>>5771047Turning, you catch a better view of the interior through a window in the door. No customers seem to be present, but someone is there wiping off a few of the stand up tables before heading behind the counter. A chime rings as the door swung open, signaling your entrance.
“Ah, welcome, welcome. Would you like anything?” He seems friendly enough now, but let's see him keep these mannerisms up when you can’t afford anything.
“I’m broke.”
“Well that's only a problem when you need to pay with money. Here, we accept all forms of payment, or even none at all if it's unnecessary.”
“Really now? What kind of business model is that? I don’t suppose it’s one that keeps customers through the door.”
The man chuckles off your remark, apparently immune to such words.
“This isn’t a business, it’s a lifestyle. Do you need anything, or are you just gonna take in the atmosphere?”
Enough small talk. Deciding against explaining everything outright, you ask for simple, innocuous info.
“Yeah, what time is it?”
“2:39 PM on this fine Thursday. Would that be all?”
Huh. An entire day has passed. Maybe you spontaneously disappearing will make some sort of wave.
“Just one more thing, hear any news recently about the schools?”
“News? Nah. I graduated years ago. Go ask someone more your age if you want gossip but otherwise, none of them have made headlines or anything like that lately.”
Nothing. Not a single word about whatever happened to you. Were you of any importance this would sound like a huge cover up. I mean to be stabbed in the back and for them to get away with it with zero mention? Who the hell did you piss off?
“You uh, good there? That doesn’t seem like what you wanted to hear.”
You try to play it off, but he continues before you say anything.
“Don’t tell me what you don’t want to say until you want to, but I’m willing to bet you’re in a similar boat to someone else I got working here. Came in, didn’t have much to their name, asked the same sort of questions as you did, but a bit more direct about it. They're out at the moment but when they get here maybe you can exchange notes or something? I dunno, just guessing.”
A timer beeps out back, and his face turns to mild worry, heading towards the sound to tend to whatever it may be.
“Shoot, that’s no good. Be right back.”
And he's gone. You haven't made the news, even after your supposed death so now figuring out what seemed to have happened might be the only way open to you. Waiting for someone who might have undergone the same things you did could provide some much needed insights, but being beholden to someone else's schedule doesn't sit right at the moment. Rather go and poke about yourself, but who to bother?
>Wait around for this guy. Might be productive.>Go visit your friend Ryan. He's sure to have noticed your absence.>Go to school. Reports of your death are greatly exaggerated. 