As the crowd picked up, the water incident was put to the back of his mind as he ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. Thankfully, when Sarah and Ryan clocked in the mad rush died down slightly though it picked right back up as a large lunch crowd spilled through the doors. He didn’t know if it was lack of sleep or simply he was having an off day but Raven found himself messing up orders and almost running into the other waiters as the day dragged on. After nearly colliding with Sal who had been carrying three bowls of soup, Jack finally sent Raven to the kitchen to help with the cooking and the dishes. 

Raven sighed deeply into the soapy water his arms were currently submerged in, he gazed down at the sink. The accident from earlier crept back into his mind as he frowned thoughtfully. He scooped a small handful of water up and flung it at his shirt before he could second-guess himself. The water hit him in the chest and he yelp as the water soaked the front of his apron. 

[color=lightblue]”You’ll wanna be careful there Raven, nothings more uncomfortable than wet clothes.”[/color] Pete, the cook spoke up as he eyed Raven from his station at the stove. Even he had noticed how tired the boy looked but he knew that if Raven didn’t want him to know he wouldn’t get a peep out of the boy. And so he let the lad be and turned back to the orders filing in. Raven gazed down at the dark stain, perplexed. Had he simply imagined what had had happened earlier. His eyes then fell on the bin next to the stove. Glinting at the top of the pile was none other than the broken glass from the mugs that had been dropped. No, he couldn’t have imagined it because that would mean he was having a seriously crazy hallucination. 

He continued washing the dishes, wondering if he was truly losing his mind. As the day continued to mosey on by, Raven grew more and more frustrated as he kept making mistakes. By the time his shift was over he was ready to punch something. He gave a curt good-bye to Jack and escaped out the door before the man could catch him. He sucked in a lung-full of the air before releasing it slowly and tucking his hands into his pockets as he headed in the direction of his house. After a few minutes he unlocked the door, calling out a greeting. There was a scampering of feet and soon his kitten, Blaze came barreling into the living room and threw himself at Raven’s feet as soon as his shoes had been kicked off. 

Raven chuckled and scooped up the feline, petting his head. [color=violet]”Well hello to you too.”[/color] Kitten tucked into his arms Raven made his way to the kitchen, flicking lights on as he went. As he opened the cabinet, Blaze perked his ears up; knowing exactly what it was that Raven was reaching for. The kitten was placed onto the floor along with a bowl of wet-food. Raven crouched there a moment, petting his pet’s back. [color=violet]”Blaze, do you think I’m crazy?”[/color] He murmured. The soot black kitten paused in his eating and looked as his master with large blue eyes, giving a meow as he licked his lips and went back to chowing down.

The boy smiled as he stood. [color=violet]”I don’t know if that was supposed to be comforting but I’m going to take it for what I will.”[/color] He then exited the kitchen and headed to the bathroom. After a long soak in the tub, a sandwich for dinner and a little bit of TV., Raven headed to bed. He placed Blaze on the bed and the kitten curled up on his pillow. Raven smiled and laid down after shifting the feline over a little bit. He received a disgruntled mew in return and he laughed as he turned out the light, settling under the blankets as his mind started fading away into dreamland.

[i]The water shimmered around him, bubbles escaping his mouth and floating to the surface. Like he did every time in this dream, he panicked and struggled to reach the surface before it dawned on him that he could breathe just fine. He floated there for a few moments, soon realizing that his clothes were perfectly dry. He frowned, looking around the crystal waters that encased him. Suddenly, something brushed passed him and he jerked back. His eyes widened and his mouth opened in a silent scream, his mother’s dead eyes staring back on his lifelessly. 

He floundered back, eyes wheeling wildly as his heart thumped erratically in his chest. In the distance, a black shape was slowly swimming towards him. Already panicked, Raven turned around only to meet the glazed over eyes of his father as the body bobbed gently in front of him. Another scream welled up inside him…[/i]

And this time it did escape, echoing around the house as he bolted into an upright position. He panted heavily, eyes wheeling around frantically as his heart tried to beat its way out of his chest. [color=violet]”J-Just…Just a dream…It was just a dream..”[/color] He whispered in a hoarse voice, clicking on the bedside lamp. As the golden glow filled the room, Raven felt himself calm. He wiped a hand over his face, feeling even more tired than when he had laid down. He glanced at his phone and groaned at the time. 4:05 a.m. stared up at him from the illuminated screen. Knowing he wasn’t going back to sleep any time soon, Raven swung his legs over to the side of the bed and stood. As he did a hiss emitted from under his bed.

Frowning, Raven knelt down and looked under the skirt. Blaze crouched there, spine arched and hair standing on end. It took a few minutes for Raven to coax his startled pet out from his sanctuary but he finally managed it and he petted Blaze soothingly as he made his way to the living room. He laid down and turned on the T.V. onto the news and reclined there. Before he knew it his eyes had slid shut and he fell fast asleep. He woke up a few hours later and with a glance at the clock on the wall and a muttered curse, he jumped to his feet and dressed as fast as he could. 

He locked up the house and sped towards his work. He received a reprimanding look from Jack when he arrived at last, out of breath but the man left him be as he clocked in. Raven stood there a moment, catching his breath before grabbing his apron and starting the day.