Dottie Millburn's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Dottie Millburn wiped down the counter at her diner for the third time that morning. Her pink uniform was crisp, her apron spotless. Through the window, she watched Mr. Chen boarding up his hardware store across the street. Another gremlin attack had hit Main Street last night. The creatures had chewed through his electrical wiring and smashed half his inventory. Dottie set down her rag and straightened her polka-dot scarf. Someone had to bring the business owners together and make the town council listen. She locked the diner door and walked down Main Street. The wooden bulletin board stood outside the post office, covered with faded papers that curled in the desert heat. Some old posters showed gremlins with friendly smiles. Others warned of danger. Dottie pulled a fresh notice from her apron pocket and tacked it to the center. "Business Owners Meeting - Tonight at 7pm - Dottie's Diner." She stepped back and read it twice. This was how it started. Get everyone in one room. Make them see they were stronger together. The gremlins had caused enough damage. Tonight, they would make a plan. By noon, five business owners had stopped by the diner. They wanted details. Dottie told them the same thing each time. Her diner was too small for what she had in mind. They needed a real meeting space. The town hall sat two blocks over, brick walls dusty but solid. She'd already asked to use it. Tonight they would gather there instead. They would share their losses and their ideas. They would figure out how to make the council take action. Dottie smiled as the last owner left. This was just the beginning. At six-thirty, Dottie arrived at the town hall with a camera tucked under her arm. The old folding camera had belonged to her husband. She'd brought it to document any damage people showed her tonight. Pictures would prove what words sometimes couldn't. She pushed open the heavy door and set up chairs in a circle. The room smelled like old wood and dust. Through the tall windows, she watched the sun drop behind the hills. Business owners would arrive soon with their stories and their frustration. Tonight she would help them see what they could do together. Tonight they would stop waiting for someone else to fix things.