As The Sun Rises and Falls

Prologue

"As the sun falls, plummeting from the beautiful day it created, it will again rise to brighten lives and expose eerie shadows hidden in the mist of darkness, bringing hope for a brighter and better tomorrow. A tomorrow so foreign and great that it's necessary that the adventure of such a day only be shared. "

- someone in the dark waiting for their sunrise
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I push through the crowd as I frantically run to the high end grocery store. I was late. Late for the only chance I had for survival this year. What I saved through not eating more than a few slices of bread for the last month, was spent on a slouching, unflattering, pink blouse and entirely too tight black skirt from a local thrift shop. The place hired only the most elite employees as their haughty, rich customers required only the best dressed and polished to bag their groceries. Huh. You'd think the rich would have better things to do than police the appearance of those scanning their items behind a counter. But who am I to judge as I myself am frantically sprinting, for an interview at this exact place, for a job that I was unlikely to get, but with a salary worth trying for. With that last thought, I found myself outside the store, grasping the gold handles, opening the door, ignoring the obvious stares, and making my way to the back office. There, when I entered was a man with greying hair, obviously trying to wipe the shocked expression off of his face as he looked me up and down.

"And who might you be, young lady?"

I nervously wring my hands together behind me as I stutter out my name.

"I-I'm I-Ivanna Martin, and I'm um here to be interviewed for uhhhh the open job position."

I damned myself for my stuttering but my lack of true human interaction has depleted my self confidence to an all time low.

"Oh, I'm so sorry but the position has already been taken, and I'm afraid we have no more available."

I could see the pity flash across his face as mine fell. While I couldn't tell if he was lying or not, what I did know is that I obviously would not be working here.

With a sullen nod of my head, I turn around and walk out of the store willing myself to not release the tears filling my eyes. As I exited the store, I started running as the tears ran down my face even faster, as the ever present pain in my stomach became suddenly unbearable.

Not looking where I was going, I crashed head first into something hard. Looking up from my 5'3 stance I stared in awe at the handsome face and bright eyes far above me. He scrutinizes my shivering body and tear stricken face and then looks down to my shirt, now soaked by the lukewarm coffee he had been carrying in his hand.

"Sorry." I quickly rushed out as I became aware of how exposed I currently was.

I made my way down the block, extremely aware of the stare positioned on my back, as I made my way into the cold, damp alleyway I had been living in, not once turning back to look at the handsome stranger who if I had payed attention, I'd be able to identify as someone deeply rooted in my past, almost unrecognizable in my present and soon to be my future.
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