Exceptional Time for Maggie to close up the diner and head home Renaissance of Enchantment : Chapter One, Part 3 by Y. M. Roger

Grabbing two of the day’s remaining sausages that hadn’t sold, Maggie opened the back door to check the alleyway. Sure enough, sitting up high and somehow dry despite the rain, there was the big ol’ Grey Owl perched on the rusted sign hanger. He turned his head slowly toward her; his yellow eyes framed by that caricature-like circular face pierced the thundering darkness.   “Thought you might be home and out of this rain tonight, Twilight.”   Addy had named the owl after one of the Guardians in some book series he was reading. The daunting bird of prey had started hanging around the shop shortly after Maggie started working there. The owl had to have his nest somewhere in the vicinity because she’d seen him around their nearby apartment building as often as here.   She speared the two sausages on a rogue nail that stuck out of the wall. “Here’s your midnight snack, sir!” The raptor always made her smile. “Oh, and Addy says ‘hi’.” Maggie just grinned as the owl blinked once at her. “Don’t stay out too late partying!”   She giggled as she imagined the magnificent Twilight scoffing at her comment – a proud bird like him partying, hrumph. She closed the door, sliding the multiple bolts and sealing the padlocks.   Maggie flipped the lights in the storeroom off and powered down the office computer before working her way into the main area. She bagged the leftover baked goods and other pre-made items that would be over twenty-four hours old by morning and surveyed the diner.   Only Ed and, tonight, the smaller yet no less threatening if you didn’t know him very well, Scully, remained – having taken up their waiting vigil by the front door as she finished turning off appliances and such. She hadn’t heard Scully come in, but the noise of the rain in the back alley had been quite loud.   “Coffee maker, Miss Maggie,” Scully whispered his reminder, his eyes darting around warily as they tended to do.   Maggie stopped in her forward motion and scooted back behind the counter as she spoke. “Thank you, Scully! I just get a little flustered worrying about Addy, you know?”   Ed grunted, everything about him smiling except his lips. “Boy’s fine, Miss Maggie.” His bass voice, deep and rumbling, provided a strange sense of comfort to her.   Scully nodded his head in agreement, a shy grin lighting his gaunt yet steely visage. “S’okay, Miss Maggie.” Scully scanned the soaking sidewalk out the front windows. “And we’re just lookin’ out fer ya.”   “Thank you both,” Maggie replied sincerely, making sure to look both of them in the eyes, as she readied her keys and pushed the door open with her backside.   “Here goes nothin’, guys!” She grinned as the pounding rain pelted the sidewalk just beyond the awning. Before they stepped out into the torrent, she looked at Ed.   “Your umbrella, Sir Ed!” She indicated that he go first. “Keep us dry as we traverse homeward, brave knight!”   Ed grunted with a warming heartiness this time as he raised the umbrella and held it over Maggie’s head to keep her dry. As they made their way down the sidewalk, the umbrella, designed primarily for only one person, made an effective shelter for those people under it.   +++++++++++   Maggie thanked her two escorts as she ran up the stairs of the rundown apartments-over-garage building. Ducking into the small entry alcove, she noticed a few not-so-nice men watching her from below, just down the alleyway in the shelter of another overhang. She turned to find Ed and Scully had already gone.   Sigh.   She hated this damn neighborhood, but she and Addy had to gut it out for at least a couple more months before she could even think about moving somewhere with higher rent.   Turning back, she watched as two of the shady characters took careful notice of her – one even toeing out his cigarette and grinning in a very malevolent manner.   Maggie steeled her spine and felt her nerves begin to hum.   “You’re not welcome here, sir; none of you are.” She spoke firmly as she fought the old locking mechanism in the outer door, the struggling and the angst created by the men’s presence spiking a bit of her temper. Her voice rose and cut-off sharply just as she managed to get the key to work. “Now. Go. Away!”   She stumbled into the inner hallway when the door latch gave way. Maggie growled as she turned to face the man whose footsteps she’d heard coming up behind her, but there was no one there. Leaning on the door, she peered through the rain, trying to catch a glimpse of the men.   Nobody. Huh.   Wait, that wasn’t true. There was a work boot a few steps down and another one a step behind it. Had those been there before? Yeah, she had no idea and didn’t care. The boots were soaked anyway. If they were still there in the morning, she’d drop them by the Mission Shop across the street.   To be continued...     Recognized Author Notes Maggie - Marguerite Atkinson Addison/Addy - young man living with Maggie, being raised by her Bongo - Maggie & Addy's large, black cat Dorothy - Addy's mother (deceased) Mr. Man-bun - male customer this night in the diner where Maggie works (not his real name) Eduardo - waits to walk Maggie home late at night Scully - with Eduardo to walk Maggie home Lars - owner of the Courtside Coffee-N-Cola, the diner where Maggie works Twilight - Great Gray Owl seen outside the diner and at Maggie's apartment Image 'Pauli's Diner Ambiance (rain, city noises,...)' from Google images via YouTube

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