Disclaimer: The characters still don't belong to me. Just having some
additional fun with them. But I'll give them back in one piece - I
promise!! *innocent grin*
Author's Note: My second fanfic here! I've got such good reviews on my first fanfic, that I've decided to do another one. All your comments are greatly appreciated!!!
Title: Supermarket Madness
Chapter 1: Last at the Checkout
"Hey Ephram! Couscous or potato?" Andy yelled down an aisle of the supermarket holding up a box of mashed potato mix in one hand and a box of couscous mix in the other.
"Potato!" Ephram yelled back as Andy tossed the mashed potato mix into his shopping cart. Ephram disappeared into the next aisle with his shopping cart.
"Dad! Coffee. Decaf or Caf?" Ephram hollered sticking his head out from the end of the aisle.
"Decaf!" Andy called back.
The supermarket was called "Greenfield SuperMart". It was supposed to be Everwood's first real supermarket, which opened a few months ago. Business was booming. It was the hype of the town because there had never been a really big market to hit Everwood until now. Ephram, however, was unimpressed. Practically nothing when compared to a Pathmark or a Food Emporium back in New York.
Grocery shopping had officially begun for the Brown family. They always opt to do the task just once a month for they were modern men and the typical modern man dreaded any form or thought of shopping. This was how they did their monthly shopping - wake up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday, drop Delia off at Nina's, beat the mid-day crowd by being the first people to arrive at the supermarket, divide the shopping list in half, split up using two shopping carts, buy everything in bulk and economy size, meet up at the cash register and get out of there as fast as possible. Lately, they had incorporated this event into a race. They were trying to set an all time record for one hour.
It had been quite early and the Brown's were one of the first customers. Though, there were also others who shared their shopping mentality early in the morning. Only one cash register was open for checkout. But that was ok. The Brown team had their system. Andy worked his way thru the produce section first, then moved to the canned/bottled goods aisle, then the baking aisle, then down the household cleaner aisle, make a left and it's the raw meat section. Ephram's route was the bread/cereal aisle first, next was the beverage/snack aisle, then toiletries, then it's over to the frozen foods section in the back, and finishing off at the dairy counter. It was a well-mapped plan.
Ephram stuck his feet thru the metal holes on the bottom of his shopping cart and rode it like a scooter. He maneuvered himself easily around each aisle grabbing items off the shelves and dropping them into the cart as he whizzed by. This was how he always managed to make it to the checkout line before Andy.
Andy found Ephram waiting patiently at the checkout area leaning against his loaded cart while reading the latest copy of the National Enquirer. Andy's cart squeaked from the heaviness.
"So, what took you so long?" Ephram mocked without looking up from his newspaper.
"What? We're done and with 20 minutes to spare." Andy replied checking his watch.
"We'll be outta here in approximately 8 minutes! Yes! A record!" Ephram confirmed as he noticed there was only one other person on line before them.
Out in 8 minutes is an understatement. They were placing their groceries on the conveyor belt when two shady characters burst into the supermarket.
"OK everybody, this is a stick up! Nobody move." The shorter man yelled as his silent partner stood beside him with hands stuffed in his coat pockets.
'A Stick up? In Everwood? The same little town that has a crime rate of, hmm let's see, zero?' Ephram thought curiously.
The silent partner suddenly pulled out a .45 Glock automatic and fired two shots into the ceiling. Startled by the loud noise, everyone dodged for cover. He pointed his pistol steadily around the room.
Ephram and Andy ducked quickly behind their shopping carts. He looked at his father in absolute horror. In all the 15 years of his life in New York, Ephram had never been involved in an armed robbery. But this wasn't New York, this was Everwood, Colorado. This wasn't supposed to happen.
"Everybody up. NOW!!" The shorter man yelled as the silent partner rounded up the remainder of the people shopping in other aisles and brought them to the front. Everyone stood with their hands up.
"You!" The shorter man addressed to the cashier girl. Her nametag read 'Trudy' and she was so frightened she started crying.
"Give me all you have in the register and bring me to the safe in the back." He demanded as he produced a black burlap bag. The shorter man was a plump fellow in his 40's with a receding hairline and dramatic wrinkles around his beady black eyes.
Trudy fumbled with the cash register as the silent partner scrutinized the hostages from head to toe. They planned it well. They knew the armored truck came to collect money from the safe on the last Saturday of each month. And there were less people in the store on an early Saturday morning.
"Hey Stan, look at these people. They look rich." The silent partner finally spoke noticing the Rolex watch on Andy's wrist. The silent partner was a tall well-built man in his mid-thirties with a bleached gold crew cut and harsh eyes. He wore a blue flannel lumberjack coat with denim jeans and black and white wing-tipped shoes.
"Hm. You are right. All of you - empty your belongings here." Stan instructed as Trudy placed the last of the cash register money into the bag. "Money, wallets, jewelry, watches. Let's go people. NOW! And Mr. Trigger-happy here won't have to shoot anyone."
There were only eight people in the entire store. Aside from Andy and Ephram, there was Trudy the cashier, the stock boy from the back, and four other customers. All of which were equally petrified.
"It's ok, Ephram. Just do as he says." Andy coaxed. Ephram remembered his New York street-smart survival technique. If you ever get in a situation, stay calm. They are only out to steal your valuables. They won't hurt you if you don't provoke them. Just give them what they want and they will leave you alone. It's easier said than done. Especially when your clammy hands were shaking so violently.
The hostages striped themselves of their valuables and came up to Stan one by one placing their belongings into the burlap bag while the silent partner intimidated everyone with the Glock. He gawked at each person. The last to contribute was Ephram, who emptied out his jacket pockets - the discman, cell phone, wallet, his beloved Swiss-Army watch, bubble gum wrappers, dirty tissues, and everything else. He was too nervous to sort them out. Satisfied, Stan was about to walk away.
"Waitaminute." The silent partner stopped. "The kid forgot this." The silent partner said as he seized the small shiny charm necklace around Ephram's neck. It was a flat round gold pendant the size of a dime with an embossed image of an angel on a thin gold chain. The silent partner ripped the necklace off Ephram's neck and turned to put it in the bag.
"Hey! You can't have that! Give it back!!" Ephram sprung to life. Andy tried to call him back but Ephram found his rage.
The silent partner swung around angrily and before Ephram knew it, he was boxed over the ear with the butt of the pistol. Ephram was struck with such force that he landed flat on his back a few feet away. His head hit the floor hard and the last sound he heard was his father calling his name in concern and then a loud buzzing noise took over. The room got excruciatingly bright and darkness came almost instantly.
* end of chapter 1 *
Author's Note: My second fanfic here! I've got such good reviews on my first fanfic, that I've decided to do another one. All your comments are greatly appreciated!!!
Title: Supermarket Madness
Chapter 1: Last at the Checkout
"Hey Ephram! Couscous or potato?" Andy yelled down an aisle of the supermarket holding up a box of mashed potato mix in one hand and a box of couscous mix in the other.
"Potato!" Ephram yelled back as Andy tossed the mashed potato mix into his shopping cart. Ephram disappeared into the next aisle with his shopping cart.
"Dad! Coffee. Decaf or Caf?" Ephram hollered sticking his head out from the end of the aisle.
"Decaf!" Andy called back.
The supermarket was called "Greenfield SuperMart". It was supposed to be Everwood's first real supermarket, which opened a few months ago. Business was booming. It was the hype of the town because there had never been a really big market to hit Everwood until now. Ephram, however, was unimpressed. Practically nothing when compared to a Pathmark or a Food Emporium back in New York.
Grocery shopping had officially begun for the Brown family. They always opt to do the task just once a month for they were modern men and the typical modern man dreaded any form or thought of shopping. This was how they did their monthly shopping - wake up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday, drop Delia off at Nina's, beat the mid-day crowd by being the first people to arrive at the supermarket, divide the shopping list in half, split up using two shopping carts, buy everything in bulk and economy size, meet up at the cash register and get out of there as fast as possible. Lately, they had incorporated this event into a race. They were trying to set an all time record for one hour.
It had been quite early and the Brown's were one of the first customers. Though, there were also others who shared their shopping mentality early in the morning. Only one cash register was open for checkout. But that was ok. The Brown team had their system. Andy worked his way thru the produce section first, then moved to the canned/bottled goods aisle, then the baking aisle, then down the household cleaner aisle, make a left and it's the raw meat section. Ephram's route was the bread/cereal aisle first, next was the beverage/snack aisle, then toiletries, then it's over to the frozen foods section in the back, and finishing off at the dairy counter. It was a well-mapped plan.
Ephram stuck his feet thru the metal holes on the bottom of his shopping cart and rode it like a scooter. He maneuvered himself easily around each aisle grabbing items off the shelves and dropping them into the cart as he whizzed by. This was how he always managed to make it to the checkout line before Andy.
Andy found Ephram waiting patiently at the checkout area leaning against his loaded cart while reading the latest copy of the National Enquirer. Andy's cart squeaked from the heaviness.
"So, what took you so long?" Ephram mocked without looking up from his newspaper.
"What? We're done and with 20 minutes to spare." Andy replied checking his watch.
"We'll be outta here in approximately 8 minutes! Yes! A record!" Ephram confirmed as he noticed there was only one other person on line before them.
Out in 8 minutes is an understatement. They were placing their groceries on the conveyor belt when two shady characters burst into the supermarket.
"OK everybody, this is a stick up! Nobody move." The shorter man yelled as his silent partner stood beside him with hands stuffed in his coat pockets.
'A Stick up? In Everwood? The same little town that has a crime rate of, hmm let's see, zero?' Ephram thought curiously.
The silent partner suddenly pulled out a .45 Glock automatic and fired two shots into the ceiling. Startled by the loud noise, everyone dodged for cover. He pointed his pistol steadily around the room.
Ephram and Andy ducked quickly behind their shopping carts. He looked at his father in absolute horror. In all the 15 years of his life in New York, Ephram had never been involved in an armed robbery. But this wasn't New York, this was Everwood, Colorado. This wasn't supposed to happen.
"Everybody up. NOW!!" The shorter man yelled as the silent partner rounded up the remainder of the people shopping in other aisles and brought them to the front. Everyone stood with their hands up.
"You!" The shorter man addressed to the cashier girl. Her nametag read 'Trudy' and she was so frightened she started crying.
"Give me all you have in the register and bring me to the safe in the back." He demanded as he produced a black burlap bag. The shorter man was a plump fellow in his 40's with a receding hairline and dramatic wrinkles around his beady black eyes.
Trudy fumbled with the cash register as the silent partner scrutinized the hostages from head to toe. They planned it well. They knew the armored truck came to collect money from the safe on the last Saturday of each month. And there were less people in the store on an early Saturday morning.
"Hey Stan, look at these people. They look rich." The silent partner finally spoke noticing the Rolex watch on Andy's wrist. The silent partner was a tall well-built man in his mid-thirties with a bleached gold crew cut and harsh eyes. He wore a blue flannel lumberjack coat with denim jeans and black and white wing-tipped shoes.
"Hm. You are right. All of you - empty your belongings here." Stan instructed as Trudy placed the last of the cash register money into the bag. "Money, wallets, jewelry, watches. Let's go people. NOW! And Mr. Trigger-happy here won't have to shoot anyone."
There were only eight people in the entire store. Aside from Andy and Ephram, there was Trudy the cashier, the stock boy from the back, and four other customers. All of which were equally petrified.
"It's ok, Ephram. Just do as he says." Andy coaxed. Ephram remembered his New York street-smart survival technique. If you ever get in a situation, stay calm. They are only out to steal your valuables. They won't hurt you if you don't provoke them. Just give them what they want and they will leave you alone. It's easier said than done. Especially when your clammy hands were shaking so violently.
The hostages striped themselves of their valuables and came up to Stan one by one placing their belongings into the burlap bag while the silent partner intimidated everyone with the Glock. He gawked at each person. The last to contribute was Ephram, who emptied out his jacket pockets - the discman, cell phone, wallet, his beloved Swiss-Army watch, bubble gum wrappers, dirty tissues, and everything else. He was too nervous to sort them out. Satisfied, Stan was about to walk away.
"Waitaminute." The silent partner stopped. "The kid forgot this." The silent partner said as he seized the small shiny charm necklace around Ephram's neck. It was a flat round gold pendant the size of a dime with an embossed image of an angel on a thin gold chain. The silent partner ripped the necklace off Ephram's neck and turned to put it in the bag.
"Hey! You can't have that! Give it back!!" Ephram sprung to life. Andy tried to call him back but Ephram found his rage.
The silent partner swung around angrily and before Ephram knew it, he was boxed over the ear with the butt of the pistol. Ephram was struck with such force that he landed flat on his back a few feet away. His head hit the floor hard and the last sound he heard was his father calling his name in concern and then a loud buzzing noise took over. The room got excruciatingly bright and darkness came almost instantly.
* end of chapter 1 *