You are the only one in the supermarket during a blizzard. Feeling creeped out, you decide to leave, when suddenly you find a baby abandoned on the floor.

Posted in Winter on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 197 stories

“Deep Blue” by Tracey Carvill

Submitted to Contest #52

Tink browsed the shelves in front of her, squinting through the shadows at the faded labels on the tins. It was important to pick the right ones. You wanted ring-pull cans ideally, otherwise opening the damn things would be another thing to deal with. Then you had to choose the right ones. You don’t want to sit down on a cold night with your fire blazing and your pot full of water only to discover you’ve got a tin of canned peaches or something. She was relatively sure she wasn’t in the aisle where the dessert cans were kept. But you also di...

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“Baby Blue” by Michele Duess

Submitted to Contest #52

Get out of Florida, they said. You have to worry about hurricanes, the heat and it’s only a matter of time before the rising tides send it back to the sea from whence it came, they said. Besides, why would you want to stay in Port Saint Lucie, Florida? Too many old people here. Right. At least old people don’t leave babies in stores. I should tell this story properly. But stories were my mother’s forte, not mine. I’m a statistician. I do the math that, I’m told, makes most people shudder and run away. And that’s fine with me. The money ...

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“Wonders of life. ” by Laura Mowforth

Submitted to Contest #52

She wiped the tears, from her eyes, got out of the car and to her relief noone noticed she had been crying, it had started to snow in the Cumbrian lake district, she ran into the supermarket which was about close shoppers running to their cars, "oh dear am I too late?" she called as she rushed through the, automatic doors grabbing a basket. "No love" yelled the young cashier kindly, scratching her nose ring and pushing back her dyed black hair "you've another ten minutes yet, everyone is just rushing out to beat the snow looks like a blizzar...

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“Merchandise” by Jamesa Brown

Submitted to Contest #52

Clara didn’t really need the job. She was a substitute teacher in her off time, but becoming a retail merchandiser wasn’t a bad thing. Far from it, in fact, because it earned her a decent income for someone who has student loans to pay off. This supermarket was a recent addition to the Chicago area. Alongside a chain barbershop and a gas station, it made a name for itself in only the first six months of 2010 for decent prices when compared to the other stores. As far as Clara was concerned, this was a step above working in warehouses for mos...

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“A Loving Abduction.” by Len Mooring

Submitted to Contest #52

I was only ten years old when I found Rachel. I’ve always liked the name of Rachel, I guess because it’s old. I found her on the floor in a Supermarket just sitting there quite happily without anyone around to wipe up the drool that was running down her chin. I was a boy, I didn’t carry sophisticated things like a handkerchief around with me, so I grabbed some tissues off a shelf and wiped her face. I stuffed some extra ones in my pocket and did something that is quite uncharacteristically alien to me; I picked up what was to become Rachel w...

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“Chosen” by Hope Li

Submitted to Contest #52

All Alice wanted was some hot cocoa. And maybe it didn’t justify a trip to a supermarket in a full-blown blizzard, but far worse things had tried to kill her before and she was still alive, wasn’t she?The bell jangled behind her as she bustled into the store. The scrawny teen behind the cashier did not even bother to look up from his phone. That was one good thing about taking the form of a friendly-looking middle-aged lady. No matter where she went, people looked right through her. That had saved her life more times than she could count.A g...

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“Supermarket Surprise” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #52

I was almost used to the empty stores. When I took my chances and went grocery shopping, that is. I used to go shopping every day almost, or at least it seemed that way. The supermarket was only a couple of blocks from home. Going often meant fresher vegetables, no frozen food, no worries about not getting enough of something to last. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I was only going every other week. The supermarket was still just as close. But it wasn’t worth the risk to go more often than that. And it wasn’t worth the hassle. The whole ch...

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“Midnight ” by Hope Reynolds

Submitted to Contest #52

As I walked along the rough, cement sidewalk, the snow took on an almost translucent look, reflecting the clear, blue-grey sky above and crunching underneath my boots. I looked up briefly, glancing up at the glass store displays and back down at my burnt orange scarf, timidly making way for fellow passer-by's. Once they were past, I ventured to look up again. Just in time, I thought. I would have walked right past the store if I had not been paying better attention or had been further di...

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“Tomatoes and limes” by Connor H

Submitted to Contest #52

There is whiskey, vodka, rum but nothing beats a strong bottle of brandy. Nothing beats the dark amber liquid running through my veins warming every part of my body. And today of all days I need a drink more than ever. I guess everyone would have a wet dream being trapped in a supermarket, drugs alcohol I could overdose here, and my body would fester and decay for days before someone can get to it. The smell and body of a cadaver would linger in the minds for months. I’ve been in here for hours too, scared to go outside, the blizzard thra...

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“The Quest for Ibuprofen” by Tori Routsong

Submitted to Contest #52

The snow sticks to my pyjama pants—I knew I should’ve put on jeans, but my bones just ache so much. I fumble with the car keys, which feel unduly clumsy between my fingers. I should’ve just stuck out the fever at home. The parking lot is bare, with only my car and a small pickup truck, but there are lights on in the grocery store so I suppose they’re still open. The employees must park in the back, I guess. The wind blows faster, cutting through my ratty sweatshirt. If I’d known there was going to be a blizzard I wouldn’t have risked dri...

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“Baby Rose” by Dorothy Claybourn

Submitted to Contest #52

Why oh why did I get out in this weather? Why was the store unlocked? I just wanted a Dr. Pepper and some Butterlicous popcorn. The weather report said the" Blizzard to end all Blizzards" was a few hours away. It had been lightly snowing when I put on my snow boots and threw my coat and scarf on, Being late I figured I would just run to the little general store and grab a few things. The parking lot was empty and the lights were on. The door was unlocked and I walked in hollered at John the owner, he always worked the overnight shift. He was...

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“Mother” by Katrina Lee

Submitted to Contest #52

>>> “she’s losing consciousness…”>>> The magenta-grey sky terrified her. She didn’t get scared easily; a rock, her unassailable ally lodged inside, the worst of weathers and the greatest of impacts were but a finger’s flick to her. If her skin got scraped, scrubbed, or grated clean away, she was sure the coarse surface would greet her assailant’s eyes. &nb...

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“Murphy's Law” by Adelaide Brenner

Submitted to Contest #52

"That's a baby"The baby looks at me like it's very obvious that it is, in fact, a baby. As I watch, it burps loudly, a bubble of it's spittle popping grossly over it's face and staining it's white patterned blanket."Thank you, baby," I grumble, kneeling by the cardboard box it lies in, "Very cool, baby. What the hell am I gonna do with you, baby?"The baby doesn't answer, simply babbles and spits. God, babies are so gross."Okay," I look around. No one is left, because I, like an idiot, decided it was a good idea to take the closing shift as t...

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“The Nameless Baby” by Suzanne Urowitz

Submitted to Contest #52

It was two days before New year's. Of course I picked the day that was cold and grey. Every thing will be closed in two days. I'm not sure if I have enough so I better get a few extra groceries to make sure. Its so cold. I can't believe how dark the clouds are getting. Thank goodness I don't live to far away from the grocery store. I better start driving. By the time I got to the store, the snow was really coming down. The sky was getting darker and it was getting colder. I'm freezing I said to myself. Of course no close parking spots....

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“Styx Grocery” by Kayla Joy

Submitted to Contest #52

Try as I might, I can’t recall how I got here. Styx Grocery is completely empty. Completely silent, save for the whooshing of the wind and the snow outside. The lights are dim and occasionally flicker with an electronic pulse that sends shivers up my spine, with that John Lennon song playing quietly over the PA. The shelves are bare and the freezers in the back empty, and it’s so cold in the store that my fingertips turn blue.I press my fingers into my temples and retrace my steps to find exactly how I got here, but there’s nothing. My last ...

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You are the only one in the supermarket during a blizzard. Feeling creeped out, you decide to leave, when suddenly you find a baby abandoned on the floor.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 197 stories

“Deep Blue” by Tracey Carvill

“Baby Blue” by Michele Duess

“Wonders of life. ” by Laura Mowforth

“Merchandise” by Jamesa Brown

“A Loving Abduction.” by Len Mooring

“Chosen” by Hope Li

“Supermarket Surprise” by Ken Coomes

“Midnight ” by Hope Reynolds

“Tomatoes and limes” by Connor H

“The Quest for Ibuprofen” by Tori Routsong

“Baby Rose” by Dorothy Claybourn

“Mother” by Katrina Lee

“Murphy's Law” by Adelaide Brenner

“The Nameless Baby” by Suzanne Urowitz

“Styx Grocery” by Kayla Joy

🌟 Similar prompts

Twenty minutes before you are about to get married, you find your mother and your fiancé kissing passionately.

Every year, one person is sent to the moon. This year, though you hid in terror, it is your turn to enter the rocket.

You thought he was dead, but there he is, right in front of you on the street, smiling at you.

"Come with us,” two burly men in gray suits say, grabbing you by the arm and handcuffing you. “You know what you did.” But you have no idea.

Contest #52

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

958

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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