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<+Clu> was cute sure but it doesnt even mention homosexuality

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Silver's House of Pancakes

Started by Dog Food, September 06, 2010, 07:19:28 PM

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Dog Food

Chapter Three - A Beach With No Name

[spoiler]I took a week's leave from waitressing. Instead, I spent all my time doing the dishes. In a way this was good because it gave a full-time extra hand which means that Silver didn't have to. In fact, he was spending more and more time in his office once I took over the cleaning duties. I began to feel like he was avoiding me.

It's hard to live down shame. My head bowed any time Mack the Manager walked by to review my work. And I felt paranoid, like people were whispering behind my back...

"When do you think she'll snap next?"

"What the intercourse  is wrong with her?"

"I thought she was normal..."

It was just my imagination, but it was enough to make me embarrassed. The one thing that made my job tolerable, my friends, was now becoming the most sickening part of my day. I began to long for those moments in the other room, serving food to the insufferable customers. It was on one of these days, as I scrubbed away at a particularly stubborn yellow stain, that someone else arrived in the kitchen.

He rode a skateboard right through. A blur of purple and black. The noise made me turn and look. It was Magnum, wearing his trademark purple bandanna and a goofy grin. He stopped inches from the freezer and flipped his skateboard up, then left it leaning against the wall. Then he strode over to me.

"How's the choker doing?" he asked jokingly, obviously referring to me.

"Oh god," I groaned, "you heard?"

"Skye told me," he replied.

"Damn it, Skye..." I muttered.

Skye was a young Hispanic kid who worked in the room next door. He packaged boxes with our brand items in them and then loaded them into the truck to be shipped to stores. He worked hard and was well-liked, but everyone has their demons. Skye's was his dislike for Mack the Manger. But no one could figure out why he hated him so much.

"But, hey, you're back!" I said happily. "That's so good because I had to take over your job while you were gone, you know."

Magnum had been out of work for about three days after an accident with his skateboard. He didn't break or tear anything, it was just a minor sprain that needed a few days of resting to heal. At least that's what he later told me.

"Yeah, apparently being a busboy drives people insane and causes them to choke their customers!"

I groaned. Would I ever live that down?

Things got back to normal pretty quickly. After a week of dishes, I went back to waitressing. I kept my temper in check and smiled, but I did notice there was less ass slapping than usual. No one's complaining about that, though. In fact, things seemed to get better. It was still a crappy job with a crappy pay, but I had less work with Magnum back at the force and the customers were easier to deal with. I still felt something inside of me... It wasn't rage. It felt more like... power. An unknown strength boiling beneath the surface, crawling under my skin. But I kept it locked away. I had made a promise that I would never lose myself like that again. And I intended to keep it.

The only difference that disturbed me was Silver's absence. Even with me out of the kitchen, he still did not dare to tread out of his office. At first I had thought he was angry or disappointed with me, but I knew Silver didn't hold grudges for over a couple of days, let alone a full week. I didn't say anything about his absence, still self-conscious about my previous rage, but someone else did.

Rob. He often raged and revolted, but at least he acted when something needed to be done. He was an active member of the Labor Union, so he knew his stuff. He worked as a part-time temp, doing anything that needed getting done for that day. But he wasn't always around like most of the other employees, since he had other jobs and college to attend. He was working to pay off his student loans, which were high.

Anyway, he noticed Silver's absence, too, and he demanded entrance into Silver's office.

"Silver, open up you giant vagina cleaning device!" he yelled, banging on the door.

No reply.

Others began gathering around to check out what was going on. Skye left his packaging position, Magnum flocked towards the commotion and even Mack the Manager retreated out of his office.

I, on the other hand, scurried away. I felt blamed, somehow, for Silver's lack of interaction. And so I didn't think I deserved to be a part of the crowd.

Instead, I left my post as waitress and walked out of the pancake shack and onto the sandy beach surface. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I needed to get away. Prolonging my stay only forced those memories to creep back up. I closed my eyes tightly, wishing them away. Life was so much better when I just hated my job.

My feet took me to my favorite place. It was low tide, and so I could walk across the water with it not reaching above my ankles. I followed the side of a cliff until I got pretty far out. The water reached my knees. Normally, had this been high tide, it would have been dangerous to swim out so far. Especially at this beach, NSFCD, where the waves get high and mighty and the riptide is strong.

NSFCD... I haven't mentioned the name of the beach before, have I? Ah, the beach. It has quite a history... A history worth sharing. NSFCD stands for the North-South Faraway Crab Den. Apparently it was once owned by a man named Judas Faraway. He was a rich traveler and skilled entrepreneur. A very well-liked man, back in the day. Until, that is, he made one wrong business move.

This beach wasn't owned by anyone. It was a free place for the community to use at their own leisure. No private property, no costs, not even a lifeguard, just a beach. Silver's House of Pancakes resided on the beach at that time, too. It was a better place then, I've heard. I didn't work there back in the day. But it was cleaner, the business was better, and it was always packed and filled with life. Judas found the beach (which was then unnamed) by visiting the pancake shack. It got around by word of mouth, like all the best things do.

Judas befriended the workers and everyone liked him. But secretly, as a businessman, he had a plan of his own. With Silver's guard down (and Mack not a manager at the time), Judas was able to acquire the rights of Silver's House of Pancakes. Apparently, that was all he had needed to finish his plot: to buy beach.

That's right. Without anyone knowing it, he had bought the beach from the state, then weaseled his way into the pancake shack to gain the last plot of property that he needed to own every single acre.

And thus, he named the beach. North-South, because it stretched as far as you can see in both directions, Faraway in a selfish tribute to his own last name, and Crab Den because he was going to turn the entire place into a crab-hunting and selling facility.

Confusion ensued. Silver was evicted. Everyone lost their jobs and for a time, no one was allowed on the beach while Judas Faraway called it his "private property". For several months, it was like this. Until one day, Judas just disappeared. No one knows what became of him. Not even today. But what they do know is that the state bought back the beach, but kept the name (shortening it to NSFCD). Silver had to buy the rights to his business and property once again. But this time, not as many people came. Less jobs were filled and less customers stopped by. Not as many people visited the beach anymore. Something had been tarnished. The good name of the unnamed beach had been ruined. It cost money to enter the beach now, the government owned it and set regulations, and worst of all, people forgot about it. In several months, they found other beaches and other activities. The name Faraway was a cause for disgust and riots. A beach with that name in it could not survive. And so, NSFCD was no longer the grand beach it had once been.

It prevailed, of course. People still visited. Tourists, new people who had no reason to hate Faraway, and old loyalists. Silver's House of Pancakes got some new and old employees, and a whole new cast of clients. It wasn't a booming business like the old days, but it was surviving. It still sold the best quality pancakes in the world (as far as anyone knows), but unfortunate circumstances forced the pancake shack to never quite recover completely. None of NSFCD ever recovered from Judas Faraway's involvement. A sad tale, indeed...

Of course, I hadn't been around for those days. I had moved to that town and to the beach a little over a year later. And I was there for over a year, working at Silver's House of Pancakes, slowly learning of the details of the past through snippets of conversations and stories etched into faces.

Before I forgot myself in history, I was talking about walking deeper into the ocean during low tide, adjacent to me was a cliff, marking the end of NSFCD territory. Farther out, in an area that can only be seen during low tide, is a small cave hidden in the side of the cliff, normally impossible to reach because of the dangerous and unforgiving ocean water. In times of crisis, or when I just need to be alone, I would find myself going there. And so on that day, I walked the long path to the cave and went inside.

The cave was small, dark and damp. There wasn't much there other than a few boulders to sit on and lots of seaweed. Sometimes I might find shells or a sea dollar. A few times there were shored fish and crabs. On this occasion, it was completely clean. I leaned against the boulder, tired from my walk, but mostly tired of thinking. I just wanted the bad memories to disappear. They were eating away at me. And so, while back at Silver's House of Pancakes the employees were banging on Silver's door with Mack the Manager trying to fend everyone off, I slowly drifted off to sleep...[/spoiler]
I get obsessively manic over things. It's a problem.

Silverhawk79

#16
This is getting good.
I like it.
Also I can imagine Rob doing exactly that in real life.

Macawmoses


SkyMyl

This is evolving from the slice of life I thought it was going to be, but it's also getting better. It's nice how you're incorporating some of our past into the story in such a way that it fits with the setting.

...but why Skye?

Macawmoses

ok just read all the chapters (I can read really fast). Fantastic. Love the history - even though you weren't here for it.

Silverhawk79

Quote from: Mace on September 15, 2010, 03:05:39 PM
ok just read all the chapters (I can read really fast). Fantastic. Love the history - even though you weren't here for it.
She's got it all correct, though. I like that.

Dog Food

Quote from: MasterYoungLink on September 15, 2010, 02:59:05 PM
...but why Skye?
Because I think Skye is a cool name.

Quote from: Mace on September 15, 2010, 03:05:39 PM
ok just read all the chapters (I can read really fast). Fantastic. Love the history - even though you weren't here for it.
Wow, you can read fast (not that my chapters were extremely long, though). Glad you read and liked it.

Quote from: Silverhawk79 on September 15, 2010, 03:58:16 PM
She's got it all correct, though. I like that.
I did my research. Good thing I have a brother who was here for it and a bulletin board chalk full of the action.
I get obsessively manic over things. It's a problem.

SkyMyl


Magnum

Quote from: storyHe rode a skateboard right through. A blur of purple and black. The noise made me turn and look. It was Magnum, wearing his trademark purple bandanna and a goofy grin. He stopped inches from the freezer and flipped his skateboard up, then left it leaning against the wall. Then he strode over to me.

Well it's official. I am so badass. And you actually gave me the same position I have in real life. Busboy. Kudos

Oh Vesperia, never change... never change

Dog Food

Quote from: MagnumSonic on September 15, 2010, 04:51:54 PM
Well it's official. I am so badass. And you actually gave me the same position I have in real life. Busboy. Kudos
Haha, I actually got that from a thread you made. You said you were a busboy and couldn't work for a while because of a bike accident. I gave you a similar part in this story. Except in the story you ride a skateboard and you were only out for a few days.

Also, next chapter will be up soon. Either tonight or tomorrow night.
I get obsessively manic over things. It's a problem.

Dog Food

Chapter Four - Born to Die

[spoiler]I was standing in a dark hallway. There was nothing special about this hallway. Or at least, there shouldn't have been. It was probably the most boring hallway in existence. Generic and dull. And yet, it was alluring and exotic. I felt at ease, and yet I was very cautious. I didn't want to be there, but I knew it was where I wanted to be. Everything about it was conflicting, but I felt peaceful. Still, the farther down that hallway I walked, and the more my opinions began to change.

I knew I wasn't supposed to be there. Not this far down the hallway. The third door was as far as my identity would allow. Only high-ranking officers, like the men in black, could reach the final door. But I didn't let that stop me from trying.

I had never been this far before. Nothing physically changed when I passed the third door, but everything changed. Suddenly there was no ease, there was no peacefulness and there was nothing alluring. The only thing that kept me pushing forward was that strong desire. That burning curiosity. The search for the truth.

But I felt like I was choking. It was like I was swimming against the currents. With each step closer to that door, I was sealing my fate. I was dying. I was going to drown before I even reached the knob. All that work... All my efforts... Were they in vain? Was this how it was going to end?

I couldn't breathe. I really was swimming. Even gravity was against me. I was floating in air, doggie-paddling my way through the hall. I tried to gasp for air, but I sputtered and coughed up water. Water? But there was no water in the hallway... That's when I saw it.

The final door. Right in front of me. And it was dripping. Water was leaking out of every crack. And I realized it then. I realized the truth. I tried to gasp and turn away, but I was trapped in the currents of the water. There was a final blast and the door unhinged. That dark blue sea rammed into me and sent me crashing into the floor below. Except there was no longer any floor. Only water... water as far as the eye can see. Water the color of blackness. Pure darkness all around.

When I opened my eyes, all I saw was darkness. I was suddenly scared and twisted around. I was floating in the water. It had risen to incredible heights in such a short time. How long had I been asleep? My body was pressed against the roof of the cave. I squirmed and involuntarily took a deep breath, only to swallow a mouthful of salty ocean. Frantically, I began swimming in a direction, any direction, hoping it would lead me to the kind sun and the delicious oxygen that I yearned for.

A different kind of blackness crept into the corner of my eyes. It was the blackness of death. But instead of panicking, this news calmed me. I was about to die. And I let my mind go. And as I began to die... A new me was born.

This new person understood exactly what to do. With a forceful kick, she torpedoed right out of the cave and began swimming towards the light. She broke through the glassy surface and drank large gasps of that air. But there was no time for rest, and she knew that. The ocean was an unforgiving place, especially at NSFCD. She began fighting the current, navigating around riptides. As I was dead in those moments, even I can't be completely aware of how this new girl managed it.

But she did. She reached the shore and she collapsed in exhaustion.

I, of course, know what happens next. In a few moments, I will open my eyes and wonder how I got onto that sandy shore and what happened. The last thing I will remember is falling asleep in the cave. I will deduce that I sleepwalked onto the shore, getting myself extremely wet in my clumsy plight, and rested on the shore. And I will assume that I was asleep on the shore for the entire time that low-tide became high-tide.

How then, did I acquire the truth? For how much time did I believe this lie before I finally allowed my mind to become clear? And what else in my story is merely just a false memory or a rough conclusion?

Those questions aren't meant to be answered yet. What comes next is merely a tired walk from the shore back to Silver's House of Pancakes. Even though I felt more exhausted then when I had first began my trek, at least I was no longer thinking about that embarrassing experience. For the moment, it had left my mind.

It was dark when I returned. I snuck through the back door, where the packaging room is, so I could dry my drenched clothes. I searched around for Skye, but he was no where to be found. It was strange, but I didn't give it another thought. At that moment, I was glad I could have some peace while I changed. So I found an area covered with boxes and away from the cameras and stripped down to the bare minimum, then laid my clothes out amongst the packages. I sat there for a while, tired and almost nodding off.

Just as my eyes were about to fully close, I heard the door. Quickly, I snapped awake and grabbed my things. They weren't completely dry, so they stuck to me as I struggled to put my clothes back on. Hiding behind the shelves of boxes, I tried to get a good look at who had entered, but I couldn't see them. I heard their conversation, though.

"It's him. I know it's him." I wasn't sure who was speaking. It didn't sound like a voice I had ever heard before. It sounded distorted, like something out of The Shining, so I strained to listen more carefully.

"And I've been following all of your leads." I was surprised to hear Skye's voice, especially sounding so secretive and conflicted. Although in retrospect, I should have assumed one of the voices would be his, since he spent most, if not all, of his time in the packaging room.

"You've been pathetic," replied the mysterious stranger.

"I agreed something is off, didn't I? It's not like I'm working against you."

"Like you could work against me."

"...True..."

"But you had the opportunity and you didn't cease upon it!"

"I-I know... I couldn't..."

"Your being moved by emotions! Stop being so passionate and act with cold calculation."

"Next time-"

"No, now."

"N-Now?"

"Yes. Go now. There is still a chance we have an opening. We can still make it!"

"N-No... No way can I go now! I'll do it. But I can't go now..."

"Then when? You'll never do it if I don't force you. Our entire lives could be at stake! You could save everyone, if you just grew some balls!"

"I... I..."

I was pulling my pants on, but I stepped on them and ended up falling over. I crashed into one of the shelves and sent a few boxes flying. The shelf trembled, but did not topple over.

Silence.

I jumped up, finally securing the final article of clothing on. I looked up to see Skye in front of me. I squeaked in surprise before composing myself enough to find the words to speak.

"...Uh, hey, Skye. I was just..." I searched through my brain, looking for any excuse.

"..." He didn't seem to have any response. He was looking at me with what looked like fear.

"I didn't hear anything," I ended lamely. He just nodded slowly. "S-So... I'll just... go..." I inched away, and when he didn't make a move to stop me, I turned around a burst into a run. On my way out, I didn't see anyone else. Who had Skye been talking to?

The commotion in the kitchen had died down. I found Rob and Magnum whispering together in one corner of the room. I walked over to them. Magnum noticed me first and tapped Rob on the shoulder, who abruptly stopped talking and turned to notice me to.

"Hey guys," I said. "What happened with Silver?"

"You weren't here?" Rob asked.

"Not trying to kill more customers, I hope."

"N-No... I was on my break."

"Took a swim?" Magnum asked, grinning. I wriggled in my damp clothes and shrugged.

"Silver still refuses to come out," Rob explained. "Mack ended the party. He's no fun."

"Skye seemed... upset," I added, thinking.

"Probably because of Mack," Rob said.

"Yeah, I bet he thinks Mack is covering up some big conspiracy or something," Magnum added with a chuckle. I nodded and laughed, but I knew there had to be more to it than that. Who had Skye been talking to?

"So basically nothing got done?" I asked.

"Basically."

"Yep, that's us in a nutshell."

I sighed. It was all coming down to this. I had to face Silver, one on one, and find out what exactly was going on. I glanced at his office door, butterflies dancing in my stomach. Did I really have to confront him? My past actions boiled up inside of me. All of my shame resurfaced.

Yes, yes I did.[/spoiler]
I get obsessively manic over things. It's a problem.

SkyMyl

Dream sequence confused me for a moment there, when I first read it. Who knew that there would be so much mystery in a retelling of NSF where it's portrayed as a pancake joint?

...yet, I can't help but find it a bit scary that the way I'm portrayed is pretty much spot on.

Macawmoses


Magnum

Quote from: Mace on September 20, 2010, 04:08:55 PM
what a meanie am I :'(
no fun /=/ meanie

Also, I'm slowly starting to think I'm going to do something REALLY stupid that's going to screw us over.

F

Oh Vesperia, never change... never change

Silverhawk79

I'm dying to hear why I refuse to come out.
D: