Haunt

Nurse Mary Takes Out the Trash (An Autumn Story) - Part 2 of 2

Weekend One - Saturday Night

September 17, 2022

POV: Seven Wonders Park

Cargo Shorts and Baseball Cap had reconvened on the ground, examining Cargo Short's injury, apparently quite a remarkable sight in their inebriated state. Their voices slurred back and forth. "Does it hurt? I can't feel anything. Look! Oh, dude, don't do that. You'll make it worse. Is your leg broken? Yeah, I think my ass is broken. That is gnarly! Let me get a picture of it. I'm posting it. You can sue their ass here for a million dollars in dama-gus. Look, this thing moves when I touch my knee! It's not supposed to move, is it?" They photographed the knee from several angles in the darkness, never thinking to use the flash on Baseball Cap's smartphone.

Autumn sat on a nearby bench where she watched them, entranced, as they continued to devolve in front of her eyes. How long were these idiots going to waylay her night? The music had ceased, and the night air was quiet and heavy with humidity. Her vision blurred a bit.

"Hey, Autumn, everything okay?"

She jolted out of her half-sleep to see yellowshirt Bryan approaching, duffle bag over his shoulder.

For a minute, she couldn't remember why she was sitting there. "I'm waiting on security. Got a couple of guests who...well, look."

Bryan had already assessed the situation and was shaking his head. "Goddamned drunks. If the beer sales weren't paying my salary, I'd be pretty pissed off. Crap, is that one bleeding?"

"He was trying to run and fell on his knee. I'm going to be here all night filling out reports. Again! Fun times."

"It's all part of the joy of Haunt!" Bryan exclaimed. "And this is only Week One. You're getting the full experience right off the bat, right? We're going to have an insane year."

Cargo Shorts made another attempt at rising. Bryan said, "Sir, I need you to stay seated until security arrives."

"Are we under arrest?" asked Baseball Cap. He waved his smartphone around in the air. "You have no juries-diction! We're going to sue for a million in dama-gus because you ruined his football career forever. I have a right to make my phone call."

"Who-you-gonna-call?" Cargo Shorts asked a la Ghostbusters. "Nutbusters!"

"I'm going to call your girlfriend and ask her to blow me," said Baseball Cap. Cargo Shorts began to chuckle so hard that, much as Autumn had feared, the young man retched and threw up a tidal wave of beer on the ground. The stench was incredible. Autumn had to cover her nose. Baseball Cap found it hilarious; he rocked with laughter as Cargo Shorts hiccupped, looking suddenly lost and childish.

"Let me guess. I have to clean that up, too?" muttered Autumn.

"First aid can get it; it's a biohazard." Bryan sank onto the bench beside Autumn, groaning in relief when he got off his feet. "Hope you wore good shoes tonight."

After a minute of weary silence, Autumn noticed another figure hurrying toward them. She peered into the darkness, hoping it was security finally, but this guy was coming from the wrong direction, and as he approached, she saw that he was in costume. When he passed under one of the few sufficient lights, she recognized Adam from Ghosts of London.

"Hey, it's a party," said Bryan when Adam was closer. "What's going on, man?"

"Heading up front. I was the last one out of the house."

"I heard you had to close up early last night."

Adam blew out a long breath. "We did. Had an incident that was off-book." He glanced at Autumn.