At the Desks, behind the Smiles
Raven looked at her slightly improper groceries, walking slowly to the Cashier’s desks to purchase the products.
She smiled as the nightmare from the aisles disappeared from her thoughts, thinking it was probably better to shop at the Dollar store.
As she scanned the sections, she noticed a horrifying presence. The same uniform smiles and uniform expressions from the dark depths of the aisles have occupied nearly half of the cashier's desk.
Raven could only gasp as she stopped her ascent at the sight of such horror. She thought it was all over, but that was just the tip of the iceberg of the company.
All cashiers looked at her with the same expression as any mall employee would show. After all, if they opposed, it would damage their overall monthly paycheck. Every company, every business, every small town store used that strategy to make their employees all worthwhile to their loyal customers, completely ignoring the rights that are being violated not only to the employees, but also to the blood of their businesses.
Raven was with them, in the same boat, in the same room, in the same eye to eye contact. The only difference between her and them were the facial expressions.
“Good Morning ma’am!”
“Hello!”
“How can I help you?”
A diabolical volley of kind words penetrated Raven’s comfortable silence and peaceful mindset. They were polite but undeniably uncomfortable to her well being, toxic almost.
She replied with a warm smile, but she knew all to well it was a fake one. She wasn’t even famous and yet she was being peppered with treatment that was fit for Princess Celestia herself.
She casually continued walking, trying to pick the best possible cashier, thinking it would all be over once she paid for her products and walked away, hopefully forever with her so nonchalant bond papers and diet milk.
She laid her mistaken products on the desk with a sigh. At least the mare she chose wasn’t all that bad, she smiled but no teeth, she paid attention, but not in the stomach-turning creepy way.
Raven could only smile and let her mind drift off as the cashier inputted her items.
Unfortunately the same thing can’t be said about the cashier.
'Four years at college for bachelor’s degree in accounting…High standing honors in my class… Winning “Most likely to be an Accountant award” in school… and here I am… checking the price tags of grocery products!'
The cashier mare could only grumble and sigh. Her patrons obviously didn’t notice her demise for 10 hours everyday, 6 times a week, month after month and year after year.
'Life for us ponies here… standing at a desk… with old-fashioned registers that haven’t been repaired nor upgraded in years… under constant surveillance on our every action… our rights of freedom to do as we please being constantly violated… and the threat of losing our payment every time we make one tiny mistake…' The cashier glanced at one of the surveillance cameras.
'Never getting the opportunity to even get a PROMOTION!… I mean come on! What the heck can a bucking cashier get promoted to?! YOU THINK IT”S ALL THAT EASY!?… TRY STANDING HERE IN OUR HOOVES! Getting them dirty from cracked yogurt cups and rotten apples! HOW WOULD YOU FEEL!!! HUH?! I SHOULD-'
“Would you like to have our once in a lifetime offer of entering our lottery to win a basket of apples, ma’am?” the cashier calmly offered despite the fuss in her thoughts.
'Obviously just offer a simple “offer”…'
“Uhmm no thank you.. I’m quite in need of cash so my expenses are rather… limited,” Raven shook her head.
“What about our offer to get the chance to win a brand new hay cart if you’re lucky enough to get the lucky number?”
“I’d rather not… the chances of me winning are one in a two thousand, three hundred and sixty two… which are exactly how many balls are in that bingo cage.” Raven pointed a hoof at the contraption.
'Can this mare see that I’m rather not interested… Dear Celestia, she’s as horrible as her fellow colleagues in the aisles…' Raven rolled her eyes
'Can this mare just help me pass the time?… I mean how would she feel if she was in my hooves?… Obviously she gets more pay than I do…' Ran through the cashier's head.
“That would be 36 bits, ma’am,” she simply announced.
Raven looked at her monthly pay from the Mayor as she gasped.
She only had 30 bits.
'That can’t be right… I could’ve sworn that I just had enough… even though some of this aren’t what I’m supposed to buy…' She cocked an eyebrow at the pile of goods.
She scanned her items and was surprised by the bags of candy in there, snagged by her products during her escape, unaware of her hitchhikers in her basket. The candy approximately costing her the six lacking bits..
“Oh my… I apologize but I won’t be purchasing the candy.”
'ARE YOU BUCKING KIDDING ME?!…. I JUST PUNCHED IT IN!… I ALREADY SCANNED, PACKED, AND COMPUTED YOUR DUES AND YET YOU SOMEHOW CHANGE YOUR MIND?!… YOU ARE WASTING MY TIME… MY EFFORT!… AND NOW YOU WANT ME TO GO BACK TO THE AISLES, RE-PACK AND RE-SALE THESE SWEETS AND RE-COMPUTE YOUR DUES!?… WHY YOU HEARTLESS PIECE OF-'
“Oh it’s all right, ma’am… I’ll just redo your costs and re-pack your products so you can be on your way!” she only gave Raven a proffesional smile in response.
After going through the horrible trials of making the old register work again, she was able to redo everything she did.
Losing the 10 minutes of her time that could’ve been used for coffee break.
“THANK YOU AND PLEASE COME AGAIN!”
'Cause we’ll be here everyday for the rest of our lives until our corporations decides to give us the hoof and leaves us to rot… after all… we’re your slaves are we not?'
'Good Celestia… is everypony here crazy today?' Raven looked at the cashier now sporting the same uniform smile and expression from the past, sending shivers down her spine.
'Must be losing my mind…'
Raven rubbed her eyes while fixing the position of her glasses. She undeniably stumbled to the wet floor area of the mall, freshly mopped by the janitor, his eyes watching her with sinister glints.
Author's Note
Part two of this Mini Series 
Feel free to comment and judge and if you see any more errors or mistakes, feel free to PM me 
Happy New Year Everypony! 
