The Magic of Time

Prologue

“Who am I?” I ask myself. My heart is beating faster than a hummingbird's wings and my hands are shaking violently. “How did I make all of those people disappear? All of those innocent people... What kind of monster am I?”

My anger got the best of me, like it usually does. Why am I always being avoided? Today was the day that I decided to confront... those people. I was in the middle of my usual shift at the restaurant I work at, when “those people” showed up for food. My boss always says “Serve the people you don't like, as if they are just regular customers.” Of course, I walked up to them, trying to be a good waitress when the rumble began.

“Oh, great. What are you doing here?” The creepy thin one asked me. “I thought they banned people like you from public places.”

“I work here.” I say with my blood boiling. “What would you like to start out with?”

“I don't want you man-handling my food.” The fat one rudely comments. “First, we'd like a new waitress, then we'd like you kicked out of this joint.”

“I'm sorry.” I say without moving my jaw. “There are no other waitresses available and I didn't do anything, so I can't be kicked out, but you can.” I grab my notepad out of my apron and write down what to bring to this table. “I'll start you out with water.” I walk into the kitchen and fill two glasses with freezing water, then I sprinkle jalapeno powder and chili powder into the glass and mix it well, the peculiar ingredients aren't visible.

I bring the drinks to my awful customers and they are ready to order. The thin one takes a sip of their water then asks me for a slice of deep dish pizza. It was hilarious seeing his face after he finished ordering. His eyes started bulging out of his head and then his skin became the brightest red I've ever seen. He takes a sip of the fat one's drink trying to sooth the burning, but instead gets an even spicier taste in his mouth. Then, he gets up, runs around screaming his head off annoying all of the other customers.

“Excuse me, sir.” I say nicely to the person screaming and running around the restaurant. “Please sit down or I'm going to have to ask you to leave.” I take their waters and turn around as I walk away and smile evilly in their direction.

When they got “fresh water” and their meals, they really started to tick me off.

"What did you do to our food, you animal?” The overweight one asks while staring at his food like it was a used diaper. “I asked for a chicken wrap, not whatever this is. You're not a waitress, you are a mean witch!”

The anger inside of me builds up to a point I can not control and by the faces on the boys, they are scared. An odd glow surrounds my body and fills the room. Everybody in the room starts frantically running about, then they all just.......disappear....

I run into every room of the restaurant and each room is... empty. Half of my friends work here so I try calling them from my phone, but they go straight to voice-mail or a robot lady says through my speaker that the person's phone is out of service. “Great....” I mumble under my breath. I've looked in every corner of the restaurant and I still can't find them.

Tears start to stream down my face, then they come pouring like a waterfall. I plop myself down at one of the abandoned tables and cry until my tear ducts are aching. The whole scenario replays in my head on a loop like a broken record and I slump down in my chair and tears create from an unknown water source. I place my head in my hands and whimper for hours. People are usually swarming in this place, but no one has shown up.

When it starts to get dark, I decide to clean myself up in the kitchen. I look like a wreck, no doubt. I don't want to leave. I don't want to go home to my family and my super comfy bed; I just want to stay here until I'm dehydrated of tears. I'm so confused. “What happened?” I ask myself almost out of tears. After about another hour, I cry myself to sleep and wake up in the woods. “What? Where am I?” I stumble onto my feet and deliriously walk around. I'm in an open area and all around me is woods.

“Wherever I am, I will find those people.”