Chapter bla and this is gonna get really confusing if I don't start giving them numbers
Tara woke up the next morning hidden beneath the puffy covers of her bed. She sat up, dazed.
What a totally weird dream.
She shook the thought from her head, and cautiously crawling out of her cozy cocoon, made her way downstairs to the shop.
As Tara yawned and made her way to the counter, Anne looked up and smiled at her.
"You were out late last night. What were you doing, exactly, missy?" Anne questioned as she slipped the wads of money into the register, locking it up.
"I was going to ask you the same thing. Did you happen to kill a bunch of people last night?"
Anne's brown eyes flickered. She blinked. She licked her lips. She leaned in close to Tara. At a whisper too quiet to even call it one, she breathed into Tara's ear;
"How did you know?"
Tara laughed and leaned back from Anne.
"I had the weirdest dream that there were a bunch of these teenagers all dead and stuff, I mean, in the shop. And you were saying stuff like you can't stop killing people or something."
At this, Anne let out a dry laugh that seemed more like a cough, pushing her hair almost anxiously behind her ears.
"Like I would ever to that."
Awkward silence hung in the air as the door's bell rang. Both Tara and Anne looked up to see Daren making his grand entrance, his eagle looking noble on his shoulder.
"Hello, ladies." He responded, nodding at the two of them.
A sudden chill rushed through Tara's body. She shook it off quickly.
"Hey, Daren. How's your eagle?"
"Eagle?" He questioned, a wave of confusion washing over his face.
"The thing that's perched on your shoulder… it flies…"
"Oh- yes," Daren's face crinkled into a smile, but his eyebrows plunged into a frown. "I just- sometimes forget that he's a bird. He's like a friend."
"Are you suggesting that you have seen me, on accounts, sitting on Anne's shoulder?"
"Hey, you're not supposed to tell him that." Anne spoke at last, but there was no hint of affection in her voice. "Daren, the shop is closed."
"Well, can't I be an exception?"
"You don't make exceptions, remember?"
At this point Tara blushed, feeling out of place. She quietly made her way up the stairs to change.
Daren heaved a sigh, something that sounded more like a grunt. He pulled a chair across the floor and sank down into it. The eagle squawked loudly as Daren sat against its wing and leaped from his shoulder, dancing around on the counter in front of Anne.
"Anne- I have work, you know. I mean, that's my job. You know if I could've, I'd had let you use it. But I can't. What were you doing, anyway?"
"Screw it, policeman. Why do you get paid so much for busting people's asses?"
Daren seemed almost taken aback by Anne's sudden statement. He stared at her, then rose from his seat. Anne was startled as Daren walked up to the counter, placed both of his hands on the smooth surface and leaned forward, staring into her eyes. For some reason, Anne backed up. She thought she saw a flicker of anger in Daren's eyes.
"Did you get much sleep last night? You seem kind of… not yourself."
Anne reached forward and stroked the smooth feathers of the eagle.
"It's been a long week and I have to start working or it's going to seem even longer. So, can I kick you out?"
Daren leaned back again.
"I've never heard of that. But, if it'll make you feel better, you may kick me out."
Anne opened her mouth to respond, but the eagle emitted a strange, almost strangled noise, clamping down on Anne's thumb with his sharp beak. She shot her head up to look at Daren, sucking on her thumb. The edges of Daren's lips curled up slightly, as if to smile, but his eyes were serious. He yanked the bird up from the counter, but it never took it's amber eyes from Anne.
"Uh, sorry, Anne. He can get kind of aggressive. Do you need any help with that?" But his offer wasn't taken seriously by Anne as he started heading to the door.
"I think I can put a Band-aid on myself, thanks."
Anne hardly had time to finish her sentence as the door clinked shut.