‘A’ is for Audrey
A work of fiction in which each sentence begins with a sequential letter of the alphabet
Audrey was despondent. Better days had come and gone, and this formerly lighthearted service industry worker had developed a bleak outlook. Cinnamon and ginger filled the air — scents that were known to please most patrons, but not her — not anymore.
During her break, Audrey contemplated the dreams she had as a child, all those aspirations and fantasies that had not come to pass. Eventually, the sentiment became ominous, as though the weight of reality was crushing her, pummeling her sore feet into the tiled floor.
Feeling a bit disoriented, Audrey reached for a pint glass filled with dark, carbonated water and corn syrup. Grasping the receptacle were long, elegant fingers, parched from bleach water, with chipped burgundy nails. Her hand quivered slightly as she tilted the black liquid against her glistening red lips. It was one o’clock in the afternoon and the lunch rush seemed to be dying down.
“Just two more hours,” she thought, attempting to envision the end of another stressful and oppressive shift. “Keep on keeping on, and it’ll be over before you know it.”
Luscious blonde curls bounced freely just above her petite shoulders as she walked briskly toward a…
