Wierd Stain Probably Not Chocolate

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Originally uploaded by graphics84.

Being the night stocker at a major supermarket has never been an enviable position. No one ever says 'no way' when you tell them that's what you do. It's just a job that provides a check every two weeks. It becomes much less than this when dealing with certain less pleasant aspects that fall into the job description. Remember hearing about the kid that crawled behind the bundles of toilet paper and took a shit? Yeah? Well it happens almost every week at a large store, for some reason more often in rural centers. When the day manager discovers this wonderful treat he most likely will pretend he hasn't because it will undoubtedly be found by the night stocker. Cleaning up hidden shits, wayward vomit and the less disgusting but also annoying package of raw fish hidden in the canned soup aisle by the shopper who changed their mind but didn't want to walk the thirty feet back to the meat counter is all part of the job. Chris Kelly, a long time night stocker did not find it unusual that his manager left a note to 'clean the area around the dumpster' but the ominous post script 'the walls too' left a feeling of foreboding in the pit of his stomach as he walked through the heavy steel door into the alley. A few seconds later he saw what he had hoped he would not, a dark splattery brown stain running down the wall like a chocolate syrup filled water balloon had fallen from the heavens at a decidedly sharp angle into the lower wall. Kelly crossed himself as a good Catholic will in situations like this and returned to the store. Cleaning supplies would be necessary but so would a nice tall bottle of beer from the walk in cooler. The beer would go nice with the crushing sense of self pity he would surely feel in about five minutes.