Wellsprings Gas

Chapter 1

May 3rd

My alarm went off at 7pm just like every night, it's one of those built in alarm tones that's ambiguous classical music and it's ingrained in my brain. I live with my friends Pete and Charlie in a small apartment above their oddity shop on Main Street, they're usually settling in for the night when I'm getting ready for work. I got out of my bottom bunk and crept across the creaky floor to the tiny attached bathroom that hasn't been changed since the 50's. My showers are usually long with blisteringly hot water and I share one of those weird charcoal toothpastes with Charlie. My routine isn't that intense, just bathing, brushing my teeth and hair, sometimes some light makeup, but honestly it doesn't matter how you look when you work nights at a gas station. After slipping on my uniform consisting of black pants, black work boots, and an orange and green collared shirt that says "Wellsprings Gas" on the left breast in red writing, I started my short walk down the street to start my shift.

About 8 minutes away from home I reached my destination. The automatic doors, being the most high-tech thing in town if you don't count the payphones on Pine Street, opened as I approached. I nodded to the afternoon shift guy, Jeremy, as he clocked out and left for the night. The back office was a little cold while I was clocking in and the motorcycle calendar in the corner had April 33rd circled. Just as I put my timecard back in its holder the door chime rang, when I got up to the counter I noticed a large hairy figure looking at the magazine rack.

"Howdy Blair!" A low, booming, yet cheerful voice as the figure noticed me.

"Good to see you Cletus, need the bathroom key? I didn't forget it was Tuesday night!" I grabbed the tiny plunger with a key on it from under the counter and held it out for the 7 foot tall primate.

"Mighty kind of ya, yes please." I handed him the key which was lost in his massive hand. He then went to the ladies room followed by a loud ker-chunk.

Cletus is a Sasquatch, I know what you're probably asking right now, "Why did he go into the ladies room?" And the answer is really simple, the men's room is closed until I figure out how to close that gloryhole portal that keeps spitting out 20-sided dice that all land on 13. If you couldn't tell there's some, well, interesting things that happen here at Wellsprings Gas. All the abnormal happenings only go on during the night shift and I haven't been able to prove anything nor do I really want to. In a small town like this, if one person thinks you're crazy, there's a good chance everyone will.

I spend a few hours watching old cartoon reruns on the small black and white tv on the counter and occasionally wiping down the cooler doors. At 1am a small unmarked box truck dropped off a small parcel at the back door which I promptly brought inside, trying not to make eye contact with the large set of red eyes hovering nearby in the darkness. It's not out of the ordinary for that truck to show up every other night and they always leave a box full of snacks that don't exist in our reality at least. Tonight's box consisted of mesquite flavored Fanta and sour blue raspberry Pringles, normally I'd try what's in the box before stocking them but this delivery isn't very appetizing and everything disappears by morning. I don't want to end up getting attached to any intradimensional foods, I'm still waiting on the return of that grapefruit Pepsi. The rest of my night went without incident, and just like clockwork, the calendar changed to the correct date as I clocked out and I noticed the gross brown soda and ungodly chips were gone without a trace. I trekked back home and unlocked the door at 5:08 am, and was in bed by 5:10. My weeks usually start slow so let's hope it doesn't get much worse but I'll have to see what tonight brings. Just another day in Wellsprings.

AN: Hey, Njordrr here, this will likely be the longest chapter just to set up everything and I hope you'll enjoy future chapters!