Out Of Order

P.A Nightmares

Out Of Order

I am walking through the set of double doors, with everyone’s favorite golden arch on it. However this time, it was not to go get my favorite sandwich! It was my first day. I had just got my worker’s permit and applied to my local McDonald’s. It took no time at all to hear back from them. A week later I had my first interview. I was hired on the spot. The manager said he likes the cut of my jib, whatever that means.

He did ask me strange questions, such as religious beliefs. How close am I to my parents and friends? What I wanted out of life? Why did I want to work at Mcdonald’s?

I answered all his questions. I figured this was all normal considering it was my first interview and all. On the last question, I spoke with excitement as Mcdonald’s had always held a special place in my heart. See my mom passed away a few years back, but before she did we would always come to Mcdonald’s after our Sunday fun days, as she called them.

Since her passing my dad has wiped all traces from her out of our house. He has moved on and forgotten about her. I did not. This McDonald’s was the last thing I had to remember my mother by and I would never let it go. My excitement and story is why he chose to hire me.

So here we are. I am sitting in the back doing my training for the first half of my shift and then hands-on training the other half. I have not looked forward to something this much for a long time. The next few hours flew by and before I knew it I was on the floor. Being trained on how to construct the sandwiches that I had enjoyed with my mother.

Getting home my dad was already blacked out from his booze. It was a good thing I lived within walking distance. Showering and getting in bed, I worked the next two days. Where most kids my age wanted to go out on dates and hang out with friends. I just wanted to work. I had friends, but was not popular and I didn’t have a girlfriend. Maybe having money and eventually a car would change that, but for now, I was just excited I got to work at the place where my mom and I made so many memories.

Training lasted around a week and finally, I was working on my own! I did my job with excellence and a smile on my face. The customers always would complement my attitude and say how nice it is to see a young person loving their job. My managers would praise me for my performance. However, as I worked there I noticed the Ice cream machine was still out of order. Where at first I thought nothing of it, after a month of it being down, I finally found my curiosity too strong to resist. I asked my coworker about it one day.

“Hey, Brad, why is the ice cream machine down? Like it’s been out of order since I started here. Has anyone contacted anyone about getting it repaired?” I inquired to him nonchalantly.

However, he looked up at me and the look in his eyes was a mix of annoyance and fear. “Look Alex it’s broken that’s all and if you know what’s good for you, you will stop asking questions. Do you understand?” He half asked and half ordered.

The tone of his voice took me aback. No one here has ever been anything, but friendly and I did not understand the big deal. I let the matter go.

After this incident life returned to normal. No one shunned me and I had forgotten all about the ice cream machine. I mean yes, it was off and no one ever bothered to repair the damn thing. Having to tell the customers that it was out of order was always a joyful moment.

“ Why is it always broken? You all need to get your heads out of your asses and fix that thing. The level of incompetence of this Mcdonald’s is astounding. How are you all still open for business?” These were just a few of my favorite insults.

But no matter what the customers said, management just told them “Sorry for the inconvenience. We hope to have it fixed shortly.” But then they just forget about it until next time.

After months of working here they had begun to trust me. I also had just recently celebrated my eighteenth birthday, so I was now legally allowed to work on my own. I got to work one evening. It was supposed to be Brad and myself working tonight, but he was sick. No one could take his place so I would be working the night shift alone. I mean it was fine, they were normally relaxed. I told my boss it was fine and that I was sure I could handle this alone. After my co-workers all went home I went to work on my normal checklist for the night, which was mostly cleaning.

Mopping the front of the store, cleaning the bathroom, cleaning the back prep and cooking areas. After I finished this, I got bored and started to spot clean different areas of the restaurant. After iI was out of things to clean ,I started to text my friends while I waited for a customer to come through the drive-through. However, I caught myself thinking about the ice cream machine.

Finally, my curiosity won out. Walking over and examining the stupid ice cream machine. I noticed it was spotless for something that was never touched or used. It lacked dust or any kind of dirt like it was cleaned often and well maintained. This was odd; however I swore I could feel a breeze coming from behind the machine. This made no sense. So, I began to examine it. I pulled the lever on it. The next thing I knew, a chunk of the wall and the machine swung backward and I was standing in front of a flight of stairs, descending down into an inky abyss.

Descending down the stairs. I pulled out my cell and used its pathetic flashlight to light my way. It just seemed like the wall of darkness was impenetrable. I may have made it about halfway down the stairs before I tripped over my feet falling the rest of the way down. My head hit the floor and shortly after I was unconscious.

I awoke several hours later. Confused as to what happened! Why was I laying on on cold concrete? My memories came back to me. I started to search for my phone until I realized candles were now lit and in the center of the room sat a figure.

“My, my, my look what we have here. An interloper has stumbled upon our little secret. Well, there is only one thing to do with you,” said a woman whose voice sounded all too familiar.

“Who are you? Why does your voice sound so familiar? Also while we are on the subject, what the fuck is this place?” I shouted half angry and half scared.

“A-A-A-Alexx is that you?” The once confident voice of the lady now sounded less confident and he knew that voice now.

“Mother is that you? It can’t be you, you're dead. We cremated you and had a service to say goodbye.” Tears now flowing freely from my eyes.

All at once the basement, cellar whatever the fuck you call where I found myself in, lit up. Causing me to go blind minutes after my eyes adjusted. My mother stood in front of me, just as beautiful as the last day I saw her. Running over to her, I embarrassed her in the tightest hug I could manage. Afraid if I let go of whatever dream this was I would wake from it.

Through tears, I asked “How are you alive? Why did dad tell me you were dead?” After I asked the last question, anger filled my chest and I pushed away from her. “Why the fucking hell did you not come for me? How could you let your son suffer thinking his mom was dead?”

“Honey I will answer your questions all in due time. But let's not ruin our reunion with anger, my sweet Alex.” As she finished speaking I felt a prick in the back of my neck and I was once again unconscious.

Waking up, I was strapped to a table. I was surrounded by people wearing the Ronald McDonald masks! Up until this moment, I never saw him as creepy, but now I was filled with dread. Seeing all these people wearing them, surrounding me with dead looks in their eyes. I called for my mom this time and I pissed my pants. I was certain, I was dead and here I was an eighteen-year-old man calling for his mommy as piss ran down his leg. But much to my relief, she answered me. As she approached the crowd of people parted. My mom was dressed in a full-on Ronald Mcdonald costume.

“My sweet boy, you stumbled onto a secret society of Ronald Mcdonald. We worship him as our God and have done so since the birth of this fantastic restaurant. Now we have to deal with you what a predicament you have put me in, my sweet boy. Normally I would not give interlopers an option, but as I am the leader of this lovely secret society I can.

“Cult” she was interrupted by her son’s voice. “This is a fucking cult mom and you have been brainwashed.”

His mom slapped him in the mouth. “Son I love you, but you will not talk to me like that. I am still your mother after all. Like I was saying before you interrupted me. I am going to give you a choice to join us or you will never leave here. Now make your choice! Let us get on with this. I don’t have all day. We do have duties to attend to.”

“Why would I join you? What reason do you have to think that I will be open to that?”

“Your father is an alcoholic, you don’t really have any friends, or a girlfriend. Your life's going nowhere fast, son. However, if you joined us we can give you money, power, a girlfriend, anything you want. But most importantly you will get your mother back as a loving parent that wants you in her life. Your father will not notice if you are gone. He would not care if you died, but I would. Join us and together we can spread the word of our Lord and make the world a better place.”

It sounds crazy! I know, but she made a compelling argument. I got my mother back, power, and money! I mean what kid does not want that.

So, I did what any logical heart-sick teenager would do. I said yes. I mean what’s the worst that could happen.

The events after I said yes consisted of a ritual where they sacrificed a cow. I had to eat the heart. That was the worst thing I ever had to do. Then they took a branding iron and heated it, branding my skin with the damned clown. At the end of this, I went back home, continuing my life as normal until graduation.

This cult has people in key positions of power and will continue to hold immense power over the way this country is run. If you think Mcdonald’s is just a cheap place to get food, a fun place for your child to play? It’s not. It has a darker side to it.

So if you work, or go to a Mcdonald’s where the ice cream machine always seems to be out of order, you can be sure it is one of many chapter houses of my new family. The only question I have left to ask. Do you care to join us?

Wings as black as night. They came off at a point much like you would picter the wings of a bat. But the size and feathers could be comparable to thoughts of a rave. However no matter what the wings looked like this thing was clearly a messenger of death.