Three Years Later

11:55 P.M.

Maddy Hastings stared at the scratched-up glass of his wristwatch, a heavy sigh escaped his lips. Five more minutes until he could close up the diner and crawl into bed. Dee had called in sick again and he had been stuck doing her shift again. Truth is, she was probably out on another date…again.

Maddy pushed a damp cloth across a spotless table for the third time. Boredom gnawed at him, threatening to pull him into sleep if he even dared to sit down. He looked around the room listlessly. It was a typical diner with large grey and orange booths that made adults appear as toddlers and mini jukeboxes at each table, which Doug swears doesn't work because of the constant bad weather. A couple of TVs were placed near the entrance, one for music, and the other, for the local news. Behind the TV was a bar where a couple of drunks sat half-dead in their seats and his his boss was wiping the last of the glasses.

Maddy tried to muster up some energy to look busy when Doug put away the last glass and walked over, but damn it, it was nearly midnight and his feet were so sore he wouldn't be surprised if they popped off on their own and walked home without him.

"Hey, son," Doug asked, leaning against the booth that sagged under his weight. "How're you holding up?"

Maddy flashed a small smile. Doug wasn’t his real father, but for the past two years, he was the closest thing Maddy had to an actual one. He said, “Okay, though, I think my legs are conspiring against me."

Doug let out a small chuckle, “Well, lucky for you, I’m calling it a night. You’ll be alright closing up?”

Maddy nodded at the older man.

“Good,” Doug said, pulling on the brown trench coat his wife got him for his fiftieth birthday. In the right lighting, his looks matched a noir detective perfectly. He added, “Dee really should be the one doing it, but hey, more money for you right?”

“Yeah,” Maddy said with a laugh but didn’t commit to it. “I could use it to pay for my next semester.”

“See, everything happens for a good reason.” He assured the corners of his eyes crinkling as he patted Maddy’s shoulder.

Doug grabbed a string attached to a golden bell hung up on the side of the front door and rang it. He took in a deep breath, filling up his belly, “Attention all customers! Douggie’s Café and Bar is now officially closed! So, go home and don’t forget to tip your waiter. He’s got school to pay for.”

He winked at Maddy as most customers let out a small laugh, while they looked in his direction.

Maddy's cheeks burned as he snapped his attention back to the tables and started wiping away an invisible stain. The idea of going home gave him the extra push he needed to clear the rest of the tables, lift the chairs, and mop the floors. By the time he was done, the last customer was long gone. He picked up the remote control to turn off the TV when the news story caught his attention.

A dark-skinned reporter in mittens and a thick scarf walked the streets of downtown. The sun was still out when the segment was initially taped and the reporter had been going on about the recent attacks of arsines in the area. The latest one had been close to Dee’s neighborhood. He wondered for a brief moment, if it was Dee’s overprotective parents that stopped her from taking her shift tonight.

Maddy shrugged with a small smile forming on his lips. Probably not. If Dee wanted to go out, she would have.

The reporter pressed on, detailing the baffling series of disappearances from the victims of the arson attacks. Maddy narrowed his gaze, fully emersed in the segment. Willow Creek was a sleepy little town- which Dee joked old people went to die when they couldn't afford Florida- fires and missing people just didn't happen here.

So of course, when the front door rattled and caused the bell to chime relentlessly, Maddy nearly jumped out of his skin. He whirled around, heart in his throat, to see a figure dressed out of time slamming his fists against the glass of the door, his face contorted in terror. For once in his life, Maddy was glad he remembered to lock the front door before cleaning up.