Chapter 1 - Cave In

I coasted down hill after hill on my bike. A sad tune was shooting through my brain, blasting each and every cell, forcing my mind not to let go. Occasionally I'd find myself closing my eyes as I brainstormed. But then, a few seconds later, they'd soon fly open as an eighteen-wheeler honked and sped past me. I picked up my pace again, trying to stay focused on my destination without losing my train of thought.

No, I wasn't running away from anything. In fact, I was running to get to something.

Hy-Vee was the name. And I couldn't be late.

Rain was beating against my back, pushing me down towards the handles of my bike as I rounded corners at blinding speed. Other than gasping between blasts of water, the most I could do to prevent it from letting me shift to a lower gear was shake my long dark hair and keep peddling. My feet would slip every now and again, but I would hurriedly sacrifice scratching up my ankles to stop them from spinning, and continue on my way.

I entered through the door that read, Employees Only near the back of the large store, dripping everywhere. My co-workers shot glares and inappropriate hand gestures as I rung out my drenched T-shirt and changed in a dark corner. I opened my tiny locker.

A small mirror fastened to the bite-size metal door showed a perfect view of my tie, which I tightened while trying to catch my breath. I grabbed at my name tag, which even giggled every time it saw itself. "ADAM Y., FROZEN," it said. Aside from the grammatically incorrect name tag ("1 years of service"), I would soon be a Hy-Vee employee for almost two years, about to hit the twelve-month mark.

"Your weapon, brave knight," Eric, one of my fellow employees chuckled, passing me a box-opener.

I huffed a few times and snatched it from him angrily.

"C'mon, Adam...," he pressed. Then his eyes found their way to my tag. Eric laughed as he made the most popular joke: "Adam, why frozen? Ha!"

I grumbled, clenching "the razor blade," as we called it, wanting to slice his neck with it. I inhaled down to my toes and exhaled through my nostrils as I stormed pass my associates as they guffawed along with their usual antics, heading to the frozen section to unpack boxes and stock shelves. I tried to recall the tune that had been ricocheting throughout my mind. I soon remembered, and then a sharp singe of inspiration launched a huge idea.

"I'll soak up the sound, try to sleep on the wet ground," I started in a low murmur as I murdered yet another chilly brown cube. My knife lodged and locked in place as I hit a strict piece of tape my bony hands stood no chance against. I took this as an opportunity to rack my brain for a millisecond.

"I'll get ten minutes, give or take," I advanced, bringing back the blade and stabbing the box harshly. "'Cause I just don't perceive myself getting drowsy--"

Stab.

"When cold integrity--"

Stab.

Keeps me wide awake--"

Stab.

I let out a brisk yawn and encouraged myself to stay on task. "Awake... awake... awake--"

"Adam, check please!" a familiar voice spoke sternly over the intercom.

I jumped, accidentally scraping a good chunk of skin off my left wrist. "Sh!t," I growled low so that a passing costumer couldn't hear me. I think she did, though.

A silky curtain of hair spun around in my direction, a concerned facial expression revealing itself. She didn't say a word.

I stood there, blood gushing from my arm, right hand covering it as though nothing had happened. Then I took a moment to observe the woman who I gave a heart attack.

First, she wasn't a woman. She couldn't have been any older than I. Perhaps seventeen or eighteen, I guessed. Feeling as though the awkward staring contest should end, I blinked a few times and feebly smiled.

She grinned a little back, eyebrows still fixed upwards.

I waved a little with my left hand, then soon covered it up as blood began to drip onto my shoes.

The girl's shoulders bounced once as her sweet lips leaked a hint of gleaming white teeth.

I wondered for a second if she heard me singing.

"ADAM. CHECK. PLEASE." my boss all but shouted over the intercom.

The brunette's eyes circled down from my face to my tag. She held in a laugh as she read the name and service.

I motioned that I needed to go. She nodded once, and I nodded back. I reluctantly went on my way.

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