Maude’s spoon felt like it had been built on the edge of the world. Outside the diner’s four walls were miles upon miles of orange desert sand. The closest man made structure was the motel down the road but beyond that there was nothing until you reached one of the two small towns on either side of the expanse. But thanks to the interstate no one even used the road Maude’s rested upon. It seemed like the only people who could find the place were those who knew the area like the back of their hand or those who were truly lost. It reminded Carla of the magical lands in those fantasy books she read as a kid. She was only there waitressing until she could save up enough for college, whenever that’d be. At least that was what she told herself whenever she counted her tips.
Esther on the other hand had been taking orders and giving attitude in the same place for most of her life. And she showed no intention of doing anything else with the rest of it. Chuck could really take it or leave it when it came to the whole fry cook gig, but so far nothing better had come along so here he was.
The usual group of trucker regulars sat at the counter sipping coffee and waiting on the same meal they ordered every time. Each one relishing in what to them was their own little hidden oasis. Highway patrol officers Donna Wrigley sat in her usual booth taking her sweet enjoying her key lime pie. Meanwhile, in the corner, an exasperated Walt hung up what might have been the last working pay phone in the state before returning to relay the tow trucks bad news to his fiancée as they were going to be stuck there a while.
Heads turned when a lone motorcycle pulled up and its rider sauntered in and took his seat near the old jukebox. Carla’s head was still turned when Bob called order up and dropped a plate on the pickup window. But for some reason there was a sound that didn’t belong, the sound of hollow plastic being jostled. She recognized it but knew it shouldn’t be here. Despite what should be, sure enough when she turned to look Carla saw a plate stacked with toy food ready for her to go out. Her brain did a bit of a backflip as she adjusted her glasses and rubbed her eye, that couldn’t be real! And when she opened her eyes again it was a regular patty melt and fries. Carla would breathe a sigh of relief if she hadn’t just hallucinated.
She passed the plate off to one of the truckers at the counter couldn’t help but stare a little. Almost daring the food to turn back into children’s playthings. But they didn’t so Carla had to move on.
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