Andra

 It was earlier than I cared to be awake, but a job is a job.

Clean up the trash bins and refill the napkins and the toilet paper. Banana peels, soaked paper towels, and personal feminine items stuffed between seats in the waiting area and everywhere else. Then there’s the homeless who somehow find their way into the terminal. They have their immediate necessities with them, but the rest of their mountainous property, precariously balanced on an already overloaded shopping cart, is strategically hidden behind a garbage bin or a large set of hedges. Couple that with the entire airport acreage sitting on the remnants of an old temple of human sacrifice, and you have an interesting combination of energies functioning all at once. 

It’s a disconcerting energy if you’re sensitive and unprepared for it. However, if you’re someone like myself, you ignore it and go about your day. 

                                 ~

Andra Kenai graduated high school and immediately went into the workforce. After applying at various state offices, she was hired as a maintenance engineer at the airport. A.k.a. a janitor.

She was a good girl who grew up in Waialua and was armed with a set of morals that came with growing up on the old plantation. Work hard, mind your business, don’t complain, and don’t disgrace your family. Her parents, however, didn’t prepare her for the unwritten rule. Respect spirits, but never acknowledge them. But what if they acknowledge you?

By 2 am, the terminal was practically empty. This allowed Andra to clean out the women’s restroom entirely, restocking everything and then sweeping and mopping the floors. Less than an hour later, with everything cleaned and wrapped up, Andra made it a point to leave all the toilet stall doors open. Pushing her cart out, she suddenly heard her name called. It was coming from the only stall with the door closed. 

“Andra,” the voice called. “You forgot to clean this one.”

The toilet flushed, sounding like a woman screaming in agonizing pain. Andra jumped back and ran all the way to the other end of the terminal before she finally collapsed from fear. She later asked for a transfer to another state facility. They placed her at the Kalaimoku Building in the Capitol district. It is one of the most haunted buildings in the area.