Here's chapter one! I'm so excited!! I hope you guys enjoy and I can't wait to see you here every Friday for updates x
It had been so long since Bonnie Lawrence had seen stars that she was starting to question if they were actually real.
Not that she wanted to believe that, but between the high-rise buildings, fluorescent lights, and street lamps, the chance of seeing them was pretty impossible. She preferred to think they weren't even there than to know she was missing out on yet another thing in her life.
How depressing, she thought, looking down from the sky and across the road where she was waiting to cross, Twenty-two and no hope.
The lights turned red and Bonnie walked, pretending not to notice the annoyed expressions of drivers that clearly didn't want to stop for her. She breathed out, watching the cloud form in the cold air and then fade away. When she felt herself smile at it, a deeper frown followed.
Is this what it had come to; finding amusement in something as mundane as seeing her own breath? Was she really that bored?
The answer was yes—she was, but she didn't know what to do about it.
It wasn't the place she lived that was the problem. The choices it provided overwhelmed her; Bars, clubs, restaurants, enough cafes to pick a different one every day of the week and not run out for at least a month. She could entertain herself for days. There was nothing stopping her.
Except for the glaringly obvious reason—that she was completely and utterly alone. She wasn't always so isolated. Sure, she'd never been the epitome of popularity or surrounded by family, but she'd had friends. One's she'd met in school, even the people that she used to know as a child, but things change. People move away, their priorities shift, their interests stop being the same. It's not that she ever fell out with people or there was a decisive end to friendships, it's just that everyone sort of... drifted away.
Not that she blamed them. What exactly did she add to anyone's life when she was barely fulfilled by her own? Who'd want to be friends with a university drop out with little to no direction in life?
Bonnie stopped at the next set of traffic lights and waited for her turn to cross, eyes drifting over the different people who stood just like her. They probably all knew what it was like to have a purpose in life, or at least a goal—lucky for them.
The cold air bit her cheeks as she walked through the crowds, swerving to avoid the groups that took up the whole pavement and ignoring the way they grumbled when her shoulders knocked theirs. Maybe if she had people around her, she wouldn't always be the person stepping off the curb to accommodate. Plus, walking home would definitely be a little less scary.
As she arrived outside her destination, her nose red with the cold, she realised maybe she was better in solitude.
"Bonnie!" a figure yelled, tapping their foot. "You're late!"
Pulling off her hat and shaking out her hair, Bonnie rolled her eyes at the lean girl and mumbled a word not meant for children to hear under her breath.
"No, I'm not, Isabel. I start at ten, it's a quarter to."
With a dramatic huff, Isabel flicked her lighter and lit her cigarette, motioning into the window behind her. Inside sat brightly dressed figures hunched around tables, muffled laughter audible even through the glass.
"I'm going out tonight with my friends tonight, remember?"
In all honesty, Bonnie had remembered perfectly fine that she wanted an early finish—just like every other night. And perhaps she would have come in for her, had it not been for the fact that Isabel was a giant brat and always expected her to just do it without a complaint. Also, the rota somehow always stayed unchanged with the original hours, even if Bonnie had edited it herself on shift.
"Last time your dad didn't pay me for the extra hours and I got in trouble for work that you were supposed to have done," she reminded her with a strained smile, "You're supposed to be here until after twelve tonight, so did you speak to him about this?"
She wasn't overly concerned with the workload or being on her own in the cafe. Most nights, she spent her time entertaining herself because it was so quiet. But if they weren't going to pay her for it, then she'd rather be doing it at home, and Isabel seemed to take advantage of her absent father, frequently.
Isabel huffed and crossed her arms, clearly underdressed for the Scottish winter wind. With her eyes rolling, she took a draw from her cigarette, her boots clacking as she shifted her weight to the other hip.
"No. I didn't. But I'll happily have a talk with him about your attitude towards superiors and lack of work ethic," she snarked back, a satisfied grin overtaking her face, "If you'd prefer that?"
With a defeated sigh, Bonnie shook her head, her resolve dissipating with the little urge she had to argue.
"Nope, no need to bother him. I'm sure he's a busy man."
The sooner Bonnie could get inside and stop this conversation, the better.
"Good," Isabel smiled as the door behind her opened and people joined them in the street, "I'm glad we agree."
"Isa, are we going?" One of her friends asked, walking up to the pair, boredom on his young features, "We've finished eating and if we don't go now, they're going to give our booking."
"Yes, I know!" she snapped back, throwing her stub to the ground and pressing it with her boot, "If you had been listening then you'd know I was just waiting for someone to arrive so I could leave the place, or would you rather have not got free food?"
So she talks to her friend's like shit too, thought Bonnie sarcastically, how shocking.
"Right, so you're saying we can go now that..." He looks over and motions to Bonnie, "Brenda is here?"
Isabel's glee was palpable before she even snorted, hitting her friend on the arm dramatically. There was nothing she took more pleasure in than subtly ridiculing and belittling Bonnie in front of people, even if the latter was four years her senior.
"Her name's not Brenda, silly, it's Bonnie! You know, like pretty?" Isabel glanced over and tilted her head to the side slightly, her nose wrinkled, "I know, hard to believe why."
"Okay!" Bonnie interrupted loudly, pushing past them and keeping her head down as they chuckled, "Better hurry if you want that table! You guys have a great night out!"
"We will!" Isabel called back, and Bonnie didn't need to turn around to know that her grin would stretch from ear to ear. "Be careful not to miss anything when you're cleaning up, Brenda!"
Bonnie waved her hand over her head as the door shut behind her. "Be careful not to get punched in the face, Isabel!"
As their chatter faded down the street, Bonnie felt her shoulders slump and she couldn't help but turn back and watch them through the window. Even if Isabel was one of the most spiteful people she'd ever met, she was only nineteen and clearly living a life far fuller than Bonnie ever had. Perhaps the reason she felt such animosity towards her was because she was jealous of everything that Isabel had and how she never seemed to be alone. Maybe Bonnie was just getting old and bitter.
But as she turned back to the cafe and looked at the two tables where the nineteen-year-olds had been sitting, food spilling onto the floor and wrappers littered in every direction, Bonnie quickly took that thought back.
"Nope," she sighed, grabbing a bin bag. "She's just a bitch."
Luckily, the cafe wasn't exactly eco friendly and used pretty much anything disposable that they could get away with, so it made cleaning light work. That didn't mean she didn't take her time, though. She definitely dragged it out; business at the weekends was at least a little busy whereas the weekdays... It was like watching paint dry.
But it was a job. One that not only paid more than minimum wage but also didn't force Bonnie to converse with boatloads of people, or deal with the usual stress that hospitality often brought. Besides the odd drunk person at night or the early morning worker, no one ever bothered her and it made working not as horrible as previous jobs she'd had. It was also on a sidestreet that was hidden enough to mean there were no intoxicated hordes flooding through as soon as clubs closed.
That's why, as the clock struck midnight, she pulled out her usual chair and settled into it, switching on the small television in the top corner to display whatever rerun film they had going. She'd spent quite some time in her life watching films—it was what they used to put on in her foster home to keep the kids entertained at the weekends. They would all sit through it, eyes glued to the screen, and then try to reenact it later.
She thought she might become an actress at that age. It was much easier to pretend to be a fictional character than talk about yourself. The other two girls that were fostered with her never took it as serious, but then maybe that's why they got adopted and she didn't.
"I am bored," she mumbled to herself, stirring the cup of instant coffee that she'd made to stop her eyes from closing. "And I still have so long to go."
With a groan, she leaned back in her chair, looking up at the discoloured, previously white tiles. It was beginning to feel like this place was in a time loop that prevented her from ever leaving, tonight more than usual. How long could she entertain herself before her mind crumbled under the lack of strain?
Has that crack on the roof always been there?
With a bolt, Bonnie shot up, shaking her head and slapping her hands to her face, drumming on the skin.
"I am not starting to pay attention to ceiling fixtures. That is truly rock bottom."
With nothing else to do, she decided to make herself some food — it wasn't as though she wasn't already going to get blamed for the missing stock. How much more was one sandwich really going to do?
She looked across at the fryer sitting unused.
And maybe some chips.
With a grin, she grabbed a bag from the freezer, humming as she dumped them into the bubbling oil. Immediately, her stomach rumbled.
Sighing with satisfaction, she turned back to the counter and started pulling out ingredients. Like always, Isabel hadn't stocked it earlier in the day.
"How can we be ready to serve and not have mayonnaise in the front," Bonnie grumbled slamming down her knife, her feet already moving through to the back where the walk-in fridge stood at the far corner of the building, "Sacrilege."
With a grunt, she heaved the door open and grabbed the bottle, rubbing her arms at the quick change in temperature.
"Bloody freezing," she whispered, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I wonder if there're any goodies hidden away in here."
Trying not to let the giant tower of soft buns collapse onto her, she rifled through the overflowing stock.
Back in the front room, the unmistakable sound of a chair being pulled out echoed.
Typical.
"One second!"
Slamming the fridge shut, she quickly made her way back to the front of the restaurant, her customer service smile already on her lips by the time she passed back through the door.
"Sorry about that—oh."
She looked around the empty room, blinked once, and then came to the front to peer behind the places she couldn't see. She almost felt silly when she glanced under one of the larger tables. Nevertheless, nothing. Only old chewing gum that had hardened with time, which she quickly pretended not to see.
They must have thought no one was here, she thought to herself with a shrug, returning to the counter while glancing around at the few valuables in the room. Or they at least took nothing important.
Bonnie had only just picked up the knife again to slather on mayonnaise when the television screen abruptly went black, and the entire room turned quiet.
"You've got to be kidding me," she groaned, her stomach arguing at the decision to halt her food-making process again. "It was actually a good film for once!"
Muttering under her breath, she walked over to the tv, slapping her hand against the side of it—sometimes the signal was a little rusty. After what must have been the tenth time, along with pressing every button on the remote, she gave up.
"This truly is hell," she grumbled, throwing it onto the table with a little more force than she probably should have. "Something always has to go wrong."
Continuing to mutter under her breath, she pressed her face to the cold wall to peer behind where the cables were, giving each one a jiggle. Something was bound to happen if she tried it enough times.
And something did happen.
At first she thought it was a light picture coming back to the screen, the faint outlines of a scene playing that she didn't recognise yet. From the angle that she was standing at, it could have been many things—a hulking figure growing in size, or a mountain getting closer from the distance.
While she continued to try and stubbornly force the cable further into the slot, despite it clearly being completely in, the back of her mind picked out the unnerving things she was missing.
The weak picture on the screen returned, but the reflection of the diner didn't change. The familiar blue stools—so worn with time that she was unsure if they were made anymore—looked as though they adjusted to the shadows' movements.
And when her shaking hand yanked out the cable, breath held like a prayer, the figure didn't disappear.
Bonnie froze, stuck watching what she could only describe as a non-human form towering over her. She couldn't force herself to turn around. The thought of truly acknowledging what was behind her was so incomprehensible that her mind was still trying to catch up.
Had she finally cracked? Were her eyes now creating things for her to believe in?
She had the brief idea that she could close them, and it would disappear, but that seemed stupid when she could now hear the low panting of whatever it was, and it clearly wasn't a figment of her imagination.
Her gaze drifted to the door that led to where the walk-in refrigerator was.
It didn't sound like the best plan, but currently the only other option was for Bonnie to turn around and look at what was creeping up on her, and frankly, that wasn't happening. So, going for the steel enforced box was slightly less dumb. At least if it was a person, they'd have some trouble getting through, and if it wasn't a person...
With her fingers curling around the back of the seat in front of her, she took a shallow, shaking breath and swallowed the fear that made her jaw clench. And then, with a speed that she had never moved in her entire life, Bonnie crouched and swung the chair blindly.
As it hit its target, she sprinted to the side of the restaurant without a second glance, her thoughts scattering like the tables behind her. If only she could make it through to the back, then she could at least barricade herself in somewhere safe. She wasn't very athletic, but she'd at least make that, or so she hoped.
Her refusal to turn and look at her attacker remained as her shoes squeaked across the linoleum. Bonnie couldn't die here, not where she had spent night after boring night watching her life slip down the drain, wishing that she could do more.
As she approached the door, a chill ran down her spine.
She knew that beyond was the only potentially safe place for her. She was basically defenceless otherwise, but something clawed at her chest, a nagging feeling that caused her lungs to feel as though they'd turned to stone.
If she kept going, she was going to die.
She swore she could feel the presence leaping towards her.
At the last possible second, she let out a yell and threw herself to the left of the door, sliding behind the counter and hitting the drawers with a thud.
With a gasp, she lifted her head and watched as the tail end of the shadowy figure crashed through the door she had just been running to.
If she had continued, it would have easily pounced on her.
She stayed crouched on the ground and watching the doorway, waiting for it to return. She still hadn't seen what it was, but by the crashing that she could hear in the back, it wasn't letting up.
Did she have time to run? If she made no sound, would it forget she was here?
Suddenly, the room seemed too quiet. The noise from the back was gone, but it would have been stupid to assume that it had just left. What was she meant to do? Who exactly do you call to exterminate something bigger than you?
Bonnie climbed to her feet frantically, eyes wide as she looked around for her phone. Anyone coming would be better than her facing this alone.
She threw things off of the counter: meats, cheeses, anything she touched while desperately trying to find a solution to her problem, whispering pleads that tumbled into each other.
A creak from above stilled her.
With horror-filled eyes, she followed the sound across the ceiling; her shaking knees causing her to grip onto the counter for support. She wanted to scream, to sprint for the front door and never look back, but it was as if her body had been ordered to not listen.
As the black, fog-like smoke seeped down, Bonnie realised it had been watching her from above. She wanted to hit herself for not noticing that the exact tile she had stared at previously was nothing but dust on the floor now.
I knew something was different; she chastised internally, and now I'm going to die because I ignored it.
The words rang in her ears as limbs followed the silhouette down, the elongated arms so inhuman that her stomach lurched at the sight of them. Like skinless bones, stretched and mangled beyond recognition, they kept coming.
Not two, not four, but six.
Were these all arms? All legs? It was impossible to tell. A tar-like substance dripped after it, following the trail that the claws left, as though it was painting its moves to remember its masterpiece.
Bonnie did not know if it made any sounds. All she could hear was the pumping of her heart and the pounding inside her head that only got louder the closer the figure came. She wished it had a face. Perhaps then she'd be able to breathe, but all she could make out were sunken pits in which eyes should have been, and a gaping hole that contained, what looked like, blades of dead grass.
Any remaining air got knocked out of Bonnie as she realised they were actually hundreds of rotting teeth.
Her vision blurred as it stalked towards her, its height increasing with every second, knocking lights from their fixtures with pleasure. The sparks swallowed into the abyss.
This was how she would die. Surrounded by no one, remembered by a few, with no legacy or impact on anyone's lives. She would become nothing, with only the chips bubbling in the fryer beside her as any sign that she had been here.
No—she wouldn't give up like this.
Somehow shaking off the fear that had overwhelmed her, she grabbed the handle sticking out from the bubbling oil. With a scream, she threw it at the beast approaching her, the soft clang of the basket echoing around the room as chips flew.
She waited to see if it would scream in anguish, if whatever flesh it had would melt at the heat, but the thing in front of her barely flinched. Instead, it just glanced down as though figuring out what had just happened.
"There's no hot oil because a basket is full of holes," she whispered to herself, almost wanting to laugh at her own stupidity, "Well, fuck."
If she'd thought of it sooner, she might have had time to grab another pan, or something of more substance which could have actually protected her. But she was trapped behind the counter, with nowhere to go, and it was now so close that the deep, almost gurgling noise crawled across her skin.
"If there's anyone out there," she whispered, not knowing who she was truly talking to. "I could really use some help."
The thing that was going to take her life moved with slow, relishing steps. As it rose, arms extending from all angles, Bonnie could do nothing but hold her breath and pray for a quick death.
Would she see flashes of her life? Would they remind her of her unimportance one last time?
Right as it rose to full height, its limbs shaking with anticipation, there was a vibration from under them—no, from around them. It felt as though it was coming from every direction.
As a force unlike any Bonnie had ever experienced before erupted, throwing her backwards, the creature released a deafening shriek, and everything turned red..
.
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AN/ If anyone has any music they think of while reading or something they love that goes with it then PLEASE leave a comment below and let me know! All music is good music <3 And I really hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! Can't wait to see what you all think.
EM x