Free The Dead Years - ORIGINS - Book Zero (A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller) by Jeff Olah

1
 
    Pushing through the doorway, Susie’s Café managed less than half of its usual midafternoon crowd. He could easily count the twelve patrons spaced randomly throughout the interior without looking obvious. A lone television buzzed at the far side of the bar with two of the customers seated nearby intently bickering over the images flickering from the lighted box. The cherry red booths and royal blue bar stools held a confusing contrast to the pearl white linoleum countertops that were certainly an afterthought due to the three ownership changes that occurred within the last few years. “ The meals prepared in my kitchen are what bring people here from two cities over, not the color of my chairs” … at least that’s what Susie always told him. She was probably right.
     
    As Randy moved to the spot he’d unofficially reserved years ago, well before he moved to the neighborhood, the thick smell of bacon carried from the kitchen, giving him hope that breakfast was still on the menu. This end of the bar would typically be the last area filled, even during times of higher traffic. Most days the skylight directly above focused a solid swatch of sunlight on this area of the bar for the better part of the day. Others avoided it at all costs, although Randy looked forward to his time in the sun each day enjoying the best breakfast in the county.
     
    Sliding in behind the stool and peering into the kitchen, he hadn’t yet spotted her. She was the second half of the variant that equaled his frequenting this building no less than three times per week. Always alone and only on the days she worked, Randy made “ Breakfast with Trina ” a regular part of his life. Her close-fitting “Susie’s Cafe” t-shirt and worn denim that bottomed out into her gravely worn sneakers caught his eye the very first time she sidled up to introduce herself and take his order. Leaving him speechless on more than one occasion, her eyes and southern drawl convinced Randy she was something special and her never ending smile closed the deal. As she came through the doors of the kitchen and turned toward him, she wasn’t smiling.
     
    Dabbing the perspiration from her forehead, Trina hurried along behind the bar, ignoring the two men motioning for her to join them in front of the television. Hurrying along, she stood eighteen inches from Randy, biting her lower lip to keep it from quivering as she began to cry.
     
    “Trina… are you… what’s the matter?”
     
    Wiping the tears away and attempting to compose herself she said, “My dad, he’s… my mom just called and he’s… he’s gone.”
     
    He couldn’t find anything to say to comfort her, this wasn’t his forte. He knew she needed someone and he was the closest thing she had to a friend at the moment. “I’m sorry Trina, you should probably go be with your family, can one of the others…”
     
    “I can’t leave; I’m the only one here and Susie won’t be back for a few hours. I can’t do this. My father is everything to me.”
     
    Taking a chance, Randy leaned in and took both of her hands into his. “I’ll hang the closed sign on the door and we can let everyone know you’re shutting down soon. Once they finish their meals you can get out of here. Susie won’t mind… she adores you.”
     
    “Thank you Randy, although I can wait until she gets back. My parents live almost a hundred miles away and I couldn’t leave until tonight anyway.”
     
    “Ok, let me know if I can help,” Randy said.
     
    “You already…”
     
    Gasps and cries from the far end of the bar interrupted, as four additional patrons gathered near the television, one of the older gentlemen openly weeping into his hands. Looking confused, the group didn’t speak as the images rolled on.
     
    Pushing away from the counter, Trina turned and started toward the group. “I’ll be right back,” she said.
     
    Randy watched as the remaining customers all stood and pushed in behind the others,