I looked down at the paper, eyes scanning its contents. My dusty brown hair kept getting in my eyes. Irritably, I brushed it aside and muttered. “Help Wanted.”
Behind me, a man perked up. “You finally find that job you’ve been looking for?”
“I don’t know Joe.” I glanced back at him. He wore a simple T-shirt and pants, and was drinking a mug of hot chocolate. “It’s one of those toy shop chains. You know, the one down on B street.”
“Oh, that place. How’s the pay?” The man took a sip from the mug.
“Eight hundred coins an hour.” I paused, “Eight gold for a standard shift. Twice that for overtime hours.”
“Good pay.” He paused, “Depending on what role you play.”
“Just a janitor.” I shrugged, and looked back down at the application. “Seems like an easy job.”
Joe shrugged. “Easy jobs aren’t always the best to take.”
“I think I’m going to take it.” I filled out the application, skipping over the fine print. “I’m more than willing to do this. Plus, it looks like there’s a place on-site for me to stay.”
“For only being fifteen, you sure know your stuff.” Joe leaned back in his chair, “When I was your age, I just did what I was told ta do. Most of the time.”
I grinned, “Times have changed, especially since the legal age to be an adult went down from eighteen to fourteen.”
Joe took another sip of his hot chocolate. “True that. I suppose you’ll be leaving now?”
“Well, I can’t exactly turn the paper in here at the café.” I stood up and stretched. “See you around.”
Joe nodded, “Talk ta ya later, boy.”
“Yeah.” I replied.
With that, I left the café and walked down the street. The city was very much alive, with people milling about and vehicles passing by. I turned the corner, and walked another four blocks before coming to a stop in front of the building I would hopefully be working at.
It was a large building, with two floors. The front of the store was glass, so you could view the contents inside. A pair of sliding doors -one marked entrance and the other marked exit- stood in front of me. A light-up sign sat above these doors. It read; Patzi’s Toy Shop.
I looked down at my application sheet, and a chill ran through me. I shrugged it off and walked to the entrance of the shop.
The doors slid open, and I was greeted by a blast of cool air. The inside of the building was huge, with at least two dozen aisles full of different toys. Half a dozen cashiers sat behind a counter, busily helping the customers.
As I walked towards the line, my eyes went to the left and the right. A pedestal sat on each side of me. On the pedestal to the left, there was a large mannequin with a smiley face painted on it. On the right, a yellow-and-white cat animatronic that moved its paw up and down. The mannequin was labeled ‘Potzi’ and the cat was labeled ‘Totzi.’
YOU ARE READING
Overtime
ParanormalI suppose we should begin now. This is the story of James Fade, a fifteen-year-old who only recently set out on his own. The story takes place on Metropolis II, a planet far from the one you currently inhabit. James is looking for work, with good p...
