TIME: Midnight
LOCATION: Shay-D-Mart

Finally! Some free time.

What is up with Barry tonight? He hasn’t hovered over me like this since I started working here my last year of high school. It’s like he’s making sure I don’t abandon the store for a party I’m not even invited to.

He kept popping in at random times, grunting with grudging approval as if surprised I’m actually working. Pffft. These shelves aren’t going to stock themselves. And someone riffled through all the boxes in the end caps but put nothing back where it belongs.

I swear he had this look of malicious glee when he thought he caught me watching videos on shift. He grabbed my phone off the counter in an “ah-ha!” moment. His face fell when he saw the folding tutorial, and I pointed to the half-finished display made from cheesy tourist towels. I made it so that the folded towels revealed the complete picture on the towel — the Rivershade Squirrel Man. My folding might suck but it was a genius idea. He just stared. Not even a grunt of approval.

Barry doesn’t appreciate art.

I finally asked why he was still hanging around.

Mistake.

He gave me a hard stare, leaned forward and pointed a finger in my face. With his bulk, from ten steps away, he loomed over me.

I like to think that I didn’t shrink back in my seat, but I did. I’d love to meet someone who wouldn’t when it feels like a mountain is about to fall on you.

Then he stalked out.

Okaaaay.

Did I overstep? I just wanted to know if he was expecting some kind of delivery. There aren’t many deliveries at night, but we have been getting more than usual.

Barry doesn’t look like a smart guy. He’s big, moves slowly most of the time, but he’s a savvy businessman—staffing issues and calling me last minute all the time aside. According to town gossip, his family came here with nothing. While they haven’t built mansions on the hill like the other families who’ve “made it” in Rivershade, they’ve turned that section of land inside the river bend into their own fiefdom. I hold no illusions about him realizing how hard I work and someday getting the reins to the Shay-D-Mart. He’s got a ton of nieces and nephews willing to take the reins even if they only come here for the family discount.

Everything is on Barry time. But as long as we don’t look like a dollar store with stuff falling over and customers aren’t waiting around, I can take a break anytime I want. He likes things tidy. We’re classy at the Shay-D-Mart.

So why micromanage me tonight?

Is he mad that I was five minutes late? Monumentally unfair since Kim strolls in whenever she wants.

Sure, he’s a cantankerous bastard who’s constantly angry at the world. But usually I can pinpoint why: late delivery, clumsy customers breaking things, taking too long to do inventory (unfair because I end up doing it alone. Kim doesn’t help and Starla always makes mistakes). But not understanding what’s kicking off his agitation makes me uneasy. 

What if Shay-D-Mart’s not making enough money? Is he making up the loss by doing something illegal? I mean, margins are tight so I can understand the temptation. Is that why we’re overstocked? I haven’t had a chance to go through yesterday’s delivery. Should I? He never mentioned it, so neither did I. The oversight made an easier shift for me. What if Barry hadn’t made a mistake? He usually doesn’t.

What does that mean for me?

It’s hard to get work. Fiona isn’t going to welcome me back into Dad’s house. I need the Shay-D-Mart.

And safety! I never worried about my safety here — even when working graveyards on my own. It’s boring and annoying but I never felt scared.

Locals know enough to stay on the good side of Barry and his family. Tourists are a bit trickier. But since we’re not close to the touristy part of town, we don’t get that many unless there’s a special event. Like tonight’s full moon party, but that location changes all the time so that’s not consistent either.

Worst case scenario, if someone comes in to rob the store, there are enough CCTVs around town to make sure that Justice prevails, and I am swiftly avenged. Maybe… if the right people care. I’m nobody here. I think I need to re-evaluate some things.

Wonder if I listen to too many true crime podcasts…

Our local police do little more than monitor traffic. The real power is Rivershade Security Systems (aka rich people’s private police force). They love to brag that with so many cameras, it’s almost impossible for anything illegal to happen. And yet, tourists still go missing all the time. Convenient, right?

It’s all about knowing the right people and greasing the right palms. Typical. Is that how Barry thinks he can get away with… whatever nefarious plans he has? Makes sense. That’s so Rivershade.

We have a huge tourist trade. Most come for the hot springs and health spas. I think Rivershade has the largest athleisurewear population outside of California.

Unexpectedly, the rise of ghost hunting videos has been a blessing for this town. We’ve become kind of like Point Pleasant and the Mothman. The town embraced the ghost/cryptid hunting tourism money.

Most of us have a pragmatic approach to everything weird. If it makes money, and people aren’t dying en masse, it’s fine. Some tourists can’t help but apply for the Darwin Awards.

Which reminds me, I’ve got to call Simon. I think he’ll give me access to some of those cameras if I keep working on him. He loves cryptid hunting as much as I do. That hasn’t changed despite becoming the new tech guru at RSS. At the very least, he can tell me if he sees anything weird if I buy him a beer.

The only good thing about tonight is that there’s one last salted caramel brownie from Patisserie Max. It’s the most delicious place in town. Maybe the world! Forget the spas and the mysteries. The baked goods and exquisite coffee drinks are really why people should come here. Like every other place in this town, I can’t afford to walk in the door. Dad used to take me before he married Fiona. Now life is homemade scones and tea. Fiona’s a stellar cook, but the pastries from Max can heal every wound in your soul.

I have no idea how Barry convinced Max to sell pastries here. It’s like putting rubies among crayons. But I’m glad he did. Even at the Shay-D-Mart, they’re too expensive. I’m on a ramen budget with filet mignon dreams.

But Barry hates waste. These pastries are about the only things we sell that have a short shelf life. To his credit, he’d rather let us eat something than throw it out. The only rule is that we can’t hide stuff away from customers. Which… fair.

It’s sitting on the counter tempting me. I’ve had my eye on it all shift. In a couple more hours, it could be mine. I’m dying to hide it, but fair’s fair. I’m willing to wait for my free brownie dream.

4:00[SM1]  a.m.

OMG, OMG, OMG.

I think I know why Barry was waiting around.

Around two-thirty, the door chime rang, alerting me to customers. Unusual, since after midnight things are super slow until the after-hours clubs close and the party zombies make their way here for munchies and hydration. It’s a bit of a walk, but at that hour, we’re the only thing open.

Occasionally we get teens out past curfew, and sometimes homeless people wander around the store. Once in a while, a lost tourist comes in needing to call for a cab. If they aren’t causing trouble, I don’t mind, especially if the weather is bad, but we don’t have a set of graveyard regulars. I think that’s suspicious, but then again, Rivershade doesn’t have a long-term homeless population. The topography here is harsh and rugged. Maybe the police are right when they say these people are just moving on to someplace more hospitable. But they receive less attention than missing tourists which definitely deserves some side-eye.

When the motion-activated door chime went off, I leaned over the counter to see who walked in. This pair wasn’t Shay-D-Mart’s usual graveyard shift clientele.

They were massive! As tall as Barry but built differently. Like huge hockey defensive line players. And they were… hot? It’s a weak word. Yeah. Rivershade has more than its fair share of the beautiful. Billionaires build and attract them, I guess. However, that tax bracket doesn’t shop at Shay-D-Mart.

These guys weren’t just pretty—they were magnetic. But something about them felt off.

You know when you see two people together, and the way they interact makes you automatically slot them into a category? Buddies, family, co-workers who don’t get along, maybe a couple? These two didn’t fit. They were mismatched. People who worked together but clearly didn’t like each other.

The dark-haired guy was rumpled rather than scruffy, but he seemed to prefer comfort. He had shaggy, slightly curly hair and probably hadn’t shaved in a couple days. He wore his clothes like they were favorites he’d been wearing for years. The jeans and black leather jacket looked comfortable. Worn and broken in. He had heavy boots that weren’t great for running but would come in handy for a fight. His ratty looking leather backpack slung over one shoulder finished the picture. I have one about that size for when I’m carrying lots of camera gear and I’m not sure how the weather will end up.

His grumpy frown wasn’t holding anything back. He didn’t want to be here.

Totally get it. After two a.m., I also would prefer to be anywhere else. I prefer to ignore graveyard shift customers unless they ask me something. It’s late. People are cranky. Conversations can cause conflict when people are tired. But these guys had my full attention.

The blond guy wore a leather jacket, too. Brown instead of black. Black sneakers instead of boots. His clothes had ironed creases and that recently purchased color cast. Even his hair was precisely styled, short, and off his face. He exuded neatness in a way that made me think of a soldier’s uniform.

I looked out the window to see what kind of car they drove, expecting a high-end sports car. The lot was empty.

I doubt they walked here. Too early for the after-hours clubs, not to mention they were way too casual for the dress-code. The full-moon parties rarely end until the sun comes up. But the location Kes told me about isn’t close enough to walk. Did they find the staff lot behind the store? But I never heard a car…

So, who were they and how did they get here? Was this why Barry had been waiting around? If so, why didn’t he stay?

Who are these mysterious strangers?
Tourists… or something else?
Find out in the next episode.

Season 1 is complete and will begin weekly drops on Ream soon.

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