At a town near the Atlantic Coast, there is a hurricane closing in. The palm trees are almost out of their roots and the ocean waves are strong. Everyone is trying to find safe places to stay in the coffee shop. And while doing so, they get coffee to keep them awake because it’s late. One of the employees trips and spills coffee all over one man’s suit. Thank goodness it’s not hot. “I’m sorry!” The employee screeches at the top of her lungs and quickly runs to the back to get napkins. The man in the suit complains and looks at the stain knowing his wife will never forgive him.
“Amanda, what are you doing getting all of those napkins!? Do you need help?” Iris asks, a co-worker to Amanda of the Rosie’s cafe. “No, I’m fine, Iris. Thanks!” Amanda smiles and runs away to the customer's aid. Another customer walks in as the bell jingles. He stands a little below six feet wearing a dark coat with a red undershirt. He looks over at the complaining man and rolls his eyes. “Could be a lot worse,” he mutters to himself and takes a seat in the nearest booth. He sits down and waits for one of the waitresses. Amanda quickly rushes to the complaining man and presses the napkins on his chest. “There you go Mister. I’m sorry,” she says high-pitched and sees another visitor. “Hmm,” she wonders to herself and walks over with the notepad and pencil. “What would you like Sir? Shouldn’t you be at home with your family at this time?” She asks. “Black coffee, and I don’t have any family. Thank you for asking,” he smiles sweetly with malice hidden behind his smile.
“Thank you Sir for coming to eat at the Rosie's cafe!” Amanda smiles brightly and walks away. Iris comes to the complaining guy and apologizes for the suit and that she would be willing to give him money to buy him another one. The man just grumps and storms out pushing the door wide open making another jingle from the bell. Iris’s eyes widen a little of surprise, but she she shrugs it off. She’s used to complaining customers. On her tag it shows, Iris Windfield, Manager.
Someone comes downstairs from above the coffee shop. It’s the apartment for the owner, but it’s an old fat woman who barely gets through her door. She has tons of makeup on and scowls at Iris. “Aunt Marie! Why are you up so late? Shouldn’t you be in bed? I got this taken care of Aunt,” Iris tries to say, but Aunt Marie put the fear in her. Then Aunt Marie starts the yelling, “You shouldn’t be spilling all over my customers! How would it be… if I threw you out in the street! I never wanted you! You little brat! Your mother had to go and kill herself on the road because she was drunk! And she thought I wanted you!? No! So bring your ass over here and let me give you a little somethin! Now!” She screams and stomps towards Iris taking off one of her high-heels and throws it at Iris’s cheek.
“Aunt! Please don’t do this in front of your customers!” Iris says as she hides on the other side of the table. Then the aunt flips the table over on top of Iris with her fat arms and fingers. Iris grunts a little when she gets hit in the head. “Aunt Marie! Please stop! You're not thinking straight!” She screams. Aunt Marie punches Iris in the gut and slaps her hard across the face. Iris falls on the floor holding onto her gut while Aunt Marie stands over her. “Next time you are out on the street! Now, fetch me a bag of Doritos from the other store,” Marie says and drops money on her. She triumphantly storms back upstairs and Iris tries not to cry in front of everyone. The man in the dark coat gets up. He walks over to Iris and lifts the table off of her. He kneels down next to her. He gently helps her sit up “Hey, are you alright?” he asked her softly; he figured it would be wise to speak kindly and gentle after what just happened to her.
“Yeah. I’m okay! She does that sometimes,” she says and stands herself up. She then lends down a hand to him ignoring the scratches on her arm and bruise on her face. She smiles.
He gets up and frowns gently holding her arm, “You shouldn’t just ignore these,” he looks up at her face and her bruise, “Or that, she shouldn’t be treating you that way when you manage this place for her. She should show some fucking appreciation if you ask me.” “It’s alright really. It doesn’t hurt me much. Enjoy the coffee!” She says and walks back behind the counter checking on Amanda.
“Iris! Help!” Amanda yells panicking and throws up her arms. “Here, I got it,” Iris says and stops the coffee from burning. Amanda is relieved and breathes heavily. Iris walks out to the front and sees another man walking in. He has a hood over his head and is holding a cardboard box. “Delivery meant for you Iris,” he says and holds it out to her. It is duck-taped over the box and says fragile on the side. Iris was confused, but she takes it and the man leaves quietly. She sets it on a table and shakes it a little. She looks around and everyone does their own thing not paying attention. Amanda hurries up with the mug and black coffee to the man waiting patiently in his booth. “Thank you Iris! You’re great!” Amanda cheers to Iris. Iris smiles back at her and Amanda pours the black coffee in the customer's mug. “There you go, Sir! Enjoy!” Amanda turns to Iris and sees the box. “What is that?” She asks. 687Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DcdCWGCEl
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“I don’t know..,” Iris says quietly and stares at it. She wonders if she should open it, or her Aunt Marie would kill her all over again. “You should open it,” Amanda says and walks to the back to set the coffee down. So, Iris rips the top open and looks inside. Digits were decreasing by seconds. Iris immediately knew... everyone was in danger. Iris turns around and yells out, “Everyone get out! There’s a bomb!” The customers quickly flee the building and head out on the street. Iris looks up to the apartment door. “Come on Iris!” Amanda pulls on her arm. “No! I gotta tell Aunt Marie!” Iris says and bolts up the wooden-creaking stairs pounding on the door. “There’s a bomb! You need to come out!”687Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1SnraxVwF
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“What are you talking about? Haven’t you had enough beating!?” Aunt Marie yells through the door. “No! There’s a bomb! We've got to get out of here! Come on! We only have about 30 seconds left!” Iris screams and pounds on the door. “I’ve had enough!” Aunt Marie rips the door open and chases Iris down the stairs. Iris tries to make a run for it, but she trips on the leg of a chair and falls down. Aunt Marie grabs her leg and stomps behind the knee. Iris screams and clutches onto it. “Get out of here!” Iris yells at her. Aunt Marie grabs her green polo shirt and stares at her in the eyes, “You wretched rat. You are nothing. If that is a bomb, then you shall die with this coffee house.” Iris goes silent and Aunt Marie walks out of the building.
Iris clutches onto her leg and tries to pull herself up. She practically limps to the box and realizes the seconds are about up. 7...6… Iris sees the window closer to her than the door. Her heart races. I don't want fire. I don't want fire. Please get me out of here. She takes action. She tries to bolt and breaks through the glass of it. She makes the jump, but the blast gets to her first and throws her out on the street. She rolls on the road and ends up with severe burns. The coffee house is up in flames; but thankfully, everyone else made it out safely. Unfortunately for Iris, she wasn’t so lucky. She couldn’t feel her lower body and hardly anything of her top part of the body.
People around take videos and pictures of the flames, but they don’t realize a dying human is right there. Iris reaches out her burnt hand, “Help..” She barely speaks. She tries again,“Someone please.” She realized that there was never a hurricane. It’s evening. A normal day except for the fire burning her Aunt’s coffee shop. Iris tries to speak again, but it hurts. She tries to turn her head slightly to see if Amanda at least made it out. Amanda is crying and sobbing. Aunt Marie just stands there. She doesn’t say a word. All of the customers are not hurt, and they aren’t crying either. They’re just there to talk to the police once they come. They probably thought that Iris got out.
“How come Iris didn’t come out with us!? Now she’s dead! My best friend is gone!” Amanda cries in the guy’s shoulder. He’s the one that ordered black coffee.
He gently rubs Amanda’s back while glaring at the Aunt. “I’ll be right back,” he stomps over to the fat whore. “WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR FUCKING PROBLEM?!?! SHE WENT OUT OF HER WAY TO SAVE YOUR FAT ASS AND YOU LEFT HER IN THERE!!”
Aunt Marie frowns on him like he’s scum, “She was being a brat. And I didn’t believe her. She should’ve been more nice about it. Don’t think I don’t love her,” she says and turns her head to the fire with her arms crossed. You can’t tell if she is crying or not. Can’t tell in the smoke.
The man’s eyes flash red, but nobody around notices. He grabs the old woman by the throat and chokes her while looking into her eyes with his own glowing red, as she screams, nobody looks over. As if they didn’t see or hear her at all, one officer even walks past them. “People like you deserve nothing but suffering, I’m personally escorting you to Hell,” he smirks. Aunt Marie gives a fake laugh when he says that and stops screaming.
Iris on the street almost gives out and loses sight. She loses feeling in her arm and sees it slowly go down, but then she feels a soft warm aroma. Her eyes slowly open and she sees a calm light in front of her. “H-hello?” She tries to speak and still feels the stinging pain. She is considered bacon.
“Grab my hand,” a calm warm voice says and a hand reaches out of the glowing light.
It’s in Iris’s reach close enough so she takes the chance. She’s wanted to go to Heaven. Nothing will keep her from God. She’s prayed so much that one day, she will be happy again. She would get to see her parents and friends. She tries to raise up her hand again.
To other people, they don’t see a glowing light but just someone reaching out. Iris takes it. She suddenly feels happy like she's always wanted. Protected. Someone watching over her. Someone who cares.
Then, the voice says, “Close your eyes. Because I will bring you back again. Give you another chance.” Iris suddenly feels confused. ‘Another chance? Was I supposed to go to Hell?’ She thinks to herself and decides to close her eyes.
“Now, wake up,” it says. Iris opens her eyes and is facing the sky. She’s in a dark alley just across the street from the fire. She gets up and realizes she’s wearing new clothes. A black hat with dark coat. She doesn’t know where she got it from, but she’s not burnt anymore.
Iris touches her other hand. Nothing. Just fresh skin like it never happened. She walks up to the coffee house and notices everyone crying. It’s almost already burnt down completely. Iris tries to walk up to Aunt Marie, but sees the reporters, police, firefighters, and the medics there. She keeps her head down and turns back. She knows that she’s supposed to be dead. That one man could see the girl, narrows his eyes at her and thinks to himself, ‘So she’s becoming an angel… shame,’ but against his better judgement he walks over to Iris and whispers to her, “Welcome to the afterlife.”
She didn’t know who the man was at first. The way he said it all of a sudden frightens her. “What do you mean?” Iris asks, and turns to look at him and notices that he was that one customer. “What’s going on?”
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