> be me > its 2116 > overpopulation has forced humanity into a position where 99.9% of jobs are at Taco Bell and new restaurant called Air Food > From what I know they literally serve all of their shit on a fucking hovering plate, hence the name > There is an INTENSE rivalry between the two places > I’ve been working at Taco Bell for 90% of my life > Now, when I said that there was a rivalry, I mean there was a God-damn fully-fledged WAR > Seriously, towns have been split up, and all of the nation’s important capitols have been turned into major focus points for the war > The entire New York State was taken by Air Food > Almost the entire southwestern portion of America belonged to Taco Bell > Philadelphia has been contested hotly for the past year or so > It seemed that Air Food is winning, with the eastern side taken over and the other slowly giving way > I’m on the other side > Worried for family, when a zone is taken over, they kill off those who had jobs at the other place > And their families > Scared for my life and the lives of my co workers > Working at Taco Bell on 16 hour shift > Still poor as shit > I work alongside my family > My mother is sick > They don’t even make her wear a mask > Been having a hard time convincing my two daughters that she is dying and may not bounce back > Time moves slowly, except for free time, which most of us spend in the sort of playground thing outside > Exercise field and a basketball court > The only reason it’s even there is because they teach kids in a school near it and they needed a playground > It’s godawful but it’s all we have > One day, a customer comes in > He orders a taco, not surprising > There’s something… off
More? This one's really long, so be prepared. If one of you says yes I'll keep it going.
Angel Cook
3/10 Would not read again
Joseph Sanders
STAHP
Camden Sanders
I hate myself so please continue
Angel Nelson
Fuck this sounds retarded, but go on OP
Benjamin Reed
> He seems normal to everyone else, but I can see past it > He is wearing a jacket with a collar turned up > Over his shirt > His… shirt… > That’s when I see it > Right underneath his collar, the signature blue and white colors of Air Food > He’s looking at my daughter > Pulls out a knife from his coat pocket, barely visible > I leap up to the counter > Tackle him > Customers scream, then run out the door > He pulls his knife > Gets in a quick jab at my face before I pin his hand > Bleeding, but I have to finish him > Grab his knife > Raise it above my head > He’s got a sick smile > Other hand has a hand-trigger > Chest is bulky > Wait a minute > Oh, sh- > Screams “FOR THE GLORY OF AIR FOOD!” in heavy Russian accent (Air Food is in control of Russia) > That’s all I can remember before I blacked out > Nurse looks at me > “It’s okay, you’re in an infirmary” > Bed is rock hard > Like literally feels like rock > Hot too > Am I outside? > Nurse gathers medical supplies and takes off > “Get well soon!” > Um, thanks? > Face hurts > Start to get up when somebody steps on me > Right on my chest > Look at shirt, ripped and I have scars all over > Bomb must have missed vitals but still hurts like a motherfucker > Hear bouncing > Sit up > I’m in the middle of a fucking basketball court > What. The actual. Fuck. > I’m assuming that Taco Bell just didn’t want to pay for an infirmary > See a sign that says: “All recovering patients are given three days off work for healing” > Look at calendar > Two days have passed > Still confused as to why I’m on a basketball court
David Brown
Yes
Nathan Myers
> Remember family > Don’t even say anything, just run > Rush inside, no time for being confused > Daughters are okay > Mother is still ill but alive > So relieved I don’t mind working for the rest of the day > Do just that > End of day, we’re closing up shop > Mother notions for me to talk to her > “Listen… *cough*... user…” > She’s getting worse, I can tell > “I don’t… have… much time…” > “Listen! *Louder, hacking cough* You need to take Beth, Alice, and yourself across the border.” > “What? You mean, to Food Air? > “Yes! You know as well as I do that they will kill us if we stay. They’re winning this war. The guy that almost killed you served as a wake-up call. I’ve saved up enough money to get a guy to take you across via a guy I know.” > Tear comes to my eye > “But… You’re coming, right?” > She looks me dead in the eye with serious expression > “No, Mom, you can’t-” > She cuts me off by handing me five dollars cash > More money than I’ve seen in my entire life > “Get your daughters and meet the guy outside, he’s waiting in a car in the parking lot. Under the broken streetlight.” > “But-” > “Now! *Fiercely coughing*” > I didn’t say anything else, but hugged her as a goodbye > I know this is for the better, but I’ve been here my whole life and don’t want to leave her > She pushes me away after about 10 seconds. > We part ways silently > I go to the sleeping barracks > Older daughter, thirteen years of age, Alice, is already awake. > “Mom told me what was going on. I can walk out myself but I can’t carry Beth.” > Nod head in understanding > Pick up Beth in both arms from the bunk bed above Alice’s and walk to the front exit > “What are you doing?” > Look behind me and stare at Alice, confused > “We can’t go out the front. They’ll catch us immediately.” > Think for a minute and follow her out the back > We reach the parking lot > Car isn’t there
Jayden Diaz
> They must be late > Not good > Guard sees us from across the building > Lock eyes > He runs towards us > “RUN!” > We run, I can’t go too fast or I’ll drop Beth > See car across lot > Just pulling in > Can’t scream, out of breath > I have a whistle in my pocket that Taco Bell gave me > Not sure why they did but no time to contemplate > Whistle as loud as I can > It heard me, phew > Car pulls up > Window rolls down > “Getda fohck in!” > Notice the license plate says ‘Fre sha vaca do’ > wtf > “Fohcking now!” > We jump in > It looks like this guy stole a taxi > Total Fat Cat > Full rippling neck beard > Too long body coat > Shit sunglasses > Look in the rear-view mirror, notice that there are fuzzy dice around his neck > The whole package baby > Also the car smells horrible > The odor of years of Doritos and sweat all accumulated into this car > He floors it > Cops follow in high speed chase > Head down street crowded with crappy low-income apartments, with wealthiest people living in shacks they rent > Cops at every corner > Alice crying > Luckily this guy knows some good maneuvers > Tossed side to side as he turns on a dime into a system of allies that he must have taken prior to this > We eventually come to a stop > Fat Cat says it’s safe now > I lay down Beth in the back seat, head on Alice’s lap > She somehow is still asleep > Alice stops crying
Jason King
> “You gott duh dough, right?” > Hand him the five dollars > “Thanks dohge, I’d do dis shtuff fo’ free but gottah PRO-vihde yah dig? Also, ja mama handed me dis walkeh talkeh and tol meh tah givitoyah.” > Take it > Hear speaking on other end > “Mom?” > “Yes, it’s me. I forgot something, when you get there, my brother will be there to pick you up. There’s a breach in the territory markers between us and Air Food. You’ll be working alongside him and his wife there.” > Hear gunshots from other end > “What’s happening?!” > Hear loud bang, sounds like she dropped the walkie talkie > Keep listening > “Why the hell aren’t you in the barracks? What do you know about the escapee?!” > Alice is crying again, louder > “I didn’t do anything! I don’t know!” > Hear more gunfire and screams > Alice screams “NO!” > A single tear comes down my eye and I dip my head > The war caused all of this > I swore to myself then and there that I would do everything in my power to stop this pointless fighting > I wouldn’t let the war take another life > Nobody should have to feel this way > Fat Cat says “Hey kihd, I noh how jha’ feels bout’ cho mum. Ay lost meh own bach in 2110. But we gottah mohv if wes is gon’ geht out. Cha’ dig?” > We get out of the car, I reach into the back to grab Beth. > That smell is finally gone > Odor almost visibly leaking out of the car > We hike for hours until we reach an Air Food military outpost > Sun is coming up > Never seen a sunrise in my life > It’s beautiful, and I’d never thought I’d ever see one > Fat Cat leads us to a tunnel out of sight of the gunmen > “Thro hee’. It leads rihte unda’ dees guhngoys.” > Seems shady but I don’t have any other options at this point > We hike in about a mile, guided by a torch Fat Cat brought > Alice passes out > I go over to her side > Still breathing > Sigh in relief
Chase Price
inb4 "reply to this post or your mother..."
Xavier Barnes
> Fat Cat says: “Don’ worreh bouter’. Probabre juh tired. We need tah’ shtop anywhos.” > He’s right, I need rest too but I know there’s no way I can sleep with this stress > I lean up Alice and Beth on a soft-ish looking pile of dirt > Fat Cat whips out a cigarette > Offers me one silently by holding one out > Take it > He starts a lighter and it starts burning > I take a deep breath, calms me down > We just stand there, leaning against the wall for a while > Begin talking about how this war is destroying us > “Yeah mah, I feels ja. Buht dis’ ain’t endin’ any time soon.” > I look down, think for at least a minute > “There has to be a way. I won’t give up hope.” > Just then, Alice and Beth both wake up, almost simultaneously > Fat Cat tells us to start moving in his sausage-water-muffled neckbeard-filtered raspy-from- smoking-but-still-nonchalant voice > Alice explains the filtered version of what’s happening to Beth > Beth asks where her mom is > We go silent > Fat Cat speaks up > “Listen sweets, wes isn’t sho’ where jo’ mama be right no, but all wes can tell ya is dat’ she be in a bettah prace den’ we be, and that’s all I can shay.” > It seems like she’s comforted with this information, and I look at Fatcatbro with a look of gratitude > We proceed forward > Finally see light at the end of the tunnel > Not, like, the near-death experience thing, like, literal light at the end of the tunnel we’re walking in > I sprint to it, along with Beth and Alice, but Fat Cat hangs back > We catch up to the end and Fat Cat greets us a minute later > From the Sun it looks like it's around 7-8 PM > “Dish ish da’ Air Food prace. These guys tink yous is lost employees dat’ I picked up, tankfully deys isn’t ta kinds a guys who ashk questons cuz’ theys is always lookin fo’ mo’ emproyees.” > We see a restaurant > Look at Fat Cat as if to say ‘is this the place?’ > He nods yes > I walk towards my new future > Fat Cat hands me a walkie talkie
Easton Kelly
Inb4 my mother dies for not replying
Easton Williams
> “Use dis’ in case da’ Taco Peepah start tackin ova.” > I nod okay, depression setting in > I walk towards the building > Several days later… > I’ve now been working at Air Food for about a week > Same as Taco Bell really > Plus uncle and aunt show me the ropes, as my mother said they would > They picked us up just outside the door > Working one day when my walkie talkie rings > Pick up > “Ey bro. It’s meh. I gottan idear, wes gon’ be da ones ta end dish war.” > He explains his plan to assassinate the leader of Air Food, the main perpetrator of the war > Sounds foolproof > I go along > What happened next was almost identical to when I left Taco Bell that night, but I brought my daughters because I didn’t want the part with my mother to repeat as well > Fast forward a few hours, we are outside the Air Food federal government headquarters > Fat Cat’s plan is to destroy the Air Food government from the inside out > Neither of us want to, but it seems to be the only way > They follow a cruel leader, so we plan to assassinate him, then destroy the building > We found a weak point in their security, an unguarded vent that could lead to any room in the building > Daughters wait in car > We sneak into the place where the leader is supposedly giving a speech > We drop in, room surprisingly unguarded > Fat Cat’s got a gun pointed at him > I throw him down out of his chair, in a middle of a broadcast to all of his troops > “Please don’t kill me! I have a family!” > “Too lahte buddeh. You’ve hurt to maneh peepah.” Fat Cat says to him > I look at the situation, this hopeless man on the ground, and Fat Cat pointing a gun at him > His life was going to end right now, because of our actions > I take a deep breath and say: > “Wait.” > Fat Cat turns to me > “There’s another way” > I turn to the speaker he was talking into.
Joshua Scott
> “Attention followers of Air Food. I wish to speak to you. Now, I’ve traversed a lot of obstacles in the past few days. Now, I know you believe strongly in the jurisdiction of Air Food over Taco Bell, but we cannot shed innocent blood over control of the enemy. I used to believe in the side of Taco Bell myself, but after being a witness to the death of my own mother, and endangering the lives of my family, I’ve learned that when a life takes a life, and both sides suffer, there is no winner. Now I ask you all to abandon your weapons, and please, unite these two sides to make the world a better place for all.” > Room is absolutely silent for a few seconds > Suddenly I can hear the building erupt with cheers > I smile > Fat Cat is almost in tears, he helps the Air Food leader to his feet, who’s crying, talking about all the bad he has done > I tell him calmly that we forgive him > Fast forward several months > The people of this new empire tried to name me their king, but I told them I’ll settle for prince and give the king name to Fat Cat > Find out his real name is Albert > King Albert > King Albert John Revolio The Third > WAY too fancy a name for him > Two sides united under a single name and flag > I’ll get to the name later > Flag is of a floating Taco > Daughters given a great life > I am finally at peace > Years later, I’m talking with Beth, who’s now married > Sitting in a full-all-out THRONE > “This is incredible, Dad.” > I smile, and close my eyes, thinking of all the greatness that we now live in. It’s completely different, like my life got turned upside down > “Just one question: How did you ever manage to do it? > Sigh as I explain: “I’ll tell you, but it might take a minute or two” > She sits down > “Okay! Tell me!”
Andrew Carter
> Am quiet for a second > “Dad?” > Narrow my eyes, I was looking away, but I look at her from the corner of my eye > She looks a bit weirded out > I turn my head and stop abruptly so that I’m looking straight at her > Breathe in > Breathe out > She looks genuinely concerned > A smile stretches from ear to ear as I turn and say: > Now this is a story all about how > My life got flipped-turned upside down > And I'd like to take a minute > Just sit right there > I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air
> In west Philadelphia born and raised > On the playground was where I spent most of my days > Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool > And all shooting some b-ball outside of the school > When a couple of guys who were up to no good > Started making trouble in my neighborhood > I got in one little fight and my mom got scared > She said, "You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel-Air."
> I whistled for a cab and when it came near > The license plate said "Fresh" and it had dice in the mirror > If anything I could say that this cab was rare > But I thought, "Nah, forget it." > – "Yo, home to Bel-Air."
> I pulled up to the house about 7 or 8 > And I yelled to the cabbie, "Yo home smell ya later." > I looked at my kingdom > I was finally there > To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel-Air