Ignorance is Bliss...

      “Come on, really?...” He remarked as he patted the vehicle with his back hand. “What kind of person parks in the middle of the street.” He walks past the empty street in frustration. He had a bad day already. His favorite game ‘Dark Abyss’ has been down for maintenance for two days. Both days he waited in his basement apartment doing nothing. The wind picked up and he hugged his winter jacket to keep the cold at bay. He did not realize the snow was really falling when he left his place.

           He finally reached the small marketplace, the one notable place in the small town. Walking up he noticed the automatic doors were malfunctioning. “Sam, your doors all buggy.” He said looking incredulously at the opening and closing doors. “Sam?” Peering inside the market he noticed no one inside. ‘Curious, Sam is always at the till at this hour.’ He pondered to himself. Some lights inside were flickering and the stillness of the scene sent shivers down his spine. ‘Maybe I should go…” Was his first thought but he really was hungry and needed something to help him gaming for another couple days till the blizzard was over.

           “Hey Sam, it’s Josie! Just going to quickly grab something put it on my tab… If you know your in the washroom or something…” Josie’s voice carried loudly in the empty store. Timing his entrance, he got past the malfunctioning sliding doors and made his way down the aisle. ‘Chips and snacks’ the aisle read as he made his way in. Usually he would run into some people during his snack runs, but today it was quiet. Reaching up Josie got a bag of Cheetos and decided to walk around back see if he could find Sam. In the back was a row of refrigerated items and the washroom into the back area.

           Walking Josie instinctually listened closely for anyone in the store. He felt like someone was watching him as he rounded the corner to the back. His foot slipped on something wet and he fell forward. “HOLY CRAP!!!” Josie yelled at the top of his lungs. There lying still was Sam. His familiar blue shirt, kaki pants, and brown apron. His nametag still in place, only his head was missing. Pushing himself away from the gruesome scene Josie wiped his face, smearing blood across it. His breathing became labored as he tried to remain calm.

           Hearing movement in one of the aisle’s Josie quickly grabbed the nearest weapon. He crawled quickly and retrieved the emergency extinguisher. Ripping off the tag he quickly pulled the pin and aimed it in the general area of the noise. He heard something fall and Josie readied himself as he got closer. Josie’s fear melted away as he saw a baby rummaging through some canned food. “Oh Nicky, I’m glad to see you!” Josie ran to the baby. Nicky stopped looking momentarily at the cans to see Josie form running to him.

           “Tooo…Gahh?” Nicky asked Josie as he came up.

           “Uh, ya sure buddy.” Josie bent over, fumbling over holding baby and the extinguisher. “Where’s your Daddy Nicky?” He waited for a reply for a second. Nicky simply pushed his chubby hand in his mouth and started chewing. “Where’s your Dad, the Sheriff, huh little buddy?” Josie said more to himself than to Nicky. This was all getting too surreal for Josie. Putting Nicky and the extinguisher down Josie reached for his phone in his pocket. Suddenly there was a low guttural noise coming from the back. Slowly it grew in strength. Josie looked at the back where dairy area was and noticed the glass doors started to shutter under the noise.

           Quickly Josie scooped up Nicky and the extinguisher and slowly backed up toward the entrance of the store. Josie squinted and he could just make out in the darkness between the dairy products two large red eyes. ‘Fu** this, I’m out!’ Josie mind yelled out to him. He quickly turned and sprinted for the entrance. From behind he could make out the noise of huge form bounding from the back area and storming through the door where he found Sam. It was too fast. He was not going to make it. Dropping Nicky gently down he turned to face the monstrosity with the extinguisher. Nothing was there at first. Then a huge form jumped above and beyond Josie cutting off his escape. Josie blasted the extinguisher at the huge form and heard it cry it in defiance. Josie’s fear climaxing he threw the extinguisher at the form surrounded by white smoke.

           Grabbing Nicky again over his shoulder he ran as quickly as he could to the back exit. He never knew the one summer of working here would be actually beneficial one day. Nicky’s bouncing smiling face looking back at the monster, and locked eyes with it. Nicky giggled, and as if in response it howled a gurgling cry. The noise made Josie run faster than he ever did in his entire life. Jumping over Sam’s lifeless body he roughly pushed aside the swinging doors. Making into the back he cut left past the boxed goods and got to the dock area. With one arm Josie jumped up and closed the metal bay doors behind him. For a second Josie stopped to catch his breathe. He sighed and noticed a flashing behind him.

           It was the sheriff’s car. He was sitting inside holding the radio. “Sheriff! Help!” Josie called as he ran to the police car. But he slowed his approach as he noticed a vital part of his body missing from the neck up. “Geezes…” Josie said as he noticed the driver door was ripped clean off. Looking at Nicky he said, “Sorry buddy. I think your Dad’s gone.”

           “Gah, go boo boo?” Nicky asked. “Yes, your Dad have boo boo.” Josie said as he pulled the dead body out of the vehicle. “How are you not traumatized right now. Man, you a tough baby…” Placing Nicky in the passenger seat, Josie grabbed the radio and yelled to anyone that could hear. “HELP! There is something killing everyone in our small town. Please send some troopers out to our location…” Josie got cut off as a huge resounding blow dented the bay door. Putting the radio away, Josie reached out and grabbed the Sheriff’s pistol. Closing the door, he quickly put in reverse and drove the hell away from the store. As he drove in the blizzard the tires lost transaction and swerved into nearby gas station. The front of the car smashing into gas receptacle. Gas spewed forth all over the snow-covered ground and on top of the car.

           Opening the car door, Josie fell out. Crawling he rolled onto his back. “Damn, I can do this. I have played enough Resident Evil to know when I can’t keep running. Looking down at his hand he turned off the safety and began to stand up. Almost on cue the huge monster shook the top of the police car as it landed. Josie for the first time had good view of it. It was huge, size of four men. It resembled a wolf but it eyes were red, and mouth was wider. It did not look like it could move for its size, but it was very agile. Josie took aim and let out six shots, but the wolf was faster and rolled and dodge every shot. Josie kept pulling the trigger but was out of ammo. As Josie lost all hope, he noticed the huge wolf was covered in gasoline. Quickly, but not fast enough, he reached into his pocket and retrieved his pocket lighter. As he lighted it jaws clamped down at his outstretched hand and was bitten clean off. It Jaws throwing the lighter still lit harmlessly away.

           Josie grasped his wrist where his hand use to be and fell knelt on the ground. Slowly the huge wolf walked toward him. Josie gave the monster a look of defiance before the end. In the corner off both their eyes they saw movement. There stood Nicky playing with the lighter. Fumbling it around it fell toward a pool of gas close by. The fire licked in line toward the hulking form of the monster.

           “That’s one dangerous baby…” Josie remarked as the huge wolf was engulfed in flames.