The protagonist gets a name and meets new people.
If there was one thing you could tell the whole world, what would that be?
- Y'all should be nicer to each other, it doesn't cost a damn thing. (Nathan, 20)
She had grown fond of this city, she didn't mind the awful weather and the dark, almost intimidating buildings. Somehow, the anonymity of it all freed her, the polluted air let her breath freely, the traffic noise let her sleep soundly, and the heavy rain made her feel cozy when she watched the little drops hitting her window. The people seemed more interesting than in her hometown, perhaps because everything was so new to her, or perhaps because everyone on the streets was always in a hurry, going on busily about their life, and distrustful of strangers. Their suspiciousness made them even more interesting for her- why were they so secretive and distant? What stories would they have to tell?
In the beginning of her project, she had only interviewed people who seemed at ease in what everyone would consider a safe environment. Now, she also introduced herself to strangers on public transport, or asked people on the street. The young man she had last spoken to was probably right: People around here weren't too nice unless you got close to them.
Some more weeks had passed and she had settled in quite well at her new job. The café was neither posh nor run down and attracted a vast variety of customers. It did not take her long to get to know the regulars and to engage them into her project. All in all, she felt comfortable working here, and was blessed with friendly colleagues that would teach her how to transport several cups of hot drinks without spelling one single drop.
One evening, about an hour before the café would close, she was alone with another waitress and only enjoyed the lazy atmosphere that always settled in when only a few customers were in. Her colleague, Gina, was a vibrant personality and always in a good mood. While she herself would sometimes forget to smile and had to remind herself to look friendly even when not directly talking to customers, Gina was always smiling, unconsciously tapping her feet, and humming a melody. The shifts with Gina were here favourite, not only was her happiness contagious, she would also ask random questions from time to time which would interrupt her colleagues' thoughts.
"Hey Sophie, can you think of a paradox right now?"
It was impossible for her to tell whether or not Gina's questions were hinting or aiming at something or where they came from, but they were refreshing and Gina had never been discontent with any answer she had received so far. "Um, maybe a stone arch?". Gina blinked. "What do you mean?"- "Well, it doesn't collapse despite being crooked. Like, its stones should collapse and the arch should fall, but in fact that's what makes it stand." Gina grinned, "that's a nice paradox", and went back to work.
During their conversation, none of them had seen the three men wearing suits entering the building. They had settled down on one of the more remote tables and appeared to not be talking to each other at all. Sophie glimpsed at Gina and saw that she was busy with the dishwasher, whistling softly to herself, and started moving.
Enjoying the silence, huh, Sophie thought, as she approached the table and apologized to the men for not getting to them earlier. While she was wearing her best smile, the change in the café's atmosphere was not unnoticed by her. Somehow, these men wouldn't fit into this place. Their clothes were a bit too well-fitted, their watches a bit too big and the air around them a bit too cold. She inwardly scolded herself for assuming they would be criminals. Being rich was most definitely not a crime. I'm probably just envious and judgy. Yet, the thought that they could be outlaws thrilled her. Both her superficial assumptions and the aura of the men intrigued her. What would they answer to her blog questions and how much above wasting their time with that kind of thing would they feel? Each one of them wanted a glass of water. None of them men had reciprocated her smiley or said thank you once. Sophie was getting nervous. Something was not right.
She has never been superstitious, in fact, most people would call her particularly down-to-earth for some who spends most of their time with their nose in a book and their mind in fictional worlds. However, she decided that it would be all right to listen to her gut feeling for once in a while. She gave the last two customers who had not hurried to leave already their bills and convinced Gina - who seemed to be oblivious of how the atmosphere had changed – to take a smoke break. As Sophie knew, Gina's smoke breaks could take a while and she sometimes wondered about the peculiar smell that emitted from her clothes afterwards.
It would have been smart for her to leave as well. Maybe she should have joined Gina and finally started smoking (whatever it was her colleague was smoking). But a mixture of curiosity and the feeling of responsibility made her stay. Sophie made sure to keep herself in the back corner of the room, close to the back door and almost invisible. She waited for a couple of minutes that felt like hours, feeling her heart in her chest, her pulse resonating between her ears and her teeth. She did not feel safe. She felt exposed and she was scared.
Finally, a man entered the café and became the centre of attention for Sophie and the three men. It was not that he had a spring in his step, but his gait seemed to display a peculiar cheerful energy. He was much different to her other customers, but she could not quite pinpoint in which way exactly. It was a bit silly, in fact, that four people's attention was fully caught up by one guy crossing a room, one the other hand, it would be hard to blame then. He was bold, tall, and rather intimidating to them. Like the men, he wore well-fitted, sharp clothes, but his seemed to be intended to serve a practical sense, as he wore heavy boots and, Sophie gulped, guns strapped to his torso. When he was in line with Sophie, she heard him speak for the first time: "You should leave.". He did neither stop or look at her, but she knew that she was the one addressed. The tone of his voice might have indicated a kind suggestion or perhaps a slightly humorous scolding, but Sophie took it as a command. She quietly left her corner and almost tiptoed out of through the backdoor, hearing the entrance door opening once again.
Outside, she found Gina who was easily convinced that their shift was over and Sophie had gone through the closing procedure already. As Gina went home, Sophie remembered her obligation to count today's earnings, put up the chairs, and clean the whole place. There was no way, she would go back inside anytime soon, it was likely that she had left a sinking ship. Should she call her boss? He would probably inform the police and, whatever was happening inside, all of the four men had seen her and she did not want them to think that she had gotten them into trouble.
You are probably overreacting. Maybe, there is nothing too bad happening in there and you should just come back and check the place in a couple of hours. There won't be any corpses, your life is not like these thrillers you like to read so much. She took a deep breath and decided to go home for now. Her jacket was still inside, but she did not even feel the cold when she walked down the dark streets which had just become slightly more threatening.