Evil Angels

Emma’s POV

I woke up to the birds chirping in the crisp morning air outside my window. Sunlight was streaming in through the curtains from outside of my cabin making my room illuminate with the morning sunrise. Slowly, I dragged myself out of my bed, throwing on a coat before I walked out to my small kitchen and living room. I put on a pot of coffee while I cooked up a few eggs and toast. I looked outside my kitchen window, seeing a few snowflakes beginning to flutter down.

Great, I am going to have to go in early today.

I quickly ate my breakfast and finished up my morning routine then jumped into my truck to start my twenty minute drive to work. I lived on the outskirts of the small town of Shirley so it was a little bit of a trip to work. Not that I minded though, I enjoyed driving on the mountain roads, seeing Montana’s vast landscape.

I pulled into the General Store’s parking lot and threw on my worn down, brown apron before walking in. Andy was walking around struggling with cases of items to put on the shelves. I ran up to him and took the case from his arms, “Andy, you know you are too old to be carrying heavy stuff like this.”

Andy is in his seventies and owns this store. He is a sweet grandpa like person to the whole town even though he doesn’t have any grandchildren of his own. Hell, he has been a father to me ever since my parents died five years ago.

Andy brushed down his apron, “Well you are too young for carrying that stuff. You will end up with a bad back like me.”

I placed the case down next to the shelves and began uploading it onto the shelves, “I think I will be fine. Go make your coffee and sit down. I will handle the morning customers.”

“Yeah… yeah… there won’t be very many with all this snow starting up anyways.”

I looked up from the case I was unloading to see the top of his white hair disappear into the back room. It took me about ten minutes to upload all the cases then I went to sweeping up all the floors. The doorbell rang out, making me look up from the floor to see little, old Mrs. Peterson rubbing her hands together.

“It is freezing out there today! How are you not cold your sleeves rolled up like that?”

I leaned my broom against a shelf and walked over to her, “No need to worry, it is warm in here. Now, what can I get for you, Mrs. Peterson?”

She smiled, “Oh, I was just thinking of getting some supplies to make my famous cookies. Do you remember what I need?”

I nodded and helped her over to the rocking chair by the store’s window, “Of course! I am the only one you trusted with that recipe. Even Andy has tried to get it from me a few times.”

She laughed to herself, “That old man is so funny sometimes.”

I laughed too, “Alright, you just stay here and warm up. I will get the stuff you need.”

I grabbed a basket and wandered through the shelves picking up everything that she needed. Then, I rang it all up and bagged it for her. By the time I was done, she made her way over to the register and gave me the money.

“Do you need me to take this to the car for you, Mrs. Peterson?”

She shook her head, “No my dear, I can manage. Mr. Peterson is probably out there waiting for me… Hey, when am I going to see you with a nice man?”

I almost had to stop myself from bursting out laughing in front of her, “Oh, I don’t think that will be very soon.”

She walked over to the door, “That’s because you work so much is this small dusty shop dear. Anyways, Have a nice rest of your day, sweetie.”

Right as the door closed and I heard her car start up, Andy came out from the back room, “Was that Mrs. Peterson?”

I nodded and went back to my sweeping, “Yeah, she was wondering when I will find myself a nice man.”

Andy stopped in his tracks, “Ha! That woman definitely doesn’t know you that well.”

“Yeah, I just like to be alone, that’s all.”

He walked down an aisle rearranging some items, “There is nothing wrong with being a lone wolf. Hell, I have been one for over seventy years.”

For the rest of my shift we fell into silence, cleaning up around the store, and assisting any customers that happened to come in. That’s how most shifts went between the two of us. We are much of talkers but we still work well in each other’s presence. I helped Andy close up then made my way back out to my truck to make the drive home. The sun was just about getting ready to set signalling most of our town to get to their homes.

Another day down… many more to go.