Path to Secrecy

Expect the Unexpected

10.42 pm, McDonald's.

"That will be thirteen-fifty." 

I dug into my back pocket, producing my wallet that held a couple of notes and my credit card. Holding out my card, I ignored the curious looks from the cashier, reviewing me a whole. 

I realised that with a bruised cheek and slightly wild hair, it would be labelled 'the outcome of a cat fight.' But from the judgemental looks I was receiving from the fellow customers, I'd have to say I resembled to be 'a fail in escaping an animal stampede.' Escaping in my condition was almost impossible, but with the thought of going down without a fight brought immense motivation to push back the pain.

After Samantha and her crew grew busy searching for my dead body, I crawled into the neighbours rose garden and used their back gate to find safety. Cleaning my wounds with the help of their garden tap, I had somehow snuck towards my car and evacuated in a hustle.  

Collecting my card, I accepted the ticket from my server and pocketed my wallet. Standing aside, I ran my fingers through my hair, untangling the knots before throwing it into a ponytail and sticking my black hat over. Gingerly dabbing the cut across my cheek, I silently hissed at the burning sensation arising before attempting to forget about the pain. I folded my arms and stared up at the food selections in McDonald's. The smell of fried potato chips and mayonnaise filled the air, followed by the churning of beverages being poured out of the fizzy drink machines.

Workers hustled, providing the assigned meals to customers, bumping into each other while doing so.

A few threw double looks at me and I mentally rolled my eyes, shaking my head ever so slightly at their blatant expressions to a girl slightly roughed up.

Kids zoomed past me, pushing past my legs all the while ignoring the quiet scolds of their mother standing beside me. They continued shoving past people standing in the queues, their little brunette heads bopping in sight ever so slightly. 

My senses absently scanned, interpreted, understood my surroundings but something felt wrong. I would have carelessly blamed the paranoia summoned over my mind, thanks to the outcome of previous events but I couldn't. It was too quiet, extra freedom with a lack of misadventure to fill the gaps.

Yes I expected a somewhat exaggerated scenario with a spaceship to land on the roof of McDonald's, crushing the sign as an extra effect and dominating aliens prepared to take over the place.

A security man at the main entrance strolled to the right with four steps and back to the left with three, all the while scanning his eyes over the crowd and hands firmly placed on his hips.

He met my eyes a couple times, tempted to whirl around and avoid my intimidating stare but he stayed firmly in place. He seemed impatient, rather nervous about something but I couldn't lay a finger on the exact thought.

The sound of credit cards being scanned as well as the receipts being printed at the same time filled my ears as my eyes darted towards the camera poised in the corner of the fast food place. I tapped my fingers as my heartbeat increased slowly with louder and heavier thumps.

My time limit was almost up but I didn't feel the fear to be found as I was miles away from home or any familiar place I had been in during my stay. My cheeks warmed and my eyes continued to switch back and forth to the cameras and credit card scanners then to the security currently speaking in his walky talky.

"Troublemakers, they are."

I blinked, turning to the person who spoke. The mother of the twin brunette kids shook her head with her arms folded and an exhausted look on her face. "I beg your pardon?"