The Corner Store

Chapter 5

Coming to work at the buttcrack of dawn after working a twelve-hour shift the night before wasn’t my idea of a good time. But like a good little peon, I did what I was told. I didn’t like it but Taylor was probably going to be my boss soon and I couldn’t afford to lose this job.

It wasn’t long before Mr. Crumdgestick burst through the front doors, looking pale and sickly. I frown as he rushes to the counter. "Ann Marie!" He exclaims.

"Good morning to you too Mr. Crumdgestick. How can I help you?" I ask, giving a sympathetic smile. 

"Ann! They took him! They took him, Ann!" He shouts, gaining the attention of some of the other customers.

My frown deepens, "Took who? What are you talking about Mr. Crumdgestick?"

"That blonde-haired boy! What was his name? Jerry? Jared? Jeremiah!" He says. "They took him. I saw it with my own eyes."

I blink a few times before it clicks. He's off on one of his government tangents again and this is just adding fuel to the fire. 

"Ok. Mr. Crumdgestick. Let's take a breath and calm down. The government-"

“Listen to me goddammit, I know what I saw! That kid was taken by the government! I saw three huge men all dressed in black pull up in a van outside of the store. They all got out and grabbed your friend and dragged him into a van before off! I saw, I tell ya!" 

"Mr. Crumdgestick.."

"If ya don’t believe me then turn on the news. Turn on the news right now. Do it, Ann Marie!"

I hold up one hand in a placating gesture while I reach for the remote with the other, “Okay, okay. Just hold on.”

I grab the remote and turn on the television in the corner of the store. The old thing flickers to life and the faded picture shows the news. It looks like more of the usual shit. War, sickness, poverty, and the same stuff that either riles people up or makes them hide away in their houses.

“Look closer girl. You ain’t going to see the real news in the headlines. They hide it away in the corners and sweep it under the rug.”

I look down toward the bottom of the crowded screen, filled with stock reports and other flowing newlines. In the bottom corner of the screen was a picture with the caption “Missing”. It was Jeremiah.

“The government is out to get us! That boy made the mistake of slandering some important people and foolishly mocked them on social media. They found out and now he's gone. Black bagged and shoved into a dungeon never to be seen again.”

“I knew those men were bad news. I came by here yesterday evening to check on you, but when I saw those men parked outside of your work. I knew they meant business! I knew it. I stayed up here all night watching over you. And when that boy came in, those men moved closer to the store.” 

There was movement from the street outside the store. A black van with tinted windows pulled across the street and parked in front of the old laundromat. Mr. Crumridge turned to look at them and his shoulders slumped. When he turned back to me there was resignation in his eyes, “I’m sorry Annie. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to go now. Looks like this old coot crowed a bit too loud.”

He laid down his wallet, the old beaten leather stuffed with paper bills, “You just take this and try to do yourself a little better, you hear? Keep your head down and your nose clean.”

Speechless, I took the wallet and clutched it to my chest. The old man put his hat on and puffed out his chest before turning and walking out the front door. He hadn’t taken two steps outside before the doors of the van opened and four men got out. They came over and grabbed Mr. Crumridge by the arms and started pulling him towards the van. He didn’t struggle, but he didn’t help either. Instead, he sort of went limp, one last protest against a system he railed against every day.

They shoved him through the door and slammed them shut. The final man moved to go to the driver side and he turned and looked at me. He made a move forward, then stopped and put a hand to his ear as if listening to something. Then he nodded, backed away, and got in the van. That was the last time I ever saw that crazy old man.

Maybe he wasn’t that crazy after all.