booths and tables and head into the kitchen.
“Bekah, honey?” Marissa said. “It’s ok. Come on out. Macaroni and Cheese with hotdogs.”
From the other side of the prep area she heard the sound of a metal sliding door opening. Having worked fast food in college she was at least a little familiar with the kitchen area and realized that the girls must have hidden in one of the cabinets that still had a door.
“I’m coming around, girls, and it’s just me, ok?”
“Ok, mom.”
Careful not to rush them, since the girls were still spooked, Marissa came around the food preparation island as the girls were climbing out of the cupboard. Marissa engaged the safety, set the shotgun on the counter, and held out her arms. Once the girls couldn’t see the shotgun anymore it was like a floodgate opened, quite literally, and the tears started for all three of them. Bekah and Jessie ran the few steps to their mother as she leaned down to hug them.
“I tried to keep Jessie quiet,” Bekah said between sobs. “But she kept whimpering. It sounded so loud inside the, the, the…”
“The cupboard,” Marissa finished for her.
“WHATEVER! The BOX!” Bekah wailed. “I don’t ever want to be in a box again!”
“Me too, I mean, either.” Jessie agreed, wiping her nose on her sleeve.
“I don’t want you to be in a box ever again, either.” Marissa hugged both of the girls and then held them at arm’s length and pulled the flashlight back so they could see each other’s faces. “Everybody is ok, though. You are ok, I’m ok, and Daddy is ok and that’s what matters.”
Both of the girls nodded and the crying slowed to sniffles.
“We aren’t alone, though. Someone was in the girl’s bathroom and that was why you had to run and hide.” Marissa said. “Mommy and Daddy are going to have to figure out what to do, but you two are going to have to get some sleep while we do that. Can you promise to get some sleep while Mommy and Daddy deal with this if we promise no more guns? If we promise no more guns if we can help it?”
They both nodded again and this time Bekah yawned.
“Ok, let’s get back to Daddy,” and Marissa retrieved the shotgun. “Bekah, stay right beside me and hold your sister’s hand, ok?”
“Ok, Mom.” Bekah said and yawned again.
“Jessie, stay right by your sister, ok?”
“Yes, Mom.” Jessie was almost asleep on her feet already.
What are we doing? Marissa thought to herself. Talk about unprepared, we really need to think the next several steps through and hash this out before we leave this restaurant.
Chapter Eleven
Marissa and the girls were coming out of the kitchen and into the main dining area when Marissa heard the sound she’d been dreading. It was the sound of three rounds from Dan’s pistol.
“Stay!” Marissa said to the girls, who’d already frozen in their tracks.
Marissa already had a round in the chamber of the shotgun and took a dozen quick steps to the corner where the smaller hallway dining area was that led to the restrooms.
“Dan?” She yelled.
She heard retching.
“I’m going to give you a second to clear your mouth, just in case, but you better answer with the right phrase this time!” She shouted around the corner.
“As you wish.” Came back, slightly muffled, but obviously in Dan’s voice.
“Come here girls, but stay right…by…me. Do NOT go any further than me and when I tell you to sit, you sit where I tell you and don’t move. Understood?” Marissa said to the girls back at the counter.
“Yes, Mommy,” both girls said in unison. They were both well beyond shock at this point.
They rounded the corner together and Marissa sat them down in the first booth.
…
The men’s room was clear, of that Dan was fairly sure, but he had a really bad feeling about this guy. Like the universe screaming at him to run away, but of course he couldn’t. Obviously he was sensitive to the fact he’d been clocked in the back of the head
“Bekah, honey?” Marissa said. “It’s ok. Come on out. Macaroni and Cheese with hotdogs.”
From the other side of the prep area she heard the sound of a metal sliding door opening. Having worked fast food in college she was at least a little familiar with the kitchen area and realized that the girls must have hidden in one of the cabinets that still had a door.
“I’m coming around, girls, and it’s just me, ok?”
“Ok, mom.”
Careful not to rush them, since the girls were still spooked, Marissa came around the food preparation island as the girls were climbing out of the cupboard. Marissa engaged the safety, set the shotgun on the counter, and held out her arms. Once the girls couldn’t see the shotgun anymore it was like a floodgate opened, quite literally, and the tears started for all three of them. Bekah and Jessie ran the few steps to their mother as she leaned down to hug them.
“I tried to keep Jessie quiet,” Bekah said between sobs. “But she kept whimpering. It sounded so loud inside the, the, the…”
“The cupboard,” Marissa finished for her.
“WHATEVER! The BOX!” Bekah wailed. “I don’t ever want to be in a box again!”
“Me too, I mean, either.” Jessie agreed, wiping her nose on her sleeve.
“I don’t want you to be in a box ever again, either.” Marissa hugged both of the girls and then held them at arm’s length and pulled the flashlight back so they could see each other’s faces. “Everybody is ok, though. You are ok, I’m ok, and Daddy is ok and that’s what matters.”
Both of the girls nodded and the crying slowed to sniffles.
“We aren’t alone, though. Someone was in the girl’s bathroom and that was why you had to run and hide.” Marissa said. “Mommy and Daddy are going to have to figure out what to do, but you two are going to have to get some sleep while we do that. Can you promise to get some sleep while Mommy and Daddy deal with this if we promise no more guns? If we promise no more guns if we can help it?”
They both nodded again and this time Bekah yawned.
“Ok, let’s get back to Daddy,” and Marissa retrieved the shotgun. “Bekah, stay right beside me and hold your sister’s hand, ok?”
“Ok, Mom.” Bekah said and yawned again.
“Jessie, stay right by your sister, ok?”
“Yes, Mom.” Jessie was almost asleep on her feet already.
What are we doing? Marissa thought to herself. Talk about unprepared, we really need to think the next several steps through and hash this out before we leave this restaurant.
Chapter Eleven
Marissa and the girls were coming out of the kitchen and into the main dining area when Marissa heard the sound she’d been dreading. It was the sound of three rounds from Dan’s pistol.
“Stay!” Marissa said to the girls, who’d already frozen in their tracks.
Marissa already had a round in the chamber of the shotgun and took a dozen quick steps to the corner where the smaller hallway dining area was that led to the restrooms.
“Dan?” She yelled.
She heard retching.
“I’m going to give you a second to clear your mouth, just in case, but you better answer with the right phrase this time!” She shouted around the corner.
“As you wish.” Came back, slightly muffled, but obviously in Dan’s voice.
“Come here girls, but stay right…by…me. Do NOT go any further than me and when I tell you to sit, you sit where I tell you and don’t move. Understood?” Marissa said to the girls back at the counter.
“Yes, Mommy,” both girls said in unison. They were both well beyond shock at this point.
They rounded the corner together and Marissa sat them down in the first booth.
…
The men’s room was clear, of that Dan was fairly sure, but he had a really bad feeling about this guy. Like the universe screaming at him to run away, but of course he couldn’t. Obviously he was sensitive to the fact he’d been clocked in the back of the head
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