Week 2

“Wow, that is amazing!”

Keira looked up from the small chocolate and caramel sign she was etching and smiled when she saw her friend enter the diner’s kitchen. “Thanks,” she replied, feeling a little self-conscious with the attention she was receiving.

“Who are you making it for?” The young woman leant over Keira’s latest creation, her grey eyes studying every little detail.

“It’s a trial run for the Halloween celebrations. I thought I’d see how it looked before deciding whether or not to include it.” She placed the small sign in the middle of the tray and stood back to view the final product.

“You should. It’s stunning.” The girl nodded and walked around the steel workstation, her eyes riveted upon Keira’s masterpiece. “What’s it made of?”

“Crushed ginger biscuit base with biscuit coated chocolate truffles. The signs are made of caramel coated chocolate slices.”

“It looks just like the surface of Mars. I love the little signs and the little Martian figure. You are so talented. Why are you working in a diner instead of a world class kitchen?”

“Because here hired me.” Satisfied that there was nothing more to add to the biscuit creation she carried it over to the cake chiller and placed it upon an empty shelf.

“Well, their loss is our gain but I still think it’s a tragedy.”

“Thanks, Kim. Maybe someday I’ll find myself in a posh kitchen but for now I’m happy here.”

With her baking done for the evening Keira started to clear away her equipment. Bowls and trays were rinsed and stacked in the dishwasher. Plastic containers containing the dry ingredients were returned to the glass fronted wall cupboards. With her worktop clear she was able to wipe it over with a damp cloth before ensuring that everything was left as it should be for when the kitchen crew returned in the morning.

“Is everything clear out front?”

“Yeah. Patti and I cleared up as people were leaving so there wasn’t much to do once we closed up. Patti did the till and she’s took the takings with her to the night safe when her partner collected her.” A tweeting bird announced a text message on Kim’s phone interrupting their conversation.

Keira placed her dirty cloths in the linen basket before glancing once more around the steel covered kitchen to ensure everything had been cleaned and put away. Stan, the owner of the diner, got very annoyed if the kitchen was not cleaned at the end of every day.

“Everything okay?” she asked when she saw the frown appearing on Kim’s forehead.

“Yes…. I mean no, not really.” Kim placed her phone back in the pocket of her tight fitting jeans and give Keira an apologetic smile. “You know how I said we’d give you a lift home? Well, Mark’s arrived and he’s on his bike. Apparently his Dad’s borrowed the car tonight. I’m sorry, Keira.”

“That’s fine. I can walk down to the main road and catch the shuttle bus. It stops just outside my block.” Keira gave the other woman a reassuring smile as she retrieved their coats from the closet. “I’ll be home before you know it.”

“I know but I hate the thought of you going home alone. Now the students are back it’s a bit rowdy at night and I don’t trust some of the idiots that seem to hang out around here.”

“I’ll be fine. You get off home with Mark. You’re in early tomorrow, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I’m doing Jenny’s shift. I’m going to be so shattered tomorrow.”

“Well, you go and I’ll lock up. It’s our busiest day tomorrow so you need to get plenty of rest tonight.”

Kim nodded, albeit a little reluctantly, and made her way out to the front of the diner. She hated to leave her friend on her own so late at night but there was nothing else she could do. “I’ll see you later next week when you’re back in.”

Keira watched as her friend climbed onto the back of her boyfriend’s powerful motorcycle before it sped off down the road with a powerful roar. Alone, in the darkness of an early winter evening, she felt the familiar cloak of loneliness settle around her shoulders. For as long as she could remember, she had been on her own with no family to call upon, no loved one to check she was safe on the dark nights. It was something she had gotten used to and refused to let it get her down.

Locking the diner up she stepped out into the crisp evening and started to walk towards the main highway. A shuttle bus ran every half an hour to ensure the university students were able to get home to their residences from wherever they had been working or playing.

The night sky above was thick with clouds making the light appear gloomy as she walked down the deserted footpath. She passed the open recreation area where many diners sat outside to enjoy their lunches before continuing alongside the deserted park with its empty swing seats swaying in the light breeze. She could hear the hinges squeaking slightly with the movement.

For the first time ever she felt uneasy walking towards the main highway where she would catch her bus. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled as she walked whilst her skin felt as though someone was crawling over it. Someone was watching her and whoever it was wasn’t very nice. She gathered her coat closer to her body and quickened her pace towards the bus stop.

The air around her crackled with energy even though there was no storm forecast. She kept her eyes focused upon the distant road up ahead not wanting to alert whoever was watching that she was aware they were out there. The urge to run was strong within her but she bit her lip and continuing to walk at a fast pace, her heels echoing loudly against the flags in the silence of her surroundings.

A wooshing noise overhead disturbed the solitude whilst a strong downdraft rustled the leaves in the trees and stirred her long, chestnut tresses. She glanced upwards but saw nothing in the dark canopy overhead. As she returned her gaze to the road ahead a man appeared from behind the trees, startling her with the suddenness of his appearance. As he stepped out into her path she was reminded of the Mars landscape she had created back at the diner and the small sign she had scribed ‘Danger’ upon.