Chapter 1 The Beginning
Maria's POV
I woke up at 7 p.m., as I have done for countless nights over the past few years, contemplating every life choice I've ever made. The never-ending cycle of night shifts always waited for me at the local diner where I work, no matter how much I wished it would change. At 39, I never thought I would still be in this situation, but here I am—staring at the same cracked ceiling in the same old house, same job, and listening to the hum of the old window unit struggling to keep up with the Georgia humidity.
My alarm buzzed again on the nightstand at 7:05p.m., reminding me that there is no rest for the weary.
I silence it for the last time and sit up slowly, staring for a moment at the cracked ceiling above my bed before forcing myself to stand.
The dresser across the room groans when I pull the drawer open. My uniform is folded on top—black pants, blue diner shirt, the same one that still smells faintly like fryer oil, no matter how many times I wash it.
I tug it on and gather my hair into a ponytail, catching my reflection in the mirror. The long, dark strands drape lazily over my shoulder.
“Here we go again,” I mutter.
My reflection in the mirror looks tired—brown eyes dulled by routine and responsibility—but there’s no time to dwell on that. I walk out the door of my small, yellow two-bedroom house that my parents had left me years ago. The paint is chipped near the porch steps, and the screen door squeaks every time it closes. I start walking the three blocks to the small diner I’ve worked at for the past 12 years, the evening air heavy and still around me.
A large brick building in this small town, which has probably seen a hundred years of history, stands before me. The bricks are weathered, some darker than others, like they’ve absorbed every story ever told inside. Nestled inside the brick building is this inconspicuous diner, “The Metro Diner,” whose sign is missing half its neon lettering. The “M” flickers when it feels like it, and the “R” gave up years ago. Still, it’s home in its own strange way.
I open the door and yell, “Hello, Mark, I’m here,” to the elderly, grumpy cook behind the counter. The familiar scent of bacon grease and burnt coffee wraps around me instantly. He should’ve retired years ago, but in our small town in Georgia, about 45 minutes outside of Atlanta, there’s nothing else to do.
I truly think he’s the kind of guy who would die of boredom if he ever retired. The diner is his kingdom, even if it’s falling apart.
I sigh in frustration as it’s now 9 p.m., and I can tell the mid-shift did not do their side work. Of course they didn’t. I hastily start filling up napkin dispensers and wiping down tables.
Nothing irks me more than a sticky table where it looks like someone got mad and poured a whole bottle of syrup on it. My rag drags across dried sugar, and I mutter under my breath, already knowing this shift is going to test my patience.
Just as I’m finishing wiping down the last table,
The bell above the door rings again.
When I look up, a tall man in a sharp black suit is already crossing the diner. He moves like he owns the place—dark hair, green eyes, the kind of presence that doesn’t belong in a run-down diner at nine at night.
He sits at the booth closest to the door, watching everything and everyone like a good watchman, constantly on vigil.
I go over to him and hand him a menu and silverware. “Hi honeyyyyy, how are you doing today? Can I get you something to drink?” And he glares at me like I have a cat sitting on my head. Sigh. This is gonna be a long night.
He opens his mouth, and with a thick accent I don’t recognize, he says, “Give me a black coffee and a 3-egg omelet with ham,” then thrusts the menu back into my arms. His voice is low, controlled, and completely unimpressed.
After this interaction, I’m pretty sure this has set the mood for my night. I walk over to Mark and place the order ticket on the counter so he can start cooking. I can tell he’s already irritated that his smoke break was interrupted. He grunts something under his breath as he slaps the ticket down.
I go over to the coffee pot, pour him a cup of coffee, and bring it over to him. “I hope you enjoy it. Just let me know if there is anything else I can get for you.” Again, he looks so annoyed that I have opened my mouth. I really don’t think this man is from the South because his mannerisms scream audacity. No “ma’am.” No polite nod. Just sharp eyes and silence.
Mark screams, “Maria, pick upppppp!” and I run over to grab the mysterious man’s omelet, trying not to slip on the greasy black-and-white tiles that definitely need a good scrub down. The plate is hot in my hands as I step up to the man in the black suit and hand him his omelet. He’s busy looking at his phone with a frown on his face, jaw tight like he’s holding back something dangerous. He must be having a worse night than I am.
I’m busy washing dishes and checking out the various to-go orders that have come in and out when the doorbell rings again. The sound is sharper this time, almost ominous. A man in a black hoodie comes in. I wipe my hands on a paper towel and step out from behind the counter to greet him, but before I can even say “Hello,” the man pulls a gun on the mysterious omelet man.
Everything slows.
Before I know what I’m doing, something fierce comes over me, and in a moment of possible stupidity, I shove the man in the hoodie. Hard. My heart is pounding so loud I can hear it in my ears.
Next thing I know, I hear two loud bangs and a sting in my side that makes me stumble back. The pain is white-hot, shocking, stealing the air from my lungs as I see the blood coming out of my side. It doesn’t even feel real at first—just warmth spreading under my hand.
Before I can turn around, I look down and see the man in the black hoodie lying on the ground with blood everywhere.
The metallic scent fills the diner.
I hear Mark screaming and running out the back door with a huge thud, knowing I am all alone in this situation.
The world starts spinning. The lights above blur together.
I start to get dizzy, and the next thing I know, I feel arms around me—strong, steady—and everything goes black.
My last thought to myself is, What have I done?