There are no rules but the phones work and it’s a party line. I dare you to say “More syrup, please” into the receiver.

Listen. You’ll hear: “Where are you?”

It’s not from servers or another table. It’s the diner’s hungry ghost. Regulars won’t touch the sticky phones or pancakes.

JR Walsh is the Online Editor at The Citron Review. He teaches creative writing at SUNY Oswego. Find his writing on itsjrwalsh.com.