Hello World

Chapter 37 Hecate

I squinted against the bright lights as I entered the grocery store. My chest seemed to tighten and my ears began to ring. I stood for a moment, looking around, then I pulled out the list Samantha had give me earlier. It only had a few items; milk, a roast, oranges and cabbage. 

I walked towards the back of the store, grabbed the milk off of the shelf and placed it in the basket. Then I went to the meat section. Around me, the shapes and colours seemed to blend together until they were no more than a blur. A baby began to cry from the next isle over. I grimaced as the sound reached my ears. I stared at the meat, trying to ignore the pain in my ears. A lady approached me, she was carrying the crying baby. She too began to stare at the meat. Glaring at her, I left without the roast.

I managed to get the cabbage and the oranges with little issue. I considered going back to the meat section but could not bring myself to. I approached the cashier, careful not to meet her eyes. I stared at the floor as she rang in my items, tracing the edges of the cream coloured tiles with my eyes.

Be sure to check the prices, Samantha would say. But to do so was to risk making eye contact, something that at that moment I did not feel I could do.

"You're that GEC kid," said the cashier suddenly. I continued to stare down at the floor, not knowing what to say. "Your parents were on the news."

"What?" I said.

"You didn't know?"

I shook my head, and looked at her from the corner of my eye. She had finished ringing in the groceries. But when I handed her the 20 dollar bill Samantha had sent with me, she said "I cannot serve you. You are really not supposed to even be in the store without your parents."

I stared at her, confused. I was 15 after all, and as much as I did not enjoy going into the stores, I was plenty old enough. 

"We have a new policy," she explained. "GECs must be under the supervision of their parents. I am not allowed to sell these to you"

I looked at the groceries, and back at the cashier.

"I cannot sell these to you," she repeated. "You need to leave." She turned to greet another customer, an older lady with a large floral printed hat. 

The old lady looked towards me, then shook her head. "What were they thinking, messing around like this" she said. She then spat towards me, glared at me and then looked back at the cashier who tended to her groceries.

I felt my face get hot. I wanted to reply but could not find the words. Around me, the blended shapes and colours became define for a short moment. Then, they broke apart before my eyes. I watched as it all began to dissolve; the cashier, the other customers, the shelves, the walls. The anger continued to sear inside of me, and rather than bringing myself to reality a I normally would, I instead willed the world to continue to dissolve.

Specks of colour flooded the air around me. I watched as they blended into swirls of speckled brown. I could no longer make out any shapes for they had all dissolved. The floor, once solid beneath my feet now gave in slightly with each step I took. The walls, once white and opaque now seemed to be faded. Through them, I could see the bright blue sky. 

As the grocery store continued to crumble around me, my anger subsided. It was replaced by a strong sense of dread laced with awe. As I looked around me, I wondered if what I was seeing was real. Something told me it was. Something also reminded me that this was somehow my fault. 

In the distance, I could hear sirens approaching. Someone called 923-2474, Joel and Rowan would say. Although as far as I knew no one would sound a siren for calling the GEC clinic. They might though if that GEC had dissolved a grocery store. But this was not real. This could not be real. But it was real, as real as the emergency vehicles that were hurtling in my direction. I needed to leave, I thought. I took a step towards the door, and then another. The floor dipped down beneath my weight. It groaned and I thought it might cave in. I ignored it as I walked towards the threshold. 

The door swung open and shut as I approached it. I willed it open and it complied. I stood at the threshold for a moment, peering outside. It took me a moment to realize I was not looking at River. I could see grassy hills, and trees and a lake. 

The sirens became even louder. Suddenly I could hear shouting around me. I stepped Outside into the other world and the door shut behind me. The sirens and shouting became muffled as I walked towards the forest.