Chapter Two Time Travels

A month had gone by before Mia realized. Everything was progressing very slowly but Mia was glad that at least she was going forward. Her life was incredibly stagnant for three years. It was a continuous cycle of waking up in the morning, being escorted with hundreds of other women for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some time in the early morning they’d have to do some work after which they’d get some fresh air and then back into the cell. Mia had no visitors simply because she had no family. There were no friends ready to step in and defend her. There were also no family members. Her parents had passed away when she was young and so she only had an uncle to support her. He ended up passing away too, a year into her prison sentence. She was well and truly alone but she couldn’t sit and sulk. The girl was barely twenty five. She had her whole life in front of her. As much as you can have your life ahead of you when you’re an ex convict. It was no surprise to her that there were hardly any jobs available. Vacancies were everywhere and people warmed to her immediately during the interviews. They would all say the same thing; ‘You’re perfect for the job.’ Then the background check would come up and she’d be blocked immediately afterwards. The dial tone was an unfriendly reminder of her past. Even then Mia held nothing against the employers. Seeing someone convicted of murder isn’t to be taken lightly. Who would want to hire a murderer? They probably thought it might happen again. No one wanted to be another victim or at least deal with the legal consequences if a murder was caused on their premises. Two weeks into searching for a job only to have multiple doors slammed in her face, albeit metaphorically, Mia had no choice. One fine day, or rather late at night, Mia mustered the strength and did something she never wanted to do. She looked back at her prison life, something she decided she would t do. It had only been two weeks and she was crawling back from the hell she came from. Mia had forced herself to call the Head Warden of the women’s prison. The head Warden was quick to pick up since she had been on her break. Mia explained her predicament. Her money was running out and the motel was getting restless for lack of payments. She barely had enough money for food and only ate half a meal a day. Mia was wasting away at this point. Mia told the Head Warden how she desperately needed the job. The woman stationed at the prison knew that Mia was driven to dire circumstances to give her a call. It wasn’t that the two women despised each other but they knew it was best if Mia stayed away from that past life. Luckily the Head Warden was able to help. That was a favor Mia knew she would have to return one day. She would do everything in her power to make sure that favor would be complete. The Warden was a nice woman, she knew how hard it was for ex convicts to thrive after prison. The prison life was aimed at punishment rather than rehabilitation which was a shame for a woman like Mia. Innocent but being failed by the justice system. It was a tale as old as time. ‘Of course, Mia. I have a great friend. He was an ex convict himself and has a gas station. He usually hires ex criminals because he knows what it’s like to be struggling after prison. The gas station is in a rather posh neighborhood so he has to be careful. But don’t you worry, he’s a great judge of character and has never had issues with hiring the wrong people. He’ll see you for who you are. You’ll get a job in no time. I’ll put in a good word for you.’ Mia was directed to go to the gas station that very next morning. The address had burned a hole into her mind as she stared at it multiple times through her phone. The man had been expecting her and he was great. He beamed when he saw Mia and stated that he knew she’d be exactly what he wanted. His name was Mike but he made sure everyone called him Mikey. It was only a short interview but the older man was smiling crazily throughout. Mia found it a bit weird at first but then she realized that’s just how he was. She couldn't afford to be fussy anyways. That’s how most of her night’s went. She would pull long shifts and never took time off. Granted it had only been a few weeks but Mikey knew she was a great addition to the team. He treated her like the daughter he never had and often came to check up on her during the late night visits. The gas station was indeed in a posh locality. It wasn’t shocking to see brand new sports cars pulling up in different colors. She never knew the names but would make sure to shy away just in case she got any unwanted attention. Mia’s job was simple. She would man the till and serve customers. It was simple enough. It was much more entertaining than being holed up in a motel room with no company other than herself. That’s how Mia found herself one Friday night. A customer had come in to grab some late night snacks. The posh customer’s didn’t like making small conversation and would go about their business buying things and then leaving. Some wouldn't even glance up from their phone and Mia loved every second of it. No one talked but the presence of another human made her feel sane. A loud ruckus pulled her out of her thoughts. It was around two in the morning and the streets were dead considering it was a tuesday morning. People had work to do. Mia ignored the boisterous customers. There were two men and one woman. They were in their early twenties and were incredibly drunk. They weren’t faltering around the place but the flush on their cheeks and the sinister look in their eyes made her feel uncomfortable. Minding her own business, Mia remained seated on her stool. If they wanted to steal something, Mia wouldn’t step in. Mikey told her that customers stole although it was rare but he said to never butt in. He overcharged the rich folk anyways. He wasn’t losing any money at all. “Hey. Who the hell are you? Where’s that old guy?” Mia didn’t realize that one of the men was talking to her. It took her a few seconds but by then, he was in her face and fuming. “Answer me when I talk to you!” He was screaming in her face and Mia was caught off guard. “I-I. D-do you mean Mikey?” “D-d-d. I-I. You’re pathetic,” The man mocked her while his two friends snickered in the background. Mia tried to shrink back. She didn’t want to get involved in any trouble. Unfortunately, the man was quick to assess her movements even while he was drunk. He grabbed her by the collar of her jacket and hauled her over the counter. Mia barely realized what had happened.