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I glared at the wall across my bedroom. Somnus was sleeping quietly next to me, hogging all the pillows on the bed. I smiled softly down at my best friend, the only one who understood me. I rolled my eyes as he tried to bury himself beneath the covers to hide from the light. The sun was rising and I hadn’t slept an hour, too scared of my own nightmares to give in to the need to rest. Yawning loudly I brushed my hair back from my face and slowly slid out of bed. Stumbling around in the subtle light, I pulled on casual clothes and threw my hair up in a bun before heading outside. I needed a coffee and Somnus would murder me if I didn’t have one waiting for him. He tends to be grumpy in the mornings.
Shoving my hands in the pockets of my sweatshirt, I blew out a chilly breath. I hurried down the street, huddling into my hoodie until I got to Main Street. Looking around I turned into a small bakery, the smell luring me in. I pushed open the door, snorting lowly at the cliché sound of a bell announcing my arrival. Letting the door close slowly I made my way up to the counter with long, confident strides. I flinched slightly as a woman came out of nowhere.
“Hi! What can I get ya?” She asked in a spritely manner.
I chewed on my lip as I looked at the choices displayed inside glass cases. I raised my eyes to catch the woman’s attention and then pointed at one of the chocolate doughnuts. I watched patiently as she nodded and started for the pastry with plastic gloved hands.
“Not much of a talker are ya? That’s okay I can do the talking if you like.” She chattered on as she pulled my breakfast out and bagged it.
I nodded once to sate her and pulled out a five to pay her. I started to raise my hand to wave off the change when she darted to the back.
“I’ll get your change for you sir! Just give me one second!” She called back as she bustled away.
Sighing I turned and sat down at a small table near the counter. Looking around I quickly realized that this shop must be new. Shrugging I bit into my doughnut, moaning a little at the awesome taste of it.
“Good aren’t they?” A voice said surprisingly close to my ear.
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ｃｏｎｔｉｎｕｅ
I jumped and turned around to see a young man standing beside me. I gave a curt nod and turned back to the table. I pulled out my phone and ignored him, hoping he would go away. Sadly it seemed I had run out of luck as the kid sat down across from me.
“I’m Zach! I’m the new baker here!” He announced proudly.
I raised a brow at him and waited for him to finish.
“I’ve been working here for three weeks now. We just opened a few days ago! What’s your name?” He asked, not at all deterred by my disinterest.
Sighing I pulled the notepad up on my phone, ignoring the weird looks Zach gave me as I let the silence carry on. I typed, Caspian and turned it to him.
He nodded and then said “Why aren’t you talking? Cat got your tongue?”
Not exactly, I thought to myself. Typing into my phone, once again, No, I’m mute. I don’t talk.
“Oh, okay! I couldn’t imagine not talking but whatever floats your boat.” The kid said, laughing a little.
I took another bite of my doughnut and looked up as the woman came over. She dropped the change in front of me and turned to the kid across from me.
“Bothering the customers again? Really, Zach? I’m not paying you to do this.” She scolded.
“I’m not bothering him I swear! I’m keeping him company, he seemed lonely. Right Cas?” The kid said, stressing my new nickname.
I stared him down for a second before nodding at the apparent owner of the bakery.
“See?” Zach said loudly.
The woman grumbled something under her breath and rolled her eyes. I chuffed a small laugh before going quiet again. She turned to me, wiping her flour coated hands on a dirty apron.
“Hello Cas, the names Willow!” She chirped.
I picked up my phone and let her read through the earlier words. She nodded slowly as understanding dawned on her. She looked at me for a second, her brows pinching together. She suddenly smiled, all distress gone from her face.
“So Cas, know anything about baking?” She said, a suspicious smile on her face.
No, why would I? I’m a soldier not a baker, I typed up giving her a confused look.
“Oh that’s okay you can just learn as we go!” She said excitedly.
Confused I looked at Zach, trying to get answers. He just grinned broadly at me and stood up quickly from the table. I shoved the rest of my doughnut into my mouth and stood up with him on instinct. Swallowing the rest of my treat, I grabbed my trash to throw away. And then suddenly, Willow was dragging me towards the back.
They’re going to kill me, I thought jokingly in my head. I dropped my garbage in the bin as we passed it and let the pair lead me to the kitchen.
“Okay its easy, all you do is follow these recipes.” Willow said loudly as she pulled out a box. I watched as she opened it and gaped at all the cards I saw in there.
“Yeah it’s a lot but don’t worry we don’t bake all of them. Only the ones Willow picks for the week.” Zach whispered from beside me.
I nodded slowly, still a little lost. It was obvious they wanted me to be an employee, but when did I sign up? Sighing I decided to let them go on, wincing a little as I remembered Somnus was at home. Eh, the little guy wouldn’t wake up until he had too, I should be fine for a bit longer, I thought to myself.
“Here’s where we keep all the tools. Spoons, forks, whisks, knives, you name it. Oh and the roller, a baker’s best friend.” Willow said, holding up a heavily used roller from one of the thousands of drawers.
I nodded to show I was paying attention and watched as she pointed to different things around the room. When she was finally done my brain was swirling with all the overwhelming information. Leaning against one of the counters we sat in awkward silence for a bit. Pulling out my phone I typed So if your both in here, who’s running the front? I turned the phone to them both and watched as they both started laughing.
“Don’t worry, my son runs the front most of the time. You just missed him when you came in, but he returned while I was dragging you into here.” Willow said.
I nodded and stuffed the phone back in my pocket. I smiled at the two Kalons in thanks and headed for the door when I felt someone grab my shoulder. Glancing back I saw Willow holding onto me and Zach standing behind her looking upset. I gave them a questioning look trying to figure out what they wanted now.
“Oh gosh, I got ahead of myself again. I forgot to offer you the job!” Willow said with more humor than horror in her voice.
I looked at them nervously and reached up to play with a loose strand of hair.
“So? Do you want the job?” Zach said, perking up from behind the woman.
I stared at them quietly for a second, weighing the pros and cons. For one I did need a job. I was still a soldier and I’m getting paid but it won’t be enough to sustain me for long. But I also don’t know a thing about baking and would probably just make things worse. Although, they are offering to teach me and a new job might get Somnus off my case about therapy.
I sighed and nodded.
“Yay!” Willow cheered and then she darted off into the storeroom. She returned seconds later with an apron, which she threw at me with no warning.
I scrambled to catch it and stared at her blankly.
“Put it on! You start today! We’re understaffed and the morning rush hour is about to start.” Willow barked at me.
I huffed in annoyance and put the cloth on. Pulling out my phone I sent a quick apology text to Somnus and then turned it off, deciding to deal with the beast later. I breathed in a deep breath and let it out to calm my nerves before turning to the pair, a small smile on my face. I motioned with my hands towards the counter and walked towards it.
“I’ll teach him some of the more basic pastries quickly.” Zach volunteered and walked over to me.
I spent the next six hours with the pair and Willow’s son, who I met a few times throughout the day. When the shop finally closed I was exhausted and swaying a little on my feet. I looked up as I heard laughing and saw Zach staring at me.
“Man you look half dead!” He crowed as he ignored his cleaning duties.
Rolling my eyes I shoved him lightly on the shoulder. Throwing down the rag in my hand I pulled out my phone, ignoring Zach’s snort of disapproval in the background. Turning on the device I scrolled through the angry texts from Somnus. The first ones were about coffee but the newer ones seemed more worried than mad. Unlocking my screen I gave him a quick text back to tell him I was okay, smiling at the thought.
I looked up at Zach as a yawn suddenly came upon me. I pointed to the door and he nodded.
“Yeah go on ahead home, I’ll tell Willow you left and finish up here. See ya tomorrow man.” He said.
I waved goodbye and headed out the door, the little jingle filling the silence. Making my way down the streets I noted that the sun was already down below the tall buildings. Scrolling through my phone as I walked I made my way home.
I jumped as a loud gunshot rang out followed by screams. But suddenly I wasn’t on Main Street. I was on the front lines fighting once again. I lay flat against the hard ground, the gun on my shoulder and my finger on the trigger. I watched the people moving below me through the scope. My battalion lay flat around me, all watching, waiting. And then there was a scream as the first bullet was fired at us. I refused to look left or right, not wanting to see my friends bleeding on the ground. I pulled the trigger on anything that moved in my scope, fear for my life coursing through my veins. Sweat dripped down my face and I froze as I heard the click of an empty gun.
“Great, I don’t have any bullets on me.” He muttered lowly.
Making an impulsive decision I began to crawl backwards to our vehicle. My arms dragged me across the rough ground, and then suddenly the tires were in front of me. I stood up and yanked open a door just as gunshots rang down on me. I yelped as one whizzed by my face and reached into the seat. Pulling more shots out of the truck I reloaded. And then I was on the ground, pain spreading from my stomach as I gripped my torso tightly. I coughed in pain and sat up to lean against the truck.
It felt like I had sat there for hours, but it was maybe minutes. I whimpered as hands grabbed my arms and pulled me into the back of the truck.
“Retreat!” Voices called out.
My vision blurred briefly and black spots appeared. I swayed a little and groaned in pain as I felt a warm wetness coating my hand. Someone removed my arm from the wound and I looked up at them as they pressed gauze into the opening.
“Just stay with me buddy!” He said, but the voice sounded distant.
I squinted at him as his body started to waver and suddenly it was over. I was laying on Main Street once again with a guy leaning over me.
“H-hey you okay man? You just dropped when that shot rang out. Scared the life outta me, but turns out its just monthly target practice for the police. I’m sorry if my scream startled you.” The man said.
I groaned and rubbed the back of my head.
“Yeah you hit the ground pretty hard there. I was about to call an ambulance but you started to come around so I didn’t.” The guy explained as he reached out a hand out help me up.
I took it and let him hold me up as I swayed. Pushing him away from me I stood up by myself. I dusted off my clothes and pushed the stray hair out of my face. I nodded my thanks and stood there awkwardly as he inspected me once again.
“Cai.” He said and shoved out a hand.
I pulled out my phone and typed up Caspian.
He nodded and smiled at me. “I saw you were coming from the new bakery. Do you work there?” Cai asked.
I smiled and nodded yes; glad he had asked a yes or no question. Always typing my answers was a pain.
“Hmm, I’ll have to go by there more often then. If your gonna keep knocking your head on the ground every time you leave it’s probably better to have someone around to call the hospital.” Cai said jokingly.
I gave him a nervous smile and a small laugh, wondering when he’d let me head on my way. Thankfully he seemed to notice my discomfort.
“Well I’ve gotta get going. See you tomorrow morning.” He said and I gave him a curious look. “At the bakery? I’m going to get coffee tomorrow and I expect you to be serving it.”
I shook my head, a little confused now.
“Oh, Im sorry am I coming off as a flirt again? I’m sorry, I’m just being friendly I promise.” Cai said, holding his hands up in a stop gesture.
I laughed a little in relief and nodded. I began to make my way down the street, waving my goodbyes as he yelled out his too me. Sighing I picked up my phone and texted Somnus that I’d be home soon. I decided to keep the attack from him, even knowing that he’d pick up on it the second he saw me.
Walking through the door I was immediately met with the pale face of Somnus. I ruffled his white hair and walked past him as he complained.
Where have you been?! You’ve been gone all day with barely any explanation! And then you didn’t come home and I was worried! He typed angrily.
I sighed and sat down on a bar stool as Somnus sat beside me.
You had another attack didn’t you? He texted, a bland look on his face.
I nodded quietly staring at the ground. It wasn’t that bad, I typed up on my phone.
We sat in silence for a bit, both content to just let it drag on. I didn’t move as I heard him shuffling. And then suddenly there was a smaller set of arms wrapped around my waist. I let my head rest on his shoulder and let out a breath. I wasn’t okay, I can’t believe I was stupid enough to have thought I was earlier. But maybe one day I will be. Baking seems to have helped me and I made three more friends today, maybe four if you count the guy on the street. Life was going up right now and I might as well enjoy the ride.
Untangling myself from my best friend I smiled down at him. I kissed his forehead lightly and then turned away. I walked towards my bedroom, yawning at the exhaustion hit me like a bus. Flopping down on my bed I closed my eyes and for the first time in months, slept without the nightmares plaguing my mind.
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-All writing by me
-Somnus owned by Mintiature
-Willow owned by starlily
-Zach owned by Hemalily
-Cai owned by nebulavery
I glared at the wall across my bedroom. Somnus was sleeping quietly next to me, hogging all the pillows on the bed. I smiled softly down at my best friend, the only one who understood me. I rolled my eyes as he tried to bury himself beneath the covers to hide from the light. The sun was rising and I hadn’t slept an hour, too scared of my own nightmares to give in to the need to rest. Yawning loudly I brushed my hair back from my face and slowly slid out of bed. Stumbling around in the subtle light, I pulled on casual clothes and threw my hair up in a bun before heading outside. I needed a coffee and Somnus would murder me if I didn’t have one waiting for him. He tends to be grumpy in the mornings.
Shoving my hands in the pockets of my sweatshirt, I blew out a chilly breath. I hurried down the street, huddling into my hoodie until I got to Main Street. Looking around I turned into a small bakery, the smell luring me in. I pushed open the door, snorting lowly at the cliché sound of a bell announcing my arrival. Letting the door close slowly I made my way up to the counter with long, confident strides. I flinched slightly as a woman came out of nowhere.
“Hi! What can I get ya?” She asked in a spritely manner.
I chewed on my lip as I looked at the choices displayed inside glass cases. I raised my eyes to catch the woman’s attention and then pointed at one of the chocolate doughnuts. I watched patiently as she nodded and started for the pastry with plastic gloved hands.
“Not much of a talker are ya? That’s okay I can do the talking if you like.” She chattered on as she pulled my breakfast out and bagged it.
I nodded once to sate her and pulled out a five to pay her. I started to raise my hand to wave off the change when she darted to the back.
“I’ll get your change for you sir! Just give me one second!” She called back as she bustled away.
Sighing I turned and sat down at a small table near the counter. Looking around I quickly realized that this shop must be new. Shrugging I bit into my doughnut, moaning a little at the awesome taste of it.
“Good aren’t they?” A voice said surprisingly close to my ear.
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ｃｏｎｔｉｎｕｅ
I jumped and turned around to see a young man standing beside me. I gave a curt nod and turned back to the table. I pulled out my phone and ignored him, hoping he would go away. Sadly it seemed I had run out of luck as the kid sat down across from me.
“I’m Zach! I’m the new baker here!” He announced proudly.
I raised a brow at him and waited for him to finish.
“I’ve been working here for three weeks now. We just opened a few days ago! What’s your name?” He asked, not at all deterred by my disinterest.
Sighing I pulled the notepad up on my phone, ignoring the weird looks Zach gave me as I let the silence carry on. I typed, Caspian and turned it to him.
He nodded and then said “Why aren’t you talking? Cat got your tongue?”
Not exactly, I thought to myself. Typing into my phone, once again, No, I’m mute. I don’t talk.
“Oh, okay! I couldn’t imagine not talking but whatever floats your boat.” The kid said, laughing a little.
I took another bite of my doughnut and looked up as the woman came over. She dropped the change in front of me and turned to the kid across from me.
“Bothering the customers again? Really, Zach? I’m not paying you to do this.” She scolded.
“I’m not bothering him I swear! I’m keeping him company, he seemed lonely. Right Cas?” The kid said, stressing my new nickname.
I stared him down for a second before nodding at the apparent owner of the bakery.
“See?” Zach said loudly.
The woman grumbled something under her breath and rolled her eyes. I chuffed a small laugh before going quiet again. She turned to me, wiping her flour coated hands on a dirty apron.
“Hello Cas, the names Willow!” She chirped.
I picked up my phone and let her read through the earlier words. She nodded slowly as understanding dawned on her. She looked at me for a second, her brows pinching together. She suddenly smiled, all distress gone from her face.
“So Cas, know anything about baking?” She said, a suspicious smile on her face.
No, why would I? I’m a soldier not a baker, I typed up giving her a confused look.
“Oh that’s okay you can just learn as we go!” She said excitedly.
Confused I looked at Zach, trying to get answers. He just grinned broadly at me and stood up quickly from the table. I shoved the rest of my doughnut into my mouth and stood up with him on instinct. Swallowing the rest of my treat, I grabbed my trash to throw away. And then suddenly, Willow was dragging me towards the back.
They’re going to kill me, I thought jokingly in my head. I dropped my garbage in the bin as we passed it and let the pair lead me to the kitchen.
“Okay its easy, all you do is follow these recipes.” Willow said loudly as she pulled out a box. I watched as she opened it and gaped at all the cards I saw in there.
“Yeah it’s a lot but don’t worry we don’t bake all of them. Only the ones Willow picks for the week.” Zach whispered from beside me.
I nodded slowly, still a little lost. It was obvious they wanted me to be an employee, but when did I sign up? Sighing I decided to let them go on, wincing a little as I remembered Somnus was at home. Eh, the little guy wouldn’t wake up until he had too, I should be fine for a bit longer, I thought to myself.
“Here’s where we keep all the tools. Spoons, forks, whisks, knives, you name it. Oh and the roller, a baker’s best friend.” Willow said, holding up a heavily used roller from one of the thousands of drawers.
I nodded to show I was paying attention and watched as she pointed to different things around the room. When she was finally done my brain was swirling with all the overwhelming information. Leaning against one of the counters we sat in awkward silence for a bit. Pulling out my phone I typed So if your both in here, who’s running the front? I turned the phone to them both and watched as they both started laughing.
“Don’t worry, my son runs the front most of the time. You just missed him when you came in, but he returned while I was dragging you into here.” Willow said.
I nodded and stuffed the phone back in my pocket. I smiled at the two Kalons in thanks and headed for the door when I felt someone grab my shoulder. Glancing back I saw Willow holding onto me and Zach standing behind her looking upset. I gave them a questioning look trying to figure out what they wanted now.
“Oh gosh, I got ahead of myself again. I forgot to offer you the job!” Willow said with more humor than horror in her voice.
I looked at them nervously and reached up to play with a loose strand of hair.
“So? Do you want the job?” Zach said, perking up from behind the woman.
I stared at them quietly for a second, weighing the pros and cons. For one I did need a job. I was still a soldier and I’m getting paid but it won’t be enough to sustain me for long. But I also don’t know a thing about baking and would probably just make things worse. Although, they are offering to teach me and a new job might get Somnus off my case about therapy.
I sighed and nodded.
“Yay!” Willow cheered and then she darted off into the storeroom. She returned seconds later with an apron, which she threw at me with no warning.
I scrambled to catch it and stared at her blankly.
“Put it on! You start today! We’re understaffed and the morning rush hour is about to start.” Willow barked at me.
I huffed in annoyance and put the cloth on. Pulling out my phone I sent a quick apology text to Somnus and then turned it off, deciding to deal with the beast later. I breathed in a deep breath and let it out to calm my nerves before turning to the pair, a small smile on my face. I motioned with my hands towards the counter and walked towards it.
“I’ll teach him some of the more basic pastries quickly.” Zach volunteered and walked over to me.
I spent the next six hours with the pair and Willow’s son, who I met a few times throughout the day. When the shop finally closed I was exhausted and swaying a little on my feet. I looked up as I heard laughing and saw Zach staring at me.
“Man you look half dead!” He crowed as he ignored his cleaning duties.
Rolling my eyes I shoved him lightly on the shoulder. Throwing down the rag in my hand I pulled out my phone, ignoring Zach’s snort of disapproval in the background. Turning on the device I scrolled through the angry texts from Somnus. The first ones were about coffee but the newer ones seemed more worried than mad. Unlocking my screen I gave him a quick text back to tell him I was okay, smiling at the thought.
I looked up at Zach as a yawn suddenly came upon me. I pointed to the door and he nodded.
“Yeah go on ahead home, I’ll tell Willow you left and finish up here. See ya tomorrow man.” He said.
I waved goodbye and headed out the door, the little jingle filling the silence. Making my way down the streets I noted that the sun was already down below the tall buildings. Scrolling through my phone as I walked I made my way home.
I jumped as a loud gunshot rang out followed by screams. But suddenly I wasn’t on Main Street. I was on the front lines fighting once again. I lay flat against the hard ground, the gun on my shoulder and my finger on the trigger. I watched the people moving below me through the scope. My battalion lay flat around me, all watching, waiting. And then there was a scream as the first bullet was fired at us. I refused to look left or right, not wanting to see my friends bleeding on the ground. I pulled the trigger on anything that moved in my scope, fear for my life coursing through my veins. Sweat dripped down my face and I froze as I heard the click of an empty gun.
“Great, I don’t have any bullets on me.” He muttered lowly.
Making an impulsive decision I began to crawl backwards to our vehicle. My arms dragged me across the rough ground, and then suddenly the tires were in front of me. I stood up and yanked open a door just as gunshots rang down on me. I yelped as one whizzed by my face and reached into the seat. Pulling more shots out of the truck I reloaded. And then I was on the ground, pain spreading from my stomach as I gripped my torso tightly. I coughed in pain and sat up to lean against the truck.
It felt like I had sat there for hours, but it was maybe minutes. I whimpered as hands grabbed my arms and pulled me into the back of the truck.
“Retreat!” Voices called out.
My vision blurred briefly and black spots appeared. I swayed a little and groaned in pain as I felt a warm wetness coating my hand. Someone removed my arm from the wound and I looked up at them as they pressed gauze into the opening.
“Just stay with me buddy!” He said, but the voice sounded distant.
I squinted at him as his body started to waver and suddenly it was over. I was laying on Main Street once again with a guy leaning over me.
“H-hey you okay man? You just dropped when that shot rang out. Scared the life outta me, but turns out its just monthly target practice for the police. I’m sorry if my scream startled you.” The man said.
I groaned and rubbed the back of my head.
“Yeah you hit the ground pretty hard there. I was about to call an ambulance but you started to come around so I didn’t.” The guy explained as he reached out a hand out help me up.
I took it and let him hold me up as I swayed. Pushing him away from me I stood up by myself. I dusted off my clothes and pushed the stray hair out of my face. I nodded my thanks and stood there awkwardly as he inspected me once again.
“Cai.” He said and shoved out a hand.
I pulled out my phone and typed up Caspian.
He nodded and smiled at me. “I saw you were coming from the new bakery. Do you work there?” Cai asked.
I smiled and nodded yes; glad he had asked a yes or no question. Always typing my answers was a pain.
“Hmm, I’ll have to go by there more often then. If your gonna keep knocking your head on the ground every time you leave it’s probably better to have someone around to call the hospital.” Cai said jokingly.
I gave him a nervous smile and a small laugh, wondering when he’d let me head on my way. Thankfully he seemed to notice my discomfort.
“Well I’ve gotta get going. See you tomorrow morning.” He said and I gave him a curious look. “At the bakery? I’m going to get coffee tomorrow and I expect you to be serving it.”
I shook my head, a little confused now.
“Oh, Im sorry am I coming off as a flirt again? I’m sorry, I’m just being friendly I promise.” Cai said, holding his hands up in a stop gesture.
I laughed a little in relief and nodded. I began to make my way down the street, waving my goodbyes as he yelled out his too me. Sighing I picked up my phone and texted Somnus that I’d be home soon. I decided to keep the attack from him, even knowing that he’d pick up on it the second he saw me.
Walking through the door I was immediately met with the pale face of Somnus. I ruffled his white hair and walked past him as he complained.
Where have you been?! You’ve been gone all day with barely any explanation! And then you didn’t come home and I was worried! He typed angrily.
I sighed and sat down on a bar stool as Somnus sat beside me.
You had another attack didn’t you? He texted, a bland look on his face.
I nodded quietly staring at the ground. It wasn’t that bad, I typed up on my phone.
We sat in silence for a bit, both content to just let it drag on. I didn’t move as I heard him shuffling. And then suddenly there was a smaller set of arms wrapped around my waist. I let my head rest on his shoulder and let out a breath. I wasn’t okay, I can’t believe I was stupid enough to have thought I was earlier. But maybe one day I will be. Baking seems to have helped me and I made three more friends today, maybe four if you count the guy on the street. Life was going up right now and I might as well enjoy the ride.
Untangling myself from my best friend I smiled down at him. I kissed his forehead lightly and then turned away. I walked towards my bedroom, yawning at the exhaustion hit me like a bus. Flopping down on my bed I closed my eyes and for the first time in months, slept without the nightmares plaguing my mind.
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-All writing by me
-Somnus owned by Mintiature
-Willow owned by starlily
-Zach owned by Hemalily
-Cai owned by nebulavery
