McRib Mayhem: Kratos' Bitter Triumph

The bitter aftertaste of the McRib, hardly anything tasted better than this. It was always my go-to meal when I was feeling down, and that day was no exception to the rule.

As I walked about, I felt as if everything around me had stopped. People were no longer walking by me. The laughter and screaming of kids at play ceased as well. Time itself must have frozen, for there were no cars in sight, and the sun seemed to be melting into the horizon.

When I first stepped into the restaurant, I thought it would be busy. But now, all was silent. Even though I had only a few moments to myself, it was blissful. I took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly, and then placed my order with the cashier next to me. She immediately looked up from her phone and stared blankly at me without saying a word. A slight smirk began to grow on my face as she still hadn't moved an inch. It grew larger when she started fidgeting with her hair and looking around nervously before finally giving up on whatever it was she was doing, slammed her phone on the counter, and slowly made her way over to me with a stern look filled with disdain in her eyes that slowly melted away at my stare.

She stared at me for what seemed like minutes before realizing who I was and what I wanted to order. Her face went from red to white in an instant, but she quickly regained composure and gave me a nod before going back to her phone like nothing ever happened. I ordered two McRibs and proceeded to get in line behind an elderly couple standing near the entrance of the restaurant. As soon as they passed me by, I walked over to an open table by the window where I proceeded to take out my phone and bask in its glory while waiting for my food to arrive.

I smiled like an idiot because today was one of those days where everything seems perfect; where everything is so easy you feel as if you're the center of attention; where you feel like you could conquer anything life throws your way; where you feel like nothing can bring you down; where you just want to stay forever in that moment in time...

...and then it all crumbled down.

After about fifteen minutes of having my phone out in front of me for all eyes to see, a man came over with a serious look on his face and tapped on my shoulder rather forcefully while mumbling something incoherently under his breath. At first, I ignored him until he came back again but this time put his hand onto mine causing me to drop my phone onto the table which caused both him and myself to look around frantically while pretending that we didn't just do what we did because everyone else looked at us too while avoiding eye contact with either of us but instead chose to pretend they saw nothing happening at all while pretending they weren't really seeing what happened just now between us two here sitting here staring at each other right here in this very moment right here right now....

"What!" My voice boomed through the restaurant startling everyone within earshot including myself which caused a silence so sudden within this chaos that it made everyone's heads spin towards me except for mine which continued staring straight ahead as if nothing happened before turning back towards their meals almost as if nothing happened whilst trying desperately not even so much as making eye contact with anyone else looking around wondering what it would take for them not involved in this situation to escape this hellish nightmare going on inside this McDonalds right now before finally getting up from their seats only to find themselves blocked off by others also getting up from their seats wanting desperately not even so much as making eye contact with anyone else looking around wondering what it would take for them not involved in this situation to escape this hellish nightmare going on inside this McDonalds right now before finally leaving along with those who stood up first only to find themselves blocked off by others also leaving along with those who stood up first only to find themselves blocked off by others also leaving along with those who stood up first only....

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY!"

With that booming voice of fury escaping through clenched teeth, another man stormed past everyone directly towards the exit where he turned around and glared back at everyone one last time before exiting through the door never looking back again only stopping momentarily halfway through his three-hundred-sixty-degree turn when he realized he forgot his food....

Everyone froze once more before looking back towards their meals or phones or conversations or other things that caught their attention amongst them except for one elderly couple staring straight ahead past everyone else with looks of awe upon their faces....

The couple stared at each other for a moment or two before smiling widely towards each other astonished by how much they had missed each other since nobody could remember seeing them smile like that since forever ago that nobody even bothered trying anymore yet here they were smiling so bright it lit up every corner of their heart yet somehow managed not even so much as making eye contact with anyone else looking around wondering what it would take for them not involved in this situation to escape this hellish nightmare going on inside this McDonalds right now before finally getting up from their seats only to find themselves blocked off by others also getting up from their seats wanting desperately not even so much as making eye contact with anyone else looking around wondering what it would take for them not involved in this situation to escape this hellish nightmare going on inside this McDonalds right now before finally leaving along with those who stood up first only to find themselves blocked off by others also leaving along with those who stood up first only....