American Fantasy

Day Off Work

"Fear is stupid. So are regrets." – Marilyn Monroe

Addie walked out of her apartment complex with her apron stuffed into her backpack along-side her textbook. She wanted to read ahead for tomorrows class, and they were moving onto the War of the Roses, which Addie thought was the most beautiful name for a war.

"Addie, what are you doing here?" Mr. Parker asked, setting down a plate for a customer. "Didn't you get my letter?" Mr. Parker, owner and manager of Parker's Playhouse, was a large man with a contagious laugh.

Addie shook her head, "I haven't checked my mailbox, today. Do you need me to take an extra shift?" Extra shift = extra money, extra money = more money to have for travels. She liked to day dream about the places she'd visit. Growing up, Leon would read her stories from Brother's Grimm fairy tales. Up until the war, she wanted nothing more than to visit Germany, specifically Bavaria, the Black Forest interested her. She would draw them in her art classes; underneath her bed were hundreds of sketches of forests.

"I don't need ya today. But will you come in an hour earlier on Saturday? I just got a reservation for a party of fifty. Go, relax, take the night off," the large man chuckled and his stomach giggled as he walked.

"Thank you, Mr. Parker. I'll be there bright and early on Saturday," Addie happily skipped out of the restaurant. With her freedom for the night she decided to head into the square. Her work outfit without the apron is sensible, a simple yellow mod dress and a grey overcoat. Her had tied her hair into a low ponytail that bounced with each step by her left ear.

She headed straight for her favorite store on the square, Hidden Treasures, a book and pawn shop with a coffee bar. Of course, she could not afford any of the books, but the nice couple who own the shop let her use their store as a library.

"Mrs. Garland?" Addie peered behind the front counter. "Mr. Garland? Hello?" Addie walked to the back, where the coffee bar was, "Ruth?" She called out the barista's name. No one seemed to be near. The bell on the front door rang, and Addie parted books to look toward the door. There was no one there, her heart rate picked up. Earlier in the semester, the girls on her hall convinced Addie to watch The Innocents, a horror movie about ghosts. Addie's wild imagination put a ghostly hand on her shoulder, so she quickly turned around. Of course, she found nothing there. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Addie?" Addie fell down when she heard her name come from her side. She looked up to see Mrs. Garland with a pile of books in her hands, looking down at her. "I thought you were working tonight."

"I got the night off, I am so sorry. Are you closed?" Addie stood back up, smoothing down her dress.

"No, dearie. I just stepped out to grab this collection we got this morning. It's the full collection of The Chronicles of Narnia, original 1950 printing addition. These are right up your ally, dearie. Take as much time as you need, I can stay as late as you wish."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Garland," she took the eight books from the shorter lady and headed to the couch.

"Dearie, how is your family?" Mrs. Garland asked.

"Um...still dead, Mrs. Garland," Addie spoke as she sunk into the grass-colored couch.

"See, I thought you had told me that before," the elderly woman said as she turned on the coffee machine, "but then these men came in asking about you. So, I thought I was mistaken."

Addie knew it was Norton and his friends, probably. A girl from Addie's class said that any man would go the farthest lengths for a doll he liked. Addie had rolled her eyes, if a man wanted to go to the farthest lengths why didn't he just come to her first. Not go asking around about her. Men, no more than boys in larger suits.

Back at Parker's Playhouse, Mr. Parker had to kick out a group of three Italian men who were barating his waitress. "Leave, before I get the police involved."

"Where is Adelaide Solo? We are...family," one Italian man cooed at Mr. Parker.

"Addie doesn't have a family, who are you?" The Italian man took out a gun and shot off one bullet in the man's head. The other two men dragged the body to the dumpster and grunted as they tossed his body into the garbage.

"Avrebbe dovuto lavorare stasera (She was supposed to be working tonight)," the Italian with the gun kicked the ground.

"La faremo. Non lasceremo Victoria in giù (We'll get her. We won't let Victoria down)," the other man put a hand on his shoulder.

"Quel cazzo americano pagherà. Voglio farlo vedere la sua sorella morire, come ho visto la mia (That fucking American will pay. I want to make him watch his sister die, like I watched mine)."