C-AACH02 (Jun 7, 2016)
Puzzle
“Closed Sign in Reverse.”
Research | 3 Words
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: ??
Clue 2: ??
Clue 3: ??
Answer and Explanation
Answer: We Are Open
Explanation: The opposite of a closed sign is an open sign; We Are Open is the first archive chronologically.
Summary of Receipt
Summary
Transcript
CAFE AND DINER RECEIPT
DATE: 7/07/16
BY O.L.
ABRIDGED HISTORY CASE NO. 2
My apologies for leaving things on such a cliffhanger. There isn't necessarily a maximum word count for receipts, but it's best to keep them on the shorter side when possible. In addition to that, I realized I hadn't even begun to tell the tale of the Cafe and Diner, only bits and pieces of what predated it. While the background context is useful, it is hardly an abridged history of the Cafe when the Cafe has yet to open. So, allow me to start at the true beginning: 1992.
The Cafe and Diner was officially open for business under the enigmatic Owner, the big number himself, a title he inherited from his recently… removed… mentor. Alongside him, of course, was his most Trusted Associate, Employee #71. And new to the Cafe and Diner, Employees #17, 26, 35, 44, 53, and 62—along with his love and light, Lady Lucifer. That is, until the two parted ways under mysterious circumstances. No one is quite sure what caused Lucifer to break things off with the Original Owner, but it devastated him. In his time of crisis, he got careless, and #35 and #44 were killed in action.
Yes, the coffee business can, at times, be quite dark. Not everyone always makes it out alive. During the period of 1992-1995, the Cafe and Diner's main concern was a region known as the "Hot Bed," which primarily encompasses West Virginia and quite a bit of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and a bit of Michigan around Lake Erie. See, the Hot Bed is one of three supernatural hotspots in and around the United States. Each hotspot exists for a different reason and brings different customers with it. The Hot Bed specializes in demons of a certain lineage: the Mothman, Batboy, the Flatwoods Monster, Veggieman, Dogman, and on and on. They are known as Blooded or High Demons. Old Money of the afterlife, if you will. The Hotbed is also the region where the Original Owner's parents were killed by the Nain Rouge.
So, naturally, once the Cafe and Diner was open for business, the Original Owner's first and most pressing matter was revenge. All that got him was a broken heart, two shallow graves, and a deal with a Wicked King draped in Yellow Flames. But despite the missteps, the Cafe and Diner did prove itself a serious contender in the Coffee Trade, catching the attention of the Astoria 23rd Agency, the true government of the United States. It's hard to say what the Original Owner would have done following their business in the Hot Bed… if Satan hadn't found his way to Long Beach first.