Visions (Hell Portals, Book One)

Chapter Four: Diners & Demons

JACK AND NATE ROLLED INTO THE DINER PARKING LOT AND BOTH BACKED INTO ONE PARKING SPOT RIGHT IN FRONT.

It was the Waffler Hosen Diner, and it looked like a throwback from the 70s. The front door opened and then closed to the chime of a string of bells tied to the door's aluminum handle.

Inside, the booths were cracked, mustard-colored vinyl, and the tables were orange Formica with ridged aluminum edging. There was a certain charm to the place.

A tall, refrigerated dessert case held a nice selection of pies, pie slices, and Saran Wrap-covered bowels of tapioca and chocolate pudding. Behind the breakfast bar there were 1960s and 1970s machines for making malts, hot chocolate, coffee, toast, and other various diner eats.

A sign at the entrance read "Please Seat Yourself", so the boys did. They found a corner booth near where the bikes were parked, and scooted in to the sound of squeaking vinyl.

"Why the heck would this place be named the Waffler Hosen Diner?" Jack asked. "I think 'hosen' means 'pants' in German. So we're in the Waffler Pants Diner?"

Nate laughed. "Shit, man, someone was on drugs when they dreamed up their little paradise of a diner."

"I guess so. Unless it means something else in Bavarian or what have you," Jack mused. "Maybe it means 'house' in some frickin' guttural language."

"Who knows. I'm going with 'The Waffler Pants Diner'. Can't really picture that very well though. But I'm sticking with it."

"Yeah me too," Jack said. "Waffler Pants it is. Easy to remember anyway." He shrugged.

A thirtyish, blond girl with a name tag that read "Hi, my name is Sally" approached the table. She was wearing a short, orange dress with white trim and a white apron built in. She looked nice and sincere. "Hi guys, here's a couple of menus for ya. I'm Sally. I'll be your waitress today." She smiled.

Nate looked her in the eyes and smiled. "Hi Sally, I'm Nate and this is Jack."

"Nate and Jack. Nice to meet you fellas," she said and put her hand on Jack's shoulder.

Immediately Jack felt like a million volts of electricity flowed from Sally's hand into his shoulder and throughout his body, which tightened up and froze solid.

Although he was looking at Sally, he was no longer seeing her. In Jack's mind he was sitting in a car, at night. It was parked curbside in front of a home. He was reaching to shut off the ignition, and realized it wasn't his arm he was seeing. Instead it looked like a woman's arm, and she was wearing an orange waitress uniform. Jack realized he was Sally. He was looking out through her eyes, experiencing her life from her perspective. Jack was freaking out inside, but the vision continued without the benefit of his control.

Sally opened the car door and got out. The evening was cool and comfortable. She was eager to see her little boy. Charlie was his name. She was eager to go into the house and whisk Charlie off his feet, and envelop him in a big, warm, mommy-hug. She missed her little boy. She had to work all day and missed him something awful.

The babysitter, she thought. She had to pay the babysitter. She thought of her wallet and how there were two twenties in it. She would give her babysitter twenty dollars, which would cover the day of babysitting and leave a good tip. That was perfect. She nodded her head as she walked up the concrete path to the front door of her home.

She fumbled around in her purse and found her keys. She slid one in the lock and it opened easily.

She walked in. The house was unusually dark. Why wouldn't Tabitha turn on the lights like usual? She wondered.