As Isabella heard the fast and heavy pounding coming from deeper inside the store, Isabella's whole body locked up. She'd made too much noise, she'd lost Mateo, and now, something was coming. It was running towards her with its feet slapping against the tile, echoing up and down the empty aisles.
No. No, no, no. Please, not now. Not again.
As the footsteps seemed to be rapidly getting closer, Isabella had no time to think. Feeling like her heart was in her throat, Isabella ran for the cashier lanes, hoping to use the different conveyor belt areas as barriers between her and the approaching creatures. As she rounded the corner by the middle checkout area, her shoes slid on a dirty tile, making a squeaky noise and nearly sending her sprawling.
Seriously? Now the shoes want to make noise? Just fucking perfect. She gritted her teeth, angry at everything: her shoes, the floor, herself for not being quieter. Could you be any louder, Isa? Good job.
Panicking, Isabella scanned for cover until she spotted the bagging station at the end of the counter. Beneath the metal arms holding clusters of plastic bags was a dark, hollow cubbyhole, the spot next to where the cashier usually stood.
As a blur of motion flashed near the shelves. Isabella didn't wait to see what it was; she instinctively dropped hard to her knees to avoid being seen and hunched behind the middle cashier counter.
As she inched herself into the shelf under the conveyor belt, her hand slipped through something sticky. She didn't even process what it was, blood, spilled soda, or melted candy, all the same now. She didn't care what it was, she was just focused on moving and hiding.
Above her, bunches of white plastic bags dangled like a flimsy curtain. She hoped it was enough to hide her from the creature's view.
As soon as she slid beneath the conveyor belt, she heard the creature's shuffling footsteps reach the cashier line, its wet, labored breathing filling the air.
The space was barely big enough and the cold metal pressed into her spine. She squeezed her knees to her chest and covered her mouth with her trembling fingers, and began to hold her breath, desperate not to make a sound.
She counted to ten, then twenty, then lost count altogether, waiting for the thing to either find her or give up. The pounding in her ears drowned out almost everything.
As the seconds stretched into an eternity, her mind spiraled through thoughts of failure and regret.
Mateo's gone. I lost him. I promised Mom I wouldn't, but I did. I always do. I ruin everything. I'm sorry, Mat. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
The creature's footsteps slowed, then stopped. The air went thick and cold. Isabella squeezed her eyes shut.
Don't look. Keep holding your breath. If you don't move, maybe it'll go away. Please go away.
The creature staggered closer. It paused, looking around. Isabella watched in horror as it stepped on a bag of Doritos, crushing them into dust. It stopped right in front of her hiding spot, just on the other side of the counter. She pressed herself tighter, with her knees to her chest, and her fingers digging into her arms until it hurt.
In the midst of her fears, she closed her eyes, hoping not to be seen, but her mind kept spiraling through all the worst thoughts.
You're alone now. You let him go. You let Mom die. You said you wouldn't leave, but you did. You always do. You're a liar. You're a coward. You're worse than the monsters out there.
Then the creature bumped into the conveyor belt where Isabella was hiding, making her jump in fear and temporarily snap out of her negative thoughts. She could hear the creature's slow movements. It seemed to be sniffing or looking around quietly, scanning for movement to attack. As the creature slowly moved towards her aisle, she felt a sob rising in her throat, but she bit down on the inside of her cheek, shut her eyes, and pressed her face into the crook of her elbow.
Then, the creature turned toward her hiding spot. Isabella caught a glimpse of a thin vest, stained with something dark and crusted, a nametag still pinned crookedly to the front. It was Linda, the cashier who'd helped her, Dolores, and Mateo just yesterday, before everything went to shit. Linda's face was bloated and twisted, with her skin pulled tight over her sharp cheekbones, but Isabella still recognized her. She was the one who gave Mateo a candy cane, who winked at her mom, and had said, "You three stick together, that's the magic." Now Linda's eyes were empty, and blood dried in the corners of her mouth. She wore filthy sneakers. One had a red Christmas sock, while the other one was bare and swollen.
Linda. She was alive yesterday. She was funny. She made people feel good. She called me brave. Brave. What a joke. Look at her now. Look at what's left. Just a monster, hunting anything that moves. No more smiles, no more jokes. Just hunger. Just rage. Just noise. Is that all we become?
Linda then turned towards the exit, jerking her head as her neck flexed at unnatural angles, pausing to sniff the air, and her nostrils flaring wildly. She continued to pause every few steps to flex her head in a twitchy, birdlike way.
Isabella couldn't hold her breath any longer, she released a gulp of air, slightly echoing in her tiny space. She sucked in another desperate breath, hoping that Linda didn't hear her. Please don't look down. Please, please, please. She closed her eyes again, with tears leaking out as she pressed herself harder against the cold metal. But monsters like Linda aren't the only monsters around here, are they, Isa?
Her brain wouldn't stop. It threw sharp memories at her. She saw herself at the kitchen table, spitting, "I HATE YOU" at Dolores for making her miss Jenna's party because she had to do homework. Mateo's body slamming against the wall when she shoved him, with his bottom lip quivering before he erupted into sobs that made Dolores come running. The venom in her voice every single day, the contempt in her eyes whenever Dolores tried to hug her. And now, Mateo's look when she promised, "I'm not leaving you," his terrified look as she left anyway, abandoning him. His desperate face burned in her memory, with his tears visible even from twenty feet away, and still she ran. And then, she remembered his shattered voice echoing: "YOU LEFT ME!" before he left her, preferring to be alone against the dangers within the store.
Maybe I'm the worst monster. Maybe I'm worse than Linda. At least she doesn't know what she's doing. I do. I could have been better. I should have listened to Mom. I should have been nicer to Mateo. I should have—
Linda turned around and resumed her patrol of the cashier's area, with her lips twitching. Her swollen fingers dragged along the edge of the counter, catching briefly on a stapler. She paused, with her milky eyes fixed on some middle distance. Her chest expanded with a rattling inhale, then collapsed as she released a low and guttural sound, like something dredged from a drain.
Would you be proud of me now, Mom? Look at what I've done. I lost Mateo. I left you to die. I'm hiding like a coward while he's out there, scared and alone. Some big sister. Some hero. Some "brave" girl. You'd be so proud, right?
She was about to sob again, but she bit down hard on the inside of her cheek, tasting blood, even as part of her wanted to scream until Linda turned and ended this nightmare once and for all.
What am I even worth without you? Without Mateo? I'm nothing. I'm just a mistake machine. I ruin everything I touch. I wish I could go back. I wish I could fix it. I wish I could be the daughter you deserved. The sister Mateo needed.
Isabella blinked, with tears clinging to her eyelashes before sliding down her cheeks and blurring her vision. Her chest heaved in shallow, silent sobs that made her ribs ache. The cold metal of the checkout counter pressed against her back, but she barely felt it now. The crushing exhaustion she felt trickled through her whole body. She was just so tired. Tired of running until her lungs burned, tired of hiding in the shadows and corners, tired of thinking, and even tired of everything she had been, and of all the bad choices that led to this overwhelming regret.
Her arms and legs felt heavy, like they belonged to someone else. She wiped her face with her dirty sleeve, not caring about the grimy mixture of tears, snot, dirt, and whatever else from the grocery store floor that smeared across her skin. Her eyes burned and her vision kept fading in and out, like she was trying to look through dirty glass. Her head felt thick and empty, and it was getting harder and harder to keep her eyes open or even remember why she was hiding or why she was supposed to move. It was like her whole body was slowly shutting down. She felt too tired, too thirsty, and just too exhausted to keep fighting.
Then from within her hiding spot, she pushed the dangling plastic bags aside. Her movements were slow and clumsy, and her hands were barely cooperating. Linda was still there, about 15 feet away, still twitching, but her back was turned. Isabella stood up, knees popping, but she didn't really feel it. She didn't feel much of anything. She just stood there, exposed next to the cashier's register with her arms hanging limp at her sides.
Her mouth opened, but nothing came out at first. Then, barely above a whisper, she mumbled, "Mom."
Linda's head snapped toward her. The monster's body followed, locking onto Isabella. She saw the hunger, the rage, and the emptiness.
And then, as Linda rushed towards her, Isabella felt her world falling into darkness.