Grave Sweeper

Ch1- Checking the classifieds at 5:30

I was sound asleep and dreaming pleasant dreams about the beach I used to go to with my parents when I realized there was something wrong with the scene. There was a blaring noise that did not belong there. Slowly as though I were dragging weights through water, I came back to myself, and while the beach faded, the noise grew.

Beep beep beep.

I didn't move, and it took me a moment to figure out what it was. Without opening my eyes I realized it was the silver alarm clock that was sitting on the lowest shelf.

Beep beep beep.

Ugh, why did I buy that stupid alarm clock? I didn't; Lou bought it for me, and it would be mean to not accept it. Darn my conscience, it's getting on my nerves.

Beep beep beep.

Why did I set it to go off so early? I didn't. Wait a minute; Missy said she would get back at me for borrowing her make up without asking. I guess this is her revenge.

Beep beep beep.

Better question is why haven't I turned it off yet? A logical little voice in the back of my head who was not as annoyed as I was with the alarm said quietly, because that would mean admitting you're awake which is not something you want to do right now.

Damn it I'm right.

I was just about to roll over to turn it off when I felt a heavy weight on my torso. Missy had pounced on me and was now exclaiming, "Haze you're no fun! I try to get revenge by waking you up at an unearthly hour, waking myself in the process, and you just lay there like your dead!"

I decided I would have my fun and not admit to her I was about to cave in. Instead I moaned, "I need coffee." Missy responded with a disapproving little tsk, tsk and got up allowing me to fully fill my lungs with oxygen again.

I cracked my eye a little and looked around my bedroom. It was hardly more than a closet and yet by some miracle we had managed to fit a queen sized bed into the little space between the walls with just enough room to walk around three sides.

I didn't have a closet and there simply wasn't enough room for a dresser, so I had all of my belongings stacked haphazardly on slate blue shelves.

It was tiny and cozy and that was the way I liked it.

The walls were painted with scenes of beaches I probably wouldn't see again in real life. My comforter was plain white cotton with starfish and seagulls I had hand embroidered on, and my pillow was pale yellow and stuffed with downy feathers.

It looked so inviting.

I was about to go back to sleep when Millie burst in with a tray covered in coffee and donuts from the bakery down the street. I blinked and mumbled, "Coffee?" She laughed her clear little giggle and sat down on the edge of my bed holding out the tray for me. I grabbed the blue mug with a big white flower on the side and gulped down about half before I reached for a donut to go with it.

I was happily munching away when I looked up at Millie curiously, "What's with the special treatment? And why aren't we eating in the kitchen?"

Millie smiled mischievously and looked out my window, saying, "No reason you need to worry about just yet." Normally I would have been suspicious at that point, but the donuts and coffee were just too tempting right now.

I noticed for the first time what Millie was wearing; it was a white linen dress that was accented with ivory eyelet lace that reached to just above her knees. This would have been fine if it weren't for her hair.

It was not tied into one of her customary knots, but instead hung down around her shoulders like sheets of silvery rain. It was pretty and professional looking. That's when it clicked.

I was mortified to say the least. If her hair was down that meant it was (gulp) interview day.

I jumped up and pointed accusingly at her; I screeched, "This is a set up! You're going to take me to look for a job aren't you?"

She shrugged, and still smiling said, "Well why else would I bring you breakfast in bed? And there was a reason behind the alarm clock going off at five o' clock, even if Missy did enjoy making you get up early."

I sighed in defeat, and sinking back onto my mattress I muttered, "Traitor... But I guess you're right..." Millie stood up brushed the crumbs off her dress and said, "Yup, I am right. So no complaining, let's look through the newspapers and see what we find."

With that she turned on her heal and left me to get dressed. Still grumbling about being betrayed, I pulled on a bright turquoise camisole, a button up gray hoodie, and dark jeans with silver stitching. I then moved to our bathroom and tackled my hair. After quite a while of brushing out knots, I pinned up my hair into an elegant ponytail and clipped on the mother of pearl barrette I had gotten when I was twelve. I then reached behind the medicine cabinet and pulled out my earrings.

The only ones I even bothered trying to keep safe from Missy had a special compartment located behind the medicine cabinet, because they were special to me. They were post earrings with Chinese writing near the top, three white gold diamonds dangling off of that, and at the bottom of the little chain was a piece of dark green jade centered on a piece of scalloped white gold that framed it nicely.

They were plain by Missy's standards, but I loved them dearly and wore them on special occasions.

Deciding I was presentable, I walked down our spiral staircase, and was met by Lou who dumped a stack of newspapers into my arms.

I pouted over the stack and asked her, "Is this how you greet me? No hugs? Just dumping a pile of newspapers on me?" Her answering laughter was like a sparkly new wind chime tinkling with a breeze.

She smiled widely at me showing her array of blindingly white teeth and said in an amused tone, "Yes, isn't this how I always greet you Hazel?"

I walked over to the kitchen table and started sorting out the classified ads because it was inevitable that if I tried to protest they would blackmail me into it. They would probably lock my room and bribe me with the key like they did last time I tried to resist their plans.

Looking through them I saw one for a mechanic at "Al's garage" one for a dental assistant at "No-pain Dentistry with Dr. Jones" and one for a telephone psychic at "Auntie Lola's Phone Prophecy Service" I shook my head no at each of them. Do I look like any of those? No.

We sat in silence broken only by the rustling of pages, the occasional laugh, and the suggestions of certain ads. All in all, it was so boring I thought I might prefer being in the deepest flaming pits of Hell that the devil had to offer. At least he would probably have a reasonable job idea for me.

I had just stood up to announce I was done with this search, Lou said, "Hazel listen to this: Attendant of graves needed for the St. Lucia churchyard; no experience required. Full description of job can be found at front desk."

It didn't seem like a great job to me, but Missy burst out laughing, and she just managed to choke out, "Yeah, our little neat-freak can go sweep graves! She'll have the place sparkling by the next day!" Everyone else laughed with her except for Lou. She frowned at them.

"Now really, is that any way to treat Hazel? It was just a suggestion for crying out loud! And at least she has a sense of organization unlike someone I know." Lou suddenly reminded me very much of the nasty kindergarten teacher I'd had when I was little. Apparently she had a similar effect on them because they all quieted down like she had whipped them with a belt or something.

I felt the heat in my face die down a little, and I said just to prove Missy wrong, "I think I'd like to ask about that one."

Jake looked at me like I had three heads, and said, "But why? Do you really want to see people being buried? Or their family members crying over them? It sounds a bit morbid to me."

I shrugged indifferently, and said, "Well it sounds better than working at "Al's garage" if you ask me. Besides, so far it's the only one that says no experience required. I think I should at least ask. What could it hurt?"