The day faded away, and the setting evening sun poked its eyes above the horizon, taking in the view before the moon took over. The clocks ticked to five, and the pedestrians drove past the store as if there was no one in the building that depended on the job to stay afloat. 

No one came into the antique store that day. That man was the only person that stepped through those doors. Miranda’s was downtrodden, and I had no clue how to cheer her up. When the first hour passed, she seemed to act normal, but as the hours trickled away, little by little, she became much more depressed. 

As the clock hit five, her head rested on the counter, not moving an inch. I checked up on her now and then just to see if she didn’t die or anything. I would tap on the counter right beside her ear, then she’d moan death, and that’s it. 

As I was busy sweeping the aisles, and Lai continued to color in her little coloring book, Miranda finally raised her head after hours of it resting. 

“What time is it?” Miranda asked.

“Five o’clock. Closing time.” I responded. 

Miranda yawned and stretched her back. I could hear a crack from the other side of the store, and Lai looked up from her coloring book from the sound.

“Coming to Zihao’s with me?” Miranda asked. I nodded, and she came from around the counter, with Lai trailing behind her. “You gonna run there, or are you coming with me?” 

I chuckled to myself at the joke. At least I thought it was a joke until I looked up and saw she was completely serious. 

“I’m not just gonna run there in a large city just to get a drink.” 

Miranda shrugged her shoulders, and we left the store. She locked the door behind her while Lai and I headed to her car. Due to the lack of customers recently, and the whole Karina situation, she decided it was best to close the store an hour earlier, so she didn’t blow a fuse during work. She had been working on her last straw since Karina was admitted to the hospital, and I was afraid that she’d collapse one day from mental exhaustion. 

I didn’t know what I would do if I ever lost this job. There might’ve been other places nearby that were hiring, but it would be a much lengthier and difficult process to get the job. I couldn’t let this one slip through the cracks, but with everything going on, I don’t think it was even in my power to prevent it from closing down in the first place.

Lai and I waited in the car for Miranda to come drive us to Zihao’s bar. She placed her hand on the door to the store and looked up at the name. When she took in the view, she let her hand drop to her side, and she walked over to the car. 

“Sorry for taking so long.” Miranda said as she slid into the driver's seat.

“No problem.” I said. “Just take as much time as you need.”

Miranda nodded and started the engine. 

***

“Why won’t you come to the bar?”

It had been some time since I grabbed a bottle of aspirin at the pharmacy. Thomas and Talia had accompanied me to the pharmacy, even when I specifically told them not to. Talia originally had important business, according to her, but she gave that up once she saw me, again, according to her. Why she would do that? I didn’t have a clue, but I wasn’t just going to refuse her.

As for Thomas, I really didn’t want him walking around with me. He’s a good guy at heart, but his look begged for attention of any and all passerbys. Anytime someone looked over at our little group, whose names all coincidentally start with “t,” I would hide my face so they couldn’t see my face. By the time I reached the pharmacy, my face was burning red to the point the doctor behind the counter asked if I needed cold medicine. 

After that, we went to a restaurant that Thomas said he frequents. I took the aspirin on the way, and my headache slowly disappeared into the void. I could finally sigh in relief as the sound of calming ocean waves echoed in my mind. 

The question that Thomas brought up came from a conversation as he tried inviting me to hang out at Zihao’s bar. I declined the offer, which brought us to where we were.

“Because I just don’t feel like it. What other reason do you need?” I said.

“Well, from what I heard, you’re a recluse.” I don’t say anything, neither confirming nor denying his accusation. However, my silence was nothing more than confirmation to him. “I’ll pay for your drinks, so come and get wasted with us.”

I shook my head. “I just got rid of a devil’s headache. I don’t feel like creating another issue for tomorrow. Besides, I’ve got other plans.”

“And those plans happen to be?” Thomas inquired. 

I didn’t feel any need to hide what I’m doing, since it’s just my job. “I’m writing a book.”

Talia raised her head from the second cheeseburger she was eating. I couldn’t understand how she could eat that much, but if someone can’t even afford a penny half the time, food must be a scarcity as it is. 

“What’s it about?” She asked.

Well, basically it’s about this dude climbing a mountain.” I answer honestly. 

“Why?” 

“Because of a promise he made to his friend long ago.”

“And that promise is?”

I raise my eyebrow. “Do you want me to just spoil the whole thing for you?” 

“It’s not like I can afford it, anyway.” Talia said.

“And I don’t read.” Thomas jumped in.

All their answers did was confuse me as to why they even asked about my book. I ask for details about a book if I think it might suit my style. These guys just did it to entertain me, and that’s more infuriating than someone saying that my job isn’t a real job. 

“The promise was that he’d someday make their names known to the world. That if he can find what’s on top of that mountain, then their sacrifice won’t be in vain.” 

“And what’s on top of the mountain?” Talia asked.

I opened my mouth as if to answer, but shut it afterward. As much as I wanted to provide that question with a satisfying answer, the knowledge of what was on the mountain escaped me. 

“I still don’t know yet.” 

Thomas smiled a devilish grin as if he were concocting a warlock’s plan. 

“Don’t some of the best authors write their works when they’re drunk or high? So there’s your excuse. Just think of it as a way to plan for your novel.”

I raised my fork from the pancakes I had been eating. There were a few choice words that I wanted to get off my chest.

“Just saying this now, that’s a bold-faced myth. Yeah, some authors wrote under the influence, but their best works came from them being sober. And even if they were under the influence, and they wrote a masterpiece minus one, they’d make it a utopian inspiration to everyone around the world if they were sober.

“Also, Stephen King is a masterful writer, but do you know how many times he writes about women’s perked nipples? I fantasize about them too. I fantasize about nipples a lot, but why would I put them in my works unless absolutely necessary? I’m one hundred percent positive he wrote those weird lines under the influence, too. So no. Authors don’t write better when drunk or high or whatever.”

Finally, I could vent that out of my own mouth. Most of the time, I would get into comment wars on the internet about someone who pretends to know how the writing process works, as if they’ve actually written a book before. That ends up with me asking them about their so called “book” only for it to not exist, or better yet, a ten chapter webnovel pops up where each word is nothing but how cool the protagonist is as he has all of the sex.

I love sex too. I really fucking do, but why would I include it all the time in a story, as if it were just something to be tossed around? Sex should be used sparingly, especially in porn and erotica, weirdly enough. If it’s used all the time, the weight of the moment dies out and all the eroticism drains away. Unless they can keep the sex new, then it’s best used in modesty on the written page.

I’ve learned all this important sex stuff from the master herself, and she deserves the praise of being the true sexual goddess. 

Talia and Thomas looked at me as if I had gone completely mental. I didn’t know what was wrong with them until I heard someone clear their throat next to me. I looked over, only to find the waiter staring at me awkwardly. My face slowly turned red as embarrassment set in.

“Do you need any refills?” The waiter asked, trying to forget what they had just overheard. 

All of us refused, and they walked away with a great story to tell their friends once their shift ends. I sunk in my seat as the realization that I had just made a new memory that will keep me up at night settled in. 

“Are we ready to go?” Thomas asked.

“Yeah.” 

We paid the bill–and when I said we, I actually meant me–and left the restaurant with half eaten plates on the table. I felt bad leaving without tipping, but I was already outside and already made plans to avoid this place for as long as possible. 

Once we stepped outside, the wind had finally calmed down to a gentle breeze. I couldn’t understand how there was such a monster of a wind moments ago, only for it to calm into nothing. Not a single raindrop landed on the pavement, which was a miracle in itself. 

“You know what, I’ll come.” I said. 

I needed something to wash down that memory with, and it might not be as bad as I thought. Maybe there’ll be a once in a lifetime event that’ll happen there. In that case, I could go a day without writing. Besides, I wrote around twenty-thousand words. I deserved a break after that. 

“What about you, Talia?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Nah, I’m good. I have things to do.”

I waited for Thomas to butt in again, begging her to come with us, but he kept his mouth shut. It was almost unfair how he would nag me but not her, even when I said I had important stuff to do.

Even though I wanted to complain, I kept my mouth shut. No matter what I said, he’d just ignore it or dismiss it. Now that I said I was going, I placed myself in a trajectory where I wouldn’t be the person fully in control of what happened. Isn’t that what life is, though? Giving the reins to the universe here and there, just to see where it’ll lead? I just hoped it’ll stop at a destination where the sun has a warm smile, the flowers sing to a song coming from nothing, and the animals frolicked in the wilderness.