Paradise Pit Stop

Today was an especially busy day.  Already a coach-load of disheveled pensioners had arrived. National holidays always caused longer queues, but Big Sal and her team proudly kept on top of the rush with professionalism, and travellers rarely saw the strain that went on behind the scenes.

There was already a steady influx of people and it wasn't even 7am -  but then the Paradise Pit Stop wasn't your average diner. It was on the biggest highway in the world! - though very few knew of it or believed the hype until they visited it for themselves.

Emily was new. Always so unhappy in her past life, she'd finally found her calling at seventeen years young, under the motherly guidance of her manager and friend; Sal. Emily was now a waitress in the best café ever!

During lulls in the chaos, she surveyed the diner; carefully taking it all in and learning the ropes.

To the left of the milkshake machine were window booths, with views looking through thick drifts of cloud. Most spectacular at night when the clear sky sparkled beyond words. Complimentary binoculars and telescopes were provided to customers, along with their cappuccino, and were understandably very popular! 

The walls were lined with thousands of faces, young and old; staring back in the form of small black and white photos - many of them, influential or famous dead people.

To the right of the ticket machine and coffee maker, was the tannoy speaker. There were also signs indicating the direction of the cinema, waiting room and photo booth. Within the longest wall, there were three large doors.

Two doors had labels - 'Stairway', and 'Underground'. The other was the set of double-doors through which she herself had arrived, just over a month ago. For Emily, it had been the right thing to do and she did not regret closing the doors behind her; though she tried not to think of the family she'd said goodbye to, when she left.