*Comments Fixed Now!*
Here is the third part of my series which I started two months ago. I normally don't write about vampires, but for fun I started this series. If you would like to read
Part I and
Part II they are available as other Excerpt Monday postings. I still don't have a title after three months. I think I've been lazy in that regard. LOL
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Part I |
Part IIA vampire security guard working at Harlow’s Family Fun Center left me shaking my head in disbelief for the rest of my shift. I’d gone from believing vampires were the stuff from legends to a spooked employee wondering if the local Popeye’s still needed a new manager. The thought of heading home everyday smelling like spicy fried chicken didn’t seem appealing but at least I wouldn’t be on the menu as an appetizer to the local vampire population.
Our brief conversation echoed in my head as I assisted customers and wiped up pizza that some punk kid had ground into the worn carpet.
After he’d introduced himself as Edgar DeMille, he said, “You don’t look like the kind of woman that would work in a place like this?” He had tilted his head and cocked a grin which made my toes tingle.
I crossed my arms. Not what did he mean by that? “What do women who work at this kind of place look like? All I see here are people who need work and prefer not to panhandle on the streets.”
Edgar’s smile vanished and then he said with sincerity, “I meant no offense. But there’s something about you that’s different from most of the women I encounter in this town. You’re not from the area are you?”
Perhaps it was the bitterness that made me different. Unlike most of the cheery townfolk on this side of town, I actually had to work for a living and not waste money on a place like this.
“I kind of stumbled into this place. I’m actually from a small no-name town in Nebraska.” This place with the larger Colonial homes lining the streets wasn't the same as my old home town. Everyone knew everyone's business back there--including the business you didn't want them to know like alcoholic mothers who hoarded their empty wine bottles.
“Do you like Maine?” he asked.
“I'm used to the winters here. But it gets lonely at times without family.”
He nodded as he stared at me with those eyes. I wanted to look away but I couldn't. “Well, I'll have to do something about that.”
We parted ways a few minutes later, but his presence lingered in the room as if he already guarded the place.
I continued to wait in the office for the phone call from the insurance company, but eventually I left and finished my evening shift. I didn't have time to wait for nonsense phone calls like a secretary. A few hours later, after cleaning up the disgusting pizza stain, I returned to the office to close out the registers. I spied my boss shutting down his computer.
“I’m heading out, Laney.” Chauncey tossed something into the garbage. “Watch out for Donny, will you? That guy asked me earlier how to mop the floor.”
I chuckled as I printed the next week schedule. As he left the room, I stood to pick up the paper from the printer. The old machine cracked and hissed from its perch in the corner. Chauncey had the best desktop unit but for some reason he couldn’t let go of Old Betsy. The printer was so old it had a name. One of the cashiers had joke a few weeks ago that if someone opened the unit up they’d see a hamster inside printing out words by candle light.
I plucked the piece of paper from the printer and noticed a glint of light from the waste paper basket. Amongst a pile of gaudy necklaces Chauncey had tossed into the basket lay something else. I reached inside and gathered the cold metal. Did he mistakenly throw away a valuable necklace? The silver necklace had a tear drop shaped holder for a missing gem. The necklace ends appeared to have a broken clasp. I didn’t have much jewelry except for a few cheap rings but I knew silver when I saw it. Nothing screamed cheap jewelry from a nice relative like when a gem was so small you needed a microscope to see it and gold that caused an allergic reaction similar to hives.
With a small Post-It note, I wrote Chauncey a message and left the necklace in his desk. I didn’t want to hear his mouth on Monday complaining about how his wife made him sleep in the garage for losing her valuable babbles. As I closed the drawer, I noticed on closer inspection that Chauncey had left the safe open. What the hell was up with this guy tonight? First he left a necklace in the garbage and now he'd left the safe open. Might as well have left a printed sign from Old Betsy labeled: FREE FOR ALL.
What made matters even worse was the safe was empty. All the cash was gone including a few small packages he always stored inside. If I needed to make change tonight, I was screwed. This place gave me a bad feeling again. Not only did I have to deal with a vampire security guard coming in a few days, but now I had an empty safe and a mysterious boss with a lot of explaining to do.
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