A surprise visitor complicates things

Lucy was alarmed when she heard the bell ring for the front door. She crawled through insulation until she found a spot she could peer through.

Someone short had just entered the diner. When the person pulled back the hood of their raincoat, Lucy almost screamed. She'd recognize that red hair anywhere. It was Lucy's school bully, Vivian.

Did the little devil know that Lucy worked here? Maybe it was just a coincidence, but coincidence or not, things wouldn't end well for Lucy if the redhead found her. Especially after Lucy's payback at graduation.

"Hello?" Vivian called, "Is anyone here?"

"Shit, shit, shit," Lucy thought. If anyone else had entered, she would've just stayed hidden, but Vivian was cunning and persistent. Lucy needed to devise an escape plan if she stood any chance.

Meanwhile, Vivian observed the empty diner, "It's a real ghost house, isn't it?" Her eyes came to rest on a table that was a bit more disorderly, the chairs out of place.

She approached the table and noticed an empty coffee cup at a booth nearby. Investigating the hidden booth, Vivian noticed a damp spot on the seat. Someone had made a mess, but where did the employees go. "Did one of them do this, or is something else going on?"

Lucy would periodically check in on the redhead to monitor how much longer she had. So far, Vivian hadn't gotten far, but her heart played a drum solo when she saw the unwelcome guest walking toward the bar. Her clothes were right behind that counter. Should the bully find them, Lucy wasn't sure any amount of planning could save her.

Vivian was still investigating the dining room. She noticed that the bar counter had some things moved around like someone had been there recently. She was climbing over it when a noisy racket alarmed her.

It sounded like it came from the ceiling. This building only looked like one story, and the noise sounded too loud to be an animal. Vivian abandoned the counter and went towards the back of the restaurant.

Lucy swallowed hard. It was the only way she could think of to keep Vivian from her clothes. She was sure the redhead would find her way into the attic at some point now.

On the bright side, if Vivian opens the attic, Lucy could set her plan in motion. And if it all went accordingly, Vivian would be as trapped as Lucy is now.