Retail Gothic

Retail Gothic

There seems to be a new worker every week, but they rarely ever stay for more than a few shifts. What is driving them away? Do they know the truth?

"Come back when the manager is here." You tell them. You do not know who the manager is. You do not know when the manager will be here. You do not know what the manager is. It is better off that way.

There is a new product on display. You dont know what it is. Nobody knows what it is. Nobody knows where it came from. There is no record of it being shipped. You leave it on display. You know that if you take it down, it will return. You know the truth.

You feel like you have been working for hours and hours. Your feet feel like anchors and your soul begins to crumble into the void. You smile at a customer. It has only been 40 minutes.

Everytime you leave the store, you leave a piece of your soul behind. This is how they train you to be customer friendly. This is the truth.

"I'll go grab my supervisor." You say. You go to look for her but you cant find her. When you return, she is standing where you once were with a smile on her face. You dont remember what you needed her for. She is still smiling.

When your shift ends, it is dark out. It is noon. The cold wind blows and the snow begins to fall. It is summer. The store has stolen the final piece of your soul. You begin to crumble.

You do not know what time it is anymore. The clocks will not give you answers. They do not want you to know the truth.

A customer begins to tell you a story as you scan their items. The story takes place in 1982. It is 2020. They dont look as old as they should. Their eyes are so bright. Their teeth are so white and plentiful. Why are there so many teeth? What is the story about?

Your coworker starts to tell you a story one day but never gets to finish it. You ask her about it the next day. She says she wasnt here yesterday. You weren't there yesterday either.

You become lost in the aisles. No matter which direction you turn, you end up down another aisle. You turn left and end up in the back room. The store is now closed.

Theres another customer. Theres always another customer. You know better than to look them in the eyes. They can smell your fear. You hope they leave soon. The store is now closed.

You do not remember life before you worked here. You do not remember where you are. You do not remember your name. You look down at the name tag. It is not your name. You cannot tell them what you know.

"The store is now closed." You tell the customer. You can see the desperation in their eyes. You cannot tell what they want or what they are running from. You dont want to know.

The radio has played the same song four times now. You tell your coworker. They say there is no music playing. You know the truth. You know too much.

The store is now closed.