Many people make fun of or blame nightshifters just to make their day better or to shift the blame of something not properly done. But one night on my way to my shift at a gas station, in the middle of nowhere, where the half moon was just above the mountains but there was another faint light on the other side of the valley. It was long and blinking, with how fast I was driving on the country highway, I didn't see it clearly but it seemed like a computer loading bar.
Pulling into the deserted gas station parking lot where only one vehicle sat and the lights were on and rock music was blaring from the pump speakers made me smile as I knew who was on shift. Here in the middle of nowhere it became a habit of those who work alone to blare their respective playlists loud for multiple safety purposes.
One: is to ward off the lonely creepy feeling. Two: is to notify the next shift who was on shift in case they disappeared with no evidence. Third: is to be a beacon to any offroaders who use the blaring music as a directional echo in case they get lost. Fourth: is to keep the staff from hallucinating due to being surrounded by wild darkness where anything could come up to the doors but only humans and experienced skinwalkers could walk through the doors. Fifth: is to determine if those who came through the doors were humans or not, humans have no issue and may remark on the random song that plays while skinwalkers become disoriented.
Tying my long hair up into a high ponytail braid wearing black jeans, white off road running shoes, and a blue tank top. Walking in, I do the normal scan for the employee, before making any noise. Just in case. Noticing fresh hot coffee steaming from the cup by the register I hope he's in the bathroom.
With a deep breath and a mothers tone I yelled louder than the music, "Yo! Fredric! Ya Home?"
Multiple crashes sounded from the storage room as hurried squeaks from sneakers squealed as the poor child tried his best to run on clean tiled floors. A male teenager with shaggy dark hair long enough to cover his eyes, wearing multiple miscellaneous items like armor and our thick tire thumpers as a baseball bat came sliding into view.
Sighing with relief before spinning on a wet spot and sliding into the girls bathroom with a surprised face.
Suppressing my giggles, as I watched him appear and disappear within a second with a flip, as his supervisor I should not mock his attempt at safety as today is his second shift alone.
His voice was hoarse and deep for a teenager, "Boss? Boss! It's not what it looks like! I wasn't slacking! I swear!" He called out as he tried to tiptoe through the water spot and stop in front of me handing me the ID Remote.
I scanned it over my ID Tag as the music changed to techno, the first in my list of techno-country-celtic mix, pressing a down button I lowered the inside volume and increased the outside volume as he just stared at the remote like it was magic.
"I take it something scared you enough to get… armored up?" I asked calmly like it was a regular occurrence waving at his decor.
Fredics' face flushed red briefly before remembering something, running as the wetness of his shoes kept making him slide, he slid to the doors and looked up and everywhere in the sky before sighing.
"Might've just imagined it!" Relief evident in his voice.
"You mean the writing in the sky and the loading bar?"
His face fell, "You saw it too!"
Nodding, "I saw it but was driving so I didn't get to read it… Did you read what it said?"
"Soo. I. Umm. Leave the store thirty minutes before you arrive to see if I can see your headlights. You know. Just in case you didn't make it. And It read…" His eyes kept darting to the front doors and the emergency exit, "That seven out of nine somethings were loaded! I know it sounds weird and most games or stories I know of apocalypse sometimes start with a loading from the sky… So I was preparing… for… monsters to spawn!" He looked like a dejected kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar hoping I wasn't mad.
With a sigh I patted his head, "It is better to be overly paranoid, than to lose your life over something you over thought was nothing!"
Lifting his head with wet blue eyes and reassurance, "May I stay until the next shift? I'll clock out so I won't ride the clock and I'll not get in your way!" He shook unconsciously from fear as he kept looking at the doors as he whispered in fear, "Please, boss?"
I've played my fair share of such games and read more such books, as a thirty year old woman the size of a sixteen year old.
Nodding towards the emergency exit, "Lock 'em!"
With determination in his eyes he saluted, "Yes, Ma'am!" Before running to lock every outside door we had.
Shaking my head, 'bootcamp babies I know they swap their kids out here but why do I have to get the most cowardly baby out of their babies?'
Looking after him I noticed that some of his movements seemed to be overactive, like purposefully making yourself seem like a fool when you're not.
"Nah! It'd be too smart for his commander to think that far ahead!"
Walking to the front doors while deep in thought was never a good idea but my mind went elsewhere when the Commander of a new unit had approached me and the owner with a proposal.
"Some of my recruits need to be re-humanized so if they come work for you during evening or night shifts, you won't have to pay them because it would be a learning experience from the army! So free labor and the army will even pay the wages of the other shifts who train them for you!"
The owner seemed deep in thought as they calculated profits before pushing me forward with pride, "This is Kyrena Nightingale! My Best Night Manager who is still standing!"
The Commander's face twisted as he read inbetween the lines while looking at my uncomfortable demeanor as my squinted eyes with natural dark under shadow before outstretching his hand to shake,
"My squad is training to be elites! But some of them are dehumanizing themselves unconsciously, so I ask you to bring them back to humanity's side of things?"
"My pleasure! Please ignore my glaring, the sun is too bright for how dark my shifts normally are!"
A faint familiar voice sounded behind me as I slowly outstretched my hand for a handshake with the Commander,
"Boss? Boss! BOSS!"
Thunderous booming footsteps sounded behind me as strong as steel arms wrapped around me as my vision returned to me to see a sneaker spartan kick something in the face as it flew out of the doorway before he held me tight in one arm and skillfully locked the glass door with the other. Quickly initiating a safety lockdown as sheets of heavy metal slid down all windows and doors with heavy thuds as my strength seemed to dissipate and my legs couldn't hold me.
He shifted his weight and straightened his posture and I was limp in his arm dangling off the floor.
Mumbling drowsily, "I was right!" Just as my vision started to become blurry I saw a purple screen that read,
[Found You!]
Confused, my vision darkened quicker as if that phrase held meaning.
Noticing the quick deterioration of his boss, Fredric moved behind the counter and pressed a hidden button that locked down the cashier's corner and sent a silent loud alarm to the nearest military base.
The feeling of being safely embraced like solid castle walls surrounding you made me want to open my eyes, even though my body didn't want to, I still wanted to see.
Seeing Fredric strip his teenage clothing off revealing military armor underneath made the mind race as there was no indicator that there was bulky armor under cloth.
He reached over me and pulled his military grade boots from under the counter before gently laying me down before handling his boots.
I tried to speak, but nothing came out. I tried to move, but nothing followed my order.
He finished and went to pick me up again as he held me safely under the desk just as the lights flickered off.
In the darkness, it urged me to sleep, the heavy need for sleep crept upon me like multiple hands gently pulling me down into darkness.
I felt his solid legs beneath me as he repositioned himself and pulled some full boxes to block under the desk.
The purple screen flashed a question giving me just enough energy to answer, Yes, to it before falling down into slumber.