tried to ignore all the eyes on her. She used the moment to get down from the stepping stool she used when providing service. Lucine was shorter than most people and couldn't see over the counter without assistance. Thankfully, the local cafe, where Lucine worked part time, was accommodating. They even allowed the employees to make caffeinated drinks for themselves. Lucine's best friend, Alice, joined her for lunch. While sitting down at the cafe, Alice listened to everything that happened to her.

"What do you think, Alice? Should I just commit myself now to the looney bin? " Lucine asked her. She drank deeply from their largest cup, filled to the brim with espresso.

The blonde diva took a moment while she tapped her finger against her lips. "Well, no," she said slowly, "I don't think you're crazy. Girlfriend, I think you need sleep," she pointed out.

"I have been sleeping!" Lucine protested, as she set her cup down. Noticing it had splashed on the counter, she sighed heavily and took a clean rag to mop up her mess.

"Obviously not," Alice would say as she moved some stray hairs away from Lucine's face, revealing those tired brown almond-shaped eyes. "You said it yourself; you've been hearing voices and having strange dreams. I wouldn't be sleeping well either. Besides, those heavy bags under your eyes say a lot."

Lucine's brows knitted together as she looked up at her friend. "... You're right. I need a shower and just a day. I wish I could stop the voices. The only place I haven't heard voices is here! " But that could have been because she was too distracted to listen.

"That is because there are cute men and plenty of coffee here! Even the most insane woman would be distracted here. "

"Geeze Alice!" That statement brought a giggle from Lucine at just how ridiculous that had been. "There are a lot of cute guys here, but they're not interested in me." Lucine brushed it off only because she thought she was average at best. The truth was that she looked like a young foreign exchange student from Asia. She turned to look at the large mirror behind her and could see her own reflection staring back at her. "Look at me!" Lucine gestured towards the mirror. "I have darker circles under my eyes than a raccoon. I stink. My hair's split. I have no chest and no butt. I can barely get people to recognize that I'm an adult! I am the least attractive female here in the cafe, let alone the whole city. "

Alice rolled her eyes as she let Lucine nitpick at her own appearance. "Honey, listen. You've had a rough week. It happens to the best of us. I'll tell you what, sugar, I'll cover the rest of your shift, but you go home and sleep-"

She was cut off mid-sentence when Lucine quickly squeaked out "No! I'm sorry, I just felt a lot better here around you."

Not wanting to argue, as Lucine clearly seemed to need the time, Alice nodded. "All right, all right," she said, raising her hands. "Just don't say I didn't try!" which drew a chuckle from Lucine. "So did you apply for next semester?" Alice asked.

Lucine looked away. "No, I just don't know if I want to go back," she admitted. "Chemistry was too hard and I don't know if I really want to be a pharmacist anymore."

Alice sighed. "I thought you said you wanted something more for yourself."

Lucine nodded, "I do, but I don't think being a pharmacist is it." she said softly. "I want to have a more exciting life. Do something important and meaningful. You know, besides making food and drinks for people with real jobs."