I got her aspirin out and set it on the counter, despite what she said about hangovers. Her door squeaked as I opened it. "Later," I said. The door was almost closed when I heard grumbling. "Who the hell wrote on my arm?" I smiled and locked the door behind me. Outside I looked around for the mustang from last night, but it was gone along with the strange women who sat on top of it. I had to scrape a layer of ice off my windshield and a fresh coating of snow had fallen early in the morning, but soon I was on the road and headed for work. Unfortunately, the ride there was bizarre. I know Seattle is a big place but there were more people than usual out. Even stranger considering the dreary weather. Groups of people were content walking around with barely any clothing on, even with the snow and salt decorating the sidewalks. Loud kids with crazy hair were getting right up in other people's faces, even though they got no reaction from their victims. There were people lounging on cars, reminding me of the eerie girls from last night. One couple was pretty much dry-humping in a grocery store parking lot. Other people even dared to walk through the street in the middle of traffic and no one slowed down to avoid them. Is it a full moon or something? Everyone is acting crazy. I pulled the van into the parking lot of the car wash where I worked. The place was old but upkept well over the years. It was an automatic wash, so at least I wasn't getting messy myself, I just took the money. I shut off the engine and got out. "A dress today, Floor Sign?" A redhead with a short beard and coveralls slid over the hood of my van and leaned on it in a pretend-sexy pose. I smiled and shut my door, heading to the office. "Ugh, long story, Alan. And when are you going to stop calling me that?" I opened the door and the girl on shift before me practically ran out past us, barely waving goodbye. I rolled my eyes and went inside. "I'll stop when you stop doing this." Alan dramatically performed his interpretation of the stick figure on the 'caution: wet floor' sign. "It's called yoga and it's good for you." I put on my company hat and clocked on at the drive-up window. "Sure it is, Floor Sign." He winked. "So how was the fancy party?" I sighed and slouched in my chair. "Not to my taste. Although..." I tapped my chin. "I do wish I could eat like that every day." He laughed, turning it into a cough at the last minute. I raised an eyebrow at him in disbelieving judgment. "If it's food you want, I think I can help." He leaned against the doorway, still grinning. "My cousin is pouring drinks for this swank new place east of town. They're having a friends and family practice night before they open so the staff can get used to the gig. If you aren't doing anything Wednesday night, would you come check it out with me?" "I don't know, Alan," I said. "That's the night of my yoga class." "You can't miss one day? Aren't you like, an expert in posing for floor signs by now?" He wiggled his eyebrows, I laughed. "Alright, fine. Meet you here?" "See you at seven." He winked and trotted through the car wash to the detailing station. I didn't know what to make of dinner with Alan, but my problem didn't last long because my first customer had already pulled up to my window. We were unusually busy that afternoon. December was typically one of the slowest months for a car wash, but today was something else. A woman bought a full package cleaning and paid in cash. I could swear she sniffed the air around me as I leaned forward for her money, but when I looked up she was sitting back in her seat, smiling. She wasn't the only one either. All day I felt like an animal at the zoo behind my little cashier's window. I was stared at, whispered about, and I swear I saw a pair of fangs on a guy with a million piercings. An entire day of the same bizarro crap I had been seeing since last night. I was beyond ready when my shift was over and Katie relieved me. "What's with everyone today?" I grumbled as I unlocked the van. I sat inside, willing the engine to warm up faster while 'Jingle Bell Rock' blared at me through the radio. The sound of scraping made me look up to see Alan with a very serious face, clearing ice from my windshield. I laughed as he exaggerated the movements. When he was done, he patted the hood and stood back, saluting. "Bye, you nutcase!" I called through a small crack in the window. "Farewell, Floor Sign!" He waved and trotted over to his own truck with the scraper. At least Alan wasn't in a bad mood from all the weirdos. The ride home was no different than anything else that day. People were walking like lunatics right into traffic and I swerved a couple times to avoid them. They just looked at me and laughed. Two different people! By the time I pulled into my apartment complex I was fuming mad, and I stomped next door to the cafe I spent way too much time in. "Howdy, Thea!" a chipper girl with freckles called from behind the counter. "Hi, Melanie. No Heather today?" I walked up to the counter, inspecting the menu. Not that I needed to, we all knew I was going to get tea and soup. "In the back. So what's your poison today?" She wiped her hands on a towel and propped her elbows on the counter in front of me. "How about some plain old black tea today? I'm just zapped from-" A smashing dish whipped both our heads to the door to the kitchen. "Heather! Oh my God, are you alright?" Melanie rushed to clean up a broken pair of mugs at the feet of a tall, tall, woman with long black hair. She stared at me for a moment and blinked. "I'm so sorry, I thought I saw a bug." She bent down to help clean up the pieces. "Ew! Where is it?" Melanie squealed. "No, it was...something else. No bugs, Mel." "Do you need a hand?" I walked closer without crossing behind the counter. "Oh, did you do something different with your contacts, Heather?" A hand rushed to the corner of her eye. "Yes, I'm... trying out colored ones." "Ooh, let me see!" Melanie stood, holding her apron out in front of her with the broken pieces of ceramic on it. "Later, Mel. Can you get the broom out here first?" Heather avoided Melanie's gaze and walked over to me. "So what can I get you, Thea?" "Just black tea today." I gave her a small smile. "Right, coming up." She put everything together on a tray and started seeping the tea bag for me before sliding it all to my side of the counter. "On the house today, so what's new with you lately? Do anything interesting this week? Last night?" Heather narrowed her eyes at me. "Uh, you okay, Heather?" I asked. "Yeah, fine. So anything new?" She perked up, smiling. "Well, not really. I'm going with a co-worker to some new restaurant on Wednesday," I scratched my chin. "I guess I went to a party last night. Candie got drunk off her ass and we went home though." "A party? Last night?" she asked casually. "Fun, was it a house party?" "No, we went to L'Atelier Rouge for their Christmas gala thing. Candie got tickets from work." I stirred some honey in my tea and blew on it. "L'Atelier Rouge?" she asked, shortly. "Yeah. Heather, are you sure you're okay?" I asked. "You look a little pale." "Yup. Never better." She pulled her apron off and tossed it behind the counter. "Hey Mel, take over. I have that dentist appointment today." "You're going to the dentist?" Melanie had just put the broom away and came up to the counter with us. "Yup, be back later." We watched her rush out the back door and heard the rev of her engine. Her tires squealed as she took off on her bike. "That was..." Melanie stared at the door. "Yeah..." I took another sip of my tea. Today was just getting weirder and weirder.