Seriously? This old woman was taking the mickey, she was following me down isle after isle in a local supermarket and ramming my trolley out the way when I was getting food from the shelves and when she wasn't she was elbowing me out the way while I was deciding what food to buy. I was vastly losing my patience with her, I didn't like her white permed curled short hair nor did I like her choice in clothing for someone her age, she looked like a gypsy with her long bohemian style blue skirt and white loose embroidered top, not to mention the fact her arms were covered in bangles of all different colours and shapes. She looked like mutton dressed as lamb.
It wasn't even that busy but it felt like this woman was just following me just for the sake of acting rude, next time she does anything I'll say something to her, yeah I will, next time. I just hoped I wouldn't bump into her again, so I decided to go and get bits from the other side of the store that way there would be no need for me to say anything to her.
I pushed my trolley down to the bakery to get some bread and then went to get a bottle of wine. I didn't drink a lot of alcohol but I find if I'm stressed out or feeling down having a glass of wine helps me to relax and unwind. I picked up a bottle of wine from the bottom shelf when I felt a trolley being pushed into my back, standing up and putting the wine with my food I looked up to see that old woman casually push her trolley past me. Honestly I could not believe how rude she was behaving I always thought it was 'young people' who had no manners these days' not sweet old people.
"You could have said excuse me" I mumbled, secretly hoping she wouldn't hear me, I hated confrontation with people but I hoped she might at least hear my comment directed to her.
I stared at her back hoping she would spontaneously combust into flames. Looks like she didn't hear me or if she did she ignored it. Making my way to the checkout I passed the old woman who was trying to reach a bottle of wine at the end of isle, she saw me walk past her and decided to play the sweet old woman card.
"Dearie, sorry to bother you but do you think you could reach this wine on the top shelf for me?"
Was she for real? After all the elbowing and ramming my trolley since I arrived she was asking me for help? What a joke.
"Oh um sure.." I said slightly taken aback in her sudden change in attitude. Reaching the top self I passed her the bottle of wine she was after, I wish I was the type of person that could have just ignored her and kept walking but I did not want to have to stoop down to her level. A little kindness can go a long way.
"And a bottle of that red on the bottom shelf down there if you would, I can't bend very well you see."
Fine. Fine. I bent down and picked up the bottle of red when a trolley rammed into my back hard, caught off balance I dropped the bottle of wine which smashed onto the floor, trying to regain my balance I put my hand on the floor where I dropped the wine and got a nice palm full of glass. How lovely! Glaring I turned around to give my best evil glare to the old woman to find that there was a young boy behind her who had bashed his trolley into ours.
"Are you alright dear? Have you cut yourself at all?" The old woman was peering down at me, flapping her arms around as if she had no clue what do.
"JAMES! I TOLD YOU TO BE CAREFUL WITH THAT TROLLEY"
"Sorry Mum it was an accident! I promise…"
A woman came rushing over to us flustered and grabbed the boys' arm and pulled him away from the trolley.
"I am so sorry about that," she said to me still holding onto her sons arm while he tried to get free from his Mum.
"It's alright, it's just a little cut" looking at my hand there were a few grazes on my hand but it wasn't too bad. I stood up; I needed to find a shop worker to let them know about the glass on the floor.
"Here dearie, use these wipes to clean your hand" The old woman handed me a packet of sanitising wipes.
"Take this too for helping me out even though I've troubled you and caused all this hassle, you see I like to test a person before I give them gifts." She thrust a small fabric trinket bag at me, which I nearly dropped, she then rushed off leaving me alone, I had never seen old woman move as fast as she did then.
What on earth? I tried to find the old woman but I could not find her anywhere. An employee came over to clear up the mess while the woman was left scolding her son for running around the store with the trolley. I got my hand looked at by a trained first aider in store and got a somewhat over the top bandage for my hand.
After driving home to my apartment, I slumped down into my sofa and let out a deep breath, the bags of groceries were just left on the floor by the front door. Well at least I have the next 3 weeks off work. Working in a school sure has its benefits with all the school holidays.
Turning the TV and flipping through the channels I was trying to find something to watch,
"Rubbish, Rubbish, Rubbish." I settled with the news, I had to put the food away anyway, picking up the bags I walked over to the open plan kitchen and started unpacking when my phone beeped.
"Oh?" Opening my bag I found that fabric trinket bag that old woman shoved at me, I put it to one side and dug out my phone.
"Seriously? Another Facebook game request?" I was sick to death of these invites, but they still kept rolling in from one 'friend' after another. I was 25 years old, I had better things to do with my time than play some rubbish little games on a social networking site, I mean that's what computers, 360's and PS3's were for.
Looks like another Friday night of having no plans. What was the time? 6pm, PJ time then. My bedroom was a mess, must remember to sort out the clothes thrown on the floor, they looked out of place in my bedroom, it was very girly and looked more like a little girls room than the room of a 25-year-old, I had decorative birdcages all over my room along with hearts hanging from door handles, shelf brackets, if I can hang a heart from it I did. My duck egg blue duvet was covered in cushions and plush toys from various anime shows. Changing into my pyjamas I dropped my clothes on the floor, I was going to sort out my washing tomorrow so it was fine for me to leave them on the floor.
After making a cottage pie from scratch and putting it into the oven to cook I decided it was time to look in that trinket bag, placing it down on my two person breakfast table I tipped the contents out. What on earth? There was some kind of pink-purple stone, some weird-looking necklace that had coins on it, I didn't recognise the coins, what is this piece of paper? Unfolding the paper I looked at words I didn't recognise, I wasn't even sure what language it was, underneath the paragraph was English, I am assuming it had been translated?
"Skyler, or Sky as you prefer to be called, I bestow upon you this gift.
You crave adventure even if you do not seek it out I can see your longing for adventure child.
If you feel yourself wanting something adventurous to happen light the smaller candle and let 2 drops of wax drip on the pink stone, let the candle burn out and you will find adventure in no time.
If you get to a point in your life when you feel the need for a transformation in your life light the larger candle in this bag and let the wax drip on the pink stone three times, let the candle burn out till it dies and watch your world transform before your eyes.
Dearie, wear this necklace at all times before attempting either of these incantations, they will not work otherwise as they need to bound to you. Be warned that your safety cannot be assured after casting these and if anyone else were to try these on your behalf take note that the consequences will be severe.
Enjoy!
From the old woman you wanted to spontaneous to burst into flames."
How odd, how did she even know my name? This was a joke wasn't it, some kind of prank to try to scare me? Also how did she know I was thinking about her bursting into flames?
BEEP BEEP BEEP
Yummy, my pie was ready, taking it out of the oven I took it over to my coffee table and then grabbed the items the scary old woman gave me, yeah she was now scary after reading that note.
Turning my DVD player on The Walking Dead started playing on my TV. Eating a mouthful of pie I thought about that note.
"What the hell, I bet it doesn't even work" Snatching the pink stone and small candle which looked more like a tea light I grabbed a lighter from the coffee table draw and lit the candle.
"Right I need that necklace.." I picked up the coin necklace, it was on some leather type rope, I wrapped it around my wrist and tied it tight. There were no instructions on how it had to be worn, and I wasn't going to go to bed with a necklace on, choking hazard you know.
I picked up the candle and let two drops of wax fall on the stone and put the candle back down and continued to eat the rest of my pie. I wonder how many hours this candle would burn for, since I am not allowed to blow it out I'll have to let it burn out naturally, settling down and curling up on the sofa I watched more episodes of The Walking Dead in peace, while glancing at the candle every now and again.
Oh? The candle had blown out, good because I needed some sleep, looking at the time one my phone I saw it was 10:56 I needed sleep, turning off the TV, I got ready for bed, I double checked that I had locked my front door and that the safety chain was on before getting into bed and cuddling up to my duvet.
Adventure?
Bring it.
"I wonder when it'll happen? There was no mention of how many hours or days before it would happen, what am I thinking, it's impossible anyway."
I was going to get bit!
I had to run faster or at least find a house I could get into, no way I am going to get eaten by a zombie NO WAY, running round the side of a house in some unknown town, I came face to face to several zombies.
"AH, no" Turning around I ran further down the road, looking over my shoulder I could see a mass of zombies making their way down the road. Something grabbed my leg and I fell on the ground, looking down I saw it was part of a zombie they were missing a leg "URRGGHHHH" the zombie groaning as it was pulling its body closer and closer to me, I wasn't going to die like this! I tried pulling my leg free but who knew zombies could be strong enough to hold on to something with such force. I was going to die, trying to free myself wasn't working I could not get free no matter how much I tried.
The hold on my leg had mysteriously vanished, the zombie had let go, I tried to get up but got pushed down with a foot, "Hey" I tried to say but the sound got muffled as my face was met with the ground for the second time. Rough hands found me and pushed me on my back.
I was saved!
The man who I'm assuming killed that zombie that was grabbing my leg knelt down and held a knife to my throat.
"Have you been bit?" He growled at me, pressing his blade harder to my throat.
"No, No I swear!" I gasped, "Please help me" He looked at me and removed the blade, I could still feel the pressure. The man started talking again but I couldn't hear him, this pressure on my throat was getting heavier and heavier.
My eyes shot open, what a horrible dream. I seriously needed to stop having these zombie dreams; I seemed to be getting them quite often since I started re-watching The Walking Dead. Wait.. Something was not right, something felt wrong, Something WAS wrong, very wrong, I could see a dark looming shadow above me, instinctively my hand went to where I could still feel the pressure from the blade from my dream only to have my wrist grabbed mid-air and pushed back on my bed.
A male voice pierced the silence "Finally awake are we, yeah"