The Terror #wattys2017 #TNTHorrorContest

Al's

Al's Coffee Shop was open twenty-four hours a day, it only closed on Christmas and half a day on Thanksgiving. It sat on the corner of a strip mall with the east and west sides all windows and facing the parking lot.  The lot faced Foothill Blvd which ran perpendicular with the east being up the hill and west, of course, down.  

        Al's was about two thirds down the hill and after ten o'clock was the only place operating beside Jack In the Box and the late show at the Hilltop Theatre on Saturday nights.  So the clientele at Al's was mostly regulars who had been going there for years and because of that, everybody knew everybody else.

        Around the outside edges next to the windows was all booths with there obligatory orangey Naugahyde, button tufted upholstery, and faux wood Formica table tops. Floors of linoleum that were once yellow had faded to an off white and red carpet runners were rolled out between the booths to hide the wear from years of drunken footprints that left their marks for God knows how many decades.

        The kitchen was on the back wall and was festooned in diamond patterned stainless steel like any good diner,  and there was a counter that spanned the area in front of the pick up window with the same worn faux wood counter tops and orange colored stools to match the rest of the decor.  Several ceiling fans hanging from a high ceiling constantly spun with one that had a little squeak that just added the needed touch to make the place feel homey.

        Yup, this was Al's and I had spent many a misspent youthful night in that place, but on this night I had the, more than a little cute, Michelle sitting with me as this was where we landed after having left Heather for a hopefully peaceful night at the hospital. We were sitting in my normal location, second booth from the door with me facing the door.  I had a need to see who was coming in at all times, call it wariness if you will or paranoia, if you won't.  

        There was Wadi sitting in his normal back corner booth having his dinner and reading the paper.  I don't know exactly where that name came from but he was a long time machinist and every finger on his hands had at one point or another been snatched off by some machine he was operating. He had a bronze 67 Mercury Cougar that he always backed into the parking space at or near the entrance to the strip mall.  He had prepared it for going off road because he used to take long camping trips into the desert so the car had been jacked up and off road type tires installed on five spoke mag wheels.  He also was known for having a Leopard at home as a pet that he told me I could come see one day, but that day never came because his kitty had broken a neighbor kids arm in play and he was forced to get rid of the big cat; he never really recovered from that.  He also was the father of a guy I had gone to Mexico with on a drug run in his 1950 Ford Panel truck.

        His name was Bobbi and there were times when they would be in Al's sitting at separate tables as if they were total strangers.  He was a surfer dude with curly blond locks and a tan to match, loved his surfboards and his heroine. He was busted at the border when he went with Jay, another guy I knew because they spotted a roach in his ashtray.  They completely dismantled his truck, shot his dog ,Bogs, a very good boy, and threw him and his accomplice in a dirt floored jail and didn't tell anybody for several months.  Funny thing was, they never found the heroine that he had installed inside one of the surfboards in the truck or he would still be there. The only way his little buddy got out was his parents had to bribe an official for his release. That guy, well, he was never the same either.  It was thanks to Bobby that I got my first taste of the needle, but that's another story entirely.

        So I was explaining these things to Michelle (except my taste of the needle which came at a far later date) as she sat with rapt attention when Mary Ann, one of my favorite waitresses showed up with a couple cups of coffee and ice water.

        "How you doin' tonight sweetie?" She asked

        "OK," I said, "This is my friend Michelle."

        "Oh high Michelle, I think I've seen you before, do you have a sister?"

        "Yes, I have an older sister but she's not around here, she's living in Oregon these days"

        "Oregon huh, well I'll figure it out, I never forget a face, maybe you went to school with my daughter."

        "Maybe, how old is your daughter? I might know her."

        "She's almost 19, named Darleen, we all call her Darla for short."

        " I knew a girl called Darla in school, long straight brown hair, little bitty thing?" She questioned.

             "Sounds like her, see, I knew I saw you somewhere, you guys probably graduated from Verdugo together."

        "Yup, sure did. How's she doing these days?"

        "Can't say I know, she ran off with some biker about six months ago, haven't seen hide nor hair of her since, you'd think she'd at least give her mother a call.  You two want anything besides coffee?"

        "I'm kinda broke right now MaryAnn, could you help us out a little?"

        Mary Ann looked around the room to see who was watching and gave us a little-crooked smile, 

        "I'll bring ya some fries kids, will that work for ya?"

        "Sure will Ma'm, thank you so much, I owe ya one."

        "Well yes, yes you do Merr and don't you forget it."

        She shuffled off to do what she always did, she was a good lady as were all the waitresses here. They all kind of looked out for us kids and we, in turn, took care of them. If any of us had a little extra cash in our pockets they would get very nice tips from time to time.  We would also hang around so they wouldn't be alone in the place at night or would handle the occasional drunkard who started some shit. It all worked just swell.

        Some more of the regulars started rolling in and cruising by to say hey and give Michelle a hard time for hanging out with a bum like me.  I could have gone on all night with all these guys back stories but Michelle had a look like she wanted to talk about something a little more serious.

        "So buddy boy," She said, "What exactly was that you had going on with my best friend at the hospital tonight?"