I walked into the grocery store at about 4:17 P.M. On a Wednesday, it seemed calm and peaceful although since it was the middle of the day it could get a bit crazier. I pushed an old cart, the wheels squeaking as they rolled across the what looked like linoleum floor. I heard a child crying in one of the nearby aisles but I paid no attention as I looked down at my list. “Eggs, Bread, Milk, Fruits” I mumbled to nobody in particular. I headed down the dairy aisle first, grabbing a small half gallon of milk, the door creaking as it opened. "jeez...that needs fixed" I mumbled before grabbing out my headphones, they helped when I wanted to drown things out. Suddenly there was a loud crash, and the familiar cacophony of glass shattering on the floor. I jumped, the crying seeming to have gotten louder, and it was everywhere! My headphones only blocked out some of the noise and I almost felt like my head was going to explode from how many noises there were. The crying, glass shattering, and the squeaky door all melded into one giant sound that was knocking right on my skull. I had only gotten one of my groceries, so instead of rushing out I stumbled towards the bread and bakery area, humming along to a song that was playing overhead. I mumbled, “Probably should grab some Ibuprofen while I'm at it” feeling a headache forming. I grabbed a loaf of bread, and checked it for mold and since i didnt see any i put it in my cart, although I'm sure a basket would have sufficed enough. I looked back and noticed a whole aisle full of broken glass. “Aisle 16” I said to myself, making a mental note. “Should tell the cashier once I get up there“ I started walking towards the next area I needed to go to, which from what I remember was eggs, though I probably should have gotten them first before leaving the milk aisle. As I'm walking the cries I heard earlier just seem to cease, which I'm glad about. I overheard the intercom crack and screech, almost like it was just turning on, which I thought was a bit weird. ‘Why would it have just come on when there was music coming out of it just a few minutes ago?’ I thought to myself, although now my mind raced with thoughts who knew if they were true. I quickly grabbed the eggs and ran towards the checkout, completely ignoring the ‘fruits’ on my list. I didn't want to be in this grocery store any longer. I frowned a little when I realized only one checkout line was open, and it had a small line of people. “I guess i will just have to wait” i spat under my breath, and so i joined the line, trying to hum along to the soft music playing in my headphones. I tapped my feet on the floor and tried counting the amount of tiles that were on the floor, just to pass the time. I had gotten to 30 when someone tapped on my shoulder and I jumped. “Sorry! Sorry!” They squeaked, their eyes wide. “Didnt mean to scare you but uh- you can checkout now” They added, pointing towards the now empty checkout. The cashier was nowhere to be found, but then I realized the person who tapped my shoulder was probably the cashier so I looked over at him. “Ah- sorry um….Thomas” I said, looking at the nametag that was sticking on his shirt while walking towards the moving conveyor belt. The cart’s wheels screeched again as I walked, and I flinched, not liking the sound. “Oh! There's a mess in aisle 16- a bunch of broken bottles and other glass items” I said, smiling softly. Thinking I helped someone with a mess that was yet to be cleaned up. “Aisle 16? There is no aisle 16, never has been” My stomach turned into knots, and bile rose into my throat, the world starting to spin. “What do you mean there's no aisle 16…?” “There just isn't one, we only have 15 aisles in this grocery store” Thomas added, although I wasn't listening, the world seemed to whirl, almost like I was in a whirlpool waiting to be sucked down into the void of black. Thomas’s face went blank, although I thought I saw a smile playing against his lips. I raced back towards the aisles, struggling to suck in deep breaths. I stopped, looking up at the aisle numbers, and 16 was nowhere to be found. “W-What-” I choked, maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me, it did that sometimes, although with the medicine I was taking it usually stopped, but I must have forgotten to take them.
Random OC I adopted off Pin
