Cigarettes and Butterflies (Incomplete)

Chapter 4: Flight

The nightlife of Oriska is always breathtaking. The air is almost always clear, the open space of the country does wonders compared to the smog of a large city. The inky black of the midnight sky is undisturbed, leaving room for the vast amount of twinkling stars to dance freely. Only a few lights are really on this time of night, a couple convenience stores and one twenty-four-hour market just down the street. That and my work place.

The bright red of the neon sign hanging over my head casts a harsh glow onto the sidewalk, illuminating the darkened lot. I watch the ground with minimal interest and twist the barely lit cigarette in between my fingers. I can feel the dampness of the stone wall soaking into my work uniform so, ungracefully, I pull myself off the wall and lift my eyes to watch a cherry red convertible pull into an empty parking space further down the line.

Another night, another customer, but right now they're not my problem. I'm on break.

I lift the cigarette and push it past my lips, taking a deep drag moments after. I feel the edges of my vision cloud with exhaustion.

This is just not my night.

Knocking my head back, I allow the cloud of smoke to exit my lungs. Slowly, I shut my eyes and let the gentle darkness overtake my vision. I allow myself to fall back against the dew kissed wall, crossing one ankle over the other lazily then cross my arms over my chest.

I never thought that I would be so relieved yet so anxious to be at work. Usually, I'm so busy working with customers that I don't have time for myself or even time to think. Which is a good thing in my case. However, tonight, my thoughts are racing even with the swarm locals at every turn.

I just can't stop thinking about what had happened just mere hours ago. After Brian and I had our fight, if I can even call it that, Kayla had come back and helped me in removing the pepper spray from Brian's eyes. We made sure to keep him from rubbing them by restraining his hands, and by we, I mean her. After that, Kayla and I went out to her car and drove off to work. We had a fight as well. I told her not to say those particular things to Brian because he's "sensitive", but she said she didn't care much and "who gives a shit". That's to be expected from a hard-headed woman like her.

A heavy sigh slips past my lips, the frigid air turning it into wisps of fog. Slowly, I open my eyes to look up at the clear sky. The stars twinkle beautifully against the darkness, their small pinpricks of light dancing for all to see. I tilt my head to the side slightly to look at the moon. The glow of the luminous crescent smiles down onto me, bathing whatever space, that isn't singed in bright neon, in a dreamy veil. I feel a small smile tug at my lips, but I force it down. Another sigh then another deep drag from the nicotine locked in between my teeth.

It's beautiful tonight. Just like the night before and the one before that one. Everything is so incredibly beautiful here. The quiet, the scenery, the refreshing atmosphere, and the small town where everyone knows everyone. Nothing ever changes here.

So why can't I just suck it up and enjoy it?

I exhale the noxious smoke through my nose and drop my head back to a normal level to watch the parking lot. In the distance, getting out of that same cherry red convertible, are two people. Usually I don't care enough to really notice anyone, but these particular people happen to be regulars.

Meaning I could recognize them from meters away.

One is a tall woman with shoulder length, black curly hair and a thin body dressed in a strapless white dress. The other is a shorter man with sandy blonde hair and a stocky build clothed in a navy button down and white slacks. Both are wearing clothes that one would wear when clubbing, so in short, they were coming here.