If hell had a side project, it would probably look like a gas station at midnight.
The register clicked shut and I stretched my back like an old man.
Time is seriously dragging...
The place was dead silent except for the soft whirr of the fridge in the back.
I checked the time on the wall. 11:54.
Six minutes until freedom. Nothing sounded better than dragging myself home, microwaving something depressing, and pretending that tomorrow wasn't full of lectures I'd never remember.
As if agreeing with me, an ache spread across my neck. Eight hours of sitting in a squeaky chair listening to old men rant about stuff I'll never use probably wasn't good for the body… or the soul.
My eyes flicked to the clock again. 11:55.
"Kill me..." I muttered at the pale ceiling lights.
And then they flickered, like a camera flash.
I froze. Maybe this place hated me as much as I hated it.
The hum of the store returned to normal. "…Weird timing," I mumbled, brushing a hand through my hair.
DING—!
Right on schedule, Mrs. Han shuffled in, her tiny pink purse bouncing against her hip.
"Evening... dear," she said, a little out of breath like she'd speed-walked here.
Mrs. Han always showed up right before close, but truthfully, it would be a crime to get annoyed at someone this sweet.
"Hey, Mrs. Han." I flashed her a smile. "Stocking up again, yeah?"
"Yes, yes. My grandkids are over again, and oh my, they are quite the handful, hoo hoo~" She lifted a hand to her side as she laughed. "Video games this, TikTok that, 'Grandma we want candy!' It's all so much for an old soul like me to keep up with."
"I can imagine," I said, scanning her items one by one — instant noodles, honey candies, and a random manga volume she definitely didn't know the name of.
"You work too much, lad," she said, wagging a finger. "You're still attending that ol' campus down the street, right?"
I nodded, packing her groceries into a plastic bag neatly. I always took my time with Mrs. Han. "Right. Blackwell is the name. Just two more years to go."
Grabbing the bag from the counter, her weathered eyes softened. "Oh good. Don't stay here forever. You seem like a bright boy."
I forced a small smile. "Trying to be. And… I don't plan to."
She paid in crumpled bills, thanked me twice, and pattered away as quickly as she'd come. The door hissed shut behind her, and the store became quiet again.
Closing my eyes, I soaked in the silence.
College was full of noise. Loud cliques, teachers saying a lot but helping none. Even if it wasn't significant, when I was here, people would look me in the eyes and actually listen to what I had to say.
I leaned on the counter, and from the glass surface, my own reflection stared back at me — dark circles and shaggy hair.
Yeah. Definitely not winning any beauty contests tonight.
DING—!
I jumped a little. Okay, a lot, as the door chimed.
Evan stumbled in, hair spread into a mop as wild as his clothes. Evan had a habit of combining the worst colors together and calling it an outfit. Puke green. Neon purple.
"AIDEN," he groaned dramatically. "Dude, I've checked the past two days. Tell me you restocked the citrus soda."
"No luck."
"This store must have a grudge against me!"
I flashed a stare at his outfit, then bit my tongue.
"It hates all of us," I said.
He let out a chuckle, yanking the drink cooler open. "Guess I'll have to settle for grape." He brought it over and set it down with a thud on the glass. "Man, if only my car didn't break down I could try somewhere else…"
"If only I had a car…" I agreed.
We locked eyes for half a second — just enough to acknowledge how much life sucked — and both let out a small laugh.
Evan snorted. "Damn. Yeah, okay, you win."
"Right." I grinned, feeling empowered by my cheap victory.
He covered the cost with coins, grabbed his soda with a swooshing motion, and pivoted in a 180 that was anything but necessary. Raising a hand, he signaled a goodbye as he walked into the night, his ugly clothes practically glowing in the dark.
I rested my weight against the counter just as one of the ceiling lights began to flicker in an annoying, dying-bug way.
"I really need a day off…"
11:58.
I rubbed my eyes, pushing my fatigue down. Maybe I'd treat myself tomorrow. I could grab something that wasn't frozen or expired. Or even—
The fridge in the back let out a loud rattle, like the metal inside slammed against itself.
I flinched. "…Seriously?"
That stupid fridge always made noises like it wanted to get out of the store. I understood that feeling well. The lights dimmed again, leaving the room dark for a full second before stabilizing.
"Okay, that is new."
A low electric buzz spread through the ceiling, making the tubes under the lights vibrate like angry bees.
I peered upward. "What now?"
Before I could even move, the lights faded a second time—and they never came back.
The fridge in the back shut off mid rattle along with the hum of the AC. Even the sound of cars flying past the street seemed to just stop. I stepped out from behind the counter, looking around the aisles. Nothing seemed off—
FWOOM—
A wave of purple washed across the front windows, pressing into it like rain tapping glass.
I walked toward it slow and cautious, like I expected it to bite me. Outside the night sky normally black and boring, glowed with a faint violet light. It wasn't bright, but it was unmistakable. My tongue felt like paper.
"What... is that?" I muttered, my body locking in place. The dumbest part of my brain wanted to believe it might be some kind of electrical thing, like a power outage or freak weather.
But the purple light began to ripple outward on the sky like a slow blooming bruise. And then— Pain hit like a white-hot hammer slamming into the back of my skull. Glass shattered. Car alarms sounded.
What is happening...?
My body smashed into the ground with a thumph.
The world fell out of my hands,
And everything went black.
...
[ !!! WARNING ][ VITAL LOSS DETECTED ][ INITIALIZING — APHE— ]
...
It hurts.
That was the first and only thing. Just pain, hot and sharp, burning down my throat with every breath I took.
My eyes snapped open, barely able to process what was in front of me.
"…What the hell…?"
The sky was torn open. Purple light bled down from a rip in the clouds like someone had sliced the night open. Sharp gravel dug into my back, urging me to move.
"What… what's happening?" someone whispered nearby.
I turned and saw Mrs. Han standing just a few feet away, clutching her grocery bag like it could protect her. The bag was shaking in her hands. Her whole body was.
"We need to get you inside, now," I said, blinking hard, trying to force my vision to focus.
She didn't move. Her head creaked toward me, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Oh, Aiden. I… I forgot to pick up drinks and—"
"Hey—hey, it's okay." I forced the words out. "We just need to get inside. Please."
She still didn't move.
A strand of purple light hung from the sky above us, connected to the tear. It floated down gently, like it had all the time in the world.
"Aiden, son." Her voice shook with a horrible, breathless sob. "Tell my gra—"
The tendril brushed her cheek.
Her skin blistered instantly. Her jaw dropped and sagged sideways like the bone melted. Then—
SNAP.
Her neck twisted with a sound that I never want to hear again.
"Mrs. Han—?!"
She made a noise that wasn't human, her 'words' coming out as wet snapping.
"Hel...p... my—"
What—what is happening—?! Oh God…
A scream cut through the street. The kid who always bought discount candy stood frozen, staring at what remained of Mrs. Han. His backpack hung half off of his shoulder, his knuckles white around the strap.
"Kid!" I yelled. Kid! Move! Run—NOW! "Hurry! Don't just stand there staring! Come over here!"
He took a hesitant step. He actually listened. Now he just needed to make it here. He took another step, before jogging, and finally running, his backpack slipping off of him and slamming toward the ground.
For a second I thought he would actually make it.
Then, another thread of purple stalked him, and with perfect precision pierced itself into his neck. He immediately stopped moving, his eyes glossing over.
Wait—!" I choked out. "No, no, no—don't take him—!"
His body seized violently, and his arms twisted until white hooks shot out of the elbows, like someone had yanked invisible strings. His spine arched the wrong way. A split cracked from his jaw up to his forehead until teeth scraped bone.
He didn't even scream.
Just a wet gurgle before he hit the sidewalk, a messy pile of death the same as Mrs. Han.
I reached toward him like an idiot, but I was too far and much too late.
"Somebody please!" I yelled at anyone, at God, at whatever was causing this to happen.
No one came. They couldn't after all. We were all dying.
And when I finally looked past the kid and Mrs. Han, I saw the rest of the street.
Cars frozen mid-turn, with doors open and alarms blaring. Purple threads weaved through everything like they were exploring. Bodies stringed across sidewalks. Some still twitching.
Others... gone in ways I didn't have words for.