End of Shift

Fifteen minutes until my shift was over. I was just buying time and praying no one else would come in and order something. It was that odd hour of the day where we were either really busy or super slow. You never knew what you got until you bit into it...HA! My take of Forest Gump.

I was cleaning the shake machine when I heard the door beep. Someone just came in. Quickly finishing wiping down the agitator, I wiped my hands as I walked up to the register. There were three customers in line! I hate when a bunch come in at once and you don't realize you've got a line until it's way too late.

The first guy in line was freaky looking; pale as a ghost with a black hoodie on. His eyes were rimmed in red as if he were high as a kite. Probably was. That certainly wasn't anything new at this hour in this neighborhood. His left hand tapped nervously on the counter...an obvious rhythm that stuck in your head like that song you absolutely hate.

"Yeah, um, I want a cheeseburger with everything, a chicken sandwich, 3 large fries and a giant Coke."

Wow...this guy was uber bones and skin. He certainly wasn't planning on eating this here by himself. Surely it was to go. I finished ringing up the food and was about to ask if there was anything else.

"I already paid you for that."

I looked at the cash register, then up into his eyes. "No, you didn't. I didn't even tell you how much it was."

"I paid you for that, now give me my change."

My heart flew up into my throat and I felt the sweat starting to form at my hair line. "Mister, you didn't pay for this. You JUST gave me your order. I haven't even hit the total button." I glanced quickly toward the phone that hung on the wall, a mere five feet away. Doubt I could reach it before he freaked out and pulled something stupid. Plus, I didn't get paid enough for this kind of crap. He was scrawny, but if he was hyped up on anything, he'd be strong and not worried about getting hurt. I started to call for the manager.

"Listen, Crater Face." His tapping got more frantic, but it still had that certain beat to it. It was starting to give me a headache. "I already paid for that food. You put the money in the til." His boney hand slammed down on the counter, all in perfect harmony with his drum solo. He swiveled his upper body sideways and his other hand immediately took up the tap tap tapping, without missing a beat. "Shut up and give me my food."

I was terribly happy he wasn't looking in my direction any more. I reached for the phone to call 911. My fingers touched the receiver slightly, before they were clenched in Freaky Bones hand and pulled angrily toward his face. He'd jumped the counter as if it weren't there.

"Don't touch." He looked straight into my eyes and I felt myself falling inward. Those eyes, rimmed in red, were all black. No iris. So small there were no whites. I tried to pull back, but he locked on tight and I suddenly felt like puking everything inside me. There was nothing else, just me and those eyes. His grip tightened and he pushed me to the floor, not letting go, not losing any contact. I yipped like a little flippin' chihuahua and tried to look down, but I was frozen...frozen in time. What was this guy's deal? Why didn't someone save me?

"You're a puny, pathetic piece of crap,you know that?" His voice boomed in my ears as I shrunk as far as I could from his craziness. "I paid for that food and you're trying to rip me off. I'm hungry and I want to eat."

I felt myself shaking uncontrollably, "Ok. Sure. You paid."

He stared at me a couple seconds longer, then he looked around. "Forget it you shit. Not a word." His voice was gravely. He threw my hand backward, which sent me sprawling across the floor. I quickly pulled myself together and looked up. He was crouching on the counter, glaring at me. "Punk." He jumped down and the door beeped again.

I quaked as I stood, wiping off my pants - to dust them off and to check for wetness. I looked disbelievingly at the next customer in line. She stood there looking at the menu. The guy behind her was talking on his cell phone. I'm guessing it was with his girlfriend, because he was cooing. Maybe it was his kid. Either way, it appeared that neither of them had paid any attention to what had just happened. Could this world really have come to this? Physically attacked in front of two other people...at work, with one co-worker at the drive thru, one in back washing dishes and the manager in the office counting one of the tils.

"Did you just see that??" I pointed to the door where the boney guy had just left. I felt violated.

"Oh, I didn't see you come up from the back. I think I'll have a side salad and a baked potato. Oh! And a glass of water."

"Seriously? You didn't just see what that guy did to me?"

"What guy? I've been standing here for a few minutes waiting for you to come up from the back." She turned to the guy behind her who had by now hung up on whatever being he was cooing to. "Did you see some other guy?"

"Nope. Just you. He came up from the back a second ago."

No way. What just happened here?

I stepped toward the register, unsure what I was going to do next.

"A side salad, baked potato and water, please."

My hands on either side of the register, I glanced down and the keys and then back up at her. What??

She stood there staring at me. Waiting for me to ring her up. My hand moved shakily toward the salad button when I noticed the order waiting to be totaled out. A cheeseburger with everything, a chicken sandwich, 3 large fries and a large Coke. The customer in line started tapping the counter in that off beat way that didn't make any sense.