Cast Out - Part 12

Hank was ambivalent about owning the donut shop. His dad had built and ran it for years, until he retired and gave it to his son. Hank loved his dad, but the shop kept his dad busy or tired, so when his dad died a few years later, he thought about selling the store and moving on. But donuts was what he knew, and going back to school just didn’t interest him.


While people loved the donuts Hank made, they didn’t much care for his bad attitude, some even took it as part of the “experience”. This made sure that the shop never got too big or busy, or that they expanded into franchises. Actually, they sold more donuts when Hank went on vacations, a fact in which he was acutely aware. The shop was also successful because of its great location. Being between the hospital and Hanks house, he missed anything happening around the hospital.

Hank got to the shop around 3AM, his usual time, and turned on the lights in the kitchen area. Working by himself, he was able to start mixing batches before the rest of his crew came in at 4 and they opened the doors at 5. He preferred to work in silence, with only the noise of the mixers and the hum of the fluorescent lights overhead to keep him thinking about…being away from donuts.

Around 4AM he unlocked the front door for his crew and went back to work. He still had not given anyone else a spare key to let themselves in, something learned from his dad. He thought about this for a moment, and then went back to work.

About 10 minutes later he began to wonder when the crew was going to arrive - they were late.

Soon afterward, he heard the front door open and the shuffling of feet on the old linoleum floor. He glanced up at the circular mirror to see who was entering, and he saw what looked like people stumbling in the dark, in front of the counter. “Customers already?” he thought.

“We open at 5.” He said nicely, but forceful. He went back to work.

No answer. He saw them standing there still, not moving.

“Folks, no donuts yet. Come back at 5.” He said with more conviction.

He looked up at the mirror again, and still they were not leaving. There were maybe a half dozen of them.

“No donuts!..” Hank said as flipped on the light and went out front. He looked at the people waiting on the other side of the counter - something about them wasn’t right. A few of them seem to have hospital gowns on, and the rest of them had clothes that were torn and ripped.

He raised his eyes and looked at their faces. One in front had his head down, but the rest ….all he saw was the large black eyes that seemed to bore into his soul.

The one in front raised his head and looked at Hank as he spoke in a deep inhuman voice, “Join us!” as the rest came around the counter and grabbed Hank.

Before Hank knew what was happening, they had bitten into his arms and drove him to the ground. His last thought was of complete terror, and then all went dark.

After killing him, they moved away from his body.

Hank’s body soon awoke with black eyes and then got up from the floor.

Leaving the shop, the group saw the light of the 24 hour diner down the street, and shuffled off towards it.