The Characters Within E-Book

Sunshine Rodgers

• Herausgeber: RWG Publishing
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Brittany Myers is stuck. She hates her role as a Cheese Crusader to Florida's popular Cheddar and Such theme park! She is sick of the guests, the heat and working at the Fun at the Parm Attraction which features the animatronics Patty the Pretzel and Peter the Breadstick.

Her only relief from the monotony is writing chapters in her upcoming novel "The Carnival Ride" where she tells stories with theatrical scenes about her co-workers, her fears and the struggles she faces day in and day out.

With the help of her work family, the man of her dreams and her best friend, Brittany discovers that the magic she is looking for was right inside of her the entire time.

Leseprobe

THE

CHARACTERS WITHIN

SUNSHINE RODGERS

Also by Sunshine Rodgers

After You: A Demon is Always Lurking Nearby

The Creation Project

Helpers: A Rescue Mission

The Ring Does Not Fit

This Is My Heaven

The Characters Within

Andrew’s First Act

Table of Contents

Title Page

Also By Sunshine Rodgers

The Characters Within

CHAPTER ONE

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter SEVEN

Chapter Eight

ONE YEAR LATER

Other Books by   Sunshine Rodgers

A Sneak peek of chapter one:

Chapter One

Sign up for Sunshine Rodgers's Mailing List

Also By Sunshine Rodgers

About the Publisher

To my theme park Family!

I love you all!

Reviews from the real-life characters in the book:

“This wonderful story kept me yearning for more. Having two stories combined into one was exciting and easy to follow. The characters in the book were so intriguing, and I felt like I knew them all. I had such a fun time reading this!”

-Kathleen Dart (Acrobat Kathleen of the Fearless Four)

“WOW! As a worker of the most popular theme park in Florida for over 28 years, Sunshine Rodgers has hit this life right on the button, showcasing the joy and excitement of being hired and the training and the actual first day on the job. Working at a theme park always has its ups and downs and its good and bad days. Sunshine captures all these emotions in her writing, describing the friendships and heartbreaks of working in a theme park. Reading the last chapter brought me to tears. Knowing that all the things that I hate about the job are part of the job that I truly love makes my final day of work the hardest of them all.”

-  Mike LaFlamme (“Uncle Mike”)

“The Characters Within” is a whimsical perspective of a woman pursuing her writing dreams while trapped in a dead-end job at a theme park. With characters directly inspired by real people, Sunshine Rodgers incorporates her life experiences and spins them into a tale that even those who have never worked at a theme park can appreciate. A fast-paced story about love and sometimes overlooking what is staring at you in the face, “The Characters Within” can and should be enjoyed by all ages for a good lighthearted read sure to earn a smile.”

-  Quinn Rhyne (Acrobat Quinn of the Fearless Four)

CHAPTER ONE

Not now...

Two more minutes...

I waved wildly at the sound interrupting my sleep.

The red, fuzzy alarm clock rang chaotically in my ear, an irritating buzz that evolved into a haunting cackle which reminded me that my 11-hour workday was about to start.

My shift starts at 10:15 am, and it’s currently 7:45am.

The craziness begins in T-minus 2 hours and 30 minutes.

I rolled around in my comfortable bed, not wanting to start my shift at Cheddar and Such theme park, a popular amusement park in Florida.

I closed my eyes and remembered the first day of Orientation.

I can't believe it...

Was it really ten years ago when I signed up to make “Cheese look Fun”?

——————————————————————————————————————————

“Hello, new Cheese Crusaders and welcome to Cheddar and Such theme park, where your days are always delicious!” said chipper Paulomi Dholakia, a Curd-Boss at the park. 

Paulomi's long dark hair flowed down over her navy blue outfit.

She stood in front of a large projector showing impressive facts and images about the company:

Cheddar and Such theme park has been operating for the past forty years

A little over 500,000 visitors annually

Blue Cheese Dip is the most popular ride

Fun at the Parm is the oldest attraction in the park

Over 15 million samples of cheese have been passed out to guests

––––––––

“You are going to love working here!” Paulomi continued. “I have been here for two years now, and I started right where you are sitting! Cheddar and Such has so many opportunities for advancement! You can jump into training or management positions pretty quickly! I would know! I became a Curd-Boss in no time!” She snapped her fingers and laughed at herself as if she just made the funniest joke in the world.

I looked around at the small group of bright-eyed and innocent recruits at Cheddar and Such all bunched together in this small classroom in the backstage area of the park. Each of us had a packet of information in front of us.

I felt so excited to be sitting in this room, going over introductory pages of the “Most Delicious” park in Florida.

We were asked to go around the room and share our names with the group.

After I introduced myself, the girl sitting to my right continued by sharing her name.

“Hi! I’m Maddie Stiles, and I love this theme park! I remember taking vacations here with my family when I was young and making such delicious memories!” This young brunette rambled on about how it was always her dream to work here. 

“Hey, what’s up! My name is Christopher Bungert, and I am excited to work my way up to be a Curd-Boss at this company!” the eager man with light curly hair explained.

“Hey guys! I’m Roberto Diaz! And similar to Maddie...I loved coming here as a kid and riding the Blue Cheese Falls! Such a great ride!” said a young man who sounded way too enthusiastic and who was writing notes furiously during the presentation.

And finally, one other girl spoke out. “Hey guys! I’m Brittany Restrepo, and I am anxious to get to know all of you, and I am happy to be working at this theme park in the sunny state of Florida!”

Paulomi then passed the remote for the projector screen to Angelina Sanchez, a young woman wearing a similar navy blue outfit as the first facilitator.

Angelina and Paulomi high-fived each other and started giggling as if they share an inside joke.

Angelina clicked the remote, and the next slide showed a collage of pictures: children dancing in front of the Queso Fresco band, a couple posing next to the Asiago performers and a little girl in pigtails enjoying a cheese sample of the day.

“You are going to love working here as a Cheese Crusader," Angelina continued, explaining that each role is unique, and we would be working at different areas of the park, assigned to a themed uniform.  "If you could please turn to page 13 in your packet, I will highlight the benefits of working at Cheddar and Such!”

I smiled as I stared down at the pages of my packet filled with pictures of vacationers making “delicious” memories. Cheese Crusaders in various outfits were holding balloons. Men and women dressed in a sky blue uniform with an attached flower broach pass out cheese samples at the front entrance of the park. 

There was even a page that listed all the locations that offered training and management positions within the company.

I was beyond ecstatic about my future at Cheddar and Such!

Maybe now I won’t be a loser who quit college.

I will advance in a thriving theme park!

That will show them!

That will show myself....

...that I still have a future!

“Okay, new recruits!” Josh Brown announced, a man who had been sitting patiently in the corner of the room as if awaiting his turn to speak. “Come and collect your Cheese Crusader name tag and park placement letter. Let us know if you have any questions about your assignment at Cheddar and Such! We officially welcome you to the team!” Josh was dressed in an all-brown uniform with swiss cheese images stamped up and down his shirt.

I collected my name tag like it was a treasure. The small piece of plastic was bright yellow and shiny, my name glistening on the front: Brittany Myers.

I initialed after my name on the clipboard that Josh was holding to  secure my place in the company after receiving my official badge of honor.

I cuffed the name tag in my hands like precious gold was just given to me. 

"Wow!" I thought. "I am going to love working here!"

I pinned my name tag on my button-down green pastel shirt and quickly read my park placement letter:

Welcome, Brittany Myers!

Cheddar and Such theme park originated in Wisconsin but franchised in the sunny state of Florida, bringing in even more guest flow and traffic than the nearby entertainment venues and tourist attractions already in the Central Florida area.

Cheddar and Such theme park creates a “delicious” way to have fun. Such attractions inside the park include: Gouda Land, Swiss Ride, and the ever-popular, Blue Cheese Dip!

Brittany Myers, you are assigned to the Fun at the Parm Attraction.

This show is about Peter the Breadstick, Patty the Pretzel, and Ben the BrocStalk, who fall in love with their new life now covered in a cheesy sauce.  The content of the show reminds the guests about the importance of cheese as being an essential part of their daily nutrition.

I’m going to wear this amazing costume!

And this milk jug disguised as a water cooler.

How fun!!

I love my life!

Fast forward to a decade later as I finally roll out of bed.

"I hate my life..." I begin to whine as that memory of the first day of Orientation fades.

The once beautiful golden name tag is now stained and dirty from years of wear and tear, leaning sideways on my dresser, tossed carelessly from the night before.

The corresponding milk jug/water bottle became too embarrassing to wear and now collects dust in my closet.

My inner monologue gives me plenty of reasons to call out today:

I have a stomach cramp

It's that time of the month

I need a mental break day

I want to binge-watch on the new hit TV show: Magic Tree

I sigh and frantically searched for my notebook, which is currently mangled between the sheets of my bed.

I keep this notebook with me at all times, its pages containing a plethora of scribbles, words crossed out, character names, and storyline ideas.

And one book I have been working on for years called “The Carnival Ride” about Sasha, a female handyman at a carnival who longs to be a Performer.

I’m happy with what I have so far.

I feel so hopeful about a possible author career that I spend my free time mailing and submitting my story to publishers, agents, and small literary houses.

I have spent days, months, and years daydreaming, organizing, and creating characters and scenes for my book, “The Carnival Ride.”

I'm using the names and personas of my co-workers at Cheddar and Such to be the characters for my story...

They just don't know it yet.

My everyday drama working at Cheddar and Such theme park provides plenty of enough material for a book.

Or so I hope....

I am praying that one day...these little opportunist storylines will lead me to my dream job as a writer.