Convenience Store
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Chill’n’FillBook 3: Episode 2Presence, Worth, and the Heart of SuccessWritten by: Emmitt Owens Tuesday night at Chill n’Fill was settling into its familiar rhythm when I looked up from restocking the candy display to see our one-eyed polar bear mascot in its latest incarnation. Bob had outdone himself this time—the bear now sported what Read more
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Chill’n’FillBook 3: Episode 1New Faces, Old Mysteries, and the Passing of the PenWritten By: Emmitt Owens The announcement crackled through Chill n’Fill’s speakers with Bob’s characteristic blend of corporate formality and complete detachment from reality. I watched from behind the counter as the handful of evening customers paused their snack selections to listen, their Read more
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Mad Mechanics and Midnight Revelations Saturday night at Chill n’Fill was buzzing with an unusual energy, the kind that comes when change is stirring in a small town. Behind me, tonight’s painting had appeared as René Magritte’s “The Treachery of Images” from 1929—that famous pipe with “This is not a pipe” written beneath it, Read more
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Unbreakable Spirits, Robin Songs, and Childhood Fears The clock had just struck ten on this Friday night at Chill n’Fill, and the weekend energy was already crackling through the air like electricity before a storm. Behind me, tonight’s painting had appeared as Norman Rockwell’s “Saying Grace” from 1951, that tender scene of a grandmother Read more
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Beef Jerky Dreams, Anthemic Aspirations, and Gaslighting Revelations Wednesday night at Chill n’Fill had that mid-week restless energy, where people stopped by seeking either practical necessities or emotional escape from their daily grind. Behind me, tonight’s painting had materialized as Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom from Want”—that iconic Thanksgiving dinner scene where prosperity and abundance radiate Read more
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Bob’s Great Hot Dog Roller Caper I arrived for my Tuesday shift at Chill n’Fill to find Bob crouched behind the counter like a surgeon preparing for the operation of a lifetime, surrounded by what appeared to be the dismantled remains of our hot dog roller. Tools I’d never seen before were spread across Read more
