*Lifeless Garden*

Middle of Nowhere

*I don't know what you want from me when I'm sunburnt lips and summer feet I'm tattered like these Levi jeans. Punch-wasted on redundancy. Now what the fuck does all this mean? You know I'm still somebody's daughter.*

                                                                                                  *

*beep**beep*

Serena scans a pack of cigarettes and a hot breakfast sandwich, bags them, and slides them over the counter to a seemingly exhausted truck driver. 

"Will that be all for today?" She says, still full of energy despite it being 2:34 in the morning.

"No No, give me 15 gallons on pump 2." The old woman is leaning on the counter watching the girl behind it work, pushing buttons, scanning, opening and closing the register. 

No matter how many times she does it she can never get the order of operations right.
Scan. Insert exact cash amount. Put in register. Give back change, bag items. She was having the time of her life, because working at a gas station is so exciting.

"You've got a ton of energy for the middle of the night, honey. You have too much coffee or somethin?"

shit

Serena was hopping around like Tigger the tiger, from foot to foot. Going up and down on tippy toes. And this woman noticed before she did.

Maybe it was the nerves. Or maybe it was because she took too much of something she shouldn't have taken at all. There were plenty of interesting things behind the counter that Serena could easily take, but nothing piqued her interest enough to overdose on. 

"No, I hate coffee" She smirks as she takes the cash from the lady. "I just love working nights"

"Really? You working alone? Cause that's gotta creep you out a bit. Especially when scary ladies like me walk in huh?" Laughing as she takes her bag from the counter.

Serena shakes her head with a nervous laugh. "You're funny, but no, not working alone." She points her thumb towards the door by the counter with a sigh that read: EMPLOYEES ONLY "My boss is actually in the back right now."

"Oh, alright sweetie" The woman walks out the door as Serena waves.

And with her biggest smile. "Have a good night!"

It was like an adrenaline rush every time a customer walked in.  It shouldn't have been, considering what she did to get to where she was now, but it was. This gas station was the most convenient. Middle of nowhere. So many miles and a whole state line away from her home. And so few customers, the only people who came by were sleep deprived truck drivers who didn't care to ask for a manager or how old Serena was. 

And thank God no one asked for another employee. She had excuses for her age. "Just helping out my family" or "That's none of your business. " Because honestly, who's going to care enough? Everyone is tired and just wants to sleep or go home. Serena liked to pretend like she knew everything about each person who came along. Guessing where they're going and conversing was her favorite part.

Three days ago, Serena arrived at her safe place, this gas station, for the first time, to use the bathroom and possibly attempt to snag some food. She was a runaway after all, how much more trouble could she get in? It was just her go bag and her bike. No money. Nothing to defend herself. 

When she had gotten there, she dropped her bike on the outer wall of the store and left it leaning there. At the time, there was a 50-something year old man behind the counter. He had a struggling hairline but was tall, Serena guessed maybe 6'4 or 6'5 about. When she asked for the bathroom key all he said was "what do I get if I give it to you?"

He couldn't stop licking his lips. It was disgusting. Like a rabid dog. 

"I thought it was free to use the bathroom. I don't have money." Serena could feel it in her gut.

"Well, you look like just the kind of woman who can give me what I want." As if this whole conversation hasn't been played out millions of times before between 50-something creeps and little girls.

He got closer and closer to her. She didn't remember him going around the counter but all she felt was the proximity. 

Like he was stealing air from right out of her lungs. She felt a rough hand on her waist, forcing her to the wall. She could've run before; God why didn't she run? He starts with his lips on her neck going down. Holding back tears Serena looks to find anyone who would help. No one. It was only him working.

But I'm not a little girl.

Pawing and scratching will only help you win in a cat fight. There's no such thing as playing dirty to Serena. A fight is a fight. Everything is fair game. 

She started with a kick to his gut to force him away. This gave her enough room to give him a clean punch to his face. While he staggers back, she grabs him by the hair with her left hand, and with her right, she takes hold of his ear and uses all of her force to rip downward. Turns out she didn't need to use all of her force. His detached ear hits the ground with a wet and dense sound that's immediately covered by his scream. 

"FUCK!!" 

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

shut up

Serena takes hold of his hair one more time. His hands clawing at her arm, trying to get her to let go, but he was shaken and so weak. Now they are close enough to the counter that she doesn't need to drag him too far. She sits him up and slams his face into the counter. His blood splatters everywhere. She hit too hard.

I don't need him dead. Just not awake.

Serena finds a fold up chair in the back stock room and some rope and zip ties and ties him up. She then finds a mop and bucket and goes to the bathroom to grab soap and water.

Don't want to scare my customers away.

The grin on her face is too big. She knows that too. But she just got hired at her first job and needs the place to be spotless.