Cora sighed for the millionth time that night. It was of course unnoticed by anyone passing her. She languidly watched customers stroll in and out of aisles. Her fingers mindlessly stroked over the single key in her pocket. Minutes felt like hours as the night dragged on, customers slowly diminishing from the store and the evening sun coming in. The tall windows in the back filtered in the soft orange glow of the setting sun. Cora made her way back there, her pale blue eyes scanning the view of the forest from those back windows. It was always darker on this side of the store. She dusted the same shelf for the third time that day, waiting for her shift to end. The gas station was never active this time of day as everyone had gone home from work in the rest of the town. It's not like there was a curfew, their community wasn't large and crime was generally low, pretty much to the point of no existence. No one seemed to stay out after light faded, but Cora never wondered why. She never went out much herself, as if there was much to do in a town of three hundred. With mostly elderly so that was also a good incentive to not get out much.

She gazed at her faded reflection in the window. Thin lips in a straight line, with no hint of a smile, pale skin from not seeing much of sunlight, and a general weary look painted her features. She sighed as she brushed her fingers through her dark auburn ponytail that cascaded down her back. With a spray of glass cleaner, her reflection was gone and she proceeded to gaze out the window as she wiped it in a slow, circular motion. A black shadow dashed behind a tree and it took her a moment to register that shadows do not run alone.

Footsteps approached and a look of annoyance crossed her face before she turned with a fake, curious look. It was only Keith, and she already knew what he was going to say.

"Care for a ride home tonight?" Keith asked with a mischivious grin as he walked over.

"Um, no." Cora replied. "My bicycle is still working from the last time you asked to give me a ride."

"Hey I just don't want you to be lost in the forest on your way home tonight."

Keith ignored the roll of her eyes and instead gazed up and down her body, unconsciously licking his lips. Cora noticed and shuddered, turning her back and going back up front. She could never see what was so…tempting about her body. She stood at a taller than average height for a girl at her age of twenty, around five feet and seven inches, no curves, no cleavage. Just tall and a bit clumsy.

"Well listen…" Keith began but a jingle and a yell from the front door cut him off.

"Keithy! Oh my Keith. Where are you?"

Cora noticed the look of dread on his face as he rushed to meet his girlfriend. She threw her arms around him and pouted the whole time wishing he could come home, but his shift didn't end for another few hours.

"Wait in the back for me, Susan. I told you to not visit me here." He told her while rolling her eyes. She planted a wet kiss on his lips while glaring at Cora who watched boredly.

"Weirdo." Susan muttered before disappearing in the back.

Cora noticed it was time for her to leave and slipped out the door before Keith noticed she was gone. He shouted at her as she pedaled away from the store, down a worn dirt path she used frequently. The evening breeze flowed gently past her face. She deeply inhaled the scent of wet dirt and enjoyed the sound of her tires running over the fallen leaves. All around stray streams of the setting sun lit up her path and she found herself home in no time.

She guided her bicycle in the darkened garage that was constantly left open- her cousin didn't know how to close a window or a door-but only when she was actually there at the house. They lived practically in the middle of nowhere and saw little to no one so the house was never locked up. Of course her cousin had enough sense to lock up if she bothered to leave the premises. Cora knew her cousin was home, she could smell fresh blueberry muffins from the open window leading into the kitchen. Cora also knew her cousin was weird, maybe even insane, who didn't socialize whatsoever with anyone, if she didn't count the birds or one of many stray cats that roamed in and out of the house when they pleased.

She entered the kitchen to find it empty but with hot muffins cooling off on the stove.

"Glad you're back. Just in time to eat some of these before supper." A monotonous voice spoke up from a cornering darkened room.

Anyone else would've screamed but after five months of living with her cousin, Cora was use to the phantom-like appearances her cousin made, how quiet she moved around her own house, and how she seemed to disappear before it was known.

"Hey thanks Mill. These look wonderful. Did you know they were my favorite?" Cora asked with a smile while turning to look at her cousin.

Mill stood at a mere five-five, a little shorter, her long brown hair wild and free-falling down her neck, just barely reaching her shoulders. Her dark brown eyes held a constant guarded look, face set in a permanent frown. Cora had accidently seen her smile, maybe once, but Mill hadn't known, so Cora kept it her little secret she felt giddy to know. Mill currently was nibbling on a muffin of her own while her other arm stayed crossed across her chest. Cora was mildly jealous of the features that Mill seemed to be blessed with. The curves, the bosom, even the pouty lips, all natural of course, but Mill always found a way to complain about something that Cora wished she had. As she bit into a muffin Cora simply thought it was the scar running across Mill's face that made her self-conscious about everything else. She thought this a lot but never dared to ask what it was from. Everyone had their secrets. Even though Mill was only a few years older, Cora still knew how to respect her elders.

"Maybe." Mill replied, giving a half smirk. She knew Cora was studying her face again and turned away.

It had been a slow day as usual. Mill spent most of her day outdoors though, spending time in her garden but Cora never went out there with her as it was Mill's quiet place, away from the house. Cora admired the inside of the house though. It was always dark, candles lighting the main pathways and rooms, never got hot but stayed comfortable, a bit dusty but nothing was ever out of place, as if Mill even owned enough things to become out of place. The only things that seemed to move were the cats, and even they had enough respect to leave the house when they needed to eat, groom, or simply use the bathroom. So it was a clean house, creepy, but clean and respectable. And Mill had electricity; she just only used it when necessary. So Cora's life for the past five months had grown quiet and peaceful, something she never thought she could get use to after her life in a huge city.