“This is crazy, I’m getting out of here” he said to no one in particular.
Abandoning the store for who knows how long may be irresponsible, but so is employing him on the fly with no contract and barely an orientation. What was he even supposed to do until the old coot came back? Sleep on the floor? He didn’t even give him a key to lock up the place.
Mark walked towards the door, opened it and very nearly took a step outside when he saw what was outside.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The absence of anything. A black void that seems to stretch out forever and nowhere at the same time.
He closed the door “How… What… How…”
Mark opened the door again. He was greeted by an empty mall. An abandoned Blockbusters directly in front of him, a store with a cracked window display and a crude “FOR RENT” sign to the left, a store with rusted shutters to the right, discarded soda can, plastic wrappers and other debris on the floor. The mall in front of him looked completely alien to him, not resembling at all the one he frequent several times a week.
He closed the shop door.
He took a deep breath and opened the door again.
This time he was in what looked like an apartment building hallway. A green door with the number 22 was several feet in front of him.
“Hello?” he yelled at the empty hallway “Anybody here?” no answer.
He tried to reach the opposing door and knock without leaving the store, but he just couldn’t make it. The old man’s words echoed in his head. He guessed that if the shop’s door closed while he was on the other side, he’ll be trapped here, wherever “here” is.
After a few minutes staring at the hallway he gave up and closed the door.
He eyed the counter and then turned around and looked at the door again.
“One last time” he said and opened the door.
A giant wall of fire was in front of him. Mark yelled and quickly shut the door.
“I’ll… Just sit behind the counter…” he resolved.
