Categories > Original > Fantasy > tremors
spotlight is on the newcomer
2 reviewsTremors Extended fictions Spotlight is on the newcomer. Perfection, Nevada Jodi Chang is expecting a new wave of sheikers and ayebees soon, but Burt isn't even in town to help! She doesn't ev...
-1TrainWreck
Tremors
Extended fictions
Spotlight is on the newcomer.
Perfection, Nevada
Jody Chang sat on the counter top, inside 'Chang's mart'; she talked to Burt on the phone. So far, the call took 2-hours of her time, but if it is with Burt Gummer then all is well.
She could hear all the noise from the construction just outside the door, there were men fixing the wall, putting up some new stuff. Why? Um... well... (author: I just wanted to add some random noise. )
Anyways, the reconstruction couldn't be postponed, or held up, or interrupted in any form or way. It is imperative that they do it before the end of the day.
"The reconstructions are going well Burt. Yes, yes we're fine!" Jody yelled into the phone. The random noise continued, ate up the sound of Burt's. The noise made it hard to listen to the man. See how useful the random noise is? Something to talk about... anyways,
"-I'm sorry Burt? What? I can't hear you." The sounds of drilling and hammering seemed to eat up her naturally soft voice. She tried her best to listen to Burt. She plugged her other ear with her free hand.
"Burt? Did you say you are coming back?" Jodi paused when she realized the noise died down, only for the minute, its just enough time For Jodi to catch was Burt Gummer was going off about.
"Yes," Burt replied. "No! Wait," He added, he blurted thoughtlessly, he rushed, and he is on a limit, tight schedule... "I'm not coming back... just yet. Uh... well I still have a few more weeks out here Jodi... I can't stay all the time!"
"Whaaat?" Jodi said slowly. Now she wants to just bitch, complain and vent. Vent a little. "Why? And you said it isn't going to be any longer, what are you doing to your head?"
"Jodi, Stop. If you're worried about the fact that there is nobody 'prepared' to help in town... Well then you're worrying for nothing. I know someone who's got your back."
"But wait." Jodi sighed, she is worried, and she is insecure, she knows what lurks ... (I didn't know how to continue that sentence. -_- )
"I still think that the newbie was a really bad idea. You're the only guy who can plan things through, and this newcomer is just going to get in the way."
"Sorry Jody." Burt liked that dedication and trust she had in him, but he didn't really enjoy her dependence. It's just plain weird. "You have a few good hunters coming into Perfection..." He started to feel bad for that, but it kept fading away because of how awkward it already became. He shook his head; he was glad she can't look right at him and see his mildly annoyed expression. "Anyways"
"Yeah, well I understand that! Burt," Jodi wanted to tell him some more about how she's a little freaked out, something in her mind just told her to let it go. "Just remember to bring me something back, ok?" She slouched, defeated and careless now.
"Gotcha" Burt made a mental note of that... gift for Jodi. "Well. I have errands to run outta town. Heather wants to talk to you."
"Bye Burt," Jodi spoke this totally bored tone, the monotone thing going on and everything. "And don't get into any trouble!"
"Hello?" Heather grabbed the phone, she sounded uncertain, as if she was expecting to hear the dial tone, and the caller hung up...
"Heather? Hi!" Jodi sat up a little; she always wanted to talk to Heather. "How's the trip?" She asked...
--------------------------------------------------------------
(wtf does "verb confusion, consider revising" mean? IT MAKES SENSE! cough -_- anyways.)
"I heard the out-of Towner's went missing..." The young man talked to his friend. He paused ...in-between sentences to pick something up. "He is an experienced gun- uhh, enthusiast. I guess you can say enthusiast." The worker talked on and walked back and forth, in between his truck and the store. He has to pack his junk up... "No sign of him or his horse. They never bothered to go looking for him... so what do they know, this guy's probably reading the paper about 'being missing'... We'll probably hear all kinds of rumors."
His friend was just sitting behind the drivers wheel.
(I'm not giving them names because I can't think of any.)
The man who packed everything up into the back of the truck yelled into the store at Jodi. "Hey. Jodi! We're done!" He picked up his tool box, he walked over to the truck, opened the door and sat down.
His friend nodded, "Why are you talking about some guy who went missing? Why would he be reading his paper about himself going missing?" he didn't get the point of that, but anyways...
The driver turned the engine, then backed the truck up, and drove away from Perfection. They followed the road... yadda - yadda - yadda.
Jody was done with the phone. She went to go out side to tell them something. She ran out the door but stopped right there, she was holding a bag in her hand. "You forgot your!" She noticed his truck was down the road before she could throw this bag into his hands.
She was offended... "at least wait for me to say it back" ...and give him something for his services... "but nooo. He just has to just run away."
She turned around, facing the inside of the shop. She stood underneath the door frame, half inside and out. She liked the look of the trash can more then she liked the sight of the guys driving away... "...food" She muttered and threw the bag in the trash can.
Food... Lunch... she went back inside and sat down in front of a table, she eyed her own lunch... That extra color and texture doesn't look pleasantly tasty. She stared at it suspiciously...
Jody started to walk around the inside of the shop, she wanted to make sure the windows were closed.
'There isn't anything else to do other then open and close the grocery store every day...' she thought to herself, she shut the last window, and walked over to the door, she might not lock it...
She stood outside the doorway and watched a tumble weed roll by...
'Burt picked the worst time to get out of town. Now we have to deal with half assed newcomers, and the ass blaster creatures. She'll have to warn the newcomers about the worms, maybe even teach them how to deal with them. She didn't like the idea of teaching people; she liked it better when she was around those who always knew what they were doing. What was so good about this newcomer, so good to make Burt believe its okay to just leave?
She started wiping down the tables that the carpenters were eating at lunch earlier today. She shut off all the un-needed noisy appliances, and then she sat down in front of the table again, she will just leave the store open for two more hours, it's boring but it gives her something to do.
...It's been 4 hours. She hasn't solved the damn puzzle on the table, and she hasn't seen anybody all night. Jodi thought it's a good time to quit whining, and it's a good time to go to bed.
--------------------------------------------------------
10 am.
Jodi felt energized today. She walked towards the corner of the room to set up the coffee maker.... She heard something... A man parked his car outside the shop. Jodi raised her head curiously.
He turned the engine off, he was so glad he had air conditioning on. It was hot out this way... Mostly lonely... dry... That's all he noticed... he stepped out, and stretched a little bit, then he put his black hat on.
He started walking towards the entrance... He went inside quietly, pulled out a chair and sat down.
Jodi watched from a stool behind the cash register.
He could tell she expected someone new; he saw it, it was in her eyes. He sighed as he leaned back in the chair casually. Is she the new owner for the shop? It looks good so far, he thought, as he glanced around slowly.
Jodi stood beside the coffee maker; she looked at the man carefully. He just got here, and he was scaring her already, something about him suggested... what's the word, corruption?
He looked back at her with blue eyes, they stare... they glare... He has an interesting face, a very lightly defined skeletal look, yet its gentle altogether. He is well dressed, dark clothes, not worn out and defiantly not yellow/orange bright like the usual tourists who breeze in through the doors... She smiled gently, and nodded at him.
He might have thought she seemed a little weird already. But, that long dramatic pause was strange.
"I'm Jodi Chang." she spoke up softly, but that is all, any more and she will defiantly come off as nosey. He's new, he's sort of creepy. What is he coming here for?
"Coffee" She offered, an uneasy smile graced her lips, she motioned toward the coffee maker with a wave. He didn't reply, he looked like he thought about it but decided against it right after he saw it, he shook his head.
He doesn't say much. She wondered why. "Sir" she tried, she wanted to ask if he knew Burt, and ask his name. She blinked at him, was he disabled and couldn't talk?
He turned his gaze to one of the photos on the wall behind her. It was the picture of the graboids, the picture of Burt and Heather. Jodi watched his motions and she could tell he was interested.
"That's Burt. He's out of town." Jodi told the man, and began to squirm in the silence. Why won't he talk? She looked him over, and who doesn't look people over now a days? She felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness when she realized the man had a gun on him, not in his hand; it looks sort of like the old western style ...she took that impression just by the glance at the fancy holster.
He looked right at her; she seemed to pry for information with her eyes and body language. He liked to force people to jump to their own conclusions. "I see."
"Yeah Okay..." Jodi didn't like the no-word or one-word vocabulary thing going on here, the gun she forgot; now she's impatient, she's also irritated with the situation... it wants to give her a headache, she could feel it, she wiped her brow...
"There is a room available if you're staying around for a few days, if I can just get your name..." She said as the coffee completes the beverage. She held a cup in one hand, half full with the freshly brewed coffee. "Coffee." she 'offered', no, ordered over exaggeratedly.
He looked at her and smiled a little, it mocked her, which made her feel like she's supposed to be embarrassed; perhaps she did something stupid... Damn, where did this self consciousness come from, and how bad can it get?
"I'll just get a room to stay in." he stated... and stood... Oh right, she wanted his name, he stopped right there. "I thought your friend told you who I am..." He said, he thought that her friend Burt might consider to reveal every bit of information... stupid Burt, never practices what he preaches.
Jodi shook her head a little bit... This man is here because of Burt's leave of absence, like substitute, the over the phone discussed 'newcomer'. "You're this contact of Burt's?"
He looked at her, he acknowledged her confusion, and he found it amusing, the confusion all due to Burt and lack of info. She was so insecure, perhaps she noticed his gun? He was going to leave it in the back of the car, but he was too eager, he couldn't really wait to get out of that car.
He nodded at Jodi in response, "My name is Kelly." He told her, and then shook her hand, "Pleasure doing business." He was ready for anything, like great grandpa, although he was more advanced then his great grandpa Kelly from the 1880s...
~ang~
Extended fictions
Spotlight is on the newcomer.
Perfection, Nevada
Jody Chang sat on the counter top, inside 'Chang's mart'; she talked to Burt on the phone. So far, the call took 2-hours of her time, but if it is with Burt Gummer then all is well.
She could hear all the noise from the construction just outside the door, there were men fixing the wall, putting up some new stuff. Why? Um... well... (author: I just wanted to add some random noise. )
Anyways, the reconstruction couldn't be postponed, or held up, or interrupted in any form or way. It is imperative that they do it before the end of the day.
"The reconstructions are going well Burt. Yes, yes we're fine!" Jody yelled into the phone. The random noise continued, ate up the sound of Burt's. The noise made it hard to listen to the man. See how useful the random noise is? Something to talk about... anyways,
"-I'm sorry Burt? What? I can't hear you." The sounds of drilling and hammering seemed to eat up her naturally soft voice. She tried her best to listen to Burt. She plugged her other ear with her free hand.
"Burt? Did you say you are coming back?" Jodi paused when she realized the noise died down, only for the minute, its just enough time For Jodi to catch was Burt Gummer was going off about.
"Yes," Burt replied. "No! Wait," He added, he blurted thoughtlessly, he rushed, and he is on a limit, tight schedule... "I'm not coming back... just yet. Uh... well I still have a few more weeks out here Jodi... I can't stay all the time!"
"Whaaat?" Jodi said slowly. Now she wants to just bitch, complain and vent. Vent a little. "Why? And you said it isn't going to be any longer, what are you doing to your head?"
"Jodi, Stop. If you're worried about the fact that there is nobody 'prepared' to help in town... Well then you're worrying for nothing. I know someone who's got your back."
"But wait." Jodi sighed, she is worried, and she is insecure, she knows what lurks ... (I didn't know how to continue that sentence. -_- )
"I still think that the newbie was a really bad idea. You're the only guy who can plan things through, and this newcomer is just going to get in the way."
"Sorry Jody." Burt liked that dedication and trust she had in him, but he didn't really enjoy her dependence. It's just plain weird. "You have a few good hunters coming into Perfection..." He started to feel bad for that, but it kept fading away because of how awkward it already became. He shook his head; he was glad she can't look right at him and see his mildly annoyed expression. "Anyways"
"Yeah, well I understand that! Burt," Jodi wanted to tell him some more about how she's a little freaked out, something in her mind just told her to let it go. "Just remember to bring me something back, ok?" She slouched, defeated and careless now.
"Gotcha" Burt made a mental note of that... gift for Jodi. "Well. I have errands to run outta town. Heather wants to talk to you."
"Bye Burt," Jodi spoke this totally bored tone, the monotone thing going on and everything. "And don't get into any trouble!"
"Hello?" Heather grabbed the phone, she sounded uncertain, as if she was expecting to hear the dial tone, and the caller hung up...
"Heather? Hi!" Jodi sat up a little; she always wanted to talk to Heather. "How's the trip?" She asked...
--------------------------------------------------------------
(wtf does "verb confusion, consider revising" mean? IT MAKES SENSE! cough -_- anyways.)
"I heard the out-of Towner's went missing..." The young man talked to his friend. He paused ...in-between sentences to pick something up. "He is an experienced gun- uhh, enthusiast. I guess you can say enthusiast." The worker talked on and walked back and forth, in between his truck and the store. He has to pack his junk up... "No sign of him or his horse. They never bothered to go looking for him... so what do they know, this guy's probably reading the paper about 'being missing'... We'll probably hear all kinds of rumors."
His friend was just sitting behind the drivers wheel.
(I'm not giving them names because I can't think of any.)
The man who packed everything up into the back of the truck yelled into the store at Jodi. "Hey. Jodi! We're done!" He picked up his tool box, he walked over to the truck, opened the door and sat down.
His friend nodded, "Why are you talking about some guy who went missing? Why would he be reading his paper about himself going missing?" he didn't get the point of that, but anyways...
The driver turned the engine, then backed the truck up, and drove away from Perfection. They followed the road... yadda - yadda - yadda.
Jody was done with the phone. She went to go out side to tell them something. She ran out the door but stopped right there, she was holding a bag in her hand. "You forgot your!" She noticed his truck was down the road before she could throw this bag into his hands.
She was offended... "at least wait for me to say it back" ...and give him something for his services... "but nooo. He just has to just run away."
She turned around, facing the inside of the shop. She stood underneath the door frame, half inside and out. She liked the look of the trash can more then she liked the sight of the guys driving away... "...food" She muttered and threw the bag in the trash can.
Food... Lunch... she went back inside and sat down in front of a table, she eyed her own lunch... That extra color and texture doesn't look pleasantly tasty. She stared at it suspiciously...
Jody started to walk around the inside of the shop, she wanted to make sure the windows were closed.
'There isn't anything else to do other then open and close the grocery store every day...' she thought to herself, she shut the last window, and walked over to the door, she might not lock it...
She stood outside the doorway and watched a tumble weed roll by...
'Burt picked the worst time to get out of town. Now we have to deal with half assed newcomers, and the ass blaster creatures. She'll have to warn the newcomers about the worms, maybe even teach them how to deal with them. She didn't like the idea of teaching people; she liked it better when she was around those who always knew what they were doing. What was so good about this newcomer, so good to make Burt believe its okay to just leave?
She started wiping down the tables that the carpenters were eating at lunch earlier today. She shut off all the un-needed noisy appliances, and then she sat down in front of the table again, she will just leave the store open for two more hours, it's boring but it gives her something to do.
...It's been 4 hours. She hasn't solved the damn puzzle on the table, and she hasn't seen anybody all night. Jodi thought it's a good time to quit whining, and it's a good time to go to bed.
--------------------------------------------------------
10 am.
Jodi felt energized today. She walked towards the corner of the room to set up the coffee maker.... She heard something... A man parked his car outside the shop. Jodi raised her head curiously.
He turned the engine off, he was so glad he had air conditioning on. It was hot out this way... Mostly lonely... dry... That's all he noticed... he stepped out, and stretched a little bit, then he put his black hat on.
He started walking towards the entrance... He went inside quietly, pulled out a chair and sat down.
Jodi watched from a stool behind the cash register.
He could tell she expected someone new; he saw it, it was in her eyes. He sighed as he leaned back in the chair casually. Is she the new owner for the shop? It looks good so far, he thought, as he glanced around slowly.
Jodi stood beside the coffee maker; she looked at the man carefully. He just got here, and he was scaring her already, something about him suggested... what's the word, corruption?
He looked back at her with blue eyes, they stare... they glare... He has an interesting face, a very lightly defined skeletal look, yet its gentle altogether. He is well dressed, dark clothes, not worn out and defiantly not yellow/orange bright like the usual tourists who breeze in through the doors... She smiled gently, and nodded at him.
He might have thought she seemed a little weird already. But, that long dramatic pause was strange.
"I'm Jodi Chang." she spoke up softly, but that is all, any more and she will defiantly come off as nosey. He's new, he's sort of creepy. What is he coming here for?
"Coffee" She offered, an uneasy smile graced her lips, she motioned toward the coffee maker with a wave. He didn't reply, he looked like he thought about it but decided against it right after he saw it, he shook his head.
He doesn't say much. She wondered why. "Sir" she tried, she wanted to ask if he knew Burt, and ask his name. She blinked at him, was he disabled and couldn't talk?
He turned his gaze to one of the photos on the wall behind her. It was the picture of the graboids, the picture of Burt and Heather. Jodi watched his motions and she could tell he was interested.
"That's Burt. He's out of town." Jodi told the man, and began to squirm in the silence. Why won't he talk? She looked him over, and who doesn't look people over now a days? She felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness when she realized the man had a gun on him, not in his hand; it looks sort of like the old western style ...she took that impression just by the glance at the fancy holster.
He looked right at her; she seemed to pry for information with her eyes and body language. He liked to force people to jump to their own conclusions. "I see."
"Yeah Okay..." Jodi didn't like the no-word or one-word vocabulary thing going on here, the gun she forgot; now she's impatient, she's also irritated with the situation... it wants to give her a headache, she could feel it, she wiped her brow...
"There is a room available if you're staying around for a few days, if I can just get your name..." She said as the coffee completes the beverage. She held a cup in one hand, half full with the freshly brewed coffee. "Coffee." she 'offered', no, ordered over exaggeratedly.
He looked at her and smiled a little, it mocked her, which made her feel like she's supposed to be embarrassed; perhaps she did something stupid... Damn, where did this self consciousness come from, and how bad can it get?
"I'll just get a room to stay in." he stated... and stood... Oh right, she wanted his name, he stopped right there. "I thought your friend told you who I am..." He said, he thought that her friend Burt might consider to reveal every bit of information... stupid Burt, never practices what he preaches.
Jodi shook her head a little bit... This man is here because of Burt's leave of absence, like substitute, the over the phone discussed 'newcomer'. "You're this contact of Burt's?"
He looked at her, he acknowledged her confusion, and he found it amusing, the confusion all due to Burt and lack of info. She was so insecure, perhaps she noticed his gun? He was going to leave it in the back of the car, but he was too eager, he couldn't really wait to get out of that car.
He nodded at Jodi in response, "My name is Kelly." He told her, and then shook her hand, "Pleasure doing business." He was ready for anything, like great grandpa, although he was more advanced then his great grandpa Kelly from the 1880s...
~ang~
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