I bump into no one on the way down. I'm not too upset about it but just find it a bit odd.

The closest grocery store is Mike's Market just a few blocks down. I don't get out much and when I do I don't go very far. There are people out and about but I speak to no one and keep to myself. It's not like my neighborhood is some kind of dog town full of gang wars and such but it's not exactly the best either. I manage to make it to Mike's in peace though. I wander in, grab a basket, and start to collect what we need.

The market is a small privately owned grocer. The manager and owner, John Cliff, runs it with his family and his grandfather, Mike, started it a while, while back according to John. That would be before I was born. I've gotten to know a lot of the business near the Avalon since we moved here. It's kind of nice, as if I live in a small town instead of a small part of a large city. The market is like a small version of a chain grocery store or similar to a large convenience store. A lot of fresh organic produce they get from farmers outside of the city. It's decent and we don't tend to buy too much non-necessity. Well, except when my mom actually decides to do the shopping. She tends to over spend, so I try to do it before she actually decides to.

There are only a few customers from what I can see but I try to focus on grabbing what we need. I wander down aisle after aisle picking out food items, making sure to check the price before I place them into my basket. I remember we need some toilet paper and toothpaste so I make my way to the toiletries at the far end. I pick up a generic brand of paste and glance out one of the windows. It's still kind of light but the clouds are dark and it's started to drizzle. Darn, I didn't bring an umbrella. I pray this does not get me sick in the morning.

I move to the end of the aisle and crouch down to the lower shelves to pick out a pack of toilet paper. My hand reaches out for one when I hear a gunshot and it gets dimmer in the store like one of the overhead lights went out. My muscles tense, my blood freezes and boils at the same time, and it feels as if I can't breathe lest my heart might explode from the way it's thundering in my chest. A man screams from what can only be a few feet away, "Everybody down! Now show me some goddamn money!" I swallow and shut my eyes tight not believing this is really happening. Once my muscles decide to cooperate I peer very slowly and carefully around the corner. Just a little peek and see a man with a large handgun pointed at John behind the cash register and another behind him with what I can only assume is a shotgun. I don't really know firearms. He has the shotgun pointed at a woman flat on the ground. She looks alive. There is a light right above them that's out so I can only assume that's what they shot.

They have on ski masks and dark clothing but that's all I really notice as the handgun guy looks in my general direction and I quickly move around so my back is against the shelves sitting with my knees drawn. Oh god, this is bad. This is really bad. Please, God, don't let him have seen me here.

"Hey, G, go check down that last aisle. I think I saw something," the one that spoke earlier says.

I think I might hyperventilate as I hear footsteps moving towards me. I'm not usually one to curse but this seems like a perfect opportunity to say fuck in chant form inside this head of mine that I might just lose any second now. Fuck.