Bang Bang: After
by Brook Reynolds
[ read the suite in correct order ]
After
Courtney pushed her cart straight toward the back of the store. She had one mission, get in and get out. The only sound she heard was the squeak of the loose wheel on the right side of the cart. No music played overhead today. She kept her eyes glued to the floor, avoiding all eye contact with any passersby. As she rolled down the frozen food section, she kept her cart on the far side of the aisle, avoiding the motion sensors for fear that she would draw attention to herself. She was spending the night in and needed a six-pack to pass the time. It would help her sleep.
As she turned the corner toward the beer aisle, a man approached from the opposite direction. He was clad in blue jeans, a tight fitted shirt and was wearing a baseball cap pulled down, covering most of his face. Courtney kept her head down. She thought about leaving but assured herself that she was being ridiculous. This was not the same guy, plenty of normal individuals wore baseball caps. She snatched a six-pack and headed toward the end of the aisle. As she passed him, he reached his hand out to grab her attention. Courtney jumped back and swerved her cart, smashing it into the center display and spraying beer all over the floor.
The man pointed at the floor behind her. “Geez, lady. I was just trying to tell you that you dropped something. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Courtney mumbled her thanks, still without looking up, and grabbed the packet of guacamole mix that had fallen out of her cart before heading toward the check-out.
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Our sphere