The Good God

A Little Slice of Devyn - Part 1

And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out. It is better thee enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire;

Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be seasoned with salt.

– Mark 9:47-49

It started as a peculiar weightless sensation in the pit of your stomach, not unlike the feeling you might get on a roller coaster. The first hour or so was tolerable, but by the end of the night, Devyn Lang wanted to fucking die. The overwhelming scent of melted cheese was not helping.

"Oh Good God," she groaned, leaning on the counter, waiting for Harvey the line cook to finish packing up the extra large with mushrooms, sausage, and green peppers she had to deliver. "I'm gonna puke."

"Well don't do it on the pizza," said Harvey, shoving her back from the counter. "This is the last one of the night."

"I find your lack of sympathy highly unbecoming," she grumbled, pulling the rim of her black Tarmino's Pizza hat down from her shoulder-length, platinum dyed hair to cover her pale face.

"Don't lie. I know how you girls swoon over bad boys who don't even know you exist."

"Yes, I'm swooning, now finish the fucking pizza so we can go get fucking drunk. Theo's already waiting."

"Not too ill for debauchery, I see. I'm sure he'll find some lovely lady to keep him entertained."

"That's what I'm afraid of. He always disappears before we get there."

Just then there came a quick succession of incessant bell ringing from the front counter and the voice of Katie Tarmino, Devyn's best friend and heiress to the Tarmino's Pizza franchise bellowed, "HELL-OOO? Who's a guy gotta blow to get a friggin PIZZA around here!"

Harvey smirked and sauntered through the kitchen doors to greet Katie, leaving Devyn to scowl at the nearly finished pizza.

"Sorry ma'am we close at midnight," said Harvey from behind the front counter.

"Well you all should really lock the doors better," said Katie coyly. "Do you know how easy it was to break in?"

Devyn's stomach churned violently. She huffed, snatching up the pizza cutter and yanking the pizza towards her, deciding to just pack the stupid thing herself. She loved Katie but she had developed an irritating habit of showing up to visit her at work, only on the nights when Harvey was working.

She sliced the pizza into eight lopsided triangles and flopped it into its box, trying not to gag at the smell—she absolutely loathed pizza. The only reason she worked there in the first place was that Katie had gotten her the job in high school, and she'd just stuck with it the past three years after graduation, as it was conveniently located on her college campus.

"Oh yeah, I bet it's real easy for you," said Harvey. "Who keeps giving you keys, anyways?"

"Didn't anyone tell you?" Katie teased. "I've just been made Assistant Regional Manager of this establishment."

"Oh hell, I quit."

They both laughed.

Their flirting was making Devyn even more nauseous than the smell of pizza. In fact, it was suddenly unbearable. Her insides writhed in agony. She clenched her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut and leaning over, slapping her hands to the counter for support.