SCENE: A lonely rest stop somewhere in the middle of the midwest. An old, slightly rusting gas station sits next to a family diner. There is a large, neon sign saying "Great Eats!" mounted to the top of a metal pole so that drivers can see it from the nearby highway. The first of the two "a"s is out entirely, and several letters in it are buzzing and flickering at random intervals. One of the lights underneath the sign, pointing down at the diner itself, has burned out and the other shines dimly down on the front doorway in a lopsided light and shadow effect. A few flies and moths buzz and flit back and forth on the couple of lights that are directly above the door itself, threatening to sneak inside if given the chance.

Along the rest of the diner, the windows have dusty blinds in them that are open, and a woman is inside, wiping down tables and periodically looking up and out the window. She appears to be in her mid-thirties, her brown hair tied up in a ponytail, and she wears an ugly, peach-colored apron with an image of a piece of pie embroidered on the front. Otherwise, she is wearing a basic brown blouse, with 3/4 sleeves, and a matching brown skirt.

It is dark outside. The dark that comes with the combination of a late-night sky and a huge storm, with heavy clouds that boom loud enough to rattle the salt-shakers and metal napkin-holders from time to time. Lightning shoots across the clouds in chorus to the thunder, illuminating highway nearby and the corn fields around this place for short, fleeting moments. Rain pours down over all of it, occasionally dumping down in extra-heavy sheets across the parking lot. A nearby sewer drain chokes occasionally, speweing water up instead of taking it down and out of the parking lot.

There are only three cars to be seen. One parked over at the gas station, presumably belonging to the heavyset teenager who sits behind the bullet-proof glass, reading a book through thick glasses. Another is a rusted Chevy pickup truck that looks like it ought to have been salvaged some time ago, and there is also a small sedan parked next to it, near the back of the building and out of the way. Another car comes into the parking lot and parks in the closest spot to the door that doesn't say "handicapped" on it

This car is a small, red, BMW sedan. The man who gets out moves quickly to the diner's door, beeping the car's locks with a remote without stopping. He hurries inside, where the door bangs closed behind him, rattling a chain of bells. He stamps his sneakers on the rug just inside.

He also looks to be in his mid-thirties, with his brown hair cut corporate-conservative short. He brushes some of it out if his hair and wipes his hand on his jeans. He is also wearing an off-white sweater under a lightweight brown jacket.

He moves to the payphone and lifts it to his ear. He jiggles the handle before setting the receiver back with a sigh. He moves over to a booth and sits heavily.

The waitress moves grabs a menu and a set of napkin-wrapped silverware from a station at the center of the booths and makes her way to the man. She slides them onto the table in front of him.

KELLY: Hi there! I'm Kelly. Can I start you off with some coffee or something?

ERIC: Hi, Kelly. Yeah, definitely coffee. There's a bridge flooded out a few miles west of here. [Looks at watch] Looks like I'm stuck here for a couple of hours at least.

KELLY: [over her shoulder as she goes to coffee station, fetching pot and mug] Yeah, that bridge seems to flood every spring since they built that subdivision where the Robertson farm used to be. Used to only get to about a foot or so at the worst, but now... I guess it's added runoff from the way they built the roads or something. This storm's pretty big though. We haven't had phones for near an hour now. [sets down mug and pours coffee] If you're gonna order food, you might want to do so quick so Max can cook it up before the electric conks on us too.

ERIC: Yeah, that would be my luck this week. [closes menu and pushes aside] Another hour and I would have made it to a hotel...That's not sounding so likely now, huh?

So..., okay, the sign says "great eats", what's the house specialty?

KELLY: Max makes a mean burger. The actual special of the day is our grilled chicken fajitas, but most people seem to think Max makes the best burgers around. The western burger gets the most hits. If you want something more of a full-on meal, then the prime rib isn't too fatty this week, and the salmon's alright. Or, if you are more of a breakfast kind of guy, then a lot of people like the Southwest skillet. Me, I'm a vegetarian, so I tend to prefer the sesame-mandarin salad, minus the chicken.

ERIC: Western burger, huh?

[pauses to think]

Yeah, I could go for that. I don't think I need a full meal, really. But fries and some extra barbecue sauce would be good.

KELLY: [calling back towards the kitchen] Yo Max! Western with sticks! [turns back to Eric] That'll be ready in a few. Can I getcha anything else?

ERIC: Nah, that'll do it... for a while at least.

KELLY: Alright. Let me know if you need more coffee while you wait.

[Kelly moves away and begins collecting saltshakers from the various booths and tables. Then she sits down at the next booth over and starts pulling the tops off and refilling them. Occasionally, the lights flicker in conjunction with especially loud thunder from outside.]

KELLY:[talking while she works] So where are you from then?

ERIC: Chicago.

[Checks cell phone for signal again, sighs, turns it off and puts it away.]

I'm--I was headed to Sacramento. To a funeral there. Fortunately I'd planned on getting there a couple of days early. I think I'm not gonna be as early as I thought.

KELLY: A funeral, eh? I'm sorry. Someone close?

ERIC: Justin, my kid brother. He was 28. He was hit by a truck that blew a red light at 60. The guy just wasn't looking. I guess Justin wasn't, either. No amount of airbags stops a truck at that speed.

KELLY: I... I'm sorry.

ERIC: Shit like that happens, I guess. You wanna know the really stupid part? He survived a tour in Iraq with no real problems. Marines. Then he gets home just to get clobbered by a truck a week later. How's that for messed up?

KELLY: Very. But then life isn't generally much for being fair, I suppose. Interesting, yes. But fair, not so much. At least he came back from Iraq. You won't be left wondering what really happened to him. It might make it easier for some people put him to rest.

ERIC: Yeah, there is that. I didn't want him to enlist. I tried to talk him out of it. I think part of me expected him to not come home. I would probably have had that "I warned him" guilty feeling. But this... this just feels stupid, you know?

KELLY: Yeah. I get that, I guess. We all get our share of stupid.

ERIC: [chuckles] Somehow I'm guessing you've seen more than your share of stupid here.

KELLY: Well, this close to the highway, we get all sorts. Stupid and otherwise. It does keep things interesting though.

ERIC: Well, I guess that's something, at least. [Fidgets with silverware]

KELLY: Your food ought to be up relatively quickly. It's not like there are a lot of other customers today.

ERIC: [Exaggerates looking around the diner] No, there doesn't seem to be. So how did you get stuck with the night shift?

KELLY: I wouldn't say I got stuck with it. I asked for it. I have trouble sleeping at night for some reason. I guess my body's clock is set to reverse of what it's supposed to be, but I'd rather be going to sleep as the sun rises. It was also what I could get that would pay enough. I've got two kids to look after.

ERIC: Um. So, two kids and nights here... When do you sleep?

KELLY: [laughs] They're both school-aged. I get home, make them breakfast, get their lunches ready, and then make sure they're on the bus to school before I get some sleep. Then I'm there when they get home to be sure they get their homework done, make them dinner and get them to bed before I have to leave. Then I've got a neighbor who keeps an eye on my place while I'm working. And every other weekend my ex-husband has them over to his place and I catch up on any sleep I've missed then. It all works out. What about you? You got any kids?

ERIC: No... no kids. I was married once. Lasted about three years. I wanted kids, she didn't. Then she met some New York securities broker. Apparently money and lifestyle was more important than I was. Last I heard they were living in some million dollar New York condo with four kids, all boys.

KELLY: Oooh. Ouch.

[Thunder booms, and the lights dim momentarily with it.]

ERIC: So how 'bout you? What's your story?

KELLY: Not much to tell, really. I married a man with a heavy hand. My dad had always been a bit strict so I just sort of let it go on. It wasn't until my eldest's teacher sat me down and asked me what was going on before I realized that it wasn't how a marriage was supposed to be. She pointed out that my son had bruise marks from where my husband had grabbed his arm the night before and I knew I had similar bruises myself. I packed up the kids and walked away that night. I didn't press charges or anything, but in a small town, news travels fast. I've been divorced a couple of years now. He's gotten help though at least. He managed to get the visitation rights just a few months ago. You'd better believe I check those kids over when I pick them up afterwards though. He slips up even a tiny bit and I'll slap him into court so fast it'll give him whiplash.

ERIC: I'd say. Can't blame you a bit there. My dad was in favor of spankings when necessary and appropriate. I think I turned out okay. Justin, he got less of it than I did. Had it pretty easy, really. He ended up the wilder of us. I always figured he enlisted looking for discipline.

KELLY: Hard to say without knowing him. My dad tended to use his belt on us a lot. I guess my ex smacking me around sometimes didn't seem so bad in comparison. Except when he drank it got worse. And now, looking back... well, I have my two beautiful babies out of it so it wasn't all bad. I'm done with the bad parts now.

[sound of a bell ringing in the background and a gruff male voice saying "order up"]

KELLY: You're burger's ready. Let me just go get it.

[KELLY stands up and goes to the counter. She returns with a plate of food]

ERIC: I'm not being too nosey, am I?

KELLY: More than some, less than most. [sets the plate down on the table in front of Eric] You're at the edge of a small town off a long highway, in the middle of a slew of corn fields and the like. Most folks that come here either live in the town or stop off on their trucking routes.

[Kelly returns to the other table]

ERIC: Yeah, little town, middle of nowhere--I knew that. I just thought I was being polite by not saying it outright! [laughs]

[Takes first bite of his burger]

Hrm, you weren't kidding about the burger. This is good.

Kelly: Might as well say it - I told you so. Max can make a mean burger. A town full of satisfied carnivores just doesn't lie.

ERIC: [Chuckles] But not you, huh? Vegetarianism doesn't fit the small farm town stereotype, you know...

KELLY: Are you kidding me? Have you looked at how much corn is growing out here? You can't go to a fall pig roast without a guarantee that there's going to be a large vat of fresh-grown corn steaming away. And you can't drive down one of these country roads without seeing a 'fresh produce' sign somewhere. I'm in veggie heaven. [laughs]

ERIC: [After pausing for a bite] So is it a health thing, a religious thing, a taste thing... or did it just seem like an amusing way to annoy the neighbors? Or is there some local vegetarian sub-culture out here or something?

KELLY: [laughs] No, no. We're probably just like most farm towns you'd find. It used to be a health thing. Nowadays it's more of a taste thing instead. And keeping on the diet will help make sure I don't have health problems again.

ERIC: Oh? Doing well now, I hope.

KELLY: Well enough, thanks.

[Loud crack of thunder and sounds of heavy winds from outside]

KELLY: [Peers out the window] Looks like the wind is picking up out there.

ERIC: Yep. Doesn't seem like something that's going to blow over right away. I guess you're stuck with me for a bit.

KELLY: [looks at him a moment before speaking] You know, I'm not sure whether that was supposed to be a pickup line or joke.

ERIC: Oh. [Pause] I can see that. I 'spose we should probably assume it was a joke. One night thing with the cafe waitress? Sounds a bit clichéd, doesn't it?

KELLY: I don't know if I'd say cliché. But, then, maybe it's not as hip out here as them big city diners. [shrugs] But I was pretty much figuring you meant it -

[Another loud crack of thunder drowns her out, followed by the lights going out, leaving them in total darkness. Sounds of swearing come from the kitchen.]

KELLY: Well, crap.

ERIC: Well, you pretty much called that. This happen every time there's a storm?

MAX: I'm goin' outside, Kell. You stay here an' keep an eye on stuff.

KELLY: [calling back to Max] Be careful out there.

[Max grunts in reply and leaves out the back. Kelly gets slowly out of her seat and rummages around at the coffee station until she finds a flashlight. She then uses it to find a box that she puts on Eric's table. She pulls out thick candles and a long, fireplace lighter to start lighting them as they talk]

KELLY: The wiring in this place isn't the best. If there was a surge along the line it might just be a fuse, or maybe the transformer by the road. More often than not though, it's a branch taking down a wire. High winds like to snag up bits of tree around here and fling them around. You are out in tornado country you know. When we do storms, we like to do them right.

ERIC: We get tornados around Chicago, too. Not that I ever see them from downtown...

KELLY: Yeah, you get wind in the city, as much as I understand it, but not so much with the funnel clouds. Those are quite a sight. More powerful than anything else I've ever seen.

ERIC: I can only imagine. They always look cool in the movies...

KELLY: Nah. You can't really catch the power of a storm on film. The feel of it. Then again, the ones in the movies are usually depicted as the biggest, baddest ones yet. But in my opinion, sitting in a theatre watching something just doesn't ever compare to the real thing. Kinda like sex, you know?

ERIC: Okay, yeah... can't argue that one.

[Kelly laughs and then there is a short silence while she lights the last candle and then takes a seat across from him at the booth.]

KELLY: So, what do you do, Eric?

ERIC: I work for a human resource management firm. Basically I design employee benefit packages. I help companies get the best bang for the buck. Salaries and benefits can often be one of a company's bigger costs. I help them do more with that money.

KELLY: Sounds like someone's updated their resume recently. You're a walking brochure for the job.

ERIC: I end up getting involved in sales presentations more often than I'd like. A lot of companies--small ones especially--have a hard time running an HR department. Let alone doing it well. The little ones especially tend to just see it as expenses.

KELLY: So how do you 'design' a benefits package. Isn't it mostly just a matter of what kind of insurance the place offers?

ERIC: Considering the number of smaller companies that don't even do that? Nah, there's more to it. How much vacation time should employees get? Should the company match contributions to 401K? Car or housing allowances? There are a lot of things companies can do for their employees. It comes down to which can a company afford, and how much does it help the employees? Best bang for the buck.

There's always more to a job than most people consider at first glance. You do more than just take an order and walk it from the counter to here...

KELLY: You're darn right I do! But we're just a little diner her, not some company. The owner, Mark, does what he can for us, but he stretches pretty thin just getting medical for the full-timers.

ERIC: Actually, any kind of medical coverage help under ten employees or so is kinda rare.

KELLY: Well, we've got more than ten, but not by a lot.

ERIC: I guess I should know better than to expect the actual stereotype... Of course, the town's probably bigger than it looks anyway.

KELLY: Most of the town is actually a quarter mile west of here. The buildings part anyway. But we're the only real diner in town. There's a gal, Lauren, who has a small restaurant in her bed and breakfast, but they don't have even half the staff we do. Then there's a taco joint and a Chinese place. But you've gotta drive to get to the nearest McDonald's, if that tells you how far out in the boonies you are.

ERIC: Next you're going to tell me I've left civilization behind and there isn't a Starbucks here...

KELLY: Sweetie, you're drinking the best brewed coffee this town has to sell. Except for the part where it's getting cold and I don't have electricity to brew more with at the moment.

KELLY: Nope. Not as such.

ERIC: [Pause] So, what's your story? Or did you just grow up here always figuring you'd be the local waitress?

KELLY: [laughs] No, and that's not what the school guidance counselor doomed me to either. The plan was to study psychology, ironically enough. I finished high school and got about a session into college classes and my mom got sick. Dad needed to work to support them so someone had to take care of mom. Then I met my ex and so, after my mom passed on, I kind of stayed because of him. Now I've got the kids, and they're my first priority. I've been taking the occasional class on the computer, through the college I was attending, but it's kind of tough to find the time for even that when you've got rent to pay. I'm a little to scared to just jump into a bunch of student loans yet. Maybe once I'm closer to getting my degree...

ERIC: Still psychology, or have you been changing tracks?

KELLY: Both. Still psychology, but narrowing down to child and adolescent psychology.

ERIC: Heh, that's interesting. I think every person I've ever met who was studying psychology and had kids was going into one of those two...usually child psych. Must be something about having kids, huh?

KELLY: I suspect that most of those are female too, yes?

ERIC: Hurm... [Pause] ...Acutally, I think pretty much all the psych degree or psych major people I know are all women. Most of the guys I know either studied business, marketing, or computers.

KELLY: Then, yes. It likely has a lot to do with them having kids that leant them to shift to child psych instead. Priorities and perspective shift when you have a baby. As they should.

ERIC: Yeah, I s'pose they would. Course, I also have to admit that I don't think I know anyone with a psych degree who's working in a psych-related field...

KELLY: [shrugs] Yeah, well. There's lots of careers like that. I figure as I get closer to my degree I'll figure out exactly where I want to be and specialize so that I'll be qualified for that job.

ERIC: So how much do you have left to go?

KELLY: Well normally it would probably only take a couple more years if I could go full-time and took a full course load over the summer session too. That would be if I was on campus though. Taking it one class at a time over the internet... Well, it'll be a while yet.

ERIC: I get that... And it's not exactly the kind of thing where you can get an entry-level position and then finish the degree from there to advance.

KELLY: There's related stuff I could be doing if I lived in a more populated area, that I'm sure would pad my resume a bit better for later on. But I don't want to move the kids away from here.

ERIC: Not at all, or just not yet? It kinda seems like the psychology options might be a little limited out here...

KELLY: Maybe. But this is the place I want my kids to grow up. I have my priorities.

ERIC: Is there other family around? Or is it just the small-town charm you like, or what?