TumbleDweeeb

Emmitt Owens

fiction

  • Chill n’Fill Episode 20

    Limitations, Lamentations, and Lyrical Coincidences    Jennifer called in sick again. This time her excuse was that her “goldfish blew bubbles” which is either some elaborate euphemism I’m not hip enough to understand or the weakest excuse in the history of employment. Either way, I’m covering her shift for the eighth time this month. At… Read more

  • Chill n’Fill Episode 19

    The Card Hunter, The Minister, and The Modern Shaggy    Jennifer called in sick AGAIN. This marks the seventh time this month, which I’m pretty sure qualifies her for some kind of absenteeism world record. Today’s excuse was “car troubles,” which is both entirely plausible and completely suspect given that she used the same excuse… Read more

  • Chill n’Fill Episode 18

    Profanity, Politics, and Paranormal Activity      Jennifer called in sick again with what she claimed was “a severe case of food poisoning,” which is either genuinely unfortunate timing or the most transparent excuse I’ve heard since my roommate said our cat deleted our rent payment. Whatever. More questionable night shifts for me, Karlee, professional sarcasm… Read more

  • Chill n’Fill Episode 16

    Bob’s Announcements, Abandonment, and Audacity Tuesday night at Chill n’Fill began with a minor apocalypse in the dairy section. The aged refrigeration unit—which Bob had repeatedly promised to replace “next fiscal quarter” for the past seven fiscal quarters—finally gave up its mechanical ghost with a death rattle that sounded suspiciously like Kenny Rogers’ “Know When… Read more

  • Chill n’Fill Episode 11

    Static Shocks, Strange Frequencies, and Whispered Confessions    Wednesday night at Chill & Fill started with a commotion. Bob had decided the store’s ancient radio system needed “upgrading,” which apparently meant dismantling it with a screwdriver while it was still plugged in. The one-eyed polar bear mascot… now sporting not only its sailor hat and… Read more

  • Chill n’Fill Episode 12

    Late Night Desires, Divine Complexes, and Heated Confessions    It was Saturday night at Chill & Fill, and I was feeling distinctly unlike myself. Two weeks without a date, an apartment with broken air conditioning, and the constant disappointment of dating apps had left me in a perpetually aroused state that was becoming increasingly distracting.… Read more

  • Chill n’Fill Episode 8

    Metal Heads, Mountain Dew, and Midnight Mischief    Thursday night at Chill & Fill was unusually quiet. The one-eyed polar bear sign had been upgraded again—this time Bob had added a small plastic guitar to the bear’s paw, claiming it gave our mascot “rock star appeal.” The bear now looked like a pirate sailor who’d… Read more

  • Chill n’Fill Episode 7

    The Morning Rush: Dawn Breaks at the Quickmart The neon sign at the “Chill n’Fill” flickers to life with all the enthusiasm of a teenager asked to clean their room. Our one-eyed polar bear mascot—inexplicably styled like a pirate despite selling gas station coffee rather than plundering ships—surveys the parking lot with its solitary gaze,… Read more

  • Marty’s Quikmart Episode 4

    Bunnies, Bad Milk, and Burnt Botanicals   I arrived for my Tuesday shift at Marty’s Quickmart to find pure chaos—Bob, the owner for the past decade, was dangling from a safety harness, wrestling with a neon sign while a contractor watched nervously below. Aerosmith’s “Livin’ on the Edge” blasted from someone’s truck radio nearby, the… Read more

  • Marty’s Quikmart Episode 3

    Declarations, Complaints, and Declined Cards    Wednesday evenings at Marty’s Quickmart fall into a predictable lull around 8 PM. The after-work rush has died down, and the late-night energy drink crowd hasn’t arrived yet. I’m restocking the cigarette display when Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” starts playing on the store radio, its gentle melody filling the… Read more