Chapter 12

Diana

At the door, hesitant to leave the safety of my room, I peek out first to make sure that there’s no one suspicious lurking.  

What if they’ve already found me? What if they’re outside, just waiting for me to come out so they can catch me? 

My anxiety spikes as numerous paranoid thoughts run through my mind. The larger part of my brain reminds me that this is a human territory but the fear is ever present.  

I grimace when my stomach growls loudly. If the old clock hanging on the wall is right, it's past noon already and the last thing I ate was a stale sandwich two days ago. I peek out one more time to make sure it’s safe before stepping out and locking the door behind me. 

Getting directions for the nearest diner from the very bored receptionist at the front desk, I walk out of the motel and stare contemplatively at the only road there. Going left would take me out of town. Yanking the hood more firmly over my head, I go right. 

Apart from what seems to be an abandoned car repair shop, I don’t see any other buildings for a good while. Just the single tarred road, and dense trees in the distance at each end. It isn’t until fifteen minutes later that I finally see the town itself. Buildings seem to spring up and the hustle and bustle of the town reach my ears. 

My experiences over the past few weeks make it impossible for me to drop my guard. My neck is constantly swivelling, on the lookout for any danger. And after every few minutes, I would stop and stretch my senses to see if I would find any signs of Weres. 

If there’s anything I have learned over the past few weeks, it is that there is no such thing as being too cautious. After all, it is this same alertness that made me able to escape the precarious situations that I found myself in. 

Chewing on my lip, I check again. No Weres. Only the presence of humans.

I let out a breath of relief. Hopefully, it stays that way.

Following the directions I had gotten from the receptionist, I finally found the diner. 

The diner is located on the ground floor of a two-storey building and even from the outside, I can see that the design is geared towards comfort rather than ostentatiousness. The walls are made from pretty red bricks. Stepping through the doorway, I find that the entire place gives off a soft and homey feel; the ambience of the place soothing my high-strung nerves. 

There are big glass windows overlooking the busy streets cleaned to gleaming perfection, streaming in soft morning light which illuminates the homey decor. The cream-coloured seats are padded with plush foam and the tables are covered with cute crème and magenta tablecloths. There are potted plants at the corners of the room and smaller ones hanging from the ceilings with beautiful flowers spilling out of the cute pots and dangling in the air. Looking closer, I found that instead of fake flowers in the flower pots on the tables, the owner of the place opted for short and stubby succulents instead. Pretty pastel paintings are hanging from the walls and the furniture seems to be made from a dark colored wood which contrasts beautifully with the rest of the decor.

As I walk in, a few customers look up and while some give me curious looks, most go back to their meals. 

No one cares. Perfect.

I hesitate for a bit before stepping up to the counter. 

“Uhm…hello”, I call timidly. 

Glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, a woman with steaks of grey hair running through her brown looks up. Her eyes blink in surprise before a soft smile graces her lips, the gesture softening her already kind-looking features.

“Why hello there Sweety, what would you like?”, she beams. Her is demeanor welcoming and her entire aura comes off as pleasant and gracious. 

I instantly feel the anxiety within my body subconsciously melt away in the presence of this kind-looking lady. There is just something about her that places the mind at ease and makes one feel comfortable.

She takes my order and minutes later, I devour the most delicious food I have tasted in a while. By the time I’m done, I’m so full I’m barely able to stand.

Now that food is out of the way, the next thing on the agenda is to get a job.

I look around the diner and take in the beautiful ambience, and I find myself wishing I could work here. 

Maybe I could ask? 

After all, I’m new in this town and know absolutely nothing about anything. If I’m going to find my way around and actually land myself a job, I have to ask someone for help. And even if I don’t get a job here specifically, I would at least get directions on where to start.

“Hello Ma’am”, I stammer out, back at the counter, not used to social interaction.

She looks up at me over the tops of her glasses, and as they had done, earlier, her eyes warm up.

“Yes dear, how can I help you?”

“uhm… I was wondering Ma’am… uhm, I’m looking for a job and I was wondering if you know anywhere that’s hiring?”.

She drops her pen and gives me her full attention, “What kind of job are you looking for dear?”

“Just…just anything, I don’t mind”, and I find myself flushing in embarrassment. 

She thinks for a bit, “Well, last I heard, ‘Savoury Kitchen’ down the street is looking for a waitress. You could try there”, and disappointment courses through me when she doesn’t say that this diner is hiring, but I shoo it away. Beggars can't be choosers.

“Thank you, Ma’am”.

“You're welcome dear”, and then her eyes widen as she remembers something. “Oh, wait one sec- let me get this…” She pulls out a drawer and rummages through it. A few seconds later, she pulls out something and hands it to me.

“Here. It’s a pamphlet containing all the food establishments in our town. You could check them out too”, she grins.

“Thank you”, I take it gratefully.

I walk out of the nice diner and head towards the restaurant, hopeful that I’ll walk back out with the job.