When I stepped back into the store, the usual emptiness greeted me—no customers, no noise, just the low hum of the overhead lights. But something was off. Yana, who had been cheerfully chatting just minutes ago, was nowhere to be found.
"Yana?" I called out, but there was no response.
I glanced around, half-expecting her to pop out from behind a shelf with that teasing grin of hers. But the store remained eerily silent, the only sound I heard is coming from the soft buzz of the refrigerator in the corner.
A strange uneasiness crept over me. 'Maybe she went to the bathroom?' I thought, trying to reason with myself. But the sudden stillness made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
The stillness of the store had lulled me into a strange sense of calm, but it was more unsettling than comforting.
With all the tasks done and the clock showing it was well past 2:54 a.m., I wondered how long this eerie quiet would last. Customers had been almost nonexistent, and I began to think that by the time the sun rose, I'd have memorized the faces of the few who did show up, along with their purchase.
But the fact that Yana hadn't returned yet gnawed at me. 'Where could she have gone?'
Suddenly, a prickling sensation ran down my spine, and I felt it—someone, or something, was watching me. I instinctively raised my head, my eyes darting toward the glass of the sandwiches corner.
At first, I thought it was just the reflection of the store, the dim lights playing tricks on my mind. But then I noticed it—a faint shadow, something just barely visible behind the glass, as if someone or something was standing there, silently observing. My breath caught in my throat.
"Yana? Is that you?" I called out, hoping she was just messing with me.
Before I could dwell on it, the automatic door chimed, and I snapped into work mode. 'My first customer!' I thought, relief washing over me.
"Welcome, dear custo—"
My words died in my throat as I glanced at the entrance. There was no one. The door had opened, but the space beyond it was completely empty. My smile faltered, freezing in place.
I stared at the empty doorway, my pulse quickening. The door gently slid shut, as if it had been triggered by someone—or something—that I couldn't see. No wind, no trash—nothing that could explain why it was opening on its own. It was unnerving, but I didn't feel outright terrified. Just… curious.
'It has to be a malfunction,' I thought.
The door opened again, as if on cue. This time, I left the counter and approached it, testing the sensor. As expected, it slid open when I got close. I poked my head outside, scanning the empty surroundings. Not a soul in sight. No prank, no shadow lurking nearby.
Just a technical glitch, I reassured myself, stepping back inside. But the uneasy feeling clung to me like a cold breeze.
The manager's and Yana's warnings echoed faintly in my mind, but I couldn't bring myself to jump to conclusions. If I had seen something more gore—a woman in a bloodied white dress or a headless man—maybe then I'd believe in ghosts. But a door opening by itself? That was hardly supernatural.
'It's just a malfunction,' I told myself, peering outside again. Nothing.
I sighed, half in frustration. People really quit because of this? I thought. How could they have mistaken a simple technical issue for something paranormal?
How pathetic, really. I wasn't scared—I was annoyed. If the door keeps acting up like this, it'll drive me crazy before anything else does.
As I was about to return to the counter, the door that had nearly closed opened again, and this time it continued to open and close as if annoying me.
The door kept up its irritating cycle of opening and closing, like it was toying with me. Cold air kept gusting in, making the situation worse. I glared at it with frustration.
"When I was with Yana, this didn't happen," I muttered to myself, almost wishing she'd come back soon. The store was way too quiet without her, and now the stupid door was acting up.
I crouched down and checked the rail again. Nothing. No debris, no obstruction—everything seemed fine.
Did it really just break down?
I scratched my head, trying to figure out what to do. What am I supposed to tell Yana? Or the manager? I wasn't even through my first full shift, and already, this was becoming a hassle.
I stood back up, sighing deeply. 'Is this what drove everyone else out?'
"Cici?"
I turned around to see Yana emerging from the restroom in the back of the store with a tired look on her face.