"W + R"
Beneath the layers of dirt and mould on the desk, the faint traces of letters still lingered, now discoloured by years of cheese-dusted fingers rubbing against the varnished edge.
Has it truly been that long?
Rachel's belly swirled with a mixture of longing and bitterness as she ran a half-bitten fingernail along the length of the desk. An array of divots and scratches marked the path to the power button, her finger catching on each one. Then, there was silence, followed by echoing static as the screens blinked to life, rapidly blinking and buzzing before settling into the camera channels.
Between the interplay of light and shadows, her aged face reflected back at her: sunken temples, sallow eyes, and pitted skin.
It had been far too long... yet not long enough for her to forget.
Though gnarled and trembling, her fingers moved on memory alone, dancing to a tune she hadn't dared think of in decades. They waltzed up and down the keyboard, whisking away the cobwebs and dust with a flick and flourish of her pinky.
The gleam of gold caught her eye as the screen glare reflected in her ring, the sight of the two golden hands clasped together sending a bolt of shame straight to her knees. Her eyes and her memories overlapped as she blinked to refocus herself. The young woman she'd once been and the woman she now was blurred together, like shadows dancing drunkenly, just a step out of time.
"You don't need to do this. It's all automated now. I've double-checked everything myself. The computer—"
"You and I know better than to trust a machine. We should have learned that lesson the first time... No. I need to do this, for myself, for my daughter."
"Rachel, you shouldn't have to pay for my mistake—"
"Our mistake, Henry. Our mistake."
May 17th 1979
"Who's ready for Freddy?" Rachel beamed, her voice reaching an octave higher than her natural tone.
The children erupted in excitement, forming a lively huddle around the table. Their faces were smudged with frosting, and their sticky hands eagerly reached for Daniel, who was currently navigating through the enthusiastic crowd. Deals were struck, straws were drawn, and fortunately, she ended up with the long straw.
It had been a demanding shift, with two morning parties featuring a girl who couldn't stop kicking the back of her chair and a set of twins who refused to share anything, even their cake. Then a last-minute booking for nineteen children and seven adults, coupled with two staff members calling in sick—though she was fairly certain she'd seen them leaving the diner when she grabbed her morning coffee before work.
It wasn't until Sarah arrived to relieve her that Rachel allowed her clenched teeth to relax and her posture to sag.
"Lord, give me strength," she muttered under her breath. Rachel skillfully navigated her way through the row of arcade machines, dodging the parents who recognised her uniform and snapped their fingers to get her attention.
This job had originally been intended as a stepping stone to something better—a straightforward gig that paid well and would look impressive on her resume when she eventually applied for a hotel management position in a town a few hours away. Regrettably, it had turned out to be more taxing than a summer on her aunt's farm, and it certainly didn't smell any better. She had traded pigsties for clogged toilets and an unpleasant polyester shirt that shrank in any wash above 10°C. Often, she longed for her waders when she stepped into the men's restrooms.
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FanficThis is a collection of stories I had sat in my drafts (with up to 5 chapters already written), and if the chapter reaches over 20 votes then I'll begin publishing their stories. As always, all rights go to their respective creators. I only own the...
