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Rise and Shine (CD2021)

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posted on Jul, 11 2021 @ 04:47 PM
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I walked into the Rise and Shine. Just like any other day. I was bored with the place and my life and everything else, but they made good coffee. You could actually get a real donut there, along with all the fancy pastries. I would kill for a Crispy Crème, but they were a thing of the past. There was a gaggle of giggling students and I watched them casually, wondering how differently they saw the world than me. I had gone to school here at FSU ages ago, and I still felt at home here as much as anywhere.

I read the Democrat shaking my head to myself at how things had changed, how soft everything seemed, how needy and gentle. There was a time where people around here had to scrap for a living, and fight for their rights, and having guts and grit was what saved the day. I can’t blame these kids. They don’t know what it was like to be hungry or afraid. We wanted them to have better than us, but we forgot to give them strong values. In making it easier, we made them weaker. We did our best. So it goes.

I had two restraining orders, a garnishment, two summons and a subpoena to serve today, but I was in no hurry. I didn’t know where three of them were, and that extra research was why I was at the Rise and Shine – to drink coffee and do some work on the ‘net. This is what a degree in Journalism and Communications leads to – process serving. Well, the pay is decent, and the hours are easy most of the time.

A splash of laughter broke out among the three tables to my right, and I looked back to try to catch the drift of it, but couldn’t. One of the girls had a high dolphin-like titter which I found annoying, but she had a cute face, so I gave her a pass. She probably had a cute little can too, not that I’d ever find that out. I caught her eye and smiled, giving her a nod. She rolled her eyes, obviously creeped out at the old dude giving her the eye. No harm in trying, I always say. I had let myself go, so why should she care? I look like Danny Devito and me were separated at birth, except I was much, much taller and he had more hair.

I was trying to find one Edward J. Rathlinger, former employee of the Decadron Corporation in Two Egg, Florida, and was writing down his known kin and associates. I hated having to subscribe to these creepy online services, but they paid the bills. I heard another burst of laughter and a scream. I didn’t look up until two other girls screamed. The kids had rushed to the big plate glass and were looking out. I stood and looked over their heads out the street.

A young man with a scruffy beard and wild curled hair was running from right to left, looking backward, and suddenly his body jerked and bucked and blood sprang from his wounds as he fell, fibrillating on the ground. Eight men in padded orange clothing and orange helmets walked into view and four of them faced us, with their rifles shouldered. The kids in the café screamed and ran toward the back door, along with most of the café employees. I just sat. I’m too old run. Four men burst into the front door and spread out. I heard screaming and a short burst of gunfire from the rear of the café, as the kids were herded back inside. “Sit down and be still”, a mechanical voice said. Fine with me, I’m already sitting. Plus, I don’t want to be shot.

The same modulated mechanical voice said, “A bus will be here in two minutes. You will all go aboard in an orderly manner. Any dissenters will be shot.” Well, that was certainly clear communication. The bus arrived, windows blacked out and the bus painted a dark gray, with a strange rune painted in red on the side. The symbol seemed familiar to me, but I couldn’t place it. The door opened adjacent to the front door of the Rise and Shine, and we all got aboard. I was not allowed to bring my laptop, but they did not take our phones. The same monotone mechanical voice said, “Sit. Do not cause trouble and you will not be harmed.” I saw a young woman take off her slender belt. I wondered what she was doing. The driver came aboard and started the bus. When he closed the door, she slipped the belt around his neck and pulled back, her slender legs pushing against the divider. He fought her, struggling, and I ran (yes! Ran!) to the front of the bus and helped her choke him. It took a very long time, not like the movies. When he collapsed, we used her belt and mine to bind his arms behind him. He was not armed, but we took his radio.
The girl took control and called us to follow her, and we ducked low and crawled back into the café. I killed the lights as I duckwalked in, and we all gathered in back in the kitchen, some of us taking up knives and cleavers and heavy pans.

“Turn on the TV!” one young man whispered, and I did so. I looked around the channels, and stopped at CNN. John Berman was talking and I turned up the volume. “……….. Florida, an alleged antivax militant group has taken the city, holding the city council, Mayor and Courthouse hostage. It is unknown what they want, but sources indicate they have killed a dozen citizens who refused to submit to their demands. More from Anderson Cooper who has come out of retirement and is currently at ground zero. Anderson?”

“…….. bzzzzzztzzzzzzzt” “CRACK! Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhbzzzzzzzzt!”
“Okay. We apparently have a problem with Anderson’s feed. Thoughts and prayers for those heroes at ground zero. Godspeed, Anderson.”

“The courthouse is just down the street!” one of the young
women said, “I don’t see ANYthing going on there! We saw them
shoot at least six people! They weren't militants! They were running!"
“What’re you gonna do, Millie, take a camera down there
and get you ass shot off?”
“Shut up Ginny!” she said, “We can’t just sit here! This
is really happening, and people out there don’t know
what is really going on!

“Where is Anderson Cooper?” I asked, “anybody know?”
“Well, it was dark where he was being filmed, so he could
be anywhere,” a woman with dreadlocks said.
“We can’t stay here, and we can’t go out or we’ll get shot,” I said.
“we need to find the media. They will be safe, and thus we will be safe with them.”

Nobody stepped up. It didn’t surprise me. These kids had never had their balls to the wall. They had never even been scared before. I guess I’ve had a good life. I’m going out. I hope Anderson Cooper is really here, and not in some dark closet in New York.
“Anyone here that works here?” I shouted out.
“Yeah man, I do” a voice said.
“can you make me a triple espresso for the road?”

I always liked this café, ever since I first started coming here. They make pretty damn good coffee.



posted on Jul, 11 2021 @ 06:36 PM
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a reply to: argentus

Nice! As I was reading it, it was such good imagery that I popped some popcorn(no joke)

That was enjoyable.

edit on 11-7-2021 by CrazyBlueCat because: ..



posted on Jul, 11 2021 @ 09:24 PM
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Your twist at the end made me smile....

I enjoyed your story, (now get back to work).
Johnny



posted on Jul, 12 2021 @ 06:19 AM
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Yep that was a good well written story. Thanks



posted on Jul, 12 2021 @ 06:52 AM
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Well written.

Only thing which would make that story better is a close-up live TV shot of a perfectly centered bullet hole suddenly appearing in one of the lenses of Cooper's prized fake glasses, and his lifeless corpse standing there for a moment with that stupid look on his face before collapsing to the pavement!! And then a flock of vultures and a pack of hyenas immediately swooping in and ripping his corpse to pieces!

...and THEN someone dumping gasoline all over his lifeless, bullet riddled, chewed up and torn apart carcass and...lighting it on FIRE!!!!

...and THEN...

LOL!!! **snort**



posted on Jul, 12 2021 @ 07:26 AM
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a reply to: argentus

A triple espresso for the road. Nice!

Cheers



posted on Jul, 12 2021 @ 02:58 PM
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a reply to: argentus

Well written, i enjoyed that read.



posted on Jul, 12 2021 @ 03:45 PM
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a reply to: argentus

I see fogs ...
Fogs of war.



edit on 12-7-2021 by pthena because: (no reason given)



posted on Jul, 13 2021 @ 09:46 PM
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a reply to: argentus

Shame! Shame on you!!

Anderson Cooper has been in the closet too long!!

*snort, chortle, giggle*

Weird what we focus on, huh?

Like the plot twist ending thing (not sure, but stop messing with my expectations!)




posted on Jul, 28 2021 @ 10:12 PM
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a reply to: argentus

Well done Argentus, well done.



posted on Sep, 18 2021 @ 09:06 PM
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Wonderful short story Argentus. I have to wonder how much you have revealed about yourself in this piece? Well told and interesting twists of phrase. It's almost as if this was career you were writing about Cheers Bud, ATA



posted on Oct, 5 2021 @ 05:14 PM
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a reply to: Asktheanimals

Just saw this. thanks! All fiction. 40 or so years ago, I considered being a process server. Fortunately, I came to my senses.


ETA: and I went to school at USU, Chemistry major.


edit on 5/10/21 by argentus because: (no reason given)



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