Page 8 of The Good Char
Kids, my mind supplied me.Humans called their spawn kids.Why they wished to name them after goat offspring was beyond me.
I didn’t need the master getting on me about another wayward soul finding its way in places it didn’t belong.I looked at Kimmy again who waved animatedly at another ancient human walking by.I wouldn’t hear the last of it if she fell into the vortex.Her soul was too innocent and pure.
“Are you guys open?”a new voice approached us.It was the old man who passed her the first time.
“Yes!”she squeaked with excitement.“What can I get you?”
He rambled off his order and her fingers flew nimbly across the register.When she looked over her shoulder in my direction with a smile, I cleared my throat and turned away to complete his order before handing it to her.
“There you go!Enjoy your meal!”she hollered after him after he left, almost falling over the counter with how far she was leaning.
“Get your feet back on the ground!”I growled, grabbing the back of her shirt and pulling her back into place.“You don’t need to glue yourself to the customers once they’re gone.Just place their orders.”
She bounced on her feet as she turned to me.“Did I do good?He looked happy!First satisfied customer of the day!”
When she clapped her little hands in front of her, I ran my hand down my face.What had I gotten myself into?
I grumbled and walked away, leaving her in her happy little bubble as I observed the mall picking up over the course of the next hour.
Kimmy excitedly greeted anyone within a ten foot radius and I had to physically pull her back a few more times before my command to keep her feet on the ground went through her thick skull.I was finally at my wits end when I stomped to the back room, came back and slammed a stool down in front of the register, glaring at her while pointing at it.
To my vexation she did her little clap and hopped on, crossing her legs, diligently looking out for more customers as if she was on a mission.
Working The Good Char in the realm of men was the worst punishment the master could bestow upon me.For all I knew, he probably planted Kimmy here just to watch me suffer.I peered at her through the side of my eye and wondered if the master would shorten my sentence if I tainted her soul.It would show him that I deserved my old position back.
“Mr.Dzik, what else can I do now?”she asked with enthusiasm, following me around the area like one of Sabnock’s nasty rashes.“Are you going to show me how to do the corndogs?”
“No.”
“Pretty, please!I’m a fast learner, I promise!I just want to make your day easier.That’s what I’m here for.”
Was she?I was suddenly sure she was here to torment me with her monstrously happy demeanor.
“Take a seat somewhere if there are no customers,” I commanded.
“But what if they don’t see me?I’m not that tall.It’s the Asian in me.They might think we’re closed.It’s okay.Thank you though.I’ll just stand behind the register and wait for the next person to come,” she rambled as she hurried back to the counter.
My head hurt as my annoyance climbed—and it wasn’t even lunch hour yet.I needed to get her out of my hair before I threw her in the vortex myself.
“Kimmy,” I called out.
She popped up like an animated character in one of their human box contraptions and quickly ran back to my side, eyes sparkling.“Yes, Mr.Dzik?”
I leaned back, not wanting whatever infected her to get on me.When she leaned in with a smile that overtook her face, I grimaced and blurted out the only thing I could think of to get her away from me.“Pop open the fridge and grab a pop.This will be your breaktime for today.”
Her eyes practically shone like diamonds as if flames danced within her.It was both fascinating and horrifying.
“Really?Oh wow!My parents never gave me a break.Especially not one this early.And with a treat to boot!Thank you, Mr.Dzik!”she sang at an awkward pitch.
She skipped over to the fridge and I exhaled a sigh of relief.That was close.I bet if she touched me, I’d end up infected with whatever positivity that was inside of her.It couldn’t be normal.Something was definitely wrong with this little human.But that wasn’t my problem.I just needed her to work The Good Char.
With her finally occupied, I began creating more batter.The lull in customers and quiet eased me as I rhythmically mixed and stirred.Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.There were unwanted eyes on me.I slowly looked over my shoulder to find Kimmy’s eyes staring intently at everything I was doing with a pen and little notepad.
How the hell did she manage to bring one with her when she didn’t even have a purse?
“And just what are you doing?”I asked through gritted teeth, my paranoia rising to infernal levels.“Why are you writing?And why are you looking at me like that?”
“Well, I was writing down your steps according to what you were doing,” she explained, nodding with seriousness.“You can never be too prepared.”
