Closing Time

Brad looked at his phone.  The time read 8:50.  Ten minutes before closing.

All the video games were stored neatly and on the shelves.  No one else was in the store, except for one person.

Brad sighed.  “The mall closes in ten minutes.  Please make your selection soon.”

The guy stood there, clueless.  He wore grungy clothes and had long, blond hair.  “Dude….I’m just trying to find this one game.  It’s so awesome.  Do you think you have it, man?”

Brad shrugged his shoulders.  “Now, what game is that?  We have all kinds of games.  A name would help.”

The guy shook his head.  “Sorry, dude.  I don’t have any idea what the game is called.  I just know that it’s cool.  I’ll know what it is when I find it.”

Brad looked at his phone.  Five more minutes.  “You might have to save that for tomorrow.  We close in five minutes.  Come back tomorrow?”

The guy looked at him with a look of desperation.  “But dude!  I just gotta find this game tonight!  I promised this other dude that I would find it!  This game rocks!  If only I could find it!  Plus, I’m a man of my word, dude.”

Brad shook his head.  “I follow store policy.  Look.  The mall closes in two minutes.  Can you just try to find it tomorrow?”

“No, dude!  I’m going to keep looking.”

“Well, you’re going to have to leave now, or else I’m calling mall security.  We close in a minute.”

“Dude….Now THAT is so unrighteous….”

“Time’s up.  Look for your game tomorrow.  We’ll be open at 10 a.m.”

The guy just ignored him and continued looking.  “Just a few more minutes, dude.”

Brad sighed, and called mall security.

Seconds later, the mall cops showed up.  “Is there a problem?” one of them asked.

“Yes,” Brad told him.  “This gentleman here will not leave, and it’s after store hours.  I need to close, and I can’t do that as long as he’s here.”

The mall cop sighed.  “Sir, do you think you can leave now?  Gamer’s Paradise is closed and will be open for you tomorrow.”

The guy shrugged his shoulders.  “Dude.  You’re not the boss of me.”

Just as the guy continued looking, he was seized by the mall cop.  “In here, we are.  Come with us.  You’re in violation of mall policy.”  The mall cop cuffed the man and took him away.

“Dude!” The guy cried.  “You can’t do this!  I even remembered the name of the game!  Don’t worry, Surfing Rampage, I’ll be back for you!”

Right after the guy was dragged away, Brad closed the store and left.  Thinking about the guy, he sighed.  If that guy would’ve followed the rules, everything would go a lot more smoothly….

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©2012  K. L. Walker