Chapter 2 FIRED ON CHRISTMAS EVE

Amara’s POV

The Christmas music hit me before I even opened my eyes.

Soft bells. A cheerful voice singing about joy. It was coming from the diner speakers outside the office, too bright and too happy after what just happened. My ears rang from the sound of the wall breaking. My heart felt like it was still trying to climb out of my chest.

But when I blinked again, the smashed wall was gone.

Gone.

The office wall was normal. Perfect. Like nothing had ever hit it. Like nothing had broken through. Like I had imagined everything.

Marcus stood in front of me. His face was cold now, not shocked like a minute ago. He looked almost annoyed. He brushed off his shirt like he had been talking about nothing serious.

"What happened?" I whispered. My voice shook. "The wall. Something was right there."

He didn’t even flinch. "Amara, enough. We need to talk about your job."

My mind spun. "Marcus, the wall broke. You saw it. Something came through. You told me I wasn’t safe."

"I never said that," he replied sharply. "You must have imagined something. Maybe the stress got to you."

I stared at him. The way he looked at me made me feel small. His voice was flat, like he was reading off a script.

He pointed to a chair. "Sit."

I didn’t sit.

"What do you want from me?" I asked. "Just tell me why I’m here."

Marcus sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Fine. I’ll get straight to it. I have to let you go."

The world around me froze.

"What?" I whispered.

He kept going. "You are unfriendly. Especially at this time of year. People come in for holiday cheer. You bring down the Christmas atmosphere."

I blinked hard. "You’re firing me because I’m not cheerful enough during Christmas?"

"Exactly."

"Marcus, I need this job. Please. I’m trying. I show up every day. I do everything you ask. I stay long hours. Please."

He shook his head. "It’s not good enough. Your attitude is hurting business. And customers have complained."

"Who complained?"

"It doesn’t matter." His voice became sharper. "We are done here. Turn in your apron."

I felt something crack inside me. "Please. I can change. Just give me a week. Or a few days. I'm begging you."

He didn’t even look moved. "Amara, stop. You do not fit the holiday mood. This is a Christmas diner. People want smiles and warmth. You never smile. Ever. You make people uncomfortable."

My throat burned. "What about all the times I worked double shifts? All the mornings I came here at five? All the nights I closed by myself?"

"You did your job. That is all."

"Marcus please," I whispered. "I can't lose this job. Not now. I have no money. I have no family. I have nothing else."

He opened the office door, ignoring my words completely.

"Get your things. You are done here."

I stood still for a moment. My eyes stung. My hands felt numb. When I finally walked out of the office, the sound of cheerful Christmas music hit me again like a slap.

My coworkers looked up. Their whispering started immediately. Faces turned away when I met their eyes. Some even looked scared of me, like losing my job was something they could catch.

Ivy rushed over. "Amara, what happened? You look pale. Are you ok? Did he yell at you?"

I shook my head fast. "Please don’t ask me anything right now."

"Did he fire you?" Her voice cracked.

"I don’t want to talk about it."

"Amara please, let me help you. You look like you’re about to pass out."

"I said I don’t want to talk."

She reached for my arm, but I pulled away.

Her face fell. I hated myself for pushing her, but if she showed me even one more bit of kindness, I was going to cry right there in front of everyone.

I walked to the small staff room. My locker creaked as I opened it. Inside, I had almost nothing. A half-empty bottle of lotion. A pair of socks. A small notebook. I put everything in my bag. My hands shook the whole time.

When I turned around, everyone was watching.

I lifted my chin and walked out.

The cold air outside hit me the second I stepped through the door. Snow fell in soft flakes that stuck to my eyelashes. Christmas lights glowed from every store window, too bright and too cheerful while my world fell apart.

I checked my phone.

My bank account showed one number.

Forty three dollars.

That was all I had.

Forty three dollars. No job. No rent money. No food. No heat in my apartment. And Christmas was tomorrow.

I took a shaky breath.

Then another.

Then I started walking.

I didn’t know where I was going. I just needed to move. The snow kept falling. People rushed around me holding gifts and laughing. My chest hurt watching them. They looked so warm. So full. So alive.

I felt empty.

I kept walking. My feet hurt. My hands were cold. My stomach felt tight from hunger. I didn’t want to go home because home meant facing everything I couldn’t afford.

So I walked.

Block after block.

Street after street.

Christmas decorations everywhere. Lights, trees, music, dancing figures in store windows. All of it made my heart heavy.

Every time I looked at the lights, I felt smaller.

Every time I heard a Christmas song, it felt like someone pressing a thumb against a bruise.

By the time it got dark, my hair was wet from snow. My fingers were stiff. People were still smiling. Still laughing. Still full of joy I couldn’t understand.

The clock on a giant building read 8 PM.

I had been walking for hours.

My legs were weak now. My feet slipped on the snow as I crossed into Central Park. The wind cut through my clothes. The cold sank deep into my bones. My breath came out in shaky clouds.

I tried to keep going, but my vision blurred. The trees around me looked doubled. The ground felt like it was tilting.

I blinked hard but everything spun.

My knees buckled.

I fell forward, my hands hitting the snow. Cold shot up my arms. My breath trembled.

I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn’t move. The cold was everywhere now. In my chest. In my back. In my head. My body shook uncontrollably.

Snowflakes landed on my face.

I curled my fingers into the snow, but they felt heavy. My eyes fluttered. I felt like I was floating. My heart slowed. Everything around me faded into soft white.

This was it.

This was how it ended.

No job. No money. No warmth. No one waiting for me. No one to call. Nothing left.

Maybe this was better than fighting every day.

My vision dimmed.

My last thought was simple and quiet.

Maybe this is better.

Then everything went dark.

And as the darkness closed in, I felt something strange. Something warm. A touch on my shoulder that didn’t belong in a frozen night.

Someone was standing over me.

Someone I couldn’t see.

Someone who whispered my name.