Content Warnings:

​Chronic Pain & Physical Injury

​Phobia: Loud Noises

​Psychological Horror 

​It’s 6 PM. Colton is on the store side and I am at the gas station side. I see a black cat looking at me; it stares at the pumps, then looks back at me, hisses, and runs into the store. That’s odd. Then I see a black vehicle—oh shit, it’s the Hearse. I fell out of my chair, scrambling under the desk. Oh fuck, my hip. I hit the red button. A zap of pain shoots through my hip and I cover my mouth.

​I hear an odd sound; it’s not English—hell, it’s not human. I look toward the doors and see Colton coming out. Why is he doing that? He has a rifle. He’s yelling something—“Erhhh.. mayghj...hijggb”—in an unfamiliar language. The black cat just sits at the door. What the hell is going on? I am terrified. Calm down, I tell myself. I close my eyes and cover my ears, shaking.

​For what feels like forever, I feel a presence. A big hand settles on my knee. I open my eyes and see Colton. "You okay, kid?" he asks. I can’t answer. I try to speak. "Mhmhn," I manage to mumble.

​"You must have fell hard on your hip. Is it okay? And good job with not letting them see you," he said. I felt relieved they didn’t see me. Before I can answer, a loud meow echoes. Colton looks at the black cat, then up at the clock. "Well, shit. The clocks have stopped ticking. We need to lock up early today. Let’s go over the last rules quickly while we lock up."