Chapter 3 – Chap 3

What would you do if you got held up at work? Like at gunpoint and some coked-up junkie is screaming at you to give him all the money in the register? Hold your hands up and comply? Try and be a hero and fight him off with a bat or a gun hidden under the counter?

I always thought I would just give the guy the cash register and hold my hands up while he left with it. That was until I got held up not once but twice in the same week.

The first time I got to work on time. Looking around to make sure King Creole wasn’t hiding behind some corner that I didn’t know even existed in the shop. Satisfied that my boss wasn’t going to scare me, I walked over to the counter and stabbed my needle into the counter doll. Taking a seat on my stool and sighing as I started my shift. Drumming my fingers up and down on the counter.

Normally I would see at most four or five customers during an entire shift. Most want a wish, much to my chagrin. And maybe one or two of them want a potion. That’s a simple procedure, you ask for the potion and I ring you up. Easy as that. I don’t have to clean anything and I don’t have to help discard a body. But unfortunately for me, not many people want a potion. They’d rather try and wish for something.

So when a guy came in wearing a beanie and a hoodie, I was more than willing to bet that he was going to ask for a wish. I barely opened my mouth to talk to him when a gun was shoved in front of my face. By reflex almost I put my hands up slowly.

“Easy man.” I said in a squeaky surprised voice. Don’t try and say you wouldn’t react the same way!

“Shut up. Is it just you in here?” The guy asked, his eyes darting everywhere in a paranoid state. He was obviously on something. He had to be to try and rob a place that looked abandoned 90% of the time.

“Uh, I think my boss is here. And that thing in the basement, but I’m pretty sure it can’t get out.” I motioned my head over to the shut basement door. Which of course this time was not banging or crying or screaming. The guy, obviously unamused, shoved the gun further in my face.

“Get your boss out here. Before I blow your fucking brains all over the walls.” He threatened, cocking the hammer back on his revolver.

“Okay! Just, chill man.” I said, putting my hands up higher as I backed up and started making my way over to the boss man’s office. Lucky the guy was so busy focused on me. Because believe me when I say that the dolls on the wall behind him looked like they wanted to jump down and rip him to shreds.

Making it to King Creole’s office, I quickly knocked on it. Looking back to the guy who was staring at the counter doll. I imagine he had the look on him that he gives me when I’m slacking off on my phone.

“Travis? What do you want?” Creole’s voice came from the office. The door opening and him looking down at me, then over to the guy holding up his establishment. His smile lowered a bit, but it didn’t falter. Instead, he nodded knowingly and stepped out. Fixing his dark purple tie and walking over to the counter with me next to him.

“Jesus!” The robber gasped when he saw King Creole coming towards him. A pretty normal response when seeing my boss for the first time. The man didn’t falter for too long though, pointing the gun up at the lanky voodoo shop owner.

“What can I do for you?” Creole asked with a hum. Hands clasped together as he looked down at the robber. Not an ounce of concern on that chalky white face of his.

“Open up the register and the safe.” The robber said quickly, looking back at the door then back to us quickly. The gun firmly in his hands and a serious look on his face. Despite his eyes darting between us.

“Well, I don’t have a safe. But if it’s the register you want, Travis will be more than willing to open it for you. Right Travis, my boy?” He asked me, giving me a hard smack to my back and sending me stumbling forward. The robber nearly shot me on the spot as I did so. My hands still up and I looked back to Creole like he was sending me to the slaughter.

Well if he wanted to get robbed, I really couldn’t stop him. I walked back behind the counter and opened up the register. And one look at it told me that it was way more filled than usual. I can say that for a fact because when I opened it up the thing shot some loose bills up into the air. My eyes were as wide as the robber’s. Who quickly pushed me aside and started filling up his hoodie and pants pockets with all the cash from the register.

“Now, Kevin.” King Creole’s voice hummed. In a tone that I knew meant trouble, the one he used when persuading someone into wishing for something. I started instinctively backing away from him as he kept up shoving bills into his pockets. He did look up though, obviously confused as to how the voodoo man knew his name.

“How the hell do you know my name?” The robber, who I guess was indeed named Kevin, asked, pointing a gun at King Creole. Who didn’t flinch as he walked over to him. The robber was obviously freaked out, the gun shaking in his hand.

“Didn’t your momma ever teach you that stealing is very very bad?” Creole tsked, raising a gloved finger and shaking it at Kevin. Who shivered and started sweating backing up away from the man. “And didn’t anyone ever tell you, not to play with guns?” He asked the man.

Kevin looked to me, his eyes wide with fear as he pointed the shaking revolver forward. A loud crack went off in the shop. My own eyes were wide as my ears rang, seeing that Kevin had pulled the trigger on my boss. I looked over to King Creole, who staggered to a stop, his head jerked backward and the stitches holding his head on almost snapping off.

“Oh Kevin, Kevin, Kevin.” His voice still rang. Causing both my and Kevin’s jaw to hit the floor. Creole jerked his head back into place, only this time there was an obvious bullet hole in his forehead. “Looks like I’ll have to teach you a lesson.” He chuckled.

Kevin then started backing up, dropping the gun to the floor and holding his hands up. I meanwhile looked over at Creole completely dumbfounded. I at this point had figured he wasn’t really human, but surviving a headshot really kinda solidified that in my own head. I looked over at the register and saw that it was still very much full of cash. A neverending cash register. Another perk to working here I guess.

“Travis? Do be a good boy and look away, please?” King Creole asked me as he closed the distance to Kevin. Grabbing the robber by the throat and lifting him up from the floor. “I don’t want you to watch this part.” He said sweetly, like a mom talking to her son about something.

I opened my mouth to ask what was going to happen, but I thought better. Turning around and looking at the wall behind me. Kevin meanwhile screamed and begged for me to help him. Funny how that works. A couple of minutes ago he was holding me up, and now he’s screaming at the top of his lungs to help him. Though that didn’t last too much longer since his screaming turned into gurgles and hacking coughs.

I did my best to ignore the increasingly wet and nasty slaps and rips coming from behind me. I’m gonna be honest, the fear of what he was doing to the robber was a million times scarier than the act of being robbed.

“All done!” The satisfied hum of my boss rang in my ringing ears. I turned and saw the big splatter of blood on the wall and floor where Kevin had been. Great. No doubt I would have to clean that up.

“What did you do with him?” I asked the old voodoo King. He looked at me with those big black button eyes of his and looked to his arm. Which he brought up and showed he was holding a controller for a marionette doll. Except it was made of bones. Small bones that almost looked like some kinda animals. Of course, those thoughts were dispelled when he lifted his arm up further and produced a small bloody figure attached to the stings of the controller. I’m sure I don’t need to spell out who the figure looked like.

“I don’t appreciate people threatening my employees.” He sighed, dropping the bloody figure onto the table and made it dance around. Making the counter messy with blood as he did so. I looked up to him, both thankful and pissed off. Mostly because I figured I’d have to clean all this up.

“Thank you, sir. Do you want me too-” I started but was soon interrupted by him when he held his hand up, and the little figure mimicked him. Got to hand it to him. He’s a great puppeteer.

“Don’t worry about the mess, Travis.” He shrugged it off. Chuckling as he picked up the figure and held it tightly clenched in his gloves. More blood leaking out of it and dripping onto the counter. “Just get rid of this for me, please?” He asked, tossing the gun at me.
I fumbled with it, afraid that it was going to go off in my hands. But once I was sure it wouldn’t go off. Because it was empty. I looked up at him. Noticing that the bullet hole in his forehead had disappeared. I didn’t ask about that though. I simply nodded and went over to the front door and left. Walking across the street to a dumpster that is near our shop in the alley. Tossing it in there after I wiped it down against my pants, just in case my fingerprints were in there, I quickly jogged back into the store. More than happy to see not a speck left where Kevin once was.

That was the first time I was held up in this store. The second time came about two days later. I was working later than usual, my shift is usually from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. This time I was working from 5 to 9. Not horrible, but we definitely get weirder people in the later hours. Weird people that are usually chill with King Creole and the odd person asking for a wish or potion.

Well, this time a fine gentleman came running into the store and hid behind a shelf that covered him from the view of the front door. I watched as he squatted even lower when a car drove past. Shining a light into the shop and going along after a moment. The guy looked up for a minute and then over to me.

“Hey. Do you need anything? Or are you just here to loiter?” I asked him. Look I was tired, man, and I was like half an hour away from unpinning my needle from the doll. Mentally I was checked out already. So when the guy pointed a gun at me, I actually rolled my eyes at him. Again? I thought as I put my hands up.

“I need a place to hide.” The guy said quickly, looking back at the door and rushing over to me. “The cops are after me.” He said again. And that’s when I noticed the blood on his clothes. I sighed and looked over to King Creole’s office. Hoping he could handle this. Of course, when I turned back around and saw him right behind this guy, I nearly shat myself.

“What have we here?” He asked, putting his hand onto the other man’s shoulder and flipping him around to face him. The man gasped and was quickly disarmed. “Need a place to hide son?”

“Wha-” He said in confusion, but at the mention of hiding he quickly pulled out a switchblade, pointing it up at Creole. “Where? I need it quick man.” He shouted, looking behind Croele to see if the cops were making another round.

“Why, right this way sonnie.’ My boss said with a happy tone, pulling the nameless man along and towards the basement. Now seeing that really sent my stomach down into a pit. At this point, I had gotten used to the basement creature, but seeing some unsuspecting person getting led there. I felt bad for the man.

“Faster you freak. They could be here any minute!” The man said, flinching at any little creak of the shop. Creole took his sweet time, pulling out the key and opening up the basement. Opening it up and stepping aside like a grand unveiling.

“All yours.” He hummed. Watching with a wide smile as the man rushed into the dark basement. Closing the door behind him and locking it. “And that’s that.” He hummed, looking back to me with that same smile and walking over to me.

“Uhm. What is down there, sir?” I asked him, pointing at the basement door. Creole looked me dead in my eyes. I could tell he wasn’t messing around just by the tone of his voice.

“None of your business, Travis.” He said, in almost an animal like snarl. I swallowed the lump in my throat and backed up a bit. Nodding up at him, and flinching hard when the door began to be banged on.

“Let me out!! There’s something down here!” The man screamed, banging harder and harder on the door. The framed bending with just how hard he hit it. Of course, those soon turned into loud screams as I assume whatever lived in the basement, caught up with him.

King Creole looked back at the basement door and waited for it to stop banging. Soon enough it did and we heard the sounds of something being dragged down the stairs. I looked at him then. A look of anger was on his pale face. The first time I’d ever seen him like that.

“That whore gets what she deserved.” He mumbled, low enough to where I assume he thought I couldn’t hear. But hear I did. I didn’t say anything, wiping up the counter and unpinning my needle from the doll.
“Good night, sir.” I said as I took off my nametag and shoved it into my pocket. My words shook him from his angry spat and he turned on his heels to look at me. A smile on his face once again.

“Good night Travis my boy.” He hummed, turning and walking off back to his office. I nodded and turned to leave myself. I stopped at the door though. Turning back and looking at the basement door. I looked back over towards King Creole’s office and once I was sure he was in there, I made my way back over to the door.

I looked at it, noticing the blood coming from underneath the crack of the door. I knelt and tried to peer through the keyhole. I didn’t see anything at first, just the usual blackness of a basement. I sighed and stood to leave. Until I heard a soft thud come from the door. I turned and raised a brow to that. Leaning down again, I put my eye to the keyhole. This time I was greeted by a green shiny cracked eye.

Flinching hard, I backed up and quickly made my way out of the shop. Shaking my head quickly and just getting out of there.

I don’t know what King Creole has down there.

And I really don’t wanna know either. Even if whatever it is keeps begging me to let it out.