the waitress was chipper and quickly brought me some black coffee along with a fried egg and bacon sandwich . deep within the tangled darkness , twigs snapped and branches rustled as things moved through the brambles . her father finally broke the silence . furthermore , did he just call me princess ? 'here , ' he said , holding out a ten-spot 'no , ' i said . she tried to process what he had just told her , but all it did was make her laugh . 