That did it. The pointer slid to “Yes” and then bounced up and down and zoomed off the board. But that was just the start of the turmoil that was quickly to follow. All at once, the windows rattled and the doors shook, violently, and all the lights flicked on and then, one by one, blew out, sending tiny shards off glass raining down from the front of the store to the back. The trio screamed and them promptly cowered beneath the table; which was a smart move, considering the amount of debris that began to fly across the room. The registers were the first to come crashing over, followed by several dozen Ouija boards, a few hundred cups, and dozens of trays. Just about everything that wasn’t bolted down or in a refrigerator or cupboard went soaring over the counters and into the main dining room. The noise was nearly deafening.
Fortunately, no one got hurt, though their nerves were sorely shattered, and rightly so.
When all become thankfully silent once again, the three, ever so slowly, peeked up over the table, exhaled deeply, and returned to their seats. One last piece of material was still floating above their heads, and it came wafting gently downward before landing face up on the table. All of them stared down at it in wonderment. It was a list of ingredients for McDonald’s food products. One section was smeared in blood red - gratefully, it was only ketchup – and it read:
French Fries:
Potatoes, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural flavor (beef, wheat and dairy sources), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (to preserve natural color). Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains derivatives of wheat and dairy.
“Why is this guy so gung-ho about the French fries,” Josie asked, peering out of the corner of her eye to make sure nothing else came flying at her. “Are McDonald’s French fries evil or something?”
Dhanesh grabbed the paper and, with wide-eyes, asked Steve, “You said this guy died in here about fifteen years ago?”
“Give or take.”
“Wasn’t that just after McDonald’s switched to 100% vegetable oil to cook its French fries?”
Steve closed his eyes and thought about it. “Yeah, I think so. Before that, we used mostly beef tallow. It’s what gave our French fries their unique flavor. What are you getting at? This guy’s mad at us for switching to vegetable oil?”
Dhanesh didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned over and picked up one of the Ouija boards and a pointer.
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