Eldritch May Cry

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

["Speech Through Technology"]

||

…

After an unspecified amount of relatively short time of scrolling YouTube, Antonio returned from the back room.

He had with him not only all my documentation but also a uniform. Placing all the stuff on the table, he sat down.

"Hopefully, that wasn't too long of a wait for you," Antonio said as he fixed his shirt.

"It wasn't that long of a wait," I responded with courtesy.

"Well, here's all your information back," Antonio passed me my stuff back as he spoke. "I got you the passcode to the app that should work, your uniform, which consists of a red shirt, name tag, and black pants. And I got you a hat just in case you wanted one.

One of my employees went crazy about not having one, so we give one to every new employee."

Although that last part was weird, I nodded anyway. Putting my information back into my pockets that didn't have the knives in them, I took the sticky note that had the username and password for the app and put it in my phone notes.

"So, do I start today?" I said as I began logging into the app.

"Yeah, you start at eleven, actually. You said you wanted the weekends, right?" The second I heard that come from Antonio's mouth, I checked the time.

I had around half an hour until my shift started.

"Can I go back home real quick?" I asked in a very questioning tone.

"What my employee does off the clock doesn't concern me." Antonio shrugged his shoulders as he stood up. "I'll have Lucas teach you how to use the register if you don't know how; just make sure to be here by eleven."

Nodding, I took my new uniform into my hands and stood up. Walking to the door, as soon as I opened it, I paused.

"Oh, yeah. Antonio." Without turning around, I called out to Antonio.

"Yeah?"

His confirmation was all I needed. A small smile slowly formed on my face before it dissipated into nothingness.

"Thanks for believing in me." With those final words, I began speed walking—kind of running—alright, I was full-blown sprinting towards my house!

I needed to change, put my clothes in the dryer, and make sure to bring my phone charger.

…

'It seems I made it back just in time.' I thought as I clocked in using the app Antonio suggested to me.

I was wearing the uniform given to me. I looked like a civilian, especially with the red hat on top of my head.

I began walking through the door of the restaurant and immediately noticed someone behind the counter.

It was a dude with short blond hair and blue eyes who seemed shorter than me by a bit and was in the same uniform I was in without the hat. He was average in the face department, but his blond hair and blue eyes made an aesthetic that could be found pleasing, bringing his look score up.

Instantly, the guy looked at me, his head held in his palm as he slouched against the counter.

"So, you're the guy Antonio was telling me about?" He said as I walked over to the counter.

"Yeah, I am." I held my hand out, which he shook respectfully. "Is it just you, or—?"

"Nah, it's not just me." He said as he stood upright. I noticed that I was definitely taller than him at that point. "There are two more people that should be joining us but are in the back room right now."

"Anyways, I'm Lucas."

"Name's Dante," I responded in kind.

Getting a nod from Lucas, he pointed to the register. "Do you know how to work this, or do you need me to teach you?"

"I've got superficial knowledge of it, but I've never tried working a register." Lucas nodded after I finished speaking.

"As long as you can do basic addition and subtraction, you should be fine," Lucas said as he began showing me how to work the register.

For the few minutes I was being given explanations, he talked about the menu and even what to say if the customer had a problem.

It was what he called "basic shit." He was definitely right in that regard.

As Lucas was explaining, I heard a door open not too far away. It was the backroom I saw Antonio enter, which was obviously the break room.

Two women exited the room, wearing the same uniform I was but again without the hat on.

"Oh, Lucas, is this the new guy?" The first of the two girls asked. She also had blonde hair tied into a long ponytail and blue eyes. She was shorter than Lucas but taller than the second girl.

She was beautiful but not a head-turner if you saw her walking past you down the street.

"Yeah, this is the new guy; his name is Dante." Lucas grew a smile as he pointed a thumb in my direction.

"I swear, I don't get what Antonio is thinking. We barely get any customers. I don't even know how this business stays afloat. The people that do come in are creepy, too." The blonde-haired girl said as she grew a disgusted expression.

"Yeah, I get what you mean," Lucas said as his expression darkened before quickly returning to a joyful expression. "Well, I don't have to deal with them anymore because Dante will be taking care of all that."

The blonde-haired girl rolled her eyes before wrapping her arm around the shoulder of the black-haired girl next to her.

"Well, I'm Amelia, and this shy girl here is Ashley," Amelia said as Ashley looked as if she wanted to break free from the arm wrapped around her.

The information I've gotten from this conversation was beyond suspicious. It wasn't a "something's off" kind of suspicious, but a feeling I felt in the back of my mind.

Usually, it's the kind of feeling you get in watching a horror movie where the main character goes into the pitch-black, dark, decrepit basement, even though you know the "bad guy" is in there.

I could only think internally: 'Aww, you've got me FUCKED UP!'

Though externally, I greeted Amelia and Ashley calmly with a nod.

Ashley held this aura of depression around her. She had long black hair and black eyes; her looks were no worse—maybe even a bit better than Amelia if she tried to lessen the depressive aura.

She gave off the "I can fix her" vibe. The goth girl that doesn't care about life type of vibe. She even had dark circles under her eyes that could be makeup!

"So, uh, what do we do now?" I asked as I looked at my newly introduced three comrades.

"We," Lucas pointed to himself, Amelia, and Ashley. "Don't do anything until a customer orders something. You, though, have to stand at the register and look professional."

Lucas stretched with a smile on his face as he then took out his phone and made his way to the kitchen.

"Oh, yeah. Ashley, can you take out the trash?" Lucas said as he walked away.

Amelia began walking back to the break room the second Lucas walked into the kitchen. Ashley, however, had a grim expression and nodded. She quickly began going to the back of the restaurant.

That left just me here. Turning to face the front of the restaurant while behind the register, it finally sunk in that this was going to be boring as fuck.

Taking out my phone, I let an imperceptible grin overtake my face.

'I mean, it could be worse. I could be stuck alone without a stalker that can take good pictures.' I thought as I scoffed internally.