Darkheart

The Past: Push & Pull

A more beautiful day couldn't possibly have existed. Sunlight poured through the high windows of the dining hall in golden radiance, igniting tiny motes wafting through the air. Jeremiah was brimming with enthusiasm. He loved this job. It was his fifth day (and yes, he was counting) of work, and with every passing moment he congratulated himself for convincing Crystal to join him in applying. All the weird vibes that had emanated from the property since the fall hadn't affected his intellect. He wanted to be a scientist or a doctor, and the resort was patronized by wealthy people who surely knew more about the world than his parents or anyone else in Port Killdeer. If there was one thing Jeremiah was good at, it was striking up a conversation, and he had every intention of making some connections. He had three months to do it, and he was sure that someone would know something that could be of use to him as he began to consider his future. Maybe he could make a good enough impression to find out about internships or scholarships.

Two more years left of high school weren't going to hold him back. If he started chatting up these people now, he'd see them again next summer and perhaps even the next, and surely he could present himself in such an amenable light that they'd remember him, that they'd want to help him. There's that Jeremiah boy, such promise! Such drive! You know so-and-so at Harvard? I'm sure they've got a place for such an outstanding young man. Oxford, even? Northwestern? Let's get him that head start in life we've been so fortunate to have ourselves. And you know, maybe we could even fund his schooling! Someone so likely to enhance the world--I'd like to have my name attached to him! The track in his mind ran something like that. He'd convince someone to help him, even if only to write a reference. These people had full pockets, but more importantly, they had to have names with influence.

He'd tried to impart his vision to Crystal, but she'd been less excited than he about the prospect of trying to talk to people. Crystal's plans after high school didn't yet exist. She was one of those people who despised the "What are you going to do once you graduate?" question, and like most young people in Port Killdeer, her answer was invariably something like, "Get out of this town." Crystal didn't know how she'd do it, and she didn't know where she'd go when she left, but she was determined to move on. Jeremiah could at least relate to her in that regard. He'd rather die than stay in town. So he had to start looking for money and connections, now.

"Jeremiah--hey, wake up!" An elbow sharply nudged him. Joe, his manager, nodded toward the diners. "Cottage twenty-two needs refills."

The boy muttered an apology, grabbed a pitcher of ice cold water, and hopped to it. All smiles, he approached the rectangular table, around which sat three women and two men, a young girl and a couple of small boys, and a grizzled old lady who was so bent her nose was nearly in her coffee.

"I am so sorry I've neglected you!" he chirped as he poured water into their half-empty glasses. They largely ignored him as he finished going round in silence, filling even the glasses of the little boys, who surely weren't going to drink them, and when he reached the girl, she at least thanked him. Jeremiah offered his "you're welcome" and hastened to circle his other assigned tables just to double-check that he'd entirely cleared them. Diners were largely on their way out, now; lunch had ended twelve minutes ago, but there were always stragglers.

Hopefully it wouldn't take much longer. Jeremiah was supposed to meet Crystal and her sister in town; they were going to walk to Starboard and get some ice cream before Crystal had to return for the dinner shift. As much as he liked being in the dining hall, he wanted to make sure he had time to hang out; he and Crystal enjoyed comparing gossipy notes about the resorters

"These assholes need to go," groused one of his peers as Jeremiah approached the coffee and drinks station. "Don't they know we all have to stay as long as they do?"