Trials of Emersten

I don't know where Danny slept that night, or even if he had gone back to sleep at all, because the next morning I was the last to wake up; my book had been placed neatly on the table beside my bed. We all went through our morning routines and packed up the few things we had brought to the room from the car last night. When we exited the room, Danny and I took our stuff to the car while Dad went to return our room keys and inquire about a good place to eat breakfast before we hit the road. The receptionist recommended this diner down the street a bit, so that's where we went.

Breakfast was quiet. It was still a little too early for me for intelligent conversation, so the silence didn't bother me one bit. Danny seemed bored, while Dad merely flipped through the morning paper he got by the diner's entrance. It wasn't until the waitress came back one final time before handing us our check, that anyone really said anything, and even then, it was only Dad trying to make sure he could get us back en route.

“Can I get you anything else?” Doreen [or, so her name tag read] asked.

“Uh, excuse me,” he began. “Could you tell me how far away we are from Emersten?” 

“Sure thing, Sugar,” Doreen said, a toothy smile plastered on her chubby face. “it's about a-half-an-hour westward on the four-oh-three.” And then she took a step towards us, clutched her order-pad closer to her body, and gave us a straight-faced look that screamed, 'I'm about to tell you some juicy gossip.'

“But, you don't want to head out there, trust me,” she half-whispered. “Karen Feyer, on Penbury Street, took her children to the doctor out there a couple of months ago, before the Doc disappeared? They practically chased her out of town before the sun set! Strange people, they are, but you didn't her it form me. 

“Now,” she began, smile back on her face. “Can I get you anything else?”

Danny and I exchanged a wide-eyed look, while my father choked on what was left of his coffee.

“...uh..” cough, cough. “...no, I...” cough. “...I believe we're finished, thanks...” cough.

“Alright, then.” Doreen scribbled something on her pad and tore off the top sheet, placing it face down on our table. “Here is your check, and you can pay at that register over there.” She pointed it out with her pencil. “Have a nice day!” she chirped. And with that, she walked briskly away.

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“Well, that was weird,” Danny stated once we were by the safety of our car.

“Yeah, and what was that bit about the last doctor disappearing? Dad, you can't seriously be taking a missing man's job!”

“Well, somebody has to do it, Cass,” he said, eyebrows arched. “And, besides, the change—“

“Will do us good!” Danny and I chorused.

“Yeah, we know,” Danny finished, walking around the car, claiming the front seat. Dad just shook his head in response as he took his place in the driver's seat. The engine roared to life as I climbed in the back, and Dad pulled the car up to the parking lot entrance.

In what seemed like no time at all, we were pulling into the two-car drive-way of a fairly modern looking house, right next to the moving van that was currently being unloaded by a couple of movers. No sooner were we out of our car than we were met by a woman who looked as if she could be a resident of Stepford. 

Clutching a set of keys in one hand, and thrusting a clipboard into my father's with another, she gave off the air of someone who'd rather be doing anything other than what they were. Without sparing a glance at either my brother or I, she rushed through her exasperated greeting of, “There you are! Finally! You need to sign here, here, here, and initial...here. Thank you, it was a pleasure doing business!”, before switching the clipboard with the keys and taking off as fast as her three-inch heels could take her. 

What a welcome, and the day was just beginning.