//------------------------------// // Makes No Difference // Story: Not\e/worthy // by YarnWeaver //------------------------------// Not\e/worthy Part of the PonyEarthVerse By: YarnWeaver Chapter 2: Makes No Difference Saturday, P.E.07 - 09:38 P.M. La Marque, TX - Someone's Friend I parked my car in one of our designated spaces. I was early, of course. I made sure to get here early as often as I could. It was one of the ways I made sure the higher-ups couldn't fire me for all the crap I call them out on. Anyway, I'm an Overnight Associate. I've basically had to adapt to being nearly nocturnal. It suits me, the pay is good, and it's easier to schedule classes around than day shifts. I work in the Pets Department, so my work usually consists of taking pallets of merchandise out to the sales floor, stocking the shelves, moving older items on the shelves up to the front (a.k.a. "Zoning"), and then taking the empty pallets back to be refilled. Sometimes they also have me unloading the trucks that come in when too many of the guys who are supposed to be doing that have called in absent. That sucks because then I have to be the one to load up the pallets in the first place while still having to perform my usual duties to keep my department looking nice for the customers. Yeah. Sucks. And it happens all the time. And then they berate me for falling behind on the readiness of my department. And then I call them out on their bullcrap! And then...Sigh... Honestly, it could be a lot worse. One of the few people who can make a day working at Walmart better isn't even on my shift. He's a friend I made back in my Junior year in High School, and he's a Cashier. His usual shifts are almost always about to end when mine are about to start, and since I make a habit of coming in early, we wind up meeting up for a bit before he has to leave work, and I have to start work. We met on the bus about a week or so into the school year when he heard me playing Sonic Advance on my GBA. He just peeked up over the edge of his seat right behind the driver, saying that he played the game too, and started gushing about how far I was compared to him (I was on the Moon Zone, the final boss). It turned out that we happened to share first period, along with his older brother (who was actually in my year, as opposed to his Sophomore status). We got to know each other better over the semesters, and we eventually became friends, often just hanging out at my folk's place or theirs and playing video games. I wind my way around the back of the store out of habit, trying to get a good parking spot without having to deal with any possible traffic or having to yield to pedestrians. I spot his, admittedly P.O.S., old Dodge Neon a few spaces away from the front of the lot, against the treeline. Yeah, it's purple. He likes the color, but he's straight as a rod, so that's the end of that! There aren't any open spots nearby, so I end up having to park a good couple minutes walk away from the doors. Meh. As I get out of my Corolla I notice something weird. There's actually a fair amount of cop cars around tonight. Did a "yo' mama" joke go too far? I mean, this is La Marque we're talking about. Just a stone's throw from one of the most racist towns in all of Texas. It's a possibility. I get into the store, and I swear the place feels like somebody's dog died. Seriously, the whole atmosphere of the place practically reeks of fear and anxiety. Everybody, associates and customers alike, avoids each other's gazes. They take unnaturally long with gathering groceries, stocking shelves or whatever! Something big happened. Nothing big ever happens here! I book it to the back. Hopefully he can shed some light on what happened here. I mean, if it was this big, he couldn't have possibly missed it, and by the looks of things, it must've only happened a couple hours ago. Four at the max. I push through the black, swinging double doors. I can't believe it! The whole break room is taped off! Okay. Seriously. What's going on!? I see our Store Manager talking with one of the officers. Ugh, Gina. I've always suspected that she's been trying either to get me fired or get me to quit for a long time. I don't trust her. She's no Kevin. Nothing but pep talks and smiles, but without implementing any real improvements since she replaced Kevin a few years ago. Apart from them and the other officers cataloging the apparent crime scene, the whole room is devoid of people. Okay, this is seriously starting to worry me. I see someone by the Punch Clock. Once I'm close enough to see her badge, I find out she's a Greeter. Great, she's gotta know what's going on. I ask her just that. "Oh dear, you just got in, didn't you?" That wasn't what I wanted to hear. I urge her to continue. "Well, I didn't see it happen myself. I was on the G.M. (General Merchandise) door, but I heard from Lionel that he saw a whole group of nasty folks just storm on in here around 6 o'clock this evening while he was on the Grocery door. Melanie in Dairy told me later that she saw them too! They just barged right into the back hall! Then, about half-a-minute later, acording to her, they blasted right back out!" He had a 2-to-10 shift today... That was during his lunch break. Crap. Crap! Crap! I hear the officers concluding their examining of the crime scene and filing out of the Break Room. I thank the Greeter (Dianna, I think), for the info, and I walk back over to see if...ugh, Gina is still there. I blurt out the big question in her general direction, "What the hell happened in there?!" She turns to face me. She's either gotten over the shock of what's happened or she wasn't that affected by it in the first place. I'd bank on the latter, frankly. It's been four years since she took over, and she hasn't cracked yet. For all I don't care for her, she's apparently at least good at keeping in control of things. "Oh. Hello, Jack. Well, to give you the short answer: there's been a kidnapping." CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP!! There was only one thing left to do. I needed to know, "Where. Is. Danny?"