Erik began moved toward the group. He felt the weight of the groups eyes upon him.

Something felt off and he immediately recognized it. A sudden sinking feeling.

His stomach tightened.

Erik looked back at Rebecca.

She stood still.

Not a breath. Not a twitch.

He glanced at the others. Their expressions were tight, unreadable. They weren’t looking at her. They were looking at him.

The realization slammed into him like a fist to the ribs.

She’s not real.

His jaw clenched. His hands curled into fists.

He swore under his breath, anger burning through him—not at Rebecca, not even at the others.

At himself.

He should have recognized it sooner. But they always felt so damn real.

It was never the mirages that terrified him, it wasn’t their fault.

It was the way the normals reacted when they saw him talking to nothing.

He was ready to fight. He waited. He stared at the group of men playing cards — the other group?

Sean Garrison shook his head. His brother stepped forward. A man from the other side of the room broke the uncomfortable silence by shouting.

“Who you talking too?”

Erik swallowed hard. He could lie or he could just admit it.

“I have a condition. I’m managing it. Can we figure out what those monsters are doing outside please? Do we have an escape plan?”

He looked to the group and they stood quiet.

“Can we do something!?”

This prompted Sean to walk toward him. The other man also started toward him.

THUD

The walls shuddered. Something crashed outside. A scream burst forward, like a battle charge, then a cacophony of punches struck from every direction. The plywood-covered windows struggled to stay upon the walls as the mob of thrall all struck at once.

The group of survivors inside gasp.

The card table was upended.

Some ran and disappeared behind the thin rows that used to prepare fast food. Others stood and watched, frozen in fear or curiosity.

Erik wasn’t going to wait and he ran to the very rear of the store. At the rear was a red metal door upon the door was letters that spelled

EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY

Alarm will sound

He shoved the door but it didn’t budge.

“What are we going to do, hide in the walk-in freezer!” Erik shouts. His breathing increases and he begins to panic.

A man, dressed in black fatigues approaches Erik carefully.

“I think we can handle this a little better,” he says trying to reassure Erik.

“Handle something better? You’re asking me if I can handle something better, black shirt!” Erik growls and steps forward.

Marcus steps back to counter. He grabs a nightstick hanging from a utility belt.

“You going to use that on me?” Erik said as he stared through the hefty man. Behind him stood a vision of his daughter, which made him shiver. He closed his eyes and opened them to see she was gone.

He took a breath. Seeing Anne always took his breath away. He always knew she was a mirage but it was always a shock.

“You need to calm down man,” the man shouted, interrupting the moment.

Erik was ready to snap back but the mirage took a moment from him. After that moment a loud CRACK draws attention as on of the sheets of plywood comes crashing down.