ladybug nest

The next day I woke up with a heavy hangover, last night's shift had been the opposite of what I needed and to
make it worse there was a bachelor party that had breezed through.

My make up weighed heavily on my face and I could already feel the beginnings of a break out settling into my skin.

I cast my blanket aside and angrily slammed my alarm clock, it's trill only making the hangover worse.

Kicking the sink when it wouldn't start and fishing for some gum in my pocket, I tied my running shoes and set off at a speed.

I arrived a few minutes ahead of my manager, so I pulled a cigarette out of its box and seethed through a small puff of smoke.

When she finally opened up shop I dashed in pulling the employee bathroom door behind me, I grabbed the hand towel and proceeded to scrub at my face to try and get some of the make up off.

That was when my familiar froze at my side and looked over my shoulder, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I swear I heard a growl.

I didn't dare turn and as I started casting protections I reached for the door handle, but the window clinked as someone climbed through and I lost all sense of being.

My knees turned weak and my eyes rolled back, all I could smell was the distinct smell of pine and thyme.

I felt myself being pulled up by a strong pair of arms, my heart rate picked up, through the haze I saw melten gold swathed in a sea of lashes, strong brows and skin the colour of umber.

Suddenly a voice pierced the fog, "Ah girlie we're opening, where you at?"  The daze was gone and my manager was glaring at me from my spot on the floor.

I got through my shift that day, but I barely did, I felt like I was high on something, voices sounded far off and distorted and I kept surprising myself by lifting my arms or walking, I could barely talk.

By the time my shift ended I had started at my own hands for a total of two hours and had nearly pissed myself when someone had asked for help.

I used my five minute break to call for help, I'd typed in a number desperately and when I heard Anna's warm voice on the other side for her voice mail I almost lost what food I'd managed to scavenge last night.

Finally I got Ania and all I could choke out was a warbled 'help' before I lost consciousness.

*

I woke up in a warm lounge, everything felt homely and lavish and the couch I was on was a wash of greens.

"Finally up sleepyhead?" I heard Ania behind me and I got up so quickly I almost fainted. " Woah, careful there", she placed a hand on my shoulder and placed a cup of something warm in my hands.

As I gently sipped it she regailed of her journey to find me and finished off with telling me what was in my cup, " chamomile and valerian root."

I started trying to explain what had happened when I started to dry heave, I dropped the tea cup on the floor and as it shattered tears started to stream down my face.

*

Two days of missed work had gone by, I'd barely been off the couch and was constantly plauged by dry heaving, emotional break downs and sets of drowsiness. Even when Ania tried to scry to see what could have happened all she said she could smell was Pine and thyme.

Days went passed and the threats from my bosses got more and more frequent, saying that I was not irreplaceable and eventually they stopped all together, one day I managed to get up and turn a hot shower on.