Taking Inventory (500 words)

[mbarker]

The prompt at https://moreoddsthanends.home.blog/2020/03/05/week-10-of-odd-prompts/ was a picture of Aphrodite riding side-saddle on a goose... My hands were hurting this weekend, so I didn't get much done, but I did come up with this tidbit. 

 

Very loosely related to Do You Want Fries With That? (2235 words) https://mbarker.dreamwidth.org/2020/01/17/

 

Taking Inventory (500 words)
by Mike Barker

 

The kitchen was running smoothly, the trolls had already baked an extra cake or two, and for some reason, there weren't many customers out front. Gil looked around, and picked up a clipboard. He had been putting off taking inventory of the big storeroom in the back, but today looked like a good day for it.

 

As he headed back there, one of the trolls glanced at him and the clipboard. 

 

"Boss, you're going into the storeroom?"

 

Gil nodded.

 

"You got it. I'm just going to take inventory."

 

The troll bounced a little on his feet.

 

"Okay. I'll... I'll send someone for the doc."

 

Gil chuckled.

 

"No, you don't need to do that. I'm just going to make a list of what's in there."

 

He walked on. Behind him, he heard the trolls whispering. Now why would they think looking in the storeroom might need the company doctor? It was just canned goods and stuff.

 

He opened the door, and stepped inside. Shelves of stuff. Somebody had laid in a good supply of stuff. He started with the nearest shelf. Canned corn. Oh, the sales stickers were still on it. Okay, so someone did their shopping by buying bargains. Made sense.

 

He spent an hour listing the contents of the shelves. Corn, beans, all the veggies. Quite a bit of spam, too. Different flavors? Huh, who knew? 

 

// I should probably expand this a bit //

 

Then he found a cubbyhole in the back. Someone had tucked four cans back there. He pulled them out. Apples? In syrup? Afro Dye T. brand? What was that?

 

He lifted one and looked at the illustration on the label. A woman in a flowing gown, sitting side-saddle on a goose? She was holding... was that a scepter? No, no, it's like a fern frond or something? Huh, what did that have to do with apples?

 

The doctor pushed in through the doorway, and glanced around. He looked worried.

 

Gil set down the can of apples, and glared at the doctor.

 

"So. Those miserable traitors told you where I was? What are you going to do about it?"

 

The doctor waved his hand, quickly. Then he traced a strange sigil in the air, and spoke three words that seemed to echo oddly, even in the tiny storeroom. 

 

Gil shook his head. 

 

"I'm sorry, doc. I don't know what happened to me. I was just taking inventory, but when you came in, suddenly I was upset with you."

 

The doctor nodded.

 

"Yep. Don't touch that can for a moment, and I'll explain."

 

Gil looked down at the can of apples.

 

The doctor shook his head.

 

"They look so innocent, don't they? Those are canned apples, taken from the orchard planted by Aphrodite. They have a little curse on them, that causes discord and strife."

 

Gil took a step back.

 

"What? What are they doing here?"

 

The doctor smiled.

 

"Well, actually, Henry really likes them. They are awfully good apples, but you need to have one of us take the curse off before you start cooking them."

 

Gil blinked. 

 

"Ah, okay. Is there anything else in here that I should know about, that needs special care?"

 

The doctor chuckled.

 

“Let me look at your list, and we’ll check the rest together. I knew they had those apples in here, but who knows what else might have gotten put away.”

 

To be continued...