You arrive at the store alone and park. You have never been here alone before. Either you come with your friends or partner, but your friends are busy and your partner is sick. This place creeps you out, as you are in the middle of nowhere and it is very rundown, even though it is only a few years old.

It is Saturday. There are not many people here today. Usually almost every spot is taken, if not all of them. You decide to still go shopping because there are still a few cars in the lot, so they are not closed.

You walk into the store and get your list out of your pocket. There is usually a worker who stands at the door and greets customers walking in, but today no one is there.

The first thing on your list is hamburger meat, which you go and grab. Next is strawberries, then toilet paper, and so on.

You do not see a single person this entire time.

The last thing on your list is milk. This aisle is at the back of the store. As you walk to the fridge where the milk is, you see a person for the first time since entering. A woman is  at the ice cream across from the milk. You can not see her face clearly, only that her skin looks unnaturally pale. ‘Well she has very dark hair,’ You think, ‘it could be a trick of the light.’ As you get closer to her, you hear her muttering something, but you can barely hear her. You go up to her and try to talk to her, “Hello,” You say.

The woman does not respond. She does not move and keeps talking to herself.

You think that she might have not heard you, you think,‘But how could she have not, we are the only ones in the store?’ You say it louder, but she still does not answer.

After trying to talk to her twice, and both times having her ignore you, you go over to the milk to grab one and leave. The cartons look different than they usually do. They are usually blue, but now they are red. ‘Maybe they just changed the outside.’ You then grab the first one in the row, put it in your shopping cart and go to cash out.

There is one cashier. You go over to him to have him cash you out. He does not look at you as you walk over. He does not move or show any acknowledgement of you. He has his blue eyes fixated on something in front of him. You try to find what he is looking at but there is nothing. He is also muttering something, like the woman. He is talking so quietly that you still can not hear him, even though you are right in front of him.

“Hello.” You say.

He does not respond, just like the woman.

You decide to take your stuff and go to the self checkout. When you are done, you take your groceries and leave the store. You go to your car, put your bags into the trunk, and get in. As you are putting on your seatbelt you see something move out of the corner of your eye.

You try to see what it is, but it is already gone.

You put your car in reverse and go to drive out of the parking spot. When you do this you hear a noise and feel a thump from the back of your car. You get out of your car to see what it was, but there is nothing. The only thing behind your car is air and now you. You get back in your car and drive off.

The thing is, you are not going anywhere. You have been driving to the parking lot exit for some time now, but it is not getting closer. You see someone walking towards your car. A woman with her braids tied up in a messy bun. You roll down your window, “Hello?” You say.

“Did you come here alone?” She asks.

“What?”

“Why?”

“Why what?” You ask, but you never get an answer. The woman walks away and leaves you with so many unanswered questions.

You pull out your phone to call your partner, but you have no reception. You get back in your car and try to drive away, but the exit is still not getting closer. You look at the exit sign and see that it is different.

It no longer says exit. Now it says nothing. Nothing at all.