Before Close

Jared comes in for his shift and notices immediately that something is off with Walt, the cashier on duty. Walt is usually relaxed and talkative. Tonight he is tense, quiet, and reluctant to make eye contact. He tells Jared that a pipe burst in the back and the hallway is off-limits. The explanation would be fine if it held together — but the longer Jared stays, the less it does. The sounds in the building feel thin. The lights flicker too long. Walt packs up quietly and leaves, locking the door behind him. Jared is alone with the hum of washers, flickering fluorescents, and a silence in the back of the building that refuses to settle. Something behind that door was never meant to be found. Before the night ends, Jared will find it anyway.