@metaphysiko: I was the only person left inside Safeway when the lights went out. Not all of them. Just the ones in the back. I was closing the store at 11:47 p.m. The registers were empty. The doors were locked. The last customer had left twenty minutes earlier. I was pushing a cart toward the stockroom when I heard it. Step. Step. Step. Slow footsteps somewhere in Aisle 14. I stopped. “Hello?” Nothing. I checked the aisle. Nobody. Just cereal boxes. A spilled bottle of juice. The hum of the refrigerators. I laughed quietly. Probably the refrigeration crew. Then I noticed something. A shopping basket was sitting in the middle of the aisle. We kept the baskets at the front. I picked it up and carried it back. Five minutes later, it was there again. Same basket. Same spot. I left it. I told myself I was tired. Then the cabinet under the customer service desk opened. Slowly. I stared at it. The door stopped halfway. Nothing came out. I walked over and shut it. My phone vibrated. A text from my manager. You still there? I typed back. Yeah. Why? Three dots appeared. Then disappeared. My phone vibrated again. Don’t go into Aisle 14. I looked toward Aisle 14. The lights there flickered. Once. Twice. Then came the sound of footsteps. Step. Step. Step. I called my manager. He answered immediately. His voice was quiet. “Where are you?” “Customer service.” A pause. “Don’t move.” “Why?” “I’m looking at the cameras.” I heard him breathing. Then he said, “You’re not alone.” I looked at the security monitor. The camera showed me standing behind the desk. It also showed someone standing at the end of Aisle 14. Very tall. Too tall. Its head nearly touched the ceiling. It was facing away from the camera. I stared at the screen. Then the figure moved. Not toward me. It turned its head. Only its head. Farther than a neck should allow. It looked directly into the camera. My manager whispered, “Get out.” The call ended. I ran for the front doors. They were locked. I punched the release. Nothing. I tried the emergency exit. The alarm screamed. The door opened. Cold air hit my face. I stepped outside. The parking lot was empty. I ran to my car. My keys shook in my hand. Then my phone vibrated. A security alert. Motion detected: Customer Service. I looked back through the glass. The store was dark. Except for the customer service light. It turned on. I could see the desk. The cabinet underneath it was open. Then someone slowly stepped out from behind the counter. It was the thing from Aisle 14. But the camera had shown it at the opposite end of the store. It stood unnaturally straight. Its arms hung almost to the floor. Its hands were pale. One finger lifted. It pointed at me. Then my phone vibrated again. A video had arrived from my manager. I pressed play. It was security footage from ten minutes earlier. I watched myself pushing the cart down Aisle 14. Behind me stood the tall figure. I froze. It had been following me the entire time. Then I noticed something worse. The timestamp. The video was dated tomorrow. My phone vibrated one last time. A text from my own number. Don’t come back tomorrow. I stared at it. Then another message appeared. It already knows you will. Thanks for reading. Follow for more stories. #creepy #scarystories #scary #HorrorTok #fyp
