IN A DREAM BEYOND...: Wednesday Brief: What did she know? #wednesdaybrief #writingprompt

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Wednesday Brief: What did she know? #wednesdaybrief #writingprompt

Happy Wednesday!

Welcome back to another Wednesday Brief. This brief might be the beginning of something, but who knows! What do you guys think? Are you interested in learning more about Rein?

Enjoy and don't forget to visit the other briefers!

What did she know?

Rein took a swig from his beer. What the hell was he doing here? He should be home, in bed. He snorted. Yeah, like he could sleep. When was the last time he'd slept a full 8 hours? Better yet, when was the last time he'd slept anything more than 4 hours? He could close his eyes and ignore the memories for a while, but eventually they returned. He sighed and took another gulp. Empty. He raised his head and caught the waiters eye. He motioned for another.

Drinking helped. It helped him get home and pass out. Who was he kidding?

"Hey."

The alcohol didn't help and neither did any drugs. He swallowed drily. Some of that shit actually made it worse. Sweat gathered on his brow as he remembered a particular nasty nightmare he'd had. That bitch had been there, trailing him, her anger a hot ball of fire that chased them down impossible halls.

"I'm talking to you, beer boy."

Rein took a moment to realize that a waitress he didn't know was standing in front of him, a cold beer in her hand. She smiled at him while she opened the bottle and set it before him. He perused her. She was no beauty. As a matter a fact, she was quite plain. She looked like, what was that expression, ah yes, the girl next door.

"Seth, told me you wanted another."

Rein nodded. He grasped his bottle and took a drink, all the while keeping eye contact with her. She looked right back at him.

"Cat got your tongue?"

"Don't you have other customers?"

She laughed and and he couldn't stop himself from staring. The gesture transformed her. She didn't become instantly attractive, but her face lit up. The intensity in her eyes faded and filled with mirth. Her lips widened into a full blown smile that showed all her imperfect teeth.

"My name is Mystique."

"You're fucking kidding me." He drank deeply.

She laughed again. Her ponytail bobbed up and down as she nodded enthusiastically.

"That's the reaction I usually get. Oh, give me a sec."

Rein watched her as she turned to tend to other clients. She really was ordinary. Average height, average size in all departments. There was nothing special about her. Nothing that would catch his attention. Or any other man's, for that matter. Sure, she was fuckable, but really, any woman was. He tapped the bar. Then why the fuck was he ogling her? He ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up on purpose. He was done with work for the day. He could have messy hair. Messy clothes. Messy life. He reentered the dark place he'd been visiting before she appeared before him.

He'd fucked up that last mission. He'd --

"Hey, I'm back."

"What do you want?" He snapped.

"To get you out of your gloom."

"What?"

She smiled. "You're lost in thought and by that dejected look and the way you keep toying with the button on your suit, I'd say you're not having happy thoughts."

"What's it to you?"

"I don't like unhappy people."

"YOu're fucking with me?"

She leaned over the bar so that her nose was almost touching his. He fought the urge to move back. What the hell?

"THere's nothing wrong with being sad from time to time, but when you're spinning the same problem in your head over and over, you're just creating a web impossible to escape from. Don't let them get to you."

She winked at him and turned to another customer who was calling him.

Her words echoed in his mind. "Don't let them get to you. Them. How did she know? What did she know?"

********

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