Pale Stranger

hup. I wasn't scheduled

coworkers slipped on

's why I was called in

my night when

around the diner, a dir

d Nowhere, which, like t

the small, cramped, o

ven years and saw myself

way to brake and put the

itty, but not mean, blond

enemies with whom I m

ress of college and wor

illionaire and living a

ace I could retire at four

s on life

la, was helping me run

as over, the hour was l

m table to table all nigh

enty with as much ambit

eside the door to the kit

ead. "What a ni

storm raged outside th

or twice before. I'd just

hat ensured that the wi

wind blew so hard peopl

r I even saw a cow fly

were in the mid

ixi

as my name, and She

he power will go out? W

s frozen if the fridge

have to take one for t

es," I

be so bloated I couldn'

k at work all night was

ut I wouldn't have been

er does go out just

fter we leave," she ad

hav

and around the diner. T

an hour left and then it'

the counter to one of th

were running with water.

rastructure isn't workin

s-it?" sh

clogged," I rephrased.

d to flip one of these t

nced over to our two rem

move on or you'll have t

re nice enough to finish

me alone with just the c

n in mid-hibernation, so

nversa

t man out and made sur

h. Half an hour left. Out

stroying a model city, an

yard past the doors. The

e down in sheets of thic

out closing and opening

so nervous that my hand

an until his face was p

gistered on the Richter s

door swung open. Sheila,

counter and the cook s

tc