​CONTENT WARNINGS:

​Physical Abuse (Being slammed/dragged)

​High Intensity Horror (The Early Flip)

Animal Cruelty (Bane is kicked—he survives)

​Phobias: Loud Noises, Being Watched

​Ableism: Verbal slurs ("Cripple")

​Bane begins to meow with a monstrous tone. I lift my head and see Colton looking at me with an unreadable expression. Shit... shit, I fucked up. I look away, wiping my tears. I hear his heavy steps as he walks over. He is angry; I can tell. I brace myself, closing my eyes and waiting for a hit that never comes.

​I open my eyes slowly, still afraid. He has his hand on my shoulder.

​"You are such a little mouse," he says as he opens the register. I’m confused. He takes out six coins and lays them out in size order. "Okay, Matthan. Look. The smallest one is the 'one.' It has gold in it. You see that?" Colton’s voice is surprisingly calm.

​Why is he being nice? I don’t know if I can trust it. "Mhmhm," I mumble.

​"Okay, good. Now this one is the 'two.' It has rust in the silver. The 'three' has a bigger hole. The 'four' is a mix of copper and silver—see? Half and half. The 'five' is plain silver. And the 'six' is plain copper; it’s the biggest one. You see the difference?"

​"Yes, I do," I whisper. With him explaining it that way, I can actually tell them apart. "Thank you."

​"Don't think. Just... when your dyslexia starts acting up, come get me. I will help you, okay?"

​I nod. Is he actually nice, or is this a game?

​"Don't believe everything you hear, little mouse. They like to make up stories," Colton says before walking off. I look at Bane. He looks wary. I check the clock.

​The time is stuck at 6:06.

​Outside, it isn't sunset yet, but a sudden coldness hits me. It's a silence so heavy it feels loud. I begin to shiver. "What is happening?" I whisper to Bane. He starts running back and forth, hissing and growling. Colton comes running back in.

​"Matthan! Stay away from the aisle and the front door!" he yells.

​A man walks in—a human.

​"No! Get out!" Colton screams. The world turns to night in the blink of an eye. Colton catches the shutters in mid-fall, holding them up by sheer strength. I hear a terrifying pop like the weight is crushing his bones. The human looks paralyzed with fear. Bane hisses. "Hurry up!" Colton grunts.

​I can't let the shutters crush him. I walk toward them. "Matthan, stay away from him!" Colton yells. I freeze. A jolt of pain shoots through my hip and tears sting my eyes. Then, I smell it—metallic and sharp. Something drips onto my shoulder. Bane lets out a meow so loud it sounds like a scream, telling me to run.

​I look up. A creature—elongated, with a wide, fixed smile—is reaching for me.

​"You need to move, Matthan!"

​I reach into my kit for the spray. I close my eyes and spray the monster. A piercing scream echoes and the air smells like burnt tar. When I look up, it's gone. I grab a ladder and climb, my hip screaming in protest. I get my flashlight out and use my screwdriver to secure the lock.

​The shutters drop with a thud so loud the whole store vibrates. I flinch.

​The red lights flicker on and smog fills the air. It’s the Flip, but it's way too early. The human is on the ground, terrified of Colton.

​"You... I am so fucked. You are so fucked!" Colton yells at the man. "All you had to do was stay the fuck outside!"

​Colton looks up at me, his tone shifting instantly to something gentle. "Let me help you." He lifts me off the ladder and sets me down. "Look at me, Matthan. You stay away from him. He isn't worth your life. Bane, keep an eye on him. I need to answer to Luz."

​As Colton walks away, the whispering starts. I grip my flashlight like a lifeline. The man looks at me, stuttering. "Hey... dude... help me out. They won't know. We're both human. Let's kill this cat and leave."

​"No," I whisper. I feel bad that he’s scared, but killing Bane? No.

​Bane’s fur stands on end. He hisses, a sound that echoes through the aisles. "Don't do it," I whisper.

​The man kicks Bane so hard the cat is thrown across the room.

​"Nooo!" I yell.

​The store begins to move like it’s angry. Metal shelves creak loudly. The whispering grows into a roar. The man grabs my arm. "You're coming with me. You're the only one who knows the way around!"

​He drags me, his grip bruising my skin. My hip jolts with fiery pain. "Oww, you're hurting me!"

​You shouldn't have done that. You will pay, a voice whispers in the smog.

​"Come on, you cripple!" the man yells.

​I realize with a jolt of horror where we are. Aisle 4. Rule 12: If you find yourself here, walk counter-clockwise. But he is dragging me the wrong way. The words are stuck in my throat.

​"No! I'm breaking all the rules! I'm so scared! Colton, help me!" I sob, the darkness of Aisle 4 swallowing us whole.