plunging ride through an old converted gold mine I was here to see the manager about a job I was early I could have waited in the lobby but I was the restless type More fun to pass the time standing almost in the path of a zooming train The ad had read Cook needed at Medusa’s Scream food truck Summer position Just starting out No problem Being in high school I was more like pre-starting out I’d gotten into cooking after Mom died Dad didn’t like cooking and the taste of takeout lost its appeal after a while So I threw on an apron Eventually I’d zeroed in on pie making Not dessert pies Savory pies that we could have for dinner Meat fish veggie you name it I realized I could combine all the Canada Food Guide requirements under one roof that is one crust The all-in-one meal 4 Melanie Jackson
And a great way to keep the dish washing to a minimum I’d also discovered I enjoyed it I liked trying out ingredients seeing how they worked with each other It was like being a combination of artist and mad scientist And now I needed to find a job So here I was waiting for an interview I didn’t seriously think I had a chance at the cook’s job More likely I’d get some part-time shifts flipping burgers at McDonald’s If I was lucky But anything was worth a try The train slowed I got a look at the shield close up before the locomo tive slid by Medusa’s mouth was set in midscream Who could blame her with a hairdo like that In the myth Medusa and her slithery scalp could turn people to stone But I wasn’t worried about getting a stone makeover 5 Medusa’s Scream
It was the guy jumping from the still moving train who had me concerned He hit the platform awkwardly and crashed to the ground I ran up to him He was about my age dark-haired pale and dripping with sweat I helped him stand Wow not even waiting until the train stopped The ride must have really got to you He pulled away tried to stand on his own Winced I caught him by the arm I’m calling an ambulance You might have broken that ankle The train stopped People started climbing out of the cars Some were laughing A few looked shell-shocked Pressing a hand over her mouth one woman staggered to the washroom 6 Melanie Jackson
The boy looked about ready to heave too I lost track of the time I’m late for my job at the gift shop Klopper’s going to kill me Karl Klopper was the manager of Medusa’s Scream He was the one I’d come to see about the cook’s job I took it Klopper wasn’t the most easygoing of bosses I tried to calm the boy down Relax Everyone’s late sometimes He glanced around eyes wide with fear Klopper’s already mad at me for not catching the cat I’ve tried But it’s too fast for me It climbed up one of those trees He pointed to the willows by the ride’s chain-link fence The branches drooped with the heat Is it Klopper’s cat Let him catch it I said I couldn’t imagine getting upset about a cat But then I wasn’t a cat person 7 Medusa’s Scream
