Every time I went out of town, I always ended up in the same place. It didn’t matter where I was headed or when, I always ended up at the corner of Main Street and Water Avenue. There was nothing on this corner for me – the only thing here was a Dunkin’ Donuts and a worn-out McDonald’s. Luckily, I had been repulsed by fast food my entire life. I think it was a combination of my entire family loving fast food that turned me off. They were eating French fries while I made a salad for myself.
But why I managed to end up at this particular corner every time I left the house, I had no idea. My anxiety about fast food increased every time I had to leave the house and drive myself somewhere. I started leaving the house thirty minutes early just so I would have enough time to make it to the corner and then to where I was actually going. If I could ever get anyone to drive to wherever we were going, I definitely took advantage. The draw this corner had for me became tiresome quickly, but I eventually got used to it. It wasn’t until the day came that I was late for my best friend’s wedding that I finally decided to tell someone about what was going on. My mother was always a little suspicious about anything unnatural so I knew she was not the one I should inform. My father was barely home and my best friend wasn’t talking to me after the wedding fiasco. Which left my sister.
The moment I brought up the corner, the Dunkin’ Donuts and the McDonald’s, Molly’s face paled. Her face paled and she slowly started backing away. She held up her hands as if she needed to protect herself from me. As she backed up and away from me, I followed slowly, trying to figure out what was going on. It wasn’t until we reached the kitchen that I saw the newspaper article hanging on the fridge. The newspaper article that said both the fast food chains had burned three months ago with, luckily, only one casualty. Me.
Standing Room Only 