The old street light flickers, its spattered light casting a faltering light over the small lot it stood vigilant over. At this time of night there were no teenagers playing ball on the two basketball courts to its left, nor any skaters showing rolling about the pits and ramps to its left. Nor was anyone walking the path between to the gym at the back of the lot. The tired old lamp had stood guard here for years, and was showing signs of disrepair. Its light would flicker one minute then go out completely the next, bathing the lot in complete darkness for a moment.
It was during one of these times that a new light turned on. From the darkness came a fresh and cheerful glow from a vending machine which had not been there before. It had a retro style with a modern flair, showing examples of the drinks behind glass panels with large buttons underneath each carefully placed item. A logo across the top proclaimed “Mythic Soda Co.! New!” The drinks themselves were in classically styled glass bottles with vibrantly colored labels, each a seemingly harmless spin on tried and true flavors.
First in line was a drink with an off white color. “Satyr, the refreshing cream soda” was printed on a label that you could see through to the drink with a clear sunset, the silhouette of a satyr playing pipes while seated on a stump next to the title.
Next was a blue label with fruit thrown and donkey ears poking up behind the words “Donkeyboy Punch!”
The “Bacchus Brew” had a smiling young blonde man with a centaur’s body carrying a basket of grapes from a sunny vineyard vineyard.
“Bull Boost” the energy drink had the image of a Minotaur against stone walls, flexing an arm to show off prodigious muscle.
On the bottom rack “Tropical Tangle” had a monkey man wearing board shorts dangling from a palm tree by the beach offering a handful of oranges and pineapples.
Next to that was “Mountain Magic”, fresh spring water with a cartoon Bigfoot sporting white shorts on a cloudy mountain backdrop.
With the silhouette of a werewolf howling at a moon made of a lemon with a lime wedge “Citrus Moon” promised a beastly refreshing taste.
Finally on the last bottle was a scene of the savannah dotted with strawberries and a red maned lion man dressed in tribal garb and holding an ornate spear from which a banner waved reading “Strawberry Savannah”.
The vending machine hummed innocently in the night, awaiting the patronage of the people who would arrive with the dawn. The lamppost knew that no good would come from this machine, but being a simple lamppost, could do nothing but stand as a silent witness to the events about to unfold.