⚲ VIDEO STORE, Beacon Hills
The fluorescent light above flickered with an irritating buzz, casting a dim glow over the quiet video store. With a frustrated sigh, the clerk reached up, his hands deftly twisting the bulb out of its socket in the ceiling. He carefully placed the old bulb on the shelf, replacing it with a new one, but to his dismay, the flickering persisted, refusing to be resolved.
Outside, Lydia's car pulled up to the curb, Jackson stepping out mid-conversation, his voice carrying through the open window as he argued with Lydia.
"Hoosiers is not only the best basketball movie ever made, it's the best sports movie," Jackson insisted, his tone fervent.
"No," Lydia responded firmly.
"It's got Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper," Jackson continued, trying to sway her.
"No," Lydia repeated.
"I swear to God you'll like it," Jackson pleaded.
"No," Lydia reiterated, her stance unyielding.
"I'm not watching The Notebook again," Jackson protested.
With a playful smile, Lydia reached for the window button, closing it on him as he continued to argue, her amusement evident behind the glass.
A fuming Jackson stormed into the store, his frustration evident as he searched for The Notebook. Row by row, he passed the now-empty ladder and replacement bulbs, his brows furrowed in annoyance as the elusive DVD could not be found.
"Can somebody help me find The Notebook?" he called out, his voice echoing through the quiet aisles.
Silence greeted him. No response. No one at the cash register.
"Hello? Anybody working here? Anybody at all?" Jackson tried again, but it seemed there was not a single other person in the store.
Turning back to the shelves, he began thumbing through the DVDs, his agitation growing. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something unusual.
Through the wire frame of the shelf, Jackson caught sight of two shoes on the floor, their toes pointed upward. His hand trembled as he let the DVDs fall back into place. With cautious steps, he edged to the left, inching around the corner of the shelf. There, he saw the two shoes, and now, just a glimpse of legs.
Someone layed sprawled on the floor on the opposite side of the shelf. Jackson approached cautiously, chest rose and fell with ever-shortening breaths, taking one step after another, his heart pounding in his chest.
And then he saw it - The Clerk, lying motionless on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. Shock and horror washed over Jackson as he staggered back, his movements unsteady.
In his state of distress, Jackson stumbled and collided with the ladder. With a loud crash, the ladder toppled over, wires snapping as it fell. A spark flew from the light fixture above, followed by an electric crackling sound.
Suddenly, all the lights in the store flickered and died, leaving the space enveloped in darkness.
The sound of movement jolted Jackson from his shock. His heart racing, he spun around, searching for the source of the disturbance. A shelf rattled nearby, causing DVD cases to tremble as something large shifted behind it.
Fear gripped Jackson as he realized that whatever was behind the shelf stood between him and the exit.
In the driver's seat, Lydia sits with her phone in hand, her gaze fixed on the screen as she purses her lips in contemplation. With a quick motion, she flips the phone around to watch the video of herself, curious to see how it turned out.
YOU ARE READING
Broken Roots ✵ Derek Hale
Fanfiction"I felt your pain, Derek." she whispered. "The moment the alpha impaled you, I felt it." "Calista." he said, his voice dominant and yet full of care and worry for the girl. "I know. You want to keep your distance." she looked at her feet. Her chemos...
