The Wake Up Call

Chapter One

     The diner was buzzing with people, mostly teenagers, who were trickling in in packs. There must have been a football game because everyone was cheering and wearing red and white, the local high school's colors. Although I personally hated high school, I couldn't help myself from smiling, watching everyone enjoy their meals with their friends.

"Deidre!" The head cook and manager was scowling as he held a plate out towards me. "Get yer' head out of the clouds and get to work! Run out the remake order for table seven. Hustle!"

I took the plate with a shaking hand. I knew that Paul was probably just stressed out, but he was like a father to me, and when he raised his voice, it really tore me up inside. I hated to feel like I'd let him down in some way. "Got it, boss! Sorry." I turned around to grab silverware and began heading towards the table with an older woman and man.

Teens were running up and down the walkways, meeting up with friends at other tables and I seriously had to watch my step. I loved their energy, so I bit my tongue and let them have their fun. A few tables away, I heard a voice yell, "Mikey, watch out!"

I barely had time to take in what had just happened when I was suddenly on the ground, my head hitting a table on the way down.

My eyes popped open, ready to face a world of embarrassment but instead I couldn't see anything save from the tiny specks of lights coming from every angle. I wasn't sure where I was, but I sure as hell wasn't at Dina's Diner anymore.

I opened my mouth to call for help but was interrupted but an abrasive male voice coming through a speaker near my ear. "Sorry! Due to technical difficulties, the simulation has been interrupted. Normal services will resume shortly."

My brain ran circles. Simulation? What simulation? How hard did I hit my head? "Hello? Did you say simulation?"

There was no reply.

I tried to sit up but found myself stuck, strapped to a table of some kind.

Is this some kind of joke?

I found it hard to breathe as I struggled against the straps for another few seconds, hoping to loosen them at least. I realized quickly that I was just wasting my energy so I reluctantly tried to relax my body.

Okay, Deidre. Relax. This is just a concussion dream.

I tried to calm myself down, a large part of me didn't believe this was a dream—it felt too real.

As my eyes adjusted, I was able to make out more details of my surroundings—the main one being that I was trapped in a dome with a square glass panel above my head. Blue lights twinkled both inside and outside the pod, though I couldn't make out much else. It was dark outside, and I couldn't hear anything aside from my heavily beating heart.

"Hello?" My voice echoed around me, hoarse and weak. "What the hell is going on? Where am I?" My eyes darted around hoping to see some form of life outside the window, but I was left alone. "Seriously, this isn't funny." I seemed to be talking to myself, left again without a reply. I was alone, in a weird alien-like capsule,, and I couldn't move. The voice that spoke when I had first woken up had yet to say anything more. He'd mentioned a simulation though, and that was just crazy talk.

Unless it wasn't.

"Hey! I'm here and—" I tried calling for help once more but was cut off again by the same voice from earlier.

"The Simulation will begin in three...two...one..."

"Diedre!" I opened my eyes and immediately felt the pounding in the back of my skull. "Diedre, thank God you're awake!" One of the other waitresses, Kathy, hovered over me along with nearly everyone else in the restaurant. Paul was knelt by my side.