"When you're removed from it all, the universe can look like a beautiful place," Polaris said, leaning against the wall outside the shop, smoking a cigar while Chelsea puffed on a cigarette; he added, "it's only when you're in the thick of it, when things are rough, that the world seems awful. But when you escape all the noise, the unnecessary clutter...that's when you see the universe for what it truly is. A magnificent mistake, a miracle of accidents, and it's glorious."
"...you sure have a weird way of stating positives," Chelsea said. "You know, Chelsea, just because you work here part time and live somewhere else doesn't mean you don't belong," Polaris said, "...this place, the Elsewhere, this is where people like you do belong. This is where you matter most. Not in a place where nothing matters, but a place where everything, most of all yourself, matters greatly." Chelsea wanted to cry. She'd never been told these sorts of things before, and she was so appreciative. Maybe she'd take a smoke break more often. "My parents hate me," Chelsea said, "they act like they don't, because society says you have to love your children, so they put on this facade, but I know they do. They blame me for what happened to my sister. They think I'm useless, worthless, not capable of being on my own. But if being here has taught me anything, it's that their opinion is worth less than a monsters. These creatures in this place, they all think I'm super cool. Since working at Last Shop on the Left, I've helped a ghost girl accept her death, helped raise a little creature, gotten a girlfriend, helped an ancient being openly acknowledge his affection for his long deceased wife. This is a place of beauty and hope and love. The world isn't that." "The world can be that," Polaris said. "You just spent ten minutes extolling the virtues of the Elsewhere by putting down my dimension, now you say my dimension CAN be good?" "Just because it's worse doesn't mean it's without merit. There's plenty of things your home can be or have," Polaris said, "...it's just harder to see them through the haze of bullshit. And the Elsewhere isn't perfect, hell if anything it's way more dangerous, but it's honest about it. The problem with where you're from is that it isn't honest. It pretends everything is okay, that the horrors don't exist, whereas we're just blatant about them from the get go. We recognize, accept and adapt to the horrors, not brush them under the carpet." Chelsea nodded. She hadn't considered that. She looked out at the semi lively night life on the street and smiled. Monsters and creatures walking past, humanoid or otherwise, enjoying themselves but knowing that they could die at any moment, or that everything could change in an instant. There was some kind of odd recognition in that realization that she appreciated. "Hey," Xorlack said, coming up to them, "What're you guys doing out here?" "We're on smoke break," Chelsea said, "Well, I'm on smoke break, he's just keeping me company." "Not very busy tonight I guess?" Xorlack asked, and Chelsea shook her head. "Nah, that's why this is fine." "What're you talking about?" "The inevitability of unhappiness no matter what location you preside in," Polaris said as Chelsea handed Xorlack her cigarette for her to take a puff from. "Boy, you're a big ball of sunshine, ain'tcha," Xorlack said before inhaling, making Chelsea chuckle. "You're from here," Chelsea said, looking at her, "do you like it? Do you think the Elsewhere is a good place to be?" Xorlack took a moment, a few moments in fact, exhaling smoke and thinking before finally answering. After a bit, she nodded. "Yeah, yeah I do," she said, "Don't get me wrong, it can be nasty here, but at least it's upfront about it, you know? The few times I've been with you back to your dimension, it's all felt so...so fake? You know? So insincere. Like it's better to pretend the ugliness and brute cruelty doesn't exist rather than face the fact that it does head on. I don't know, that seems worse to me." Chelsea nodded. Xorlack and Polaris made good points, and she wasn't even sure why she was defending home to begin with. It wasn't like home was ever really good to her. If anything, it'd been so bad, it'd driven her to be in a place like this preferably over it. "There's depth to everything," Polaris said, inhaling his cigar, "and that's half the problem. Before you see depth, you see black and white, not shades of grey. Once you recognize depth, it complicates things, and that's why so many from your dimension, Chelsea, prefer to ignore depth. They prefer the falsehood of black and white. Good vs bad. Right vs wrong. That isn't to say there isn't abject evil there. Xenophobia, racism, classism, sexism, homophobia, you know. Those things are outright hurtful and don't deserve a place among the discussion. But there's shades of grey to so many other things that people adamantly believe to be objectively right or wrong, and they refuse to compromise or, even worse, recognize the possibility of a compromise." "...you're not wrong, and much as I love having a philosophical debate, I can't argue because I have nothing to defend," Chelsea said, "home is terrible, this place is terrible, but at least it's honest and upfront about it, and that's preferable to the alternative." Chelsea's watch beeped, and she sighed. She had something to attend today at home, but she couldn't leave work just yet. The alarm was merely a reminder anyway, not an instruction to leave immediately. She could go when she was off work. "I think," Xorlack said, "the thing people don't realize about existence is that it can be great once they admit how fleeting it is. Too many people are far too scared to take too many chances or risks, and as a result, they lead lives of quiet desperation, wishing they could do anything different, but obsessed with the judgement from others that comes with the decision to do so." "I mean, you're not wrong," Chelsea said, "I was always afraid to date because I didn't think I was worth it, and because I was afraid of what others would think of who I dated." "Well, we got you over that hump, didn't we?" Xorlack asked, the both of them chuckling. "Girls, the lesson here to take away is this," Polaris said, "beauty can be everywhere, you just have to be willing to see it. The Elsewhere is a special kind of place, where you can see things for how and what they truly are, and that in and of itself is beautiful," he said before checking his pocketwatch and sighing, "now if you'll excuse me, I have a prior engagement to get to." With that, he put his cigar out and started to walk away. Chelsea and Xorlack exchanged a glance, then shrugged and headed inside. "I heard your watch beep," Xorlack said, "Expecting something?" "...today is an anniversary," Chelsea said, "of the day my sister died. Or, rather, the day I killed my sister as my parents would love to believe. I was gonna go to the cemetery, see her grave, but...ugh, I don't know, I always feel terrible doing that. I wish there was a way to see her without not seeing her, you know? Talking to a rock isn't the same as talking to the person underneath it." "...well...Todd can create things, right? He made your uniform, he made skin for me," Xorlack said, "maybe he could...you know...create your sister, or a facsimile of some kind or something. Her but not her, you know? A representation of her, in a sense." Chelsea had never even considered this before. She then turned and headed inside, briskly, with Xorlack on her heels. As they headed through the shop and into the back, down the hall, Chelsea felt her blood racing and her heart thumping. Would this work? Could this work? Or, perhaps most important of all...should this work? She didn't care. She just knew that she had to try. She opened the door to Todd's office and stepped inside, Xorlack right behind her. Todd glanced down at them and waved. "Todd," Chelsea said, "I need a favor." Todd growled in understanding. "I need you to create my sister," she said, "or, rather, some kind of version of her." Todd growled again, then shut his eyes as he reached down and rested a tentacle on her head. Chelsea felt a small surge of electricity course throughout her body, down her spine, and she felt lightheaded all of a sudden. When this was over, she opened her eyes and, once her vision became clear again, there, standing in front of her, was a small girl. It wasn't her sister, exactly, but it was supposed to be, she could tell. Xorlack back away and left the room, leaving Chelsea to do her thing. Chelsea approached cautiously and smiled, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "...is...are you..." she started, but her sister nodded, as if she already knew the question Chelsea wanted to ask. Chelsea fell to her knees and put her arms around this version of her sister - with the clear skin and the big eyes and the monstrous teeth - and she squeezed her tightly, warmly, and to her surprise, her monster sister hugged her back. "it not your fault," the creature said softly, and Chelsea lost it. She couldn't take it anymore. She started sobbing, weeping, openly right there, letting everything she'd felt for the past few years fall to pieces in front of her. This neighborhood, Slipside, in this universe, The Elsewhere, was her home now, and she was determined to be a better sister this time around than before, no matter what the cost. *** She set her sister up in the janitors closet for the time being, giving her food and drink and activity books. She watched as her monster sister colored and ate candy. She sat there and just watched, her heart so full of love. "I'll find you a real place to stay soon," Chelsea said. "Store best," her sister said. "Why is the store best?" "Closest to you." In real life, Chelsea and Madison had never really gotten to become friends, partially because Madison hadn't lived that long, so now Chelsea was determined to be the best friend a sister could ever be. "Maybe I'll find a place to live here, in the Elsewhere, and we can live together," Chelsea said. "Okay," Maddy responded, yawning. She set her coloring tools down, laid on her side on the pile of towels Chelsea had found, and Chelsea tucked her in best she could before handing her a stuffed animal she'd bought at another store down the street, where she'd gotten the coloring books. She stroked her sisters hair and watched her, waiting until she was asleep, then exited the janitors closet. She then headed back into the main storefront, only to find Luna standing there with a young girl who looked about 11. "Oh, I didn't know you were back," Chelsea said. "I was giving the new employee the ropes," Luna said, "You've done very well, but you need help. You need someone who can work alongside you who knows this place well. This is Juno." "Hi," Chelsea said, holding out her hand so Juno could shake it, "I'm Chelsea." "Hiya," Juno replied. "Anyway, you'll be training her from now on for a bit, until she gets the hang of things," Luna said, "...it smells like Polaris. Was Polaris in here?" "I can't stop someone from shopping here," Chelsea said, shrugging, not that she'd ever stop him anyway. She loved his friendship. "Ugh," Luna replied, shaking her head, "I have to get to my office, I have paperwork to fill out. Chelsea, show Juno how things work, alright?" With that settled, Luna exited through the backdoor and headed to her office. Chelsea saddled back up behind the counter as Juno hopped up to sit on the counter and the two girls sat there together, not saying a word to one another. Xorlack must've gone home, Chelsea figured, as she was no longer in the shop. Chelsea looked at Juno, who just smirked. "You like to play cards?" Chelsea asked. "Is that allowed?" Juno asked. "It is when the boss ain't in the room," Chelsea said, "Besides, nobody's really coming in tonight. Might as well entertain ourselves." Chelsea pulled out a deck of cards she kept under the counter and they started to play Go Fish. As they played, she thought about her sister, and about what Polaris had said to her. Shades of grey, complexity, nothing is black and white. Was creating a weird monster version of her sister what she should've done? Maybe not. But who cares, it's all subjective, right? Chelsea's watched beeped again, and this time she turned the alarm off. Juno looked at her wrist, then up at her face. "What was that for?" she asked. "Just a reminder," Chelsea said, "about something I don't have to do anymore. Got any sevens?" "Go fish," Juno said. And they played cards well into the night.
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Chelsea pushed some juice boxes onto the shelf, then knelt down and picked up a few more from the crate, aiming to fill the shelf entirely before moving on. It was late, and the store was empty. Polaris wasn't here, Xorlack hadn't come in, and Chelsea was, for the first time in a while, totally alone in the shop and it was kinda nice. She was enjoying the solitude for a change. She liked their company, certainly, but sometimes a person needs a little time to themselves.
As she shoved another few juice boxes onto the shelf, the lights flickered, and then went out. Chelsea groaned and turned, only to see one of the doors to the frozen aisle open up and a floaty figure slowly creep out. Chelsea bit her lip, trying not to scream, just as the lights came back to life, illuminating the figure, which she realized was now just a teenage girl. A dead teenage girl. A dead ghost teenage girl who just happened to look like a movie starlet from the 40s. "I'm sorry," the girl said, "I hope I didn't frighten you." "Takes a lot more than that to frighten me at this point," Chelsea replied. The ghost floated across the floor and over to the candy aisle, looking around. Chelsea finished her shelf work, then abandoned her post and headed to the same aisle, watching. "I don't see any Beaver Teeth, do you not carry that anymore?" the ghost girl asked. "Yeah, it's right there, below Acid Wash," Chelsea said, pointing, and the ghost girl squealed and grabbed a few bars. "It's amazing the things you miss when you're dead," the ghost girl said, "they say you get crazy cravings when you're pregnant, but death cravings I assume are even more intense." Chelsea smirked at this. At least the ghost wasn't going to kill her. Seemed like her night was still gonna be pretty good. Chelsea pushed her hands in her pants pockets and walked further into the aisle, also looking at the candy. "If you're dead, can you even eat it?" Chelsea asked. "Of course," the ghost girl replied, "Ghosts can do plenty of things people can do. It's just that you all assume we can't. If anything, we can do more than living people can do. The living just have such a high opinion of themselves they can't imagine the dead being capable of doing more than them. They see death as the end, not an extension." "Is it an extension?" Chelsea asked, genuinely curious. "I'm here, ain't I?" the girl said, making Chelsea laugh a little; the ghost girl smiled and added, "I'm Monica." "I'm Chelsea. It's nice to see another human," Chelsea said, "even if it is a dead one. So...how'd you die? And why are you haunting this store in particular?" "How I died is kind of a personal question, don't you think?" Monica responded, making Chelsea feel awkward for having asked; but she just smiled again and added, "I'm yankin' yer chain. It's not that personal. I actually was here before the store was. I was killed and buried on this property by the guys who murdered me. So, if you wanna get technical, it's like the shop is haunting me." "You were murdered?" Chelsea asked, grimacing, "geez, sorry." "It happens," Monica said, shrugging as she tore open one of the candy bars and started eating, "When you're dead, you don't really think about regrets anymore. I mean, some ghosts can't escape it, but most I've found have felt that none of what the living thinks matters, so why worry? At least if you're alive you can make some kind of gesture to fix those regrets sometimes, but when you're dead, it's done. It's over. You're finished. So why bother worrying, you know?" Chelsea nodded, thinking. Monica had a point. Chelsea did think about her regrets quite often, but she rarely if ever made any attempts to fix them. Chelsea pulled a bar from the rack herself and opened it, starting to eat. She'd since learned which things in the store, especially candy, were safe to eat and which would melt her insides. "I was worried at first that maybe you were going to possess me or something, you know, being a ghost and all," Chelsea said while chewing. "Why would I possess you? You work HERE. What would that gain me?" Monica asked, making Chelsea snort in laughter. "Hey, it's not so bad," Chelsea said, surprising even herself with this admittance, "I mean, I get a discount, I get to eat or drink whatever I want, I get paid, and I get to meet plenty of cool people. This world has a lot of interesting folks who stop by." "This world is relentlessly unforgiving," Monica said, "it's cold and it's cruel and it casts so many out without ever giving us a chance. It's dog eat dog here. Don't get me wrong, I'd never live or die anywhere else, but at the same time, I wonder if I made the right choice coming." "Are you not from this realm?" Chelsea asked. "I'm a human, or I was, now I'm a ghost, but you know what I mean," Monica said, popping another candy piece in her mouth and chewing, "I was a human, just like you. I found this place and it just seems like...like it was magical, you know? So different. So worth exploring. But the thing you don't learn until it's too late is how much it needs us, people like you and me, to continue running. Needs to feed off us. Our energy, our personhood." "Am I...am I in danger if I stay?" Chelsea asked. She'd long since questioned whether or not she was making a good decision, choosing to stay here, but she needed the job to pay for college. She sighed and scratched her forehead. "Nevermind, it doesn't matter," Chelsea said, "if my parents lose another kid, what's the difference." This got Monica's attention. She looked at Chelsea, raising an eyebrow, curious. "I had a little sister," Chelsea said, "...and when I say little, I mean little, she was only 4. I was 15 when my parents had her, so there was definitely an age gap. Not that that mattered, we were still best friends. Sometimes I think she was my only friend. Anyway, I failed to keep her safe, so why should I worry about my own safety? Besides, they'd be happy to be rid of me, considering what I did." "What'd you do?" Monica asked, sounding genuinely concerned. "....uh....I was...learning to drive," Chelsea said, "and uh...you know, student drivers, we're all really bad, but I thought I was doing a pretty good job. I was heading back to my house with my instructor, the test was over for the day, and uh...and I was certain I'd get my license anytime now. I had passed all the tests, written or otherwise, so. Anyway, I'm pulling up into the driveway and, ya know, my dad is there, and he sees me and he just...he stands there, staring, dead eyed. I'm like, confused, cause what's the problem, I'm just coming home from a test. Until I got out of the car. Until I saw her hand." Chelsea felt her stomach turning. She didn't want to revisit this. She hated even thinking about it. But...she pressed on. "I didn't see her, I couldn't...I couldn't have known. She was drawing with chalk, how could I...it was an accident, you know, and everyone knew that, it wasn't like I was put on trial or anything. But...but I couldn't help but feel like my parents hated me for it. Ever since then they've acted like they don't believe in anything I do being fruitful. Like I'm a waste of time and energy. So if this place eats me alive, literally or figuratively, then I guess it'll just be doing them a favor." A long moment passed in the shop, as the two girls stood there, quietly eating their candy bars. Finally, Monica coughed and spoke. "You know that isn't your fault, right? That's just what we call an act of god," Monica said. "I'm just saying that if you exist, if you tell me that death is an extension and not an end, then maybe she's not really gone," Chelsea said, wiping at her eyes, "you know? The world might be cruel and uncaring here, but it's that way in my world too, and that sucks but...knowing you haunt this place, maybe she haunts our home and I just can't see her." The bell over the door rang, and Chelsea went to help the customer. It was a woman with snakes in her hair, similar to Medusa, and she wanted a soda and a lottery ticket. Chelsea helped her check out, then turned her attention back to Monica, who was now sitting on the counter, or as close to sitting as a ghost could get. "I love it here," Chelsea said, leaning on the counter, chin on her fist, "like...nobody expects anything of me except to do my job, you know? I love it. It's great. It's weird and it's different and it's not where I'm from but I'm also not where I'm from, you know? I never felt like I fit in, especially after what I did, and this is the kind of place that makes me feel like that doesn't matter, and I belong somewhere at least. This place has wholeheartedly accepted me. Whether that's because it intends to kill me someday or not I don't know, nor do I care. I like it here. With the monsters and the ghosts." Monica smiled warmly. "Slipshade is a pretty great place," she said, "and Last Shop On The Left is the best example of that. Out there, we might fight and bicker and argue, be divided, but in here all that matters is our purchases. We put aside all our petty differences to buy our crappy cigarettes and energy drinks, even if only momentarily." Chelsea listened, but she didn't respond. That was the first time she'd talked openly about her sister before, or at least since the funeral. She tried never to tell anyone, mostly because she didn't want their pity. She didn't feel like she deserved it. No matter what her parents or even a psychologist might tell her, she couldn't shake the feeling that she felt single handedly responsible for her sisters death. Talking about it now, she felt a bit lighter, definitely, but not better. Chelsea rolled her head to face Monica and their eyes met. Monica smiled at her again, and Chelsea smiled back. Chelsea cleared her throat and wiped her eyes on her shirt sleeve that she wore under her work vest. "Uh, I guess I just like the idea that somewhere out there, she's still here, eating candy bars," Chelsea said, "I recognize the two places aren't the same, so maybe the same rules don't apply, but this...I don't know, it brings me some sense of comfort." "That's what I hate about being a ghost. So many people just attribute us to abject terror, but we can bring so many other emotions out that they never even consider. I much prefer to bring peace and comfort to someone than scare them silly," Monica said, opening yet another candy bar and biting into it, adding while chewing, "Besides, in the long run, what'll you remember better? Something that scared you, or something that helped you?" Chelsea nodded. Monica wasn't wrong. "So you just haunt the store regularly, huh?" Chelsea asked. "Yep," Monica said, "Waited a while before I made my appearance tonight, had to make sure you were the right kind of person to show myself to. Some people don't deal with this sort of stuff well." "I believe it." The girls laughed, and it felt good to laugh. Chelsea hadn't laughed in years as much as she had while working here recently, and it was a nice thing to feel again. The girls talked some more, about the vanity of life, the banality of death, the mundane reality of both. After a while, Monica got tired, and said she should be heading back. As she gathered up a few things, taking them back to the freezer, she turned and looked at Chelsea. "If I see your sister," she said, "I'll tell her you said hi." Chelsea wanted to cry, but instead she just thanked her. A while after Monica left, the doors opened again, and Polaris finally came in. He approached the counter to find Chelsea sitting on a stool, eating more candy, reading a magazine. "You know, you eat too much of that, you'll get cavities, or worse, diabetes," Polaris said, "Course I think you have to have been pre-dispositioned to get it, but still." "I don't care," Chelsea said. "Yeah? And what, pray tell, gave way to this brazen attitude?" Polaris asked, lighting a cigar, as Chelsea looked up and smirked. "Life's too fuckin' short," she said. "There's certainly an argument to be had for the beauty of love," Polaris said, leaning against the counter while Xorlack read a book and Chelsea walked around the shop, doing inventory; he turned a page in the magazine he was reading and added, "I mean, here's a couple who stuck by eachother after a horrific accident, and yet love one another just as much now as they did before."
"Was the accident being in this magazine?" Chelsea asked as she walked past, not even looking up from her clipboard, making Xorlack chuckle. "Mr and Mrs Belorguxelnox were your fairy tale standard, high school sweethearts who had grown up on the same block, it seemed they were destined to be together, and their wedding only further acknowledge this fact, but when-" Polaris started reading, until Xorlack interrupted. "Their last name is Belorguxelnox?" Xorlack asked, "Jeez, imagine having to write that on a check." "I'll inform them of your disapproval of their name, XORLACK," Polaris said, making Chelsea laugh from a whole different aisle; Polaris continued, "Anyway, they were on their way home from their honeymoon when they wound up in a horrific car accident, and Mrs Belorguxelnox's face was decimated in the crash, so her husband gave her half his face and now they love one another even more." "Sounds like he loves himself," Xorlack said. Chelsea approached the counter and sighed as she dropped the clipboard down and sat on the stool behind the counter, laying face first on its top. Xorlack put down her book and leaned in, looking closely at Chelsea. "Are you okay? You seem glum," Xorlack asked. "I don't know," Chelsea replied, "I spent some time with my parents this past weekend, and all they did was argue, and it just made me sad to hear this story and think 'why can't my parents be like that?', you know what I mean?" "What, sharing a face?" Polaris asked. "No," Chelsea replied, annoyed, "you know what I mean. Willing to be that giving and appreciative of one another. It makes me wonder if there's something wrong with me personally, like, am I gonna wind up like that? Am I gonna be downright impossible to love, or unable to love someone else?" Xorlack patted her hand and smiled, her skinsuit sagging a bit as she did so, but only momentarily before snapping back into place. "Trust me, you're not unlovable, and you're certainly good at loving others," Xorlack said, "I can attest to that." "Awww," Polaris said, "I think I'm gonna cry." Just then the bell over the door rang, and they all turned to see a man, or what appeared to be a man anyway, enter the store. It was hard to tell if he was human or not, only because he was so very very ancient, covered in wrinkles and dust, but well dressed at least. He had on a nice suit and tie, and an old fedora. He walked further into the store, and disappeared down an aisle. "Chelsea, take it from me," Polaris started, "love is nice, but what's better is being able to love yourself. Now I'm not saying that until you love yourself nobody else will, because that's an outright untrue, not to mention damaging belief, but I will say that while it's great to love someone else and get love from someone else, it's even greater to acknowledge you don't require it because you love yourself enough, and you're fine on your own." "I think Polaris here is just angry because he doesn't have someone willing to give him half a face," Xorlack said, making Chelsea laugh. "I don't need a face to know I'm handsome. I'm an adonis, a greek god, thank you," Polaris said, running his long slender fingers up the entirety of his featureless face, making the girls simultaneously chuckle and shiver at the sight. After a few minutes, the seemingly old man finally approached the counter and spoke, his voice sounding like it would crumble into dust at any second. "Excuse me," he asked, "You sell bouquets here, right?" "Yes we do," Chelsea said, "Over in the back right is a whole little flower department." "Thank you," he replied, wandering slowly off again in that direction. "God...I can't picture myself being old," Chelsea said once he was gone, "it just seems...not natural to me. I don't know that I'd enjoy it. Not that that means I'm going to throw myself off a bridge or anything when the time comes to avoid it, I just...I don't see myself as an old person." "With age comes wisdom," Polaris said, "Or, at least, that's what people want you to believe. Age doesn't actually dictate anything, truth be told. You can be wise beyond your years at any age. Trust me, I've met plenty of stupid old people. It just depends on how cultured, how enlightened you allow yourself to become." Finally the old man came back to the counter and sighed, looking sad, as he spoke quietly. "Would someone please help me pick something out?" he asked, and Chelsea and Xorlack both agreed, while Polaris stayed behind and continued to read his magazine. As the girls escorted the old man back to the flower section, they couldn't help but notice that he was much older than they initially thought. He looked...almost ancient, like a relic from an entirely different era. "So, uh, what exactly are you looking for?" Chelsea asked. "That's just it, I don't really know," he said, his voice creaky, "I...I can't remember the kind of flower...it...it was white, with a bell shape, and...oh goodness, my memory is just worse and worse with each passing day." "I believe what you want is a Cornish Bell Flower," Xorlack said. "How do you know about flowers?" Chelsea asked, sounding surprised. "My mom has a huge garden," Xorlack said, approaching the flowers, "When I was little, I used to help her out a lot in it, and I still do from time to time. I love horticulture. Here's what you want, I think." Xorlack pulled a bouquet of flowers from the rack and handed them to the old man, who happily took them. "Oh, oh thank you so much," he said, almost sounding like he was about to cry as he breathed them in, "oh...oh I haven't smelled this in a stars age. They still smell the same as they used to. Back when she was still with me, why, she used to have them around the house just for the smell alone. The whole house would wind up smelling like them, and in turn, so would she...I miss that smell. Smelling these now is like smelling her again." Chelsea and Xorlack exchanged a sad glance, as the man sighed and ran his old fingers through the petals gently. "That's the thing you don't realize, is that what you'll wind up missing most of all is the things you never think about...the smells, the sounds...those little quirks that at some points you find annoying but suddenly become endearing once they're gone," he said, "don't take anything for granted, young ladies, because if you do, you'll never really appreciate it." "Are these for someone?" Xorlack asked. "My wife," the old man said, "Died over a century ago, but my feelings are still as strong today as they were when we met. She's been gone so long that I'm finally starting to forget things, but the one thing time cannot take is how much I love her. It can take my body, it can take my mind, but it cannot take my love." Chelsea wanted to cry. The way he spoke of his wife, she wished her own parents could be that close. She looked at Xorlack, who was already crying softly, but smiling too. Chelsea reached over and held Xorlack's hand, and squeezed it gently, making her blush. "When she died, I felt like my world was over, but the thing is...she was a Lunar," the old man said, "so her soul was returned to the moon, from whence she came from. So, even if she's no longer in my life, at least every time I go look up at the moon, I know she's still there. I can see her every night, even if she isn't with me." "When you're ready to check out, I'll be up front," Chelsea said, excusing herself, wiping at her eyes as she headed back towards the counter, leaving Xorlack alone with the old man. As Chelsea arrived, she found Polaris exactly where they'd left him. "You know," Polaris said, "I've never really been one to order something from a magazine, but perhaps there's a first time for everything. Hey, you okay?" Chelsea wiped her eyes again and sniffled a few times, nodding, then shrugging. "I...don't know, man," she replied, "everything just feels so...empty. I worry that I don't care about people the way others care about people, especially romantic, and then I'm punched in the face emotionally by this old man who came in to buy his wifes favorite flowers centuries after she's died, after hearing a story about a man who gave his wife half his face. Seems like I'll never understand that level of closeness. Am I bad person for that?" Polaris looked at her, lowering his magazine and checking the cufflinks on his shirt sleeve. "No, you're not. Some people just aren't built for that sort of thing, and there's nothing wrong with it. Closeness requires opening up, and opening up isn't for some people, not to mention the dangers it brings. And not to knock those who manage to find it, who manage to open themselves up, but in my experience, it isn't worth it. I too find no real worth in connections of a romantic kind anymore. So, you're not alone, at least." Chelsea smiled weakly. "Thanks, I needed to hear that," she said, "I spent the weekend with my parents, and the entire time, when they weren't arguing, I felt like they were judging me for not having found someone for myself, and whenever asked, I would just think to myself 'why would I want that after seeing what it becomes?'. I know not all relationships become that, obviously, but still." Xorlack approached the counter again, breathing somewhat heavily, like she'd been crying with the old man. "Is he still there?" Chelsea asked. "He wanted a moment alone," Xorlack said. "For what it's worth," Polaris said, "even in spite of how I feel or what I said, I do find it sweet that he would still love someone that deeply after being alone for so long now. I wish I could have that level of closeness, but I recognize it isn't worth it for me, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth it for you." Xorlack and Chelsea looked at him, then back at one another. "Just something to think about," Polaris said, buttoning his coat and paying for the magazine, "I'll be off." With that he turned and headed out the exit. After a moment, Xorlack and Chelsea looked at one another again and giggled awkwardly. Xorlack finally looked at Chelsea plainly and took a long, deep breath. "Tell me," she said, "would you like me without the skin suit?" "Of course," Chelsea said, "I don't care. I like who you are, not what you look like. I guess I can find that sort of solace with you, if nobody else. I think...I think part of what makes us work is how different we are from everyone else. You don't fit in from where you're from, and I don't fit in where I'm from, but when we're together, we fit in with eachother, and maybe that's what love actually is, you know?" Xorlack took a moment, blinked, then inhaled through her nose. "Are you saying you love me?" "...yeah, I am," Chelsea said, "I do." Xorlack smiled, giggling, almost crying again when the old man suddenly approached from behind. "Would you ladies care to step outside with me and see the moon?" he asked, plopping the bouquet down on the counter, "I understand if not, but I figured I'd ask, since you did so much to help me." "...that sounds nice," Xorlack said, "but I think you shouldn't let others intrude on whats important to you. Be with her, alone. Appreciate that time." "You know," the old man said as he paid for the flowers and picked them back up, "I know not everyone lives as long as my species does, and that I'm close to being on my way out as well, and so perhaps to other short lived species they don't see the wealth that comes in finding someone that completes you in some way. They might see interpersonal connections as a waste of what's already a fast ticking clock counting down to nonexistence, but I think the world is a better place when you see it with someone, rather than alone, even if they leave first." Xorlack and Chelsea smiled at him, nodding in agreement as they held hands on the counter. "I'll tell her you said hi," he said, "She'll be happy to know I made some friends." The old man tipped his hat, then turned and dawdled slowly out of the store. Chelsea checked her watch and sighed, tapping her nails on the counter as she contemplated what to do next. She knew her shift was coming to an end, but she didn't really wanna go home, be alone. She looked at Xorlack, who was now packing her bag on the counter. "Do you wanna go do something? I'm getting off work any minute," Chelsea asked. "Sure," Xorlack said, "Got anything specific in mind?" "Not really, just as long as we're together," Chelsea said, the both of them blushing. "Sounds like a good time then," Xorlack replied. Xorlack finished packing as Chelsea changed from her uniform back into her regular clothes, and she locked up, knowing the day shift employee would have a key. Together they walked outside, hand in hand, into the unknown, but into the unknown together. As they walked down the street bathed in moonlight, heading somewhere to get something to eat, they couldn't help but feel like perhaps the old mans wife overhead was smiling at them, proud of recognizing that even if they didn't need someone else, it was still fun to have someone else. People, and monsters, are weird like that. Chelsea couldn't make heads or tails of the gum in the shop.
Since working here, she'd tried almost every single one, except "Death Plague" because, well, the reason was obvious really, and she still had yet to understand the flavors of them all and the nuances between them. Personally, she was a fan of Garlic Thunder, two things she never would think could go well together or could be put together, but somehow someone here had found a way. She finally pulled the wad of gum from her mouth and wrapped it back up in the foil, putting the tiny ball into a little container with all the others as she sighed and looked at Polaris. "I've got to admit," he said, "I'm tempted to try Death Plague, if only to say I did." "It's not like you get a t-shirt that says you survived it," Chelsea remarked. "It's not about recognition, Chelsea, it's about the acknowledgement from yourself. It's like going on a rollercoaster. You don't do it because you think it'll impress others, you do it because you'll be proud of yourself for having faced a fear," he replied, taking his own gum wad from his featureless face and wrapping it back up in foil, adding it to the pile. "How do you chew without a mouth?" Chelsea asked, leaning on the counter. "Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to," he said. Chelsea chuckled, then looked at all the stuff on the counter along with the gum. There were cans of mints, airline sized bottles of alcohol and magazines. All the normal kinds of things you'd find in any regular convenience store, except here the magazines were written in a language nobody human would understand, the bottles of booze would liquify her insides and the mints were actually alive until you bit into them, unleashing their inner freshness. All in all, terrifying, quite frankly. She looked back at Polaris, who had lit his pipe and begun smoking. "I was told I could eat or drink anything in the shop that I want, but I can't tell what's safe for me to consume, honestly," Chelsea said, "I don't wanna leave and go looking for food either, cause I don't know what's safe out there, food or otherwise." "You should just start bringing a bag lunch," Polaris said. "I can do that?" "Sure, why not," Polaris said, "bring a sandwich and a piece of fruit and a drink in a paper bag. Nobody's gonna stop you, and at least you know it won't kill you outright." "Unless I choke on it," Chelsea said under her breath. "Yeah but that's your fault," he replied, making her laugh. "Excuse me?" a voice asked, as what appeared to be a young woman with the head of a cow skull approached the counter, "I think I need assistance." "What can I do for you?" Chelsea asked, straightening up, ready to work. "Well," the woman said, "I got this sandwich out of the deli aisle, and there's something living inside of it." She plopped a saran wrapped sandwich down on the counter, and for a moment, as everyone leaned in to look, nothing could be seen. Then suddenly, and without warning, a small baby faced creature poked its head out from the innards of the sandwich and pressed its adorable face against the wrap, cooing at them. Chelsea and Polaris exchanged a glance, before looking back at the woman. "Well, you didn't buy it, so I can't refund you," Chelsea said, "What can I do?" "...I think we need to raise it," the woman said. "...what?" Chelsea asked flatly. Polaris leaned down closer, examining the sandwich, and after a moment he stood back up, seemingly satisfied with his findings. "What we have here, ladies, is what's known as a Squatter," he said, "They're tiny creatures that take refuge in places they shouldn't so they get raised by someone other than those that gave birth to them. They're not dangerous, and they're relatively easy to bring up, given that they age at about 5 times the normal rate of anything else. In an hour this thing will be a kid, in 2 hours a teenager and in 3 hours a full grown adult. I'd say you have your work cut out for you, but when the workload is such a short time span, I don't think that saying really applies." Chelsea leaned down again and looked at the creature. It was bald and yellow, with blue swirling galaxies for eyes a little nubby teeth. It smiled up at her, and she felt her heart warm. Guess it was time to be a mother. *** "It's a good thing this place at least has coloring books," Chelsea said as she watched the Squatter, whom they'd named Enos, sit on the counter and color. The cow skull woman, whom Chelsea had since learned was named Aegis, was leaning against the counter coloring with them. "Coloring books are the best way to develop hand eye coordination for youngsters," Aegis said, "It also teaches them to be more creative. They learn that they can do things with their hands, and if they enjoy doing so, make a career out of it." "Are you in a creative field?" Chelsea asked. "Yes, I design dresses," Aegis said, "What about you?" "I mean, I work here, so," Chelsea said, shrugging. "You don't do anything outside of this?" "I'm in college elsewhere, but I'm not really sure what it is exactly I wanna do just yet," Chelsea replied, "I guess I could do something creative, I mean, I used to like making stuff with clay when I was a kid, so maybe sculpting or something would be up my alley." "Look!" Enos said, holding up the page and showing Chelsea a horse that was colored completely black with glaring red eyes, like it was sent directly from the deepest depths of hell itself; he looked so proud though, and Chelsea couldn't help but pat him on the head and smile. "That's beautiful, good job!" she said. If nothing else, she figured, she could be more encouraging than her own parents had ever been. *** By the following hour, Enos was a teenager. Turns out Polaris had been right after all, and their growth rate was way faster. Despite being a teenager, however, Enos wasn't surly or withdrawn, like most teenagers Chelsea had known in her youth. He was still the inquisitive, sensitive little guy he had been the previous hour, just bigger now, and more capable of verbally expressing himself. As Chelsea watched Aegis teach Enos how to prepare his own food, she heard the bell over the door ring, and saw Xorlack enter. She smiled as she approached the counter. "What's going on?" Xorlack asked, almost laughing at the absurdity she'd walked in on. "This customer found a Squatter living in the sandwich she was gonna buy, and now we're raising it until it grows up," Chelsea said, "Should only be another few hours." "You had a child with someone else? I'm hurt," Xorlack said, making Chelsea laugh. "Don't worry, she means nothing to me," Chelsea replied, both of them laughing now as Xorlack leaned in and kissed her on the cheek; Chelsea blushed then asked, "What are you doing here anyway? You just come by to see me?" "Yeah, and to get some snacks for movie night. Me and the girls are having a night in and watching a lot of romantic comedies, and I was sent to get the snacks. Well, more that I volunteered, cause I knew I'd get to see you," she replied. "You are a romantic comedy," Chelsea remarked. Xorlack went about her business, grabbing a basket and dropping items into it while Chelsea watched Aegis and Enos finish their food preparation and then eat. She suddenly found that she couldn't help but smile. In fact, she'd been smiling this entire night since Enos had been discovered, and she didn't really understand why. "It's maternal," Polaris said, making her scream a little. "Stop doing that!" she shouted. "Sorry, I was in the bathroom, I just got back," he said, "anyway what you're feeling is maternal. You wanna do for him what your own folks didn't do for you. You wanna prove to yourself that you're better than they were. It's the same thing as the gum or the rollercoaster. Your own judgement is what really matters. Sure, it'd be easy to point and say 'see, I'm doing this to show up my parents! make them proud of me!' but really you're doing it for you, and for that little guy I guess." "I've never once wanted children," Chelsea said, "why would I care so much now?" Polaris lit a cigar and exhaled smoke, then sighed. "I think it's this place, this shop, this dimension, it brings out the best in us," he said, "When I was human-" "Wait, WHAT?" Chelsea asked, jarred by this admission, but he merely ignored her and continued on. "-I never once cared about anything. I was like you. Drifting and aimless. Feeling not just forgotten but let down by the world as a whole, and those who inhabited it. Once I came here, and once I came here for good, I really found myself. Really found who I was and who I should be, who I COULD be. Suddenly all the things I never cared about doing meant the most to me. Suddenly I saw myself doing things I never would've imagined, because now I could do them, and now they mattered." Chelsea looked away from him back to Aegis and Enos. Aegis was laughing at something Enos had said, before looking back at the counter and waving politely, Polaris and Chelsea returning the wave. Chelsea sighed and scratched her forehead. "My parents aren't bad," she said, "They just...aren't anything. They're barely there." "And now so are you," Polaris remarked. He had a point, Chelsea thought. Maybe Enos wasn't the only one rapidly growing up. *** "What does an adult do?" Enos asked, now an adult himself, following Chelsea around the store as she did inventory while Aegis read a magazine at the counter, giving herself a break. Chelsea shrugged and shook her head as she marked something down on a clipboard. "Frankly, I have no earthly idea. Whatever they want, I guess, so long as it doesn't hurt others," Chelsea said, "That's what I always believed anyway. So pick what you like best, and then try and help others with it. Art is a great example. You can make art, and art can help others." "But...but what if nobody likes what I make?" Enos asked, and Chelsea stopped dead in her tracks, then turned and knelt, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Sweetheart, you make it for you, first and foremost. If it helps others, that's great, but you do what you do for yourself. Some may call that selfish, but you're the one you most need to look out for, because almost nobody else will. I'll always be here, and you can always come see me, but in the end, you need to create your own happiness. If that happiness spills out and splashes onto those around you, then you've done something spectacular without even trying, and that's the best way of all to do so." Chelsea almost couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. She'd never once been told these sorts of things, so why was she saying them as if they were gospel? Perhaps Polaris was right. Perhaps it was simply innate to being here, in this place, in this shop. Enos seemed to accept her answer, and hugged her tightly. She felt herself starting to cry, and squeezed him back. Within the next hour or so, Enos had gathered his things and left the shop, on his way to make his own in the world outside. Watching him go, Chelsea couldn't help but feel like a part of herself now lived here...and she couldn't be happier for that. *** "Well," Aegis said, "I suppose I should dawdle off as well." "It's been a long night," Chelsea said as Aegis put her things on the counter to pay for them, but Chelsea waved her away, "No no, it's...you're fine. Free of charge. You did enough." "...you think he'll be okay?" Aegis asked. "I don't know. I can hope so. I think that's all any parent can really do, right? Is hope their kid will find a way to be alright in the world," Chelsea said, "I think he'll be alright. He's got a good head on his shoulders, and he had two smart ladies to help him through it." Aegis smirked. This was the last thing she had expected to be doing tonight. All she'd wanted was a sandwich. "Well, thanks for the help," Aegis said, "It's nice to know this place is in good hands." "Anytime, and thanks for shopping with us, we hope to see you again," Chelsea said. Aegis gathered her items in her bag and headed out the door. As she left, Chelsea finally relaxed, laying her face against the counter. After a moment, she got up and headed across the store to the rack that had magnets on it and plucked one off. She then walked back behind the counter and, turning to face the metal shelving behind her, put up the black devil horse that Enos had colored in for her. She stood back, hands on her hips, and admired his handiwork. "They grow up so fast," Polaris said, approaching the counter with a candy bar. "Shut up," Chelsea said, snickering. "You know, you'd make a good mom," Polaris added. "...eh, been there, done that," she replied, glancing back at the picture, "it was a great experience, but I think once was enough. I don't think I could ever love another the way I loved him. He's my son, after all." Chelsea was leaning on the counter, reading a magazine article titled, "Blorgs! How To Use Them!", none of which she understood a word of, when the bell over the door rang. She looked up and saw a group of three young women enter. On one hand, she was appreciative. These were just plain ordinary human looking girls about her age. On the other hand, because of where they existed, they didn't have any skin. The girls meandered a bit, looking for something until they finally gave up and approached the counter.
"Excuse me," the girl in front said, "Hi, we're looking for some sunscreen. You have sunscreen for people without skin, right?" Chelsea stared for a moment, until she sighed and shut the magazine. "Let me help you," she said flatly. Chelsea came around from the back of the counter and headed to the aisle where they kept supplies like that. She knelt down and started sifting through a select few items grouped together on the shelf, muttering the names to herself as she did, while the other girls stood behind her, watching. "We've already looked through here," the lead said again. "I'm aware, I saw you do it. I'm just doing it too because sometimes customers miss things that are plain as day," Chelsea replied, "Seeing as I'm not one who's too keen on skincare routines to begin with, however, maybe I'm not exactly the best person to be helping you with such a request." "Well is there anyone else even here?" the second girl of the three asked. "No, I'm the only employee, and I was only recently hired," Chelsea replied, "So not only am I not super familiar with the products we carry, I also am not from this place, nor have I been here that long. You're working with diminishing returns here, is what I'm saying." The third girl laughed a little, which made her friends glare at her. "Look, we can't be out in the sun for too long without some sort of protection," the first girl said, putting her hands on her hips, "if we're exposed to the UV rays for that long, it'll flat out cook us, and that would be, well, kinda unpleasant I'd suspect. So how do we proceed?" "Well, I suppose you could just...burn up and die in a glorious blaze?" Chelsea asked, smiling cheerfully, none of the girls except the third laughing; after a moment, Chelsea added, "...that...that was a joke. I don't know what to-" The bell over the door rang and they all turned to see who had entered. After a few seconds, and the sound of nice shoes clacking on the floor, they saw the man Chelsea had come to know as Polaris standing at the endcap of the aisle, looking at the sunglasses. Chelsea knew if anyone could help her, it'd be him, even if Luna had told her to be careful interacting with him. "I'll be right back," she said to the girls, heading down the aisle as she watched Polaris put a pair of sunglasses on his featureless face. Approaching him, she smiled and asked, "why do you need sunglasses? You don't even have eyes." "It's a little thing called fashion, sweetheart," he said, making her chuckle as he added, "So, how's your night going?" "It's...going," Chelsea said, scratching the back of her head, "Actually, could you maybe help me with these customers? They're skinless, but they're looking for some kind of sunscreen they can use to protect themselves." "You get a lot of ironic customers, do you?" Polaris asked, making Chelsea chuckle again. For the life of her, Chelsea couldn't understand Luna's disapproval of Polaris. He seemed fairly nice and polite and willing to help. But, she had to remind herself, this was not her dimension, and she hadn't been here that long. She was unsure of everyone's relationship to one another. Chelsea folded her arms and tossed her hair back behind her. "Can you help me, please?" she asked. "I can, but I would like something in return," Polaris said, checking his finely manicured nails. "What? Something evil? I can't give you something evil." "I just wanted a slurpy," Polaris said. "Oh, well, that we can do," Chelsea said, laughing. Polaris followed Chelsea back down the aisle, until they finally got to the girls, two of which were yammering about the lack of assistance and product, while the third remained ever quiet. Polaris stopped, leaned against the shelf and, presumably, checked his nails. "So ladies, what appears to be the problem? Having a slight issue finding something to keep you safe?" he asked. "Yeah," the first girl replied, "this store doesn't have anything that'll protect muscle and sinew, just skin proper. Not only is that sort of discriminatory - though I doubt intentionally - it also puts a hamper on our plans cause we can't go somewhere else now. This was our last hope for the day." "I think I can help you find what you're looking for," Polaris said, as he took Chelsea by the arm and added, "wait right here" before dragging her off. Once he and Chelsea were out of earshot, he looked back at the girls, then faced Chelsea, who had a quizzical appearance on her face. "So what's your solution?" she asked, folding her arms. "Todd still work here?" Polaris asked, surprising her. "You know about Todd?" she asked. He snapped his fingers and they started heading to the back area of the store, through the double doors into the halls where Todd's "office" was located. Polaris's long legs allowed him to stride down the hall with ease, with Chelsea having a tough time keeping up. "How do you know about Todd?" she asked. "I know a lot about this store," he said, "So what you're gonna do is go in there and get three skinsuits from him. I'll bet Luna told you he only makes clothing, but that's not at all the case. He can make anything. You just have to ask him." "...can't you do it?" "What, your job?" "I just...I don't really wanna see skinsuits be made, that sounds...gross," Chelsea said. "Jeez, I can't believe she hired you," Polaris said, rubbing his forehead, "Alright, wait here, I'll be back in a moment." Polaris entered Todd's office, leaving Chelsea hanging out in the halls. She leaned against the wall and blew her bangs out of her face, sighing. Why couldn't she have gotten a job at a fast food restaurant or maybe a...a video rental store. Those still existed, right? They had to somewhere. But no. Nobody else would call her back, nobody else would even give her the slightest hope or chance, and now she worked here of all places. In this bizarre multidimensional little shop of horrors. She heard the large double doors open and she turned her head to see the third girl of the group, the quiet one, approaching slowly. "Ma'am, you shouldn't be back here, we'll be right out soon enough and-" "I'm so sorry," the girl said, catching Chelsea by surprise, considering she hadn't spoken all night. "Sorry?" "For my friends, or...I guess they're my friends, I don't know," she continued, "We've been friends so long it'd be weird not to be, you know? But they're rude and selfish and I just feel like I have constantly have to apologize to minimum wage workers whenever I can on their behalf, so I'm sorry. I'm sorry they're jerks and that they've talked to you the way that they have. I think you do a fine job." Chelsea wanted to hug this weird skinless girl, thank her for her kindness, but she didn't. Instead she just smiled, taking her words to heart. "Thanks, I appreciate that. They aren't that bad, for what it's worth," Chelsea said, "I mean, sure, they'd kinda mean, but like, last week, I had this guy come in - I think he was a guy, I can't tell with monsters - and he was the biggest jerk. He was just a giant mouth and said he wanted chewing tobacco and I asked him 'do you want a funnel with that?' and he lost his temper. Like, okay perhaps what I said was rude but I figured humor would lighten the situation." The girl was giggling now, which made Chelsea feel better. This was the first actually normal interaction she'd had outside of Polaris - and she questioned whether those were considered normal or not - in the store, and she welcomed it. "It's hard out here," the girl said, leaning on the wall beside her and looking at her hands, "everyone is always so scared of eachother, so angry at one another. Then you have the outside world calling us monsters, granted they don't really know we exist proper, but still." "I'm sorry, I shouldn't use the term monster." "I don't care, but yeah, others might," the girl replied, "I just want you to know that I think you're doing a pretty good job at keeping your cool for a human stuck in this sort of situation. Considering the things you've seen and the people you've helped, it must be warping your world view just a bit." "Oh, a smidgen maybe," Chelsea said, grinning, both girls laughing. Suddenly the doors opened back up and Polaris stepped back out, holding three skinsuits, complete with faux bathing suits attached. He waved through the door as it shut. "It was nice seeing you too, Todd, tell the wife and kids hi for me!" he said. "Todd has a wife and kids?" Chelsea asked as Polaris approached. "Of course he does. Todd's a catch," Polaris said, before turning to the skinless girl, "Now, you, uh..." "Xorlack," she said. "Xorlack, which of these do you want?" Polaris asked, holding the skinsuits out in full for her to choose from. After a moment of consideration, Xorlack chose one and Polaris handed it to her before heading back out to see which ones the other girls wanted, leaving Chelsea and Xorlack alone once again. Xorlack started to pull the skinsuit up around herself, like it was a dress, while Chelsea waited and watched. As she got it fully on, fitting perfectly, she turned and looked at Chelsea, who smiled at her. "How do I look?" she asked. "You look great, actually," Chelsea said, "Now let's go get some sunscreen for you." Once Polaris had given the other girls their suits, and Chelsea had helped them find a sunscreen that would best fit them, she helped them check out. As they left, Xorlack grabbed Chelsea's wrist and wrote her phone number on her hand before smiling at her and leaving giddily. Chelsea looked at her palm and felt an odd flutter in her stomach. Polaris lit a cigar and leaned against the counter, sighing. "Always feels good to help the customer find what they need," he said. "I...I've never gotten someone's phone number before," Chelsea mumbled, blushing. "She seemed nice," Polaris said, "You gonna call her?" "I...I don't know, maybe, I just...this job is so weird, man," Chelsea said, "Half the time I feel like I don't know what I'm doing, and the other half I feel like this is exactly where I belong. I mean, it's not like I fit in super great in my own dimension, you know? I don't really have friends, and I'm sort of an embarrassment to my family, and I don't really care for socializing at college. I actually find myself looking forward to working now, because this place feels more welcoming than anywhere I can go." "Yeah, that's the beauty of this place," Polaris said. "I mean this dimension just seems so much more-" "Oh, I don't mean the dimension, I mean this store, this place, Last Shop on the Left," Polaris interrupted, looking around the shop as he blew cigar smoke into the air and added, "it's got this magical otherworldly quality to it that's missing from the dimension its set in. It feels like a space place, like somewhere you can belong even if you belong nowhere else. Luna has a habit of hiring people who don't fit in anywhere, which is maybe why they fit in so well here." "...how do you know so much about the store, and Luna?" Chelsea asked, leaning on the counter. "Eh, another time perhaps I'll tell you, for now I think I'll just take my snacks and go home," he said, waiting as Chelsea rang him up; he leaned on the counter as well and said, "I think you should call her, for what it's worth. You say you can't make friends where you are, then make friends here. Monsters are the better people anyway." "Yeah, I'm starting to realize that," Chelsea said as she finished his check out. Polaris tipped his hat at her as he took his bag and exited the store. Chelsea, now finally alone again, stood behind the counter and looked at the number on her hand once more, now noticing Xorlack had even put a little heart next to her name. Chelsea felt flushed. She'd always assumed she liked girls as much as she liked boys, but she'd never really taken the time to know for sure. Well, now, it seemed, she knew for sure. Come the next night, Chelsea found herself back in the dimension, though not for work. She and Xorlack had made plans to do something, and she was beginning to see what Polaris meant. The store had brought her employment, self worth and now friendship. What had the 'real world' ever given her, honestly, besides grief and isolation? Maybe, just maybe, Chelsea could be a monster for a while too. At least, unlike other humans, she could admit she was. "You don't have any prior work history on your resume," Luna said, "Am I to believe this is actually your first job? That seems a bit odd for a college student."
Chelsea - the young woman being interviewed - stared at Luna. Luna sighed and set the resume down on the desk, then cupped her tentacles on the table. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" she asked, "Is it the tentacles?" "They don't help," Chelsea said, making Luna chuckle. "I know that this is weird," she said, "but we don't often get human resumes, that's partially why I wanna take a gamble on you. You seem like a smart young lady, and I wanna help you pay for your education. You only have to work nights, so it won't cut into your school time. I hope we can come to some sort of arrangement. Now tell me, you've never worked before?" "I used to do chores that I got paid for and one summer I was a lifeguard," Chelsea said, brushing her blonde hair from her eyes. "Oh yeah? How'd that go?" Luna asked, picking up the resume once again. "Not great, a kid drowned," Chelsea said, "but that wasn't my fault, for what it's worth. He had asthma, he shouldn't have been swimming to begin with. If anything it's his moms fault really." A moment of silence passed as neither woman said anything. "You...you wanna blame the mom of the dead kid? You really wanna go with that?" she asked. "...I mean, do you have a better excuse?" Chelsea asked. "Chelsea, there won't be much work here, for what it's worth. We don't get a ton of business, especially at night," Luna said, "so I'm gonna give you the job on a trial basis. Come with me, we need to get you a uniform, and then I'll show you how the job works." Luna stood up and slithered out of the room, Chelsea right behind her, making sure not to step in her slime trail. As the women headed down the hall of the backroom, going to, Chelsea presumed, the uniform department, Luna kept talking. "It's a pretty basic job, like any convenience store. You run the register, help customers, keep things clean," she said, "We have a janitor, but you likely won't see him much." "Why not? He doesn't work nights?" "No, he's invisible. So if you see a dustpan moving on its own, don't freak out," Luna said. They finally reached a door, which Luna opened with her tentacles and inside was a blindingly white room with just a single enormous creature of incomprehensible shape. Chelsea followed Luna slowly inside, staying cautiously behind her as they approached the creature. "I need a uniform for Chelsea here, a size..." Luna said, snapping her fingers. "Uh, 8," Chelsea said. "You heard her," Luna said. The enormous creature nodded, or at least Chelsea thought it did, before grabbing a piece of itself and tearing away from its flesh what was a uniform. It then handed the uniform to Luna, who thanked them as they exited. Back in the hallway, she handed the uniform to Chelsea. "You can change in our bathroom," Luna said, "I'll meet you at the register when you're done." "What...what was that?" Chelsea asked. "That was Todd," Luna said, "He's where all our uniforms come from. He's a creature made entirely of clothing materials that take any shape he wants them to take when he peels them off himself. He's a literal skinsuit." "His name is Todd?" "No, but his actual name is something you cannot pronounce," Luna replied. "Of course it is," Chelsea said, heading to the bathroom. *** Chelsea Teages had never had a job before because, quite frankly, she'd never needed one. She came from a fairly well off family who agreed to pay for her college if she agreed to get a job to chip in, to teach her responsibility. Chelsea had never really done well with responsibility. When she was 9, they got her a hamster as a pet, and after strapping it into her Barbie Convertible and sending it down the stairs and off a ramp, she realized why they had been so hesitant to get her a pet in the first place. She simply didn't do well when it came to taking care of things. So working at Last Shop On The Left was her chance to prove herself to her folks, and even to herself to an extent. She'd only found the job offer because a flyer had been taped to a crosswalk light nearby her college dorm, and there was only one application attached, which she thought was odd. She took it, and when she went back the following day, the flyer and the crosswalk light were both gone. So she filled out the paper, sent in the application and then was given detailed directions to the store. Now, standing in this bathroom and admiring herself in her new uniform - which somehow, despite its origins, wasn't slimy or remotely damp in the slightest - Chelsea was feeling good about herself. She'd taken the initiative, and she was going to prove to her folks that she could be responsible. Just...maybe not in the sort of way they'd expected. *** "What the hell is that thing?" Chelsea asked, pointing at the machine on the counter. "This is the register," Luna said. The register was fleshy and made gurgling noises. Luna pressed a protrusion on it, and it slid open, revealing the money within. Chelsea was, admittedly, disgusted by the register, but she didn't want to make he revulsion that obvious to her new boss, so she kept her mouth shut. "You got into college so logic dictates you're capable of doing at least basic mathematics," Luna said, "Figuring out how to make change and whatnot shouldn't be that difficult for you. You're also free to eat anything in the store, free of charge. Call it bonus compensation. Can't have you going hungry while you're here." "Anything?" Chelsea asked, tugging at the collar of her uniform shirt. "Yes, although I highly recommend you make sure it's safe for humans to eat. There's a lot of stuff in here that's made specifically for interdimensional monsters, so please be careful," Luna said. "I'll, uh, keep that in mind," Chelsea said, starting to feel somewhat nervous. "Now, I'm going to take off for a bit. When I get back, I'll assess your work for the night, and we'll talk about future employment," Luna said, "I shouldn't be gone too long. And, for the record, if The Muck comes out, if they try to consume you and make you a part of them, the broom to shoo them off is right there." And with that Luna exited the store, leaving Chelsea simultaneously confused and terrified. *** Nothing much happened during Chelsea's shift, much to her relief. She spent most of the time familiarizing herself with the 'register', and doing some light reorganizing and restocking. She even managed to get into the radio tuner that played over the store speakers and found a channel called MICT, or Music for Interdimensional Creatures of Terror, which played something sort of close to what Chelsea considered music, so she found that most acceptable to her ears. While she was kneeling, pushing bags of what looked like pretzels but were probably tiny edible bones from what Chelsea had learned so far about this place, she heard the bell over the door ring. "I'll be right with you!" she shouted over her shoulder. After she finished putting the things on the shelf, she headed back to the front of the store, went around the counter to behind the register and then looked up at the creature standing in front of her. Her polite smile turned to a concerned grimace, but she tried to hide it. The thing standing in front of her was a creature about 7 feet tall with no discernible facial features (or a face, for that matter) and just a single gaping hole in where its face would theoretically be. Chelsea sized this creature up, then bit her lip. "How can I help you?" she asked. The creature didn't respond, they merely made a horrifying sound with their mouth hole and Chelsea nodded afterwards. She looked around behind her, then grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the shelf and handed them to the creature. The creature stood there momentarily, then picked them up, stuffed them in their craw, then tossed some money on the counter before exiting. Chelsea carefully picked the money up and put it into the register before exhaling. Of all the jobs she could've applied to, she thought. *** Chelsea spent the remainder of her time reading magazines that she didn't really understand, with names like "Splork!" about extreme sports for interdimensional beings. Luna had been right, business at night tended to be rather slow, so she just made sure to keep the place tidy and in check. After a bit, she heard the bell ring again and when she finally looked up, she saw a faceless man in a pinstripe suit standing in front of her at the counter. She was starting to wonder if anyone in this place had a face. "How can I help you?" she asked. "How can you help me when you can't even help yourself?" he asked, catching her off guard. She hadn't actually expected him to be able to respond. "Wh...what?" she asked, flustered. "I'm kidding," he said, laughing, "I'm just here for a pack of cigars and a bottle of wine." "You can't go to a liquor store?" Chelsea asked as she turned to get the cigars. "At this time of night?" he asked, "Please. I know the wine here isn't the best, but it's at least available." "Would you like to carry these things out, or should I deliver them to your rolls royce?" she asked, smirking, making him snap his long pale slender fingers and point at her. "You're funny," he said, "Seems like Luna finally found a good fit for this place. Last one wasn't as funny, last one also didn't last long. Got themselves caught up in a robbery." He lit up the cigar as Chelsea leaned on the counter, curious and grateful to have someone to talk to. "Really? What'd they take?" "Their skin," he replied, "And most of their internal organs. Zepids, horrible little creatures. They take anything that isn't nailed down and resell it on the black market for high prices. Mostly dabble in human organs and the like. Personally, I recommend you buy a gun and keep it under the counter." "Can a gun kill something from here?" Chelsea asked, her brow furrowing. "I guess we'll find out if you do it," the man said, taking his wine and, cigar on his face, extended his hand for her to sake, which she did as he added, "I'm Polaris. It's nice to meet you Chelsea." "How...how did you know my name?" "It's on your nametag," Polaris said, pointing at her shirt, making her chuckle nervously. "Oh, hah, right," she said, "Sorry, this has been a weird day." "And it promises to get weirder," he said, almost sinister like as he motioned towards the front door and exited. Chelsea stood there, somewhat surprised at the conversation she'd just had. Maybe this job wouldn't be interacting with just monsters. Maybe things would be sort of normal from time to time. Maybe she'd worried too much, and sometimes customers would come in that would be almost normal. And then the large sentient hand walked in and demolished that hope. *** "You did...exceptionally well," Luna said, standing with Chelsea at the counter as Chelsea shoved her uniform into her backpack, preparing to leave. "Yeah, well, it was weird, but there wasn't much business like you said, so," Chelsea replied, pulling her backpack onto her shoulders after she had zipped it up; she turned to Luna and asked, "So...do I have the job then?" "...I'd say so, yeah. Come on in tomorrow night and let's see how this continues," she replied. "Hey, uh, this guy named Polaris came in, and-" "...he did?" Luna asked, now sounding concerned, "Chelsea, Polaris is a dangerous individual. Don't let him get inside your head, okay? If he comes in again, tell him to leave without talking to you. That's how he gets to people. All he has to do is talk. Now hurry up or you'll miss your cab." Chelsea looked outside and noticed the taxi sitting outside with human fists for wheels. She sighed and headed towards the door. This was gonna be a weird year. |
About
Chelsea Teages is trying to pay her way through college, and has taken a job as a cashier at a local convenience store that may or may not be in an alternate dimension. Archives
November 2022
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