Snowstorm

Reena frowned as she looked out of the huge glass window of the supermarket. Her car had stalled in the middle of a huge snowstorm and refused to start back up. The closest building was this old Granny's Market. The neon sign out front had said open, but Reena could not find another soul in the building. She tore her eyes away from the snow and turned towards the aisles. Granny’s Market was just like every other supermarket Reena had seen in the city. The only difference was it was in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing for miles in every direction which was slightly puzzling. Wandering the perfectly stocked aisles, Reena wondered why they decided to build it out here. No competition? Cheaper land? Something more sinister? Shaking her head, she felt goose bumps creep up her arms.

“I’m sure there’s a perfectly normal reason.” Reena said quietly. She ran her hand over the shelves trying to clear her head. A heavy silence fell over the store. There was not a single sound to be heard except for Reena’s quick breaths. Deciding to leave, Reena started walking towards the door.

“This is beyond creepy.” She whispered. The silence did not last long before a baby’s cry reverberated through the store. Letting out a squeak, Reena jumped back and knocked into a shelf. She rubbed her shoulder and looked around quickly. The cry seemed to be coming from behind her. Reena whipped around and found a swaddled baby sobbing on the floor. The baby’s skin was paler than the snow outside and her hair was just as white. She looked like she would belong in a fairytale. The Snow Queen maybe, Reena thought scanning the child. Bending down besides the little girl, Reena stroked her head which caused the baby to quiet down. She opened her big eyes and cooed at Reena.

“Now what are you doing here all alone and appearing out of thin air, you little ghost.” Reena chuckled as the baby wiggled around. The pale blue eyes that met Reena’s seemed to stare right into her soul. Slightly unnerved, Reena picked the baby up and looked around. Still no one else in the store. That I can see at least, Reena shivered slightly as she felt eyes on her, but quickly realized it was the baby staring right at her as if telling her to do something.

“What is it, baby? What do you want me to do?” Reena cooed. The baby giggled and started wiggling in her arms, but Reena could not shake the feeling that the baby was urging her to do something. Resuming her task of getting out of the building, Reena walked over to the doors.

“You’re coming with me until I can find your mommy, little one.” Reena smiled down at the baby in her arms. She tugged at the handle of the door, but it was stuck. Reena brushed this off. She had had a bit of trouble with the door coming in, so it was probably just jammed again. Tugging harder, Reena expected the door to come loose, but it stayed firmly where it was. She pulled and pulled, but the door seemed locked.

“That’s weird… I’m certain the door was unlocked when I came in.” Reena frowned. The baby shivered slightly in her arms. Feeling the baby’s head, Reena realized she was freezing cold.

“Poor baby.” She whispered, wrapping the child in her coat. Realizing how cold it was after she gave the baby her coat, Reena wrapped her arms tightly around the kid. Couldn’t have the baby catch her death. Reena walked around the store trying to find another exit, but could not even find another door. Meanwhile, the baby seemed to be getting colder even when Reena wrapped her up in her hat and gloves. Reena was also getting colder by the second. Giving the tiny baby her coat, hat, and gloves, left her with only her sweater, pants, and boots which was not enough to withstand the store’s freezing temperature. Snow was piling up high outside, obscuring everything except snow and the inside of the store from view. The baby starting crying again, but this time stroking her head did not help. The wails grew louder and louder until Reena had to put the baby down to cover her ears. Reena let out a yell of her own at the piercing cries coming from the freezing child, but the baby’s cries suddenly stopped. Reena warily removed her hands from her ears and looked at the child. Cooing at something Reena couldn’t see, the child seemed calmer. Reena looked around for the source of the baby’s calmness, but could not find anything that might have contributed to the baby’s better mood.

“Hello?” Reena called out, wondering if the baby had seen another person. Her call was answered by a young woman’s voice.

“Yes, darling?” Reena flinched at the response. There was no way someone else was in here. The doors were locked and Reena had already searched to no avail for other people.

“Should I come find you?” Reena asked the voice. The response was almost immediate.

“Yes, darling.” Reena frowned at the woman’s voice. It sounded off like it was too kind, too light, too sweet. The voice sounded like someone copying what they thought to be a woman’s voice. But this could be the baby’s mother, Reena thought. The baby seemed to have a positive response to the voice, so Reena set off in the direction of the voice.

“Will you keep talking to me, so I can find you?” Reena called out in the direction of the voice.

“Yes, darling.” The response calmed Reena a little bit. At least the woman would help them find her. Reena jogged over to the aisle she believed the voice to be coming from.

“Are you down here?” Reena asked, voice wavering. The aisle was too dark to see much, but she thought she saw the outline of a woman towards the end of the aisle.

“Yes, darling.” The woman’s voice floated towards Reena. Something unnerved Reena about the woman’s responses, but she walked slowly down the aisle towards the woman. She was about halfway there when the silhouette disappeared. Reena knew something was wrong and whipped around.

“You have my baby.” The woman’s voice devolved into a guttural shriek. Reena screamed.