Chapter Text
'Ding'
The quiet bell from the diner door turned the waitress's attention who was at the cashier onto the woman with the eyes that reminded the girl of the colour of espresso, rich with reddish-brown flecks, her deceitful eye, so much mystery lied to them, and so much pain and unknown terrors. Her hair, the rich soil of the valleys after spring rains, almost black in the shadows, but when she stepped into the light of the diner, it was a rich brown, almost with an undertone of red beneath the dark. The stranger at the entrance wore a black and white plaid hoodie, grey ripped jeans, and dark, muddy converse that looks like it has seen better days.
The dinghy exterior of the diner disinterested a lot of the new customers, with its overgrown nature, murky windows and broken beer bottles in the parking lot. This place was where the bikers, gangs, dropouts, and delinquents gathered, so it was uncommon for a stranger and even more rare for a woman to enter.
After she sat down in a shiny red booth, she looked at the menu. it was rather basic; Burgers, Bacon, Hot fries, not so original. She didn't have a craving for a full meal, so she decided on a drink. lifting her hand she signalled the hostess over, planning for what to say.
"Hello Miss, How are you tonight?" The waitress inquired cheerfully, her voice with a slight southern accent.
"I'm doing fine. Thank you" The unknown lady responded plainly.
"That's good, and what would you like to order?" The waitress said friendly, removing her notepad from the pouch in her apron ready to take the visitor's order.
"Just the 'Banana-Rama' milkshake, with extra whipped cream, please" the nutmeg glazed-eyed girl answered.
"Okay," the waitress spoke gradually drawing out the last sound, as she wrote down the order " I'll be back in a few" She then walked away, leaving the woman alone.
The anonymous stranger sat quietly listening to the loud rustling of leaves out in the night winds, the occasion called order from the kitchen, and her heartbeat in her ears. It has been awhile ago since the last time she was here. She was only just eight and this place has broken down.
The diner the woman is sitting in, use to be familes' favourite 'in and out' restaurant. The now red booths were once fresh, light blue and clean white, the striped wallpaper that used to be vivid and alluring was now stripping, holes were punctured through random sections, and dart boards at every wall, She imagined a lot can happen in sixteen years to this place, but she didn't think it would be this terrible.
The chime of the diner's bell dragged her out of her thoughts. Her eyes caught a familiar face, but she couldn't recall a name to place to the man. The male that stood in the doorway, wore a neat, black business suit, he was clearly out of place, his hair was brunet and spiked. His skin was ghastly pale, as if he was afraid of the sun. His sharp, sky-blue eyes connected with her rust-coloured ones, and she immediately looked away. She acted preoccupied, In a struggle for him to not see her. She remembers his features and knows that their last meeting did not end civilly.
"Audrey" He growled under his breath, His voice just as icy as his eyes, with a hint of French.
The woman now identified as 'Audrey' head shot up. The unnamed man sat opposite to her.
"Oh, don't say you've forgotten me now" He continued "let me just remind you. I'm the one who sent you into hiding all those years ago, only for you to not return home anyway. I'm the one that nearly got you killed a thousand times, some by accident, some not quite. I'm the one who destroyed your old life, and forced you to come tumbling into reality." he spoke slowly but spoke the last sentence with joy.
Audrey crossed her arms defensively, piercing daggers at the man, him shooting bullets at her.
"Of course, how could I have forgotten that horrifing face. Lucas" She spat venom at the remembered man, her words laced with hatred. "But you not here just to remind me of how much I loathe you. Now why are you bothering me"
When Lucas was about to explain, the hostess came back with Audrey's Milkshake, interrupting and slightly ticking off Audrey for the inconvenience.
"Here you are Miss, the delicious shake you ordered" She finally took notice of the new face across from Audrey, as she placed the mouth-salivating drink in front of Audrey. " Hello Sir, can I get you anything?" She spoke with a chirpy tone.
"No thank you, Madame, I won't be staying for too long" Lucas replied swiftly.
"Alright, just holler if you need anything else," the waitress said to both of them before leaving.
"Now the reason I am here, it is not to remind you of my hate towards you, but I was given a message" Lucas spoke. " You are to report immediately to this address" he slid a tore piece of paper to her from across the table. Audrey picked up the paper and stuffed it in her pocket not bothering to read it.
"And who ordered for my presence there" Audrey commented.
"Not that you don't know them already, but it is my superior" Lucas answered. He slowly raised from the booth. "Now, if you don't mind I must be going. I advised you to take your leave soon, enjoy your milkshake" Lucas concluded sniffling a laugh about Audrey with a milkshake. His own little humour is something that she never understood, he would laugh at the strangest and cruellest of things.
Audrey got to enjoy the silence without the man disturbing her even if what he told her worried her the slightest. But anyway, Audrey was not the one to follow orders, and she dismissed it, turning her attention to the gorgeous beverage in front of her.
She took a sip from the red and white straw the refreshing banana flavoured milk, and sure, the diner was suspicious as hell, but boy, do they make good milkshakes. Audrey reached across the table for the newspaper that the previous customer must have left.
She flicked through the papers and what her only thought was;
'What is wrong with this world. Murder, robbery, death, where does it end?'.
It seems that people just want to hear the negative thing going on, no one gives a rat's ass about. 'Girl scouts are doubling the contents of cookies in their boxes.' She for one would have a spring in her step if that was relevant to her.
Reading the paper brought her thoughts to the note in her pocket. She pulled the piece of information, looking around the diner for any spying eyes. Realizing that there were none she unfolded the small torn note.
'10 Thomas Avenue. Normal, Illinois'
The message was brief but what else would she be expecting, they spare the details. Rising from the booth Audrey pulled out her purse and dropped a five dollar bill on the table, and she walked to the front door, slipping in an extra five dollars in a jar that said, 'college tuition', mouthing a small 'Good luck' to the teenager at the front desk.
Exiting the diner, Audrey was assaulted with the frosty winds of the night, being the middle of winter this was ordinary, but Audrey still hadn't gotten used to the weather. she searched the car park, her eyes stopping at her ride. Her beautiful Harley Davidson, her prize, and possession. which was the colour of dark blood. Naturally.
Slipping on her glossy, crimson full-faced helmet, she strapped the buckles while checking the fuel level. It read that it was at half empty.
'Alright, I don't have that much of a ride, hope it lasts' Audrey prayed.
Audrey mounted her motorbike and turned the keys, and it purred alive, breaking the silence, and shutting up the crickets for a moment.
Riding her motorbike it was an always exhilarating moment and would always set her free. When she felt the winds would blow against her, when the houses she sped past become blurs, or when sometimes she would ride to a clearing in the country and she would just sit there, only the moon as her light, and the small noises that would both put her in a daze, while also firing up her spirt.
She has ridden to the snowy mountains of Canada and the scorching deserts of Texas.
Her bike was the only most reliable thing in her life, it had never broken down and forced her to walk miles for help. Audrey toke care of it, and in return the bike was her freedom, but more importantly...
An escape.
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:D