Something strange

I pulled out a trolley and walked into the supermarket.  Being an introvert and agoraphobic, not my favorite pastime, but I got to leave work early, so I decided to cut my husband a break today.  I walk into the foyer and turn left, passing the confection counter, when an announcement crackles over the PA system.  “Valued customers,  Please note that the store will be closing within 10 minutes due to a special staff event taking place today.  Please finalize your purchases and make your way to the checkout point.  Thank you.”  Ugh, go figure.  The shopping list I’ve been reciting over and over in my mind suddenly goes into overdrive, as if repeating it faster will make my body react quicker too.  So I start grabbing things left and right… mind you, not even things on the list, but you know, just in case.  I shuffle over to the baked goods and at the smell of the freshly baked bread, I realize that I’ve skipped lunch and am suddenly ravenous.  So I grab a ½ dozen rolls and start chomping on one.  For some reason, the rushing is making me very disoriented and I can’t seem to find anything I’m looking for, so I end up trolling the aisles, and subsequently the store, 3 or 4 times over before spotting the item I was looking for.  I’ve never been good with “time trials”.  I make my way over to the checkout and  I assume it’s because I’ve gone into “panic” mode, that I grab just about every kind of chocolate bar I see, as the line moves slowly forward.

Finally outside, making my way to my car, I notice something strange.  Is that woman vomiting?  Why is that guy bent over… Before I have time to realize what is happening, store employees rush us back into the store.  It seems that some or other virus has been spread to everyone that has been in the store, likely from something consumed in the store but no details are confirmed.  We have to all be contained (quarantined) until further notice.

There is a parking lot or delivery lot at the back of the store, with a field and I see some young men have made their way to a bright light in the field.  It looks almost as though the bright flashing light is electrocuting them and like their flesh starts burning.  Some older men try to rush to their aid but something that looks like a giant frog leg, maybe 18 feet high, come down on them, like a human getting ready to squash a bug.  The men grab at the leg, pulling it loose from it’s owner… although I can’t make out who or what the owner is as it is so big, the clouds obscure whatever it is.  If I didn’t know better, I would think it was an alien.  The young men caught in the burning light, catches my eye.  It seems they have freed themselves from the current and are making their way back to the store.  Their flesh is burned, but the closer they get to the store, the more the scars seem to be healing up, right before our eyes.  And they are laughing and so nonchalant as if this kind of thing happens to them every day.