This one is more serious than "Star Student" and "Bundle of Joy", but I think this one has potential.
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Ghost
by Michael Gettings
K-Mart used to be a superstore among superstores around these parts. If you needed something, K-mart was the place to get it. It was huge, and they had a little bit of everything. They had guns, clothes, groceries, and even toys for the little ones. Going to K-mart was a fun experience for the whole family.
Until K-mart shut down. Apparently, K-mart was such a fun place with such low prices that they drove themselves out of business. Without the Big K, the shopping center was like a person without an arm. The "Dollar General" shut down, and even thought most of their prices were over a dollar, the store was missed. The Italian restaurant, Candelas, stopped getting customers, as well as the Pet Store. Things looked bleak.
K-marts windows were boarded up, and the retail space was for rent. Cheap, too. Cept' no one wanted to seem to rent it. It stayed closed for a while. About two years, until a seasonal store rented the space. The new store was only operation from September to November 2, and they sold Halloween supplies.
"Ghost Halloween Superstore"... If you needed something for Halloween, you could get it there. It was an impressive store, and it had everything from baby and dog costumes, to the raunchy adult costumes including fake breasts, with the paint peeling off from all the adolescents looking for something to grab. It was a fun place to shop in, even better to work there. All the customers seemed to have a sense of humor, as did all of the cashiers.
But, "Ghost" could in no way fill all of K-marts space, so "Ghost" put up a makeshift wall to separate the Halloween floor from the rest of K-mart. The lights were never on back in the mess that was once retail giant. Old shelves stood like giants in the darkness, and the occasional forgotten product lurked on the shoulders of those hulking masses. A price gun here or there, empty boxes... Maybe a fishbowl.
K-marts old pharmacy was the main reason that "Ghost"
operated on the right side of the building. The pharmacy stretched almost from where "Ghost" stopped to where the music and video section of the old K began. The pharmacy was almost an office for the people that worked at "Ghost"; they kept most of their supplies and an auxiliary phone in there. That was the only place that was lit on the old K side, and it stood out like a beacon in the darkness.
The makeshift wall ran the length of "Ghost" with a black curtain hanging at the beginning. That was the only way into and out of the old K. There was a curtain on the other end of the store, but you couldn't get into the old K... Boxes from the "Ghost" merchandise blocked the way.
A young man of sixteen worked at "Ghost". He was happy to work there. Hell, he was happy to even have work. That was his disposition, and he always tried to be sunny side up with the customers. It was his first seven-hour shift ever when he decided that while on break, he would go exploring the old K.
He had been behind the black curtain in the front a few times, to get supplies or his costume for "sign-waving", but he had never really gone far enough back for the darkness to envelope him. He stood about five feet nine inches tall. He could take care of himself if push came to shove. And sometimes it did.
Michael had been working for five hours when his manager came out. She looked older than she was most likely due to the pack a day habit she had. She always smelled like smoke, and her face looked like leather... Worry lines and creases covered the leather, and there were long forgotten smile creases lost in the age. She walked up to counter 2... His station.
"Michael, I need you to go on break now," she said.
"Do I have to?" He frowned.
"State law, bud."
He hit the clock out button on the computer, and typed in his number. He receipt slowly printed... Where was he going to go? He couldn't drive anywhere, and if he stood around, then he would have to help customers... Which was no fun when he was off the clock. With a quick grab, he took his receipt out of the register, mumbling under his breath. He sat on register 3's counter... No one ever worked register 3. The barcode-reader was broken... But, register 3 was closest to the wall, so that is where the employees kept all of their personal; supplies... Drinks, food, cell phones... If they brought it in, they had to leave it behind counter 3.
Michael turned and looked at the makeshift wall... It looked pretty flimsy, but it actually stood very firm. It would take a great force to knock it over. There was a section where two pieces of the wall joined, and there was a crack that could never really be closed between the pieces. Standing up, he walked over to the crack and peeked through to the side of the big K that he had never really cared for entering before.
The lights were turned on... They went back three of four rows before cutting off completely, enveloping the old graveyard of a store in darkness. The black curtain fluttered, like a strong breeze had pushed it into "Ghost". Nothing really odd about it, except there was nothing that could cause a breeze on the other side. Unless someone had used a door, but the doors on the other side were covered in boards and nailed shut.
To Be Continued....
__________________________
It gets better. Just, ya know, critique.
mal
_________________________________
Ghost
by Michael Gettings
K-Mart used to be a superstore among superstores around these parts. If you needed something, K-mart was the place to get it. It was huge, and they had a little bit of everything. They had guns, clothes, groceries, and even toys for the little ones. Going to K-mart was a fun experience for the whole family.
Until K-mart shut down. Apparently, K-mart was such a fun place with such low prices that they drove themselves out of business. Without the Big K, the shopping center was like a person without an arm. The "Dollar General" shut down, and even thought most of their prices were over a dollar, the store was missed. The Italian restaurant, Candelas, stopped getting customers, as well as the Pet Store. Things looked bleak.
K-marts windows were boarded up, and the retail space was for rent. Cheap, too. Cept' no one wanted to seem to rent it. It stayed closed for a while. About two years, until a seasonal store rented the space. The new store was only operation from September to November 2, and they sold Halloween supplies.
"Ghost Halloween Superstore"... If you needed something for Halloween, you could get it there. It was an impressive store, and it had everything from baby and dog costumes, to the raunchy adult costumes including fake breasts, with the paint peeling off from all the adolescents looking for something to grab. It was a fun place to shop in, even better to work there. All the customers seemed to have a sense of humor, as did all of the cashiers.
But, "Ghost" could in no way fill all of K-marts space, so "Ghost" put up a makeshift wall to separate the Halloween floor from the rest of K-mart. The lights were never on back in the mess that was once retail giant. Old shelves stood like giants in the darkness, and the occasional forgotten product lurked on the shoulders of those hulking masses. A price gun here or there, empty boxes... Maybe a fishbowl.
K-marts old pharmacy was the main reason that "Ghost"
operated on the right side of the building. The pharmacy stretched almost from where "Ghost" stopped to where the music and video section of the old K began. The pharmacy was almost an office for the people that worked at "Ghost"; they kept most of their supplies and an auxiliary phone in there. That was the only place that was lit on the old K side, and it stood out like a beacon in the darkness.
The makeshift wall ran the length of "Ghost" with a black curtain hanging at the beginning. That was the only way into and out of the old K. There was a curtain on the other end of the store, but you couldn't get into the old K... Boxes from the "Ghost" merchandise blocked the way.
A young man of sixteen worked at "Ghost". He was happy to work there. Hell, he was happy to even have work. That was his disposition, and he always tried to be sunny side up with the customers. It was his first seven-hour shift ever when he decided that while on break, he would go exploring the old K.
He had been behind the black curtain in the front a few times, to get supplies or his costume for "sign-waving", but he had never really gone far enough back for the darkness to envelope him. He stood about five feet nine inches tall. He could take care of himself if push came to shove. And sometimes it did.
Michael had been working for five hours when his manager came out. She looked older than she was most likely due to the pack a day habit she had. She always smelled like smoke, and her face looked like leather... Worry lines and creases covered the leather, and there were long forgotten smile creases lost in the age. She walked up to counter 2... His station.
"Michael, I need you to go on break now," she said.
"Do I have to?" He frowned.
"State law, bud."
He hit the clock out button on the computer, and typed in his number. He receipt slowly printed... Where was he going to go? He couldn't drive anywhere, and if he stood around, then he would have to help customers... Which was no fun when he was off the clock. With a quick grab, he took his receipt out of the register, mumbling under his breath. He sat on register 3's counter... No one ever worked register 3. The barcode-reader was broken... But, register 3 was closest to the wall, so that is where the employees kept all of their personal; supplies... Drinks, food, cell phones... If they brought it in, they had to leave it behind counter 3.
Michael turned and looked at the makeshift wall... It looked pretty flimsy, but it actually stood very firm. It would take a great force to knock it over. There was a section where two pieces of the wall joined, and there was a crack that could never really be closed between the pieces. Standing up, he walked over to the crack and peeked through to the side of the big K that he had never really cared for entering before.
The lights were turned on... They went back three of four rows before cutting off completely, enveloping the old graveyard of a store in darkness. The black curtain fluttered, like a strong breeze had pushed it into "Ghost". Nothing really odd about it, except there was nothing that could cause a breeze on the other side. Unless someone had used a door, but the doors on the other side were covered in boards and nailed shut.
To Be Continued....
__________________________
It gets better. Just, ya know, critique.
mal
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