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MaLL_Babe90: Don’t be like that. Everyone has wishes.

GaM3b0y90: Maybe, but it doesn’t mean that they can come true.

MaLL_Babe90: Whatever. While you’re busy being a stick in the mud, I am going to make a wish.

GaM3b0y90: By all means. Feel free to share with the class.

MaLL_Babe90: Can’t.

GaM3b0y90: How come?

MaLL_Babe90: It’s the rules. It’s bad luck to tell someone your wish.

GaM3b0y90: Oh.

MaLL_Babe90: It’s the most important rule of wish making.

GaM3b0y90: I’ll keep that in mind

MaLL_Babe90: Aha! So, you do believe in wishes!

GaM3b0y90: I believe in…

“Natalia.”

My eyes spring open.

Surely, my trip down Instant Messenger Lane has seeped a little too deep into my brain because there’s no way I⁠—

“Natalia,” the same voice whispers.

—heard my name.

With the option of running away off the table on account of me being trapped, I’m forced with two choices. Sit here and ignore the totally-not-creepy voice saying my name or I go see what—or whom—it is.

Once again, my feet lead the way and make the choice for me. Not that I have much to go by. The voice has since stopped saying my name, making me question if the emotional rollercoaster of the day has fried some of my brain cells, causing me to hallucinate.

If there is someone calling my name, there aren’t many places they could be hiding. The main part of the store takes up most of the square footage. Other than that, there’s a small curtained-off area that acted as the manager’s office and break room on one side and another that acted as a storage space for extra inventory. Which leaves the basement. In all the time I spent here when it was open, I never once entered or saw anyone enter the basement. It was unspoken knowledge that it was off limits.

I’ve made some idiotic decisions in my life, but am I about to make an even worse one and break my personal record?

Unfortunately for me, I have nothing but time on my hands and not enough willpower to remain levelheaded about any of this.

I look around to see if there’s something I can use to break the padlock.

Naturally there’s nothing. And all I have is my phone and my car keys. Wait. Keys. I have keys! Not only the keys to the hunk of shit I drive, but the key that Rennix left to me.

I don’t waste time overthinking. I take the key out and insert it into the lock.

Success meets my hands as I turn and it unlocks.

Finally, something is going my way today…I think.

The adrenaline rush is fleeting when my hand is on the knob and my name is spoken again.

I don’t know how I missed it before.

Has it been that long?