It could be. Or you just really want to see someone fall on their face. Maybe? I guess the balance part would be similar but I haven't tried roller skating so I can't speak from experience.
[pm] [User thinks about it and wonders if it's enough like a hickey that concealer would help] No but what do you recommend? Also no I don't think people would like to see it. [...] My job would have a problem with it.
[pm] Fair enough! Do what makes you most comfortable. The Tarte Amazonian Clay collection has always held up well for me, even after a day on the beach. Even helped cover up some scars.
That's the energy I like to see! Let's go kick some volleyball asses!!! Right after I read the rules of volleyball and watching Youtube videos so I can learn how to play.
(Thank you you're the best, really appreciate this)
It's looking good! A lot of non volleyball players but who just want to have some fun in the sun. We even have offers for snacks. We might win just by being the coolest team.
How did you know about my weakness for pineapple pizza?? Wait, are you suggesting orange and watermelon on pizza? Because that could be interesting. Weird, for sure. But interesting.
But yes, watermelon is perfect for the summer. I think the team will happily eat anything you provide.
Yeah! What kind of snacks do you like? I'm usually pretty good at baking, but my kitchen is kind of [...] limited right now. Unless you want to let me borrow your kitchen!
Does pizza count as a snack? Just kidding. Maybe some fruit! Fruit is always good after a hot day on the beach. You can be like the soccer mom that brings orange slices for the kids!
My kitchen is [...] kind of a mess. But you're welcome to make use of it if it's any better than yours. My place is sort of empty these days.
I would definitely join you guys if you're into it. I used to play soccer when I a kid but then I switched to basketball when I moved to the states. I haven't played in a few years but I pick things up really quick, especially sports.
Oh, I like your energy. You're in. There will be drinks, snacks, and good times. We might have already picked a cheesy Star Wars themed team name, any objections?
Good vibes are something I can get behind, I'll be there with bells on.
[User looks up Star Wars swimsuits and starts laughing maniacally at the results.] So there are Chubacca swimsuits that I think are personally the funniest shit I've seen in a while. But I cannot recommend this any less, I think we should just go with the name and not dress the part.
It's definitely tricky. I lost count on how many times I fell either straight on my face or my ass. Pretty sure I'd smack straight into the ice if I tried to put them on again now. Summer's fine but it's also so damn warm.
It could be like riding a bike. I bet you could still kick some ass on the ice. I haven't done a lot of iceskating, but I roller skate everywhere in the summer. Do you think it's similar enough?
The heat is the best part. Perfect for swimming in the ocean!
TIMING:Â Current
LOCATION:Â The Apple Store
PARTIES:Â Meredith and Regan
SUMMARY:Â When Meredith comes in to get her iPad fixed, she meets an employee, Regan, going by "Apple" and who definitely can't fix anything. Suspicions of betrayal are proven right.
âWhat are you talking about- hold on, your managerâs name is Pubic?â
Regan expected there would be a promotion in her future. The blue shirt matched her eyes (complaint to file: collar could be higher) and she frequently impressed management with her independence. It was good practice to test their employees in such a way, she thought â seeing if they bowed to orders like lowly humans. Except, right. Regan was a human. But she did not have to be lowly. She had been asked and was willing to just wander around the store looking for people who walked in so she could accost them with eager assistance. Jade would have been much better at this, but wasnât growth the whole point?
She had been standing pin straight for ten minutes, fussing with her necklace, when the next human walked in. Regan decided she liked the serious cut of her expression; a far superior human than John Pubik had been (he had requested a store transfer, actually, but it was denied). Summoning an eighth of Jadeâs easy extraversion. she approached cautiously, like the customer was liable to sprint away into the woods, a frightened deer. She did look like she was relatively durable, but Regan was not going to risk losing her.
Her eyes brightened at the opportunity to get a new signature on her liver emoji petition. âHello. Iâm Apple. I mean, not usually, but while Iâm in this store, I am Apple. Do you need phones? Computers? One of those flatââ Actually, she seemed to be holding one of the flat computers. âOh, did it break? Is it the screen? I am an expert in this field.â Regan gestured for the girl to follow her, leading her to one of the long tables housing different models. Many of them had cracked screens. Regan couldnât feel too badly about it when someone came in and replaced them each morning. There was a staff meeting yesterday about vandalism but nothing had been captured on camera. Also, the camera broke. Maybe the girl would think all of these cracked screens were examples of how many people trusted her to fix them, left behind by other customers.
âLetâs see what you have,â Regan gestured to the broken machine. How hard could fixing it be? She pieced things back together all the time, then sutured them to perfection, and sent them to the funeral home. She had this.
â
Going to the Apple store was not exactly an ideal place for Meredith to spend her day off. However, when her iPad screen had abruptly started glitching the night before, she had suddenly never been more eager to hop on her bike and ride the few miles to the Genius bar. There was a rational explanation for it, right? The screen had never flickered before, but surely it was just wear and tear. She'd been spending too much time on it lately, the battery was fried. There was an explanation that made sense. She felt ridiculous, acting like she was in some cheesy horror flick where ghosts mess with electronics to taunt you before going in for the kill. And yet, here she was, waiting in line outside the glass doors of the Apple store, glitchy iPad in hand desperate for someone to tell her it just needed a hard reset.
Eventually, someone approached her. Her eyes were wide and she spoke faster than Meredith could follow but she tried to keep up with it all nonetheless. âApple? Do they really make people call you that?â She asked, a bit confused as to whether this was some weird new corporate gimmick or sheâd ended up with someone a little too obsessed with their job. Either way, it didnât matter. As long as âAppleâ could fix her iPad or exorcize it or whatever needed to be done, she didnât care what she went by. She followed the girl to a desk, her eyes not leaving the tablet as it rested in the strangerâs hands. âI donât knowâŠmaybe? Itâs not like, cracked. It just started freaking out last night. It would turn on and off by itself, and sometimes apps would open and close at random,â she tried to explain. âIs thatâŠnormal? I mean, does that happen a lot? Is that like, a glitch with the new update?â Do I sound crazy?, she almost added, but kept herself from saying anything further. Meredith finally gave herself a moment to look around at the mess on the table. Was this store always like this, or did they get robbed last night? âBusy day?â
â
Well, they didnât make people call her Apple, but the scant training Regan received made it clear she represented Apple. And it wasnât like she felt particularly like Dr. Kavanagh right now, or even Regan (who was she, even?). So why not Apple? âYes.â Regan unclipped her nametag with her actual name on it and tossed it in the trash as they walked by. She listened to the womanâs explanation, nodding every once in a while, because that meant she was paying attention (mostly, she was thinking about that ever-so-slight tug she felt toward the rafters, where there might have been a dead raccoon). âNormal, mhm. Everything is normal here. You, me. Especially me. What did you say theâ oh, your applications? Have you attempted to get rid of them all? They wonât open if theyâre gone. When did this start? Did you get water on it? Thatâs bad.â The woman seemed fairly distressed, and Regan could at least feel good about being able to help her find a solution, even if it wasnât the same kind of or quality of help she offered next of kin in her old profession.
Regan pressed a button on the tablet which she had learned â right now, this very second â made it turn on. The screen flickered several colors and then changed, opening and closing several windows. âBusy? Oh, yes. Many live people.â She held the machine up to her ear and then shook it, mostly to make it look like she knew what she was doing. âI can completely solve your problem,â Regan said confidently, as cheerful as could be within the constraints of her flat monotone. She had no idea how to fix this computer but she knew where they kept hundreds of others in the back. She would just send this woman home with a new one.Â
There didnât seem to be anyone else entering the store, so Regan waved the woman toward the back so she could follow her over toward a slightly ominous door â the kind that literally said âemployees onlyâ on it. She was told not to bring anyone back there, but Regan picked and chose what she was going to listen to. A few months ago, she would have scoffed at the idea of a human giving her orders in the first place, but she had since turned over a new leg. If she was going to fit in (which she was so far excelling at) there would have to be compromise. âIâll show you where we keep the other ones, and you can choose the color youâd like. Humans enjoy a selection of those, yes? The illusion of choice, like it matters. I have come to find it endearing.â Though Regan was pleased sheâd gone with the silver phone herself, even if it broke after a day and she traded it in for a green one. Her most recent was silver again. Oh, have I mentioned Iâm giving you a new tablet? That will fix this.â The cement ground of the dark storage room made Reganâs footsteps echo as she led the woman in. The door closing behind them was a loud slap. âDid you close that?â She looked back over her shoulder, squinting at the girl, a slow chill rolling up along her vertebrae, jumping between them one at a time.
â
âOh uh- no I hadnât thought of- no I donât think I have. I try to be careful,â Meredithâs answers came quickly, trying to keep up with the employeeâs questions. She watched as she turned it on and the screen repeated the same strange pattern it had at home. That was good, at least, that she hadnât imagined it, that the glitch wasnât exclusive to the confines of her apartment. There wouldâve been nothing more embarrassing than coming all the way here only for it to work fine as soon as someone else took a look. âAs opposed to dead ones?â She said with a small chuckle, as if to try and break the ice. Though it was becoming more and more clear that the other woman may not be joking. Her cadence and comments were odd, but Meredith found her somewhat amusing, if not a bit confusing. Nevertheless, none of it mattered if she could walk out of here with a non-cursed iPad and go back to business as usual. Mere watched again with curiosity as she held the tablet up to her face and shook it like a rattle. She started to lose hope, sheâd always been a bit more analog than some of her peers but this didnât seem right. However, soon she was on the move and, albeit a bit nervous, Meredith followed on her heels. Her head whipped from left to right before slipping past the employee door, sure she wasnât supposed to be back here but not wanting to protest. She never minded much about breaking the rules, but sheâd been on edge more than normal lately.Â
âYou say that like youâre not one,â Mere said, her voice back to its usual sarcastic tone. She was trying to be herself again, she wasnât sure how. âWait, really? Brand new? I mean, thank you,â she stuttered, her eyes tracking the pale blonde hair that moved in front of her. She was pretty certain she hadnât gotten the warranty, but now she was hoping she could slink out of here with a brand new tablet without anyone being the wiser. âI have a lot of drawings on there though, do you think I can transfer those over or will the uh- glitch come with it?â It was a stupid question, she knew that was a stupid question. She was almost positive all her works-in-progress were saved to the cloud anyway. But she was terrified, terrified of this actually being a curse, and she felt completely ridiculous admitting that to herself.Â
Meredith couldnât help but jump at the sound of the door slamming behind them. She turned around, rapidly scanning the door for any sign of why it closed. âNo- does that not happen every time?â This wasnât happening, this couldnât be happening, right? She was not about to die at the fucking Apple store. She looked back at the employee. âYou have a key to get out of here, right? Itâs not locked?â Sparks of anxiety radiated through her fingertips as they tapped against her leg. She took a step towards the door and attempted to twist the handle but it didnât budge, she shook the door harder to no avail. âYouâre fucking kidding me,â she muttered under her breath. âOkay, so you can like, call your boss like? Or, there is some high tech code that opens this door? And thereâs definitely a totally rational reason it closed behind us, right?â
â
âBrand new, yes.â The thank you made Regan freeze, for just a moment. She had to remind herself where she was not. Still, humans in Wickedâs Rest should know better, too. âYouâre welcome. How long have you lived here?â It was seemingly a non-sequitur but one Regan was curious about now. It was also better than admitting that no, the door did not typically do this, and no, Regan did not have a key on her, because she was â for the first time in her life â bad at her job. What she could do was be a calm presence as the customer proceeded to panic. She was excellent at being calm (and especially since returning from Ireland). This was nothing compared to working in the ED or navigating a grisly homicide scene.
âThere is no need. I am not going to ask Pubik to let us out.â If he even would. Regan could practically see him standing tall on the other side of the door, gloating. He would let both of them die in here if he could. He would stand there and do nothing as they were sentenced to live in the storage room for one hundred years. Some of her neurons made a complete circuit for the first time. Pubik. Pubic. Pubis. Oh. She might have had some preconceived notions about the man⊠but she was right, wasnât she? The woman did not know or care about Reganâs realization, though â she rushed to the door, frantically pushing and pulling it. That was not going to work. Did she see the slot for a key?
âThat is a waste of your energy. I will fix this. In the meantime, how aboutâŠyou, um, can pick your new tablet.â Regan pointed to a cluster of several huge boxes. âTheyâre all yours. I donât know how you can move your things over, and I do not know if the pathology your computer has will be transmitted to the new one. I⊠donât know anything about Apple products. Or any phones.â Her eyes fell in shame. âThat is probably surprising. Anyway, you select your product, and I will see if there is another way out of here, because that door will not open without a key. Which I do not have.â Regan gave the woman a reassuring nod that was not at all reassuring. This was all fine. She still would not call Pubik.Â
Regan paced a lap around the storage room; she was fairly sure sheâd spotted another door in here at some point, an evacuation exit that emptied into the parking lot. Pubik would have known. But she reminded herself, again, that she would not call Pubik. She could never rely on him. Never place her trust there. She could never⊠Regan eyed each hard wall, and they seemed to shift, caving inward like air being squeezed out of a pair of lungs. The cold floor darkened and shined. The echo of her footsteps became cries of let me die. Her legs wobbled then seemed to sink; she couldnât move. âAre you stillââ Here? She wanted to say. Except Reganâs lungs emptied with enough force to shatter the lights above, casting the entire storage room into true darkness.
â
âMy whole life,â Meredith answered, her eyes darting around the back room and taking in the shelves packed with white boxes. She felt the panic start to rise up her spine. Â
âWhat? Youâre not?â Mereâs voice raised a little. She looked at the other with confusion and a bit of anger. âWhat are you talking about- hold on, your managerâs name is Pubic?â Her hands ran through her hair and she tried to take in her surroundings more carefully. âGod, what the fuck is going on?â She asked quietly to herself. She felt like she was losing her mind lately but this took the cake. She was locked in a storeroom at a store apparently run by two people named Pubic and Apple. Her palms began to sweat. âOf course not,â Meredith began to laugh. âOf course you donât know anything about it. Do you even work here?â She couldnât help herself, the laughter began to bubble up beyond a soft chuckle. She couldnât believe what sheâd gotten herself into- trapped in the backroom of an Apple store with a stranger who was quite possibly masquerading as an employee, all because she thought her iPad was haunted. It was absolutely ridiculous. âYeah, Iâll uh- Iâll pick one out.â Her fit calmed as she tried to straighten herself out and began moving through the shelves instead. Her fingers tapped incessantly against her thigh, an unsteady rhythm. She tried to focus on the stacks and stacks of boxes in front of her but as usual her head was elsewhere. She was locked in, trapped. Meredith couldnât push away the thought. Someone would come, right? Surely, someone would come. Someone would need a new device eventually, or just need to escape the floor. It was fine, it would all be fine.
But it wasnât fine, that was evident by the eruption of sound that flooded the space around her causing Meredith to double over, her hands braced over her ears. Glass shattered and rained down over her. There was a moment of silence. Meredith opened her eyes but there was nothing to be seen- it was completely dark; she could barely see a few inches in front of her. She tried to take stock of her surroundings, her head whipped all around her- looking and listening for something familiar. Her breath was heavy and rapid. A hand reached forward to grab hold of the metal shelf in front of her, she lifted herself upright. âAre you okay?â She asked the darkness. Sheâd done it, she realized, the very thing she feared. Sheâd brought her danger or demon or curse- whatever plagued her, whatever hunted her that night- sheâd brought it to someone else; sheâd put someone else at risk. âAre you hurt?â Meredith used the shelf to guide herself back down the aisle and toward where she parted from the employee. âBe careful, there may be glass around you.â She could hear a few small pieces crunching under her sneakers and silently thanked herself for not wearing flip flops today. Her mother always detested when she wore them anyplace other than the beach, maybe she should text her.
She felt the shelf end and tried now to find the wall, if her hand could settle against the door she could anchor herself in the room. There seemed to be a faint red glow emanating from somewhere, she used that to guide herself. âWhat happened, did you see something?â
â
Regan was trying to learn from those around her, she really was, but sometimes humans were truly confusing. Banshees did not ask such foolish questions, and they had no need for comfort or reassurance. What was going on? What was going on was exactly what was going on; there was no great complexity. âYou saw my shirt. You know that I work here. As for what is going on, I took you back here to select a new tablet because your current one is malfunctioning. The door closed behind us. We have since been stuck. Do you have short-term memory issues?â More likely, the girl was struggling with some kind of disbelief, as though this were even breaking the top 100 of unusual occurrences in this town. And Regan probably could have been a little kinder and more compassionate, but bad things tended to happen when she was stuck in an enclosed space with someone. That obviously continued to be the case.
She grimaced at the sound of glass crunching as she stepped closer to the direction of the womanâs voice. âI saw⊠something, yes.â Reganâs voice sounded small to her own ears, and that pushed disgust up her mouth. What had happened to her? Rhetorical. She knew exactly what had happened. Maybe she really should be trying harder to be nice, considering they were not in dissimilar boats. The difference was that when Regan panicked, things broke. âNothing that concerns â I mean, should concern you. The glass didnât hurt me.â Or if it did, she couldnât feel it. Sometimes it was hard to tell. There had been several times sheâd found shards embedded in her hands hours later. âYourself? Are you wearing close-toed footwearâ Apple stores were not like wet labs and autopsy suites; there were no de facto safety requirements.Â
The womanâs shaky breaths made Regan spike with concern. She could recognize panic by sound alone. Her decedents were above such a pathetic display of emotion, but live humans were not. Noâ not pathetic. Not for humans. Humans could panic. Regan would be supportive. Jade would have been. âIf your panic becomes unsustainable, tell me, and I willâŠâ What was it humans did again, when someone they cared for was panicking? â...uh, describe something comforting. Like flies on a body.â That seemed right. âWhat are you concerned about? We are in the Apple store. In the time I have lived here, no one has died in this place. Well, no human. There is presently a raccoon somewhere above us.â
When Regan squinted, she could see a faint glow from the direction of the emergency exit â one Regan had never used, and she could see the woman inching closer to it, palm bracing against the wall. It was a door that spilled out into a parking lot. Would it work? Would it need a key? That wouldnât be great for an emergency exit. âI think thereâs⊠there should be a door over here. I believe.âÂ
Except, Pubikâs scratchy voice shouted from behind the heavy door on the other end of the storage room, the one that had locked behind them. He was here?Â
âWhat is it, Kavanagh? Stuck in the storage room? I could let you out.âÂ
Regan saw red (figuratively; it remained pitch black). Had he locked them in here? That thought from earlier had been right. She did not need to ask herself why Pubik wasnât letting them out. Betrayal was in his blood. Regan should never have turned her back to Pubik. He would have taken her wings had they still been there. Did he not care that she had a customer with her? No, why would he? Pubik was never satisfied until Regan was going to lose everything; someone else standing nearby was only collateral damage.Â
â
âWhat? What did you see?â Meredithâs voice was a bit frantic. She was sure she sounded crazy. Somehow, despite the chaos that had occurred since Meredith had entered the store, Apple had managed to stay calm, cool, and collected. It made Mere feel even more out of her mind. She was almost scared of the answer- of what possibly lurked in the shadows here. Her eyes moved all around in the dark but she couldnât see a thing. She listened intently, but the only sounds she heard were shards of glass shuffling around the tile floor as she walked and the fabric of her top sliding against the rough wall behind her. There were no mysterious sounds, nothing that reminded her of the woods. Maybe that was a good sign, maybe this was all just a coincidence. But Meredith knew that wishful thinking would get her nowhere. In fact, it would get her killed.Â
âGood. Yes, yes Iâm fine.â She kept her back pressed against the wall and continued to move towards the only light she could see. âOh, uh, thank you. I think I will hold off on the fly conversation for now if thatâs okay.â Images of the cabin, of her friendsâ bodies flashed through her mind. She tried to shake it all away and focus on what was in front of her, which was darkness. âWell, thatâs good to know. Good track record you guys have here. Sorry I donât mean to beâŠjumpy. I just- Iâve had a weird few months. Letâs just get out of here.â She had accepted at this point that Apple wasâŠodd, to say the least. She had expected to enter the store, be greeted by some bored underpaid employee who assured her that her iPad was just fine but maybe did a quick reset or something to fix the problem and be on her way. Instead, sheâd met one of the strangest people sheâd ever encountered and no problems were fixed at all. Now she had new ones. But even though Apple was a somewhat strange stranger, she didnât want anything to happen to her. She would feel incredibly guilty if anyone else got hurt because of her presence. She was determined to get both of them out in one piece.
âGood, okay, okay. Can you follow my voice? I think I can see the exit sign. I think, maybe, if we follow this wall we can get there without running into anything. Hopefully.â Her plan was interrupted by the sound of a man yelling from the other side of the door. For a moment, relief washed over her. Surely, he would realize they were in here and open the door to free them. She was quickly corrected. âGod, is that your manager? Iâm starting to understand why you call him Pubic.â Unless of course, that was his given name. âScrew that guy. Now I kind a want to take two iPads just to fuck with him. I wonât.â She looked back at Apple, at least where she thought Apple was, with a small joking smile as if to assure her she wasnât actually going to steal from the store. She didnât want to get her in trouble. Of course, Apple couldnât see any expression Mere was making. âMaybe Iâll leave him a bad review. I donât think Iâve ever left a review for any place ever, that guy makes me want to start.â
Meredith kept shuffling along the wall, one arm outstretched to make sure she wouldnât run into anything. The faint red glow slowly became brighter. Soon she could make out the word âEXITâ lit up in front of her. âOkay, I got it. God, some alarm isnât going to start if I open this will it? Nevermind, I donât care.â She pushed forcefully against the metal bar and swung the heavy door forward. Sunlight spilled into the storeroom and Mere had to raise her arm to shield her eyes from the harsh change in light. She could feel the heat mixing with the cool conditioned air behind her. âI have to say, Iâve never been so excited to see a parking lot.â
â
âHis name is Pubik. Well, his last name. His first name is John. And he does not manage me,â Regan said, barely keeping the fact she was offended from her tone. âI am autonomous. I decide everything now. No Pubik is going to tell me what to do. I wear this uniform and listen to their rules because I want to. At least⊠I think I do. I am still a little unclear on what dictates wanting.â That bit of honesty made her stomach feel hollow. âI only tolerate him because I choose to. He believes himself important, but death will have him, the same as anyone else.â Regan thought she did an exceptional job explaining all of this in the most normal way possible. The mention of leaving a review did turn the dial on her mood a little bit, in a good way. âI leave reviews all the time, and can help you, if you would like.â
They converged by the red EXIT sign, and out of the two of them, the other woman seemed more antsy to escape this place. She had said she had a strange few months, so maybe it wasnât even the first time something like this had happened to her. Regan stood aside and let her push out the door. Besides, she had grabbed a few tablets and a laptop on the way over, so her arms were full.Â
She squinted as the sun flooded her vision. After a few blinks, she straightened herself out like none of this had been a big deal, and looked over at the woman. âI believe I should ask you for your name now. The social convention is to exchange those after being stuck in a storage room together. I read that in the Apple handbook.â She seemed worse for the wear, and again, Regan had to wonder just what sheâd been through recently. She pressed her lips into a thin line, then offered the woman a couple of the brand new, packaged tablets she brought out. âThese are for you. I am sorry I canât fix your old one.â She also wasnât completely sure the ones in her arms didnât crack from her voice, but that was a problem the woman could discover later.Â
âThis lot is fine. It could be better. There is no roadkill.â Regan glanced around disapprovingly. She should have snatched that dead raccoon from in there when she had the chance. Now she wasnât sure if she would even be going back, because Pubik had exhausted her good will (yes, that was good will she displayed in the past) and Regan couldnât guarantee her lungs wouldnât rattle with a scream next time she saw that man. Andâ oh, the woman had sounded frantic in there, hadnât she? Not to mention, though Regan wouldnât admit it, the fresh air massaged her remaining tension. As long as she didnât look at the asphalt too long, it would not grow slick and bubble. âHey, um, are you⊠you are alright, yes? Physically.â She tilted her head back and forth, debating for a moment. âAnd mentally, emotionally, whatever you would like to call it. Are you functional?â
â
Once in the fresh air, Meredith doubled over and attempted to regulate her breathing. Youâre safe, itâs fine, youâre fine, she repeated to herself in her head, deep breaths pulled from the depths of her lungs. Her eyes scanned the lot in front of her. It was bright, sunny. There were no woods, no murky lake. There were no monsters lurking. All was well. âIâm Meredith,â she said, standing back up tall. âI suppose this is one way to break the ice,â she tried to smile, the breaths coming easier now. She tried to shake it off, feeling a bit feeble next to the confident employee across from her. âOh- my goodness. Thank you,â Meredith accepted the boxes, looking up at Apple with wide eyes. She wanted to ask if she was sure, if she could really take them both, but at this point she felt it maybe better not to ask questions. It was better to cut her losses and run than spend any more time at this Apple store. âNo, I appreciate it.â She hoped these ones werenât alsoâŠglitchy. She feared the truth she would have to accept if they were. âMaybe Iâll take you up on that review help, if not just to get that guy off your back,â she offered. âIâve had shitty bosses before, theyâre the worst.â Mere slid her backpack off one shoulder and tried to stuff both tablet boxes inside and zip it back up.
âOh yeah, Iâm alright. Is there any glass in my hair?â Meredith leaned over to the side slightly and brought a hand up to shake out her curls, hoping any small shards would sprinkle on to the concrete below instead of lingering in her scalp. âYes I uh- Iâm functional,â she smiled, though she wasnât sure if it would sell it. âAre you okay? That was quite a scream.â It was a misdirection, perhaps. But Meredith had been genuinely worried about the other girl, she still wasnât sure what had caused such a reaction. âI thought maybe there was somethi- someone in there with us. I donât know, it sounds silly now,â a meager laugh escaped her. She was scared of the entity from the cabin, but she was also scared of everyone thinking she was crazy. She felt alone enough now as it is. She was worried about isolating herself even more. âJust freaked me out. But Iâm okay. Thank you for all your help.â She dusted herself off and adjusted her pack. âMy bike is just out front. I guess Iâll head out unless there is anything else you need from me for the iPads,â she said, hoping the answer was a simple no and that she could get out of here. Even if the lights and the scream and the locked door had been nothing but flukes, she couldnât shake the weird feeling that was stuck to her spine. She wanted to go home, she wanted a drink. She hoped home was safe. âIt was uh- nice to meet you. Sorry about, well, all of that. I hope the rest of your day is less eventful,â Meredith smiled and gave a small wave before heading to the front of the store to retrieve her bike and head back to her apartment.
â
So the woman had a name, and now Regan had it (not like that). Meredith. Who still seemed quite frightened, fidgeting with her bag, glancing around like she itched to leave. She was a victim, wasnât she? Another one. This was all Pubikâs fault. All of it. But something annoying fluttered against Reganâs ribcage anyway: guilt. Pubik wouldnât have locked a customer in the storage room; it was Reganâs presence that elicited that behavior. And maybe, just maybe, it was also Reganâs fault that Meredith went back there⊠where she could have died away from her friends and family, in Irelâ in a storage room.Â
If the tablets were not enough, Regan would make this up to Meredith in some other way later. The streak of paranoia in Meredithâs voice sealed the deal. An idea struck her, and when were those ever poor? âI donât know about inside, but Pubik was out there.â Reganâs eyes narrowed as the name passed through her lips. âWear a helmet on that bike, and if you decide you are interested in⊠justice, you may find me here. The next time, we will be the ones making it eventful.â
Not in almost a decade. I remember the basics, but I have no idea if I'm still any good. I give you full permission to cut me from the team if I'm terrible.
There won't be any cuts- unless you're like, really really bad. But even then, if you bring good vibes we won't kick you out. It's all about having fun after all.
Meredith Austen Personality đ Meyers-Briggs Type
"People with the ENFP personality type are true free spirits â outgoing, openhearted, and open-minded. With their lively, upbeat approach to life, ENFPs stand out in any crowd. When something sparks their imagination, ENFPs show an enthusiasm that is nothing short of infectious. These personalities canât help but to radiate a positive energy that draws other people in. However, once their initial bloom of inspiration wears off, ENFPs can struggle with self-discipline and consistency, losing steam on projects that once meant so much to them.
"Even in moments of fun, ENFPs want to connect emotionally with others. Few things matter more to these personalities than having genuine, heartfelt conversations with the people they cherish. With their natural vivacity, people with the ENFP personality type are effortlessly sociable. They generally make friends wherever they go using their charm and their excellent communication skills. At times, however, they may struggle with a suspicion that they care more about their friends than their friends care about them."