Aisle Endcap

Aaand some ketchup. Raphael squirted extra extra ketchup onto the already loaded gas station hot dog because you just had to. An unexpected crash across the aisles, by the register, made him flinch and sent ketchup shooting toward the floor. What the—

Someone had just fallen and brought down a display of chips with them. Was that Nader? Raphael squinted. He crouched down and made his way toward the nearest endcap. With the hot dog still in one hand, he got a closer look, confirming that was his best friend on the ground, but he couldn’t see whatever was going on at the register.

“Open the register! Hurry up, put all the cash in this bag! Cigarettes too!”

Raphael heard the robber make his demands as he carefully pivoted around to the other side of that aisle, where he could get a view of the register. Oh my God, he has a gun.

Pivoting back, he squinted to get a closer look at Nader to make sure he was okay. Nader’s forehead was bleeding and he was face down on the ground, but his friend’s eyes were open and looking right at him.

HELP, Nader mouthed.

Raphael lifted his shoulders in an “I dunno” sort of expression, overwhelmed by the situation and not knowing if he should call 9-1-1 or tackle the robber or what.

DUDE! Nader’s eyebrows shot up as high as they could go, and Raphael could almost hear his best friend saying “duh!!”

OH! Raphael scrunched up his face to engage his time-stopping power, but he opened his eyes to find the gas station’s background music still playing and noises coming from the cash register that had just opened. His stomach growled, and for a moment he worried it was loud enough to tip off the robber. Hold on, he mouthed to Nader as he took one big bite after another of the loaded hot dog.

WHAT THE F— Nader mouthed, but Raphael was able to scrunch and stop time before his friend could finish. The music stopped. Everything was completely still. Totally silent. Raphael walked down the aisle toward his friend. Kinda funny, seeing his friend’s face stuck making the F sound, his top front teeth frozen in place pressing down on his bottom lip.

Raphael turned the corner, stepping over his friend and all the bags of chips, and could now clearly see the scared cashier lady and the robber pointing the gun at her. Uncertain, Raphael grabbed the gun with both hands, careful to get the robber’s finger off the trigger. He wasn’t sure what would happen if the trigger was pulled in frozen time, but he didn’t want to find out. At least, not like this.

Raphael ran the gun back to the hot dog roller machine, transferring the remaining wieners that were inside to his belly, and carefully placed the gun onto the roller rack before closing the door.

But just then, time unfroze, and his stomach let out a loud rumble.

Crap, I didn’t check to see if the bad guy had any other weapons.