| October 6, 2023 – 9:15 AM
Lin pushed her cart down the aisle, scanning the shelves stacked with canned goods. Beans, corn, tomatoes, soup, meats—she needed a little of everything.
She grabbed six packs of canned chicken, ten cans of beef stew, and enough beans to last a small army.
As she reached for another stack of soup, she noticed something.
The shelves weren't empty. Yet.
But they weren't as full as they should be either.
A few gaps here, an entire row missing there. Nothing obvious enough for a casual shopper to panic, but for someone paying attention? It was a sign.
And Lin was always paying attention.
She wasn't the only one.
At the far end of the aisle, a middle-aged woman hovered near the pasta section, frowning at the price tags as she loaded her cart with more than a normal household would need.
A few feet away, an older man grabbed the last two cases of bottled water, glancing around like he expected someone to question him.
Lin's grip on the cart tightened.
This didn't happen last time.
People had panicked too late before—when it was already obvious something was wrong. But now? The shift was happening earlier.
She exhaled, pushing the thought away for now. Whether the timeline was shifting or not, the answer was the same—prepare.
Lin grabbed another row of canned fruit, a stack of protein bars, and a few more dry goods for good measure.
By the time she made it to checkout, her cart was full.
The cashier, a girl barely out of high school, raised an eyebrow as she scanned the twenty cans of black beans.
"Stocking up?" she asked, half-joking.
Lin smirked. "Something like that."
The girl hummed. "You're not the only one. People have been buying weird lately."
Lin tilted her head. "Weird how?"
The cashier shrugged. "More bulk shopping. Less fresh stuff, more shelf-stable. Like, we ran out of rice twice this week. That never happens." She scanned the last can, glancing at Lin.** "Something going on?"
Lin gave her a slow, knowing smile. "Depends. You got a good pantry at home?"
The girl blinked. "Uh. I guess?"
Lin tapped her receipt. "Might want to stock it a little better."
The girl watched as Lin loaded up her bags, curiosity flickering across her face.
Lin didn't say anything else. If people were paying attention, they'd figure it out on their own.
She pushed her cart out the door, the morning sun warm against her skin.
If the world was shifting faster than before?
Then she just had to stay three steps ahead.
| October 6, 2023 – 9:40 AM
Lin's truck rumbled steadily down the highway, the town of Maep's shrinking in her rearview mirror.
She could've bought groceries in town, sure, but the selection was limited, and she needed volume. The next town over had a bigger supermarket, better bulk deals, and fewer nosy locals watching what went into her cart.
Twenty minutes wasn't that far. Not when she was stocking up for the long haul.
Lin tapped her fingers against the wheel as she drove, thinking.
People were leaving earlier this time.
People were preparing earlier.
Last time, no one panicked until it was too late. But now? The tension was already creeping in.
She didn't like it. Not because she wasn't ready—but because the timeline was shifting, and that meant unknown variables.
Lin exhaled. "Doesn't matter. Plan stays the same."
The truck rolled into the supermarket parking lot, and she pulled into a spot near the loading area. Fewer cars out here, easier to load up.
She grabbed a cart, walked inside, and headed straight for the canned goods.
| October 6, 2023 – 10:05 AM
Lin moved through the aisles with purpose.
Canned meats first—because protein was king when fresh food ran out.
Twelve cans of chicken.
Ten cans of tuna.
Six cans of corned beef.
Then soups and stews—something filling, easy to heat up.
Eight cans of beef stew.
Fourteen assorted soups.
Vegetables and fruit—because scurvy was real.
Fifteen cans of mixed vegetables.
Twelve cans of fruit cocktail, pineapple, and peaches.
Lin scanned the shelves, noting the empty gaps.
Rice was already thinning out. Flour too.
People weren't full-on panic-buying yet, but they were creeping toward it.
She grabbed a twenty-pound bag of rice, two packs of pasta, and a bulk case of instant noodles.
By the time she reached checkout, her cart was loaded.
The cashier, a woman in her fifties with sharp eyes, gave her a once-over. "Stocking up?"
Lin gave her a smooth smile. "Better safe than sorry."
The woman grunted in agreement, scanning items efficiently. "You're not wrong. People been buying strange this week. Feels like something's coming."
Lin hid her smirk. "Maybe it is."
She swiped her card, grabbed her receipt, and started loading the bags into her cart.
Another step ahead.
Another day closer to being ready.
| October 6, 2023 – 10:45 AM
Lin pulled out of the parking lot, her truck now weighed down with a solid haul of canned goods and dry staples.
She could head straight home.
But she didn't.
Instead, she took a left at the intersection, heading toward another grocery store—this one smaller, locally owned, and less likely to have people watching what she was buying.
Twenty minutes wasn't a long drive. Not when she needed to spread out her purchases. She wasn't about to make herself a target by emptying shelves in one place.
The drive was quiet, the highway stretching long and open, lined with trees that had just started turning gold and red.
Lin tapped her fingers against the wheel, thinking.
If the timeline was shifting, she had to keep adjusting.
| October 6, 2023 – 11:10 AM
The second store was quieter, with fewer shoppers and wider aisles. No one was buying in bulk here yet, which made it perfect.
She grabbed another cart and got to work.
More canned proteins—because she refused to be short on food when it mattered.
Ten cans of salmon.
Twelve more cans of chicken.
A bulk pack of spam—because even the apocalypse deserved comfort food.
More soups and ready-to-eat meals.
Eight cans of chili.
Six more beef stews.
Vegetables, because she had no idea how long fresh produce would last once things went bad.
Fifteen cans of green beans, corn, and carrots.
She paused in front of the baking aisle. Flour was already getting low here too.
Lin grabbed two ten-pound bags and some yeast packets. Bread might not be a priority now, but later? People would miss it.
By the time she reached checkout, her cart was just as full as before.
The cashier, a young guy barely out of high school, gave her an impressed look. "Stocking up?"
Lin smirked. "Big family."
He nodded like that made sense, scanning her items quickly. "Smart move. People have been clearing stuff out weirdly fast this week."
Lin took her receipt, offering a polite nod. "Then maybe you should do the same."
She pushed the cart toward the exit, loading up her truck with practiced efficiency.
By the time she got back on the road, she was already planning her next stop.
Because being prepared wasn't enough.
She had to be ahead.