D A Y 9

[founds]

CHAPTER 2

NOV 08TH | 47℉☂

▸ --*CHSKSSS--*-Breaking News! In the light of yesterday's hunt on Black Rock Lake, a body has been found. It has not ye--*CHSKSSS--*-n identified, but has been confirmed to not be either of the missing children.

▸ Another fall storm is roaming through today,--*CHSKSSS--*ed to pick up after dark so stay safe or stay insi--*CHSKSSS--*-

▸ Blackwell's First Methodist Church is holding its annual Thanksgiving food drive from now until Thanksgiving. Donate now! Anything but turkey,--*CHSKSSS--*-pped over on the interstate the other day and donated hundred--*CHSKSSS--*-urkeys to feed people for the holidays. What luck!

▸ Back to our regular--*CHSKSSS--*-uled programming

HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT

Comments

[prizewinner]

The amount of germs on those grapes is phenomenal, you know. [ chloe leans in, shifting her own hand basket on her arm. hers had a few spices, a loaf of bead (surprising, considering the shelf was nearly empty) and some more expensive cheeses. the tone of her voice doesn't give any hint of judgement, however, especially as she reaches forward to "taste test" one herself. ]

Think your immune system can handle it?

[toddy]

[ she jolts a moment that she realizes she's being talked to, expecting an employee to rat her out but she turns to find out it's only that chick. she calls her that chick because only her face is recognizable. most people are patrons of her bar and she's only memorized friends, enemies, and dedicated alcoholics. ]

I've taken a shot for more things than I can count, if it's grocery store grapes that take me down, so be it. [ picks another one ] What's your excuse?

[prizewinner]

I don't know, I think that having grapes written as my cause of death would be hilarious. [ even if she couldn't laugh about it, since she'd be dead. but that would be a way to go, wouldn't it? even if technically the grape wouldn't be the thing that killed her but whatever bacterial fungus or mold would be growing within or on it.

anyway. chloe pulls out one of those clear plastic bags from the dispenser and goes for the peppers. to be honest, she still had some shopping to do but talking to harry would prolong having to stand in line for who knows how long with the crazies balancing loaves of bread and gallons of milk in their arms in their panic. even if she didn't know her well, she knew that anyone going for chocolate amidst a storm was better than that mess. ] I just like to live dangerously.

[toddy]

[ she's sure she saw old lady petunia stocking up on gravy packets and single rolls of toilet paper. so they're in for a long day. ]

You should hit up the bakery. They got all their eyes on the pie, all those poor defenseless cookies have their guards down.

[prizewinner]

[ she sets her bag of peppers in her basket and gives a shrug. asparagus? could she use that? this produce aisle forces you to make the tough decisions. ]

Oh, trust me. I already snuck a few macadamia before heading over here for the healthy stuff.

[ because of guilt. sweets will go right to her thighs. ]

This is the last time I do a "quick" grocery run during a storm.

[toddy]

Smart girl. [ a bag of raspberries? sure. some limes? those will do well at the bar. ]

Yeah it's Apocalypse Now with these guys. I wouldn't be surprised if an old lady handbag fight broke out over the last value can of dried milk. I'm mostly just here to see the chaos unfold, make a sundae, you know. It can be fun if you got nowhere to be for a few more hours.

[prizewinner]

[ mmm, limes. there's a pause as chloe watches harry fetch them and then she nabs some for herself, too. ]

All I wanted was some cheese, really. I have a season of Mad Men waiting for me at home which I think holds my interest over some old women possibly losing their teeth. [ the image in her head suddenly makes her think a little otherwise, however. chloe shakes her head with a soft laugh. ] Someone blocked in my car when I peeked out the front window a little bit ago so I think I'm stuck here now.

[toddy]

[ looks over at her, surprised ]

Wow, people are assholes. It's not even that bad out. [ even as she says that, the lights flicker from a gust of wind. ]

[prizewinner]

This coupled with the last one is just making people animals. [ there's a shrug of her shoulders. she's just accepted she's trapped in this piggly wiggly and there is nothing she can do about it until whoever it was that blocked her in got whatever items they desperately needed for the apocalypse. ] It gets worse around here every year. [ a beat. ] Soon, there will be a storm and I'll get called in to work and have to bring in back-up.

[toddy]

I guess the perks about owning a bar is that I get to take the day off if people are more scared than they are thirsty. [ makes a face ] But then that's a day I don't get paid. There's no winning, that's the lesson here.

[ looks back to her like she's got an idea ] Wanna get some maraschinos and plastic spoons? I think I saw some lawn chairs on display.

[prizewinner]

Luckily this town is full of drunks [ among other things ] so you'll make up for your lost day in no time.

[ she's already starting to back up in the direction of the utensil and paper goods aisle, raising her eyebrows in harry's direction. ]

You get the maraschinos, I get the spoons-- we'll meet there?

[toddy]

Sound plan. [ good to know that even lawforce knows where it's at. not that she's an actual cop. it's not like they wont pay for them once the line goes down.

starts heading back towards the freezer section because usually grocery stores bundle sundae supplies together to put people at ease. she also stops to snag some whipped cream (because why not) and navigate her way back. a harrowing journey.]

[prizewinner]

[ lawforce or not, it's the piggly wiggly right before a huge storm. they have more to worry about than a few opened items under five dollars. the employees are probably thankful that they're taking their time and not freaking out at them at the cash registers.

chloe snatches a box of mixed utensils--spoons, knives, and forks--from the shelf and shifts her basket on her arm to dig inside of it for two spoons. before tossing the rest of the box in with the rest of her random foodstuffs.

considering it's the piggly wiggly, it only takes her a minute to find the lawn chair display and she takes a seat, setting her basket on the floor beside her. it gives her a great view of the bread aisle aka the best one to watch. ]

[toddy]

[ plopped down cracking the ice cream open as its pinned her legs. ]

Ready for the wonder bread smackdown of 14? [ passes it along to break the seal for the chocolate and cherries ]

[prizewinner]

[ she holds the ice cream, stealing a spoonful of it for herself before she sticks harry's spoon on the other side of it. chloe looks ahead of them both down the aisle before she returns her gaze to harry and the assortment of goodies she has claimed for their show. ]

You betcha. I'll be disappointed if we don't see any action. [ to the point where she may have to start some herself. maybe. getting arrested by her coworkers probably wouldn't look so good. but it didn't seem that it was going to be necessary-- the tension in piggly wiggly was so high it could be cut with a knife. ] Ah, sanity. Let's hope we never lose it.

[ a mini toast as she shoves another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. what? it's good. ]