chapter 1

May woke up to the afternoon sun shining in brightly on her face. She winced as she realized she’s spent another week unemployed. A young woman with a chaotic mental health history, her parents had long-since kicked her out to fend for herself.

“Goddamnit. I have to think of something!” She thinks to herself after adding hot water to her morning cup noodle. She plops down on her bed to eat, her plump bottom seeming to spread just a bit farther across the mattress than it did a few days ago. “This is what I get for eating out so much...”

Her cramped studio apartment allowed just enough room for her desk, bed, mini fridge, and microwave, so she had been eating pretty poorly the past few months. She sighed and looked through classifieds online with her phone.

“Oh, entry level! Er... 4 plus years' experience?!” She bowed her head in dismay as she realized she’d never get a job at this rate. “I need a drink.” She groaned to herself, pouring a large wine glass full of mango juice. “Fuck my life, agh!”

~

Dressed up in her nicest job interview clothes and peacoat, May headed out for downtown to look for a job. Taking the light rail, she’d seen many strange characters on board, talking to themselves or shouting. May wished with all her might that she’d never end up like that, though she had zero control over it. If her parents could kick her out for being as sick as she was, they certainly would offer no help if she became even sicker. May shuddered to herself, partially because of the chill of winter, and partially because the thought of her psychosis overcoming her was just too much to bear.

Safely downtown after a short train ride, May set out to the places she knew best. The café on the street corner might have some leads on job, as might the convenience store, the many parking lots, or the various eateries around town. She bounced from place to place, coming up empty-handed each time. They all wanted someone experienced in bookkeeping, or barista-ing, or handling money, and the guys at the parking lot leered at her so hard she turned the other way and ran.

Finally, tired and hungry, she approached a bakery at the end of the block.

“Bakery D?” May stopped and peered through the glass window. Cookies, cupcakes, and full-sized cakes lined the cold case and the inviting scent of baked yumminess wafted through the air. May followed her nose inside and was greeted by a sudden warmth as she opened the door.

“Welcome! How can I assist you today?” Spoke a smooth voice over the cold case. A tall, handsome young man in a tan apron leaned against the cold case casually and smiled at her. As their gaze met, May’s voice caught in her throat- the guy behind the counter was probably the most handsome she’d ever seen.

“Ah, everything looked so good from outside, but regrettably, my wallet is empty... I was actually looking to see if you had any job openings,” May asked shyly.

The man tapped the cold case with his finger in thought and looked May up and down. May averted her gaze down at the ground, embarrassed that it had come to this.

“Actually, something opened up just now. Why don’t you come to the back with me and we can talk in my office?” The man opened the small door to behind the counter.

“O-oh! Okay!” Trying not to get too excited, May stepped behind the counter with the man and followed him into the back.

“My name is Donte,” he said as he sat down in his office in front of his lap top. “I own and run this bakery on my own, but I have several loyal workers.”

May held her purse in her lap and tried to make herself as small as possible, sucking her gut in to keep it from pressing against her peacoat. “I’m May,” she squeaked. “I’m looking for a job. Any kind of job, really, I’m sort of desperate...!” She chuckled awkwardly, causing Donte to burst into a kind laughter.

“I’ve definitely been there before!” He clicked around on his laptop and started typing. “Do you have any baking skills?”

May perked up. “Yes, actually! I used to bake a lot at home, before-” She quickly stopped herself before continuing. “I like to bake,” she corrected herself.

Donte picked up that something must have happened, but chose not to pursue it. It was his first time meeting her, after all. “That’s great! What sorts of things do you enjoy baking?”

“Oh, a bit of everything! I would buy baking cookbooks and bake all the way through them before moving on to the next one! I’m pretty good at other basics too like lamination and proofing but I also do some cake decorating in my spare time.”

Donte shifted in his seat before asking his next question. “This may seem a bit of an odd question, but how are you at smelling and tasting? Would people who know you say you have sharp senses?”

“Absolutely! I always taste my bakes before they go in the oven, even raw dough or batter! It’s integral to ensuring a tasty end product!” May asserted. Donte seemed pleased and continued typing in his laptop.

“Excellent. Well, I’ve made my decision. You’re hired!”

May sat up completely straight in her seat across the table.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! You’re a lifesaver!” She exclaimed before realizing she had no idea what she was hired for. “Um, what exactly is the position...?”

Donte’s eyes sparkled as he ran his fingers through his locs bundled up in a ponytail. “You’ll be the new Bakery D taste tester!”

Relieved, May got up and shook Donte’s hand.

“Be sure to get here at 4 AM tomorrow morning; I want to get you acquainted with the other staff. Don’t worry about breakfast, we’ll feed you. See you then!”

--
At 3:20 AM, May stood excitedly at the train platform. “My first day of work! Take that, mom and dad!” She thought to herself while chuckling. “It’s cold this morning,” she noted as she wraps herself in her peacoat. Unsure of what to wear, she decided on an outfit of high tops, jeans, and pullover sweater with a kitten on it and camisole underneath, all relatively tight-fitting on her growing form. She looked to her right and saw the light rail heading her way.

Boarding quickly, she took a seat by a window. The lights turned dim around her as the rail headed towards downtown. 4 more stops until downtown.

She leaned against the window and peered outside. It was very dark still, but she could make out blurred houses and street lights.

“Get ahold of yourself, May! Snap out of it!”

May’s father’s voice erupted from the back of the rail car, startling her. She whipped her head around and stood up instantly, but upon seeing no one, she took a deep breath and sat back down.

“Not again... please, not now!” She thought to herself, praying to have some stability, at least at work. Her father’s voice reminded her of that fateful day...

“May! You’re not making any sense!” Her father shouted in her face.

“Dad, I feel like I’m being watched, please, listen to me!” May pleaded. “I don’t want to be in the house alone while you and mom are gone! Don’t leave me behind!”

May’s mother huffed and grabbed her suitcase, harshly turning her back to her daughter.

“Just our luck! We adopted the defective one!”

Tears erupted from May’s eyes as she pleaded with her dad to take her with them. Offering no consolation or understanding, May’s father grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her violently, causing May’s head to snap back and forth painfully.

“Enough of this, I’ve had it! There’s no one watching you! There’s no one else in this house! Just shut up and be good for 4 weeks and we’ll be back! Fuck!” He shoved her in the chest, causing her to stumble backwards, and slammed the door angrily. May fell to the floor and cried over her parents' lack of empathy and her hurt neck.

She shook her head to clear her mind of this painful memory.

~

(Currently adding more chapters! This is my first story, so I apologize if the formatting looks weird!)