Sunflower's Daughter/Chapter 1-1

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Chapter 1-1
8:37 AM.

Nina’s chosen a coffee place to sit and process everything that’s just happened. She's sitting on one of the outside tables, a little bit close to the entrance. She took a bit of time finding a parking spot with all the people walking about today. Like this day wasn't special at all.

She’s placed her purse over the table, her eyes just staring at it. Thinking if she should take the firearm out in public. Have a closer look, see what’s so special about it.

She’s decided on just looking on the bag. The small, leather brown designer bag her mom bought for her about a few years ago. The flap had a dark-green, leaf-patterned design, and it was outlined by a pale brown color. Her toting it made her feel normal. Of course, that's what her mother intended. So she can look like she "belongs with the lambs." Classic mom.

Why did she buy her a gun? Why was that guy talking about… “today” in particular? Does he know about what’s going on?

She’s aware that today’s supposed to be the day California gets hit by the “disease”… or, whatever it was called in the media. The local news didn’t want to show it. Nobody in the other channels wanted to mention it. And soon after, the media followed suit.They started pretending like it doesn't exist, or something.

She places her hands on top of the table and relaxes her back a bit, to a minor slouch. If today was the supposed “End of Days”, “Judgement Day”, whatever anyone wants to call it, then she has to do some errands first. Call up a few people. Visit a few people, places. Go to Cold Stone and order some of the worst, yet best flavors she loathes and hungers for at the same time. Just… do something crazy, like any end-of-the-world person should do.

And no, not smoking. That’s something best saved for later. Or best saved for never. And yet, she can't think it away... She sets her bag aside and starts playing with her fingers. She then looks up and scans at the view in front of her, with the coffee shop taking over much of her right side, unfolding into the streets, the plaza, cars...

The sky was blue, somewhat cloudy. Everything looked normal. People walking around, cars getting into lots and parking. Caffeinaholics in the form of corporate stooges, teenagers with baggy eyes and messy hair, and some more other people exiting out the double doors, cups and cups of their fix in hand...

If she can just tell them coffee provided by a store owned by a chain company is unnatural, that there are better sources of coffee that only takes a little bit more effort—

So it was normal, after all. Nina was starting to feel like she's getting ahead of herself. So far, it's only been her and that gun store cashier who seems to be aware of this day. Maybe he wasn't so bad...

Maybe she should put up a sign, asking anyone if they know what was going to happen today.

But then she'd be no better than those walking agents of... no, it was too early for religious jokes. She actually calls them "hobo prophets" until she started making fun of the name herself...

But it wasn't the point. The point was she'd be no better than them, and nobody will probably take her seriously. And yet, it was tempting...

She decides to go over to her car and look for those radio stations she’s been basing her beliefs on. Conspiracy theorists, pirate radio—it has to be there, somewhere. She stands up from her seat, and walks over to her car. 8:52 AM. Static. Static, and more static. There were some radio stations in the normal frequency that talked about it, but now she’s trying the “other” ones… the stations where she had to ask her cousin to “get” by modifying the radio and antennae and whatever else fancy tampering. But all she’s gotten was static, like two days ago.

She slumps back on the driver's seat, her eyes gazing at the view her windshield provided her. Those stations were just there a few days ago… and now things are going blank? There was a reason for this. A--a conspiracy theory she has to pry, develop... Maybe she needs to visit the internet café.

9:08 AM. She has no computer at home. This was the only other way to surf the internet. Her phone doesn't seem to work because it's so old, and she has no idea what those "contracts" and "plans" were. After paying about ten dollars for an all-day pass, and getting herself a bottle of water, she finds a computer desk nearby the window and proceeds to use it.

She starts the browser with the blue "e" icon, goes to Google's main page, and types "judgement day today" on the search bar.

Nothing, but articles about the last supposed Judgement Day. Below it, more links about more stuff that'll most likely misdirect her.

She doubts her memory for a second. Those theorists talked about cannibals, or… aliens, or something. A mass collection of murderers rooting from a certain virus…

And now, all of her sources are gone. Did she really hear those words? Did those stations really exist? Did she somehow take ecstasy by accident and divulge into a complex thought process that made her believe the world was ending?

No. That would've been impossible. Ecstasy would only make her do really dumb stuff. She thought it would've made her smart, maybe tap into something in her mind. But she just had to learn the hard way. Good thing she was with someone that day...

She leaves the cafe a bit disappointed, and mostly confused. To think, today was going to be exciting, somehow...

She thinks about it, on the way to her car. She's wrapped her head around observing society crumble on its first day a night ago. Was she really going to be disappointed?

She scolds herself on her dark thoughts and decides to think about something else. She enters her car, thinking and thinking... “Hello, Melchior?”

Nina’s decided to start doing one of the things in her list; calling up people. She’s settled on the world not ending, yet she’s grown concerned enough to make a few calls. The first and foremost important person was Melchior.

She’s parked on a nearby curb, fully committing to this call.

''“Nina? Is that you?”''

Nina perks up at the response of a woman, her voice somewhat low-pitched. “Hey! Hey--y-yeah, it’s me...”

''“Hello, Nina! What’s this call about—wait, wait… I think I know.”'' Melchior was a pudgy, mild-mannered and middle-aged woman who’s a well-known acquaintance of her’s. And she adores her, because she’s an avid musician. A musician who knows the trades of guitar, violin, accordion, and trumpet, among other things.

“How is she, doc? How’s my gal doing?” Nina looked at the surface of her headboard, anxious for the news of her best friend.

“Your gal is… well, it’s gonna take more time than I thought… if you really want her to be back in her old glory I suggest you sit tight.”

The brightness from Nina’s face withers a bit. Yet, she’s still hopeful. It wasn’t news exactly, but she’s always hoping to hear something new. She’s been longing for Meredith’s company for almost a year now.

“Oh… so… h-how is she?...” Nina starts tapping on the steering wheel.

“Well she’s…” Some noises of movement and knocking wood could be heard. ''“... she’s getting there. Strings restored, but the board…”''

The board…? Nina squeezes the steering wheel for a few tense seconds. The injury is still so vivid.

''“... I don’t wanna spell it out for you, kiddo. Better you just wait…”''

Nina stares blankly at her wheel, then sighs. “Okay. Okay…” Damage reports are always difficult moments for her.

''“You just listen to some Fleetwood Mac or something, okay? She’s going to be fine.”''

Fleetwood Mac was one of Melchior’s favorite bands; she would always mention it every chance she gets. That, or it’s usually her forgetfulness catching up. Nina was more in the mood for Queen right now…

“Yeah, sure…” Some ‘Death on Two Legs’, more like. “Thanks, Mel.” She hangs up, and stares blankly in front of her window, drifting into her thoughts. ‘You’re My Best Friend’ was much too cliche for her to be thinking about right now, but it’s the most relatable…

‘Radio Ga Ga’ was better. When she and Meredith made fun of radio. Then Meredith called her a hipster…

Nina shakes her thoughts away and comes back to reality. Reminiscing was making her feel overly emotional right now.

She has the urge to call up the next best person to Meredith.

“Nina, Nina, Nina…”

Nina’s driven and parked at a different spot by now. Her car was parked in front of a tattoo parlor, somewhere in the busier area of the city.

“Lasse, c’mon… don’t drag this out—”

''“You know you’re my favorite person, Nina. What’s up, whatcha calling for?”''

Nina watches the tattoo parlor’s front doors, unable to see past its glass covering. “I just—I’m bored, and—”

“Nina, when you say ‘bored’, it usually means booty-call.” Nina pauses, and impatiently sighs. Lasse was a girl who always tests her patience.

“What are y—”

“Say no more, I’m comin’ out.” Nina turns back to the front doors and sees it swing open, seconds after her response. A tall, slim, punkish red-headed girl with a black tank-top and tattoo-covered arms steps out, quickly noticing Nina’s car.

“Your timing was great… we were about to close early today.” She smiles, and keeps her phone on her ear as she walks toward Nina’s car. “Zero appointments, one call-in sick, one guy done for the day-open the window—” She stops at the passenger window, bends down a bit, and taps the glass. Nina knew she couldn’t see past it, yet her smile was piercing through.

“Hang up and I will.”

“Nope, I wanna see your face first.”

Nina rolls her eyes, and puts her phone aside. She presses the window button down and slowly reveals herself to Lasse.

Lasse’s stare doesn’t change. “What happened to your—blah.” She hangs up, waves, and opens the door. “Nina you look beautiful today—” She goes ahead and sits herself.

Nina just glares at her, looking for any changes; so far, she still has the same piercings in the nose, the corner of her mouth, and one side of her brow. And the same amount of eyeliner.

“Still as beautiful as ever, I see,” Nina says.

“Likewise.” Lasse pleasantly smiles at her and is about to brush a strand of her hair away, but she regresses. “So? Why’d you call me up?” Her smile changes into a curious expression, yet her brightness doesn’t vanish.

It’s been a few weeks since she’s seen Lasse. She thought that would be the last call she’d ever make, yet she couldn’t stop thinking about her… that, and Lasse is willing to hunt her down.

“Well…” Nina turns away, looking up front. “Meredith hasn’t been fixed yet and the world’s going to end—so… here I am.” She tries to say something further, but her message was clear enough that she couldn’t continue it.

“Meredith still sick…? World going to end…” Lasse tries to show her concern by playfully thinking about it. “Hmmm… hmmm… does Nina need a friend right now?” She pauses and looks at her with fake pity. Nina just looks at her ridiculously, and it forces Lasse to give up.

“Okay, okay…” She instead smirks, and pats Nina’s lap once. “Well I’m all yours. Whatever you wanna do, I’ll do with you.”

“Really?” Nina changes her look to genuine interest.

“Yeah. I mean Meredith’s cool and all, but you can also…” Her pitch goes a little bit lower. “… play me like a guitar, you know…” She lifts her brows up and down to playfully suggest it. Nina’s expression goes back to non-serious again, yet she couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You can’t be suggesting that—okay, we’ll just go get lunch, then go back to my place, then talk—”

“Then play me a guitar?” Lasse’s stopped her playful expression, instead looking in front of her as if she was trying to hide it.

Nina furrows her eyebrows, as she starts the car’s ignition. “What—no!”

Next - Chapter 1-2