The shop is deserted. Completely empty, aside from myself. I have the honor of working the graveyard shift tonight. In this small town outside of Phoenix, Arizona, people are asleep by eleven and up by six in the morning and yet the management feels it necessary to be open until well after midnight. Just my luck. Currently I am occupying myself by instant messaging my pen-pal who lives in Canada, Andrea. She hasn't replied in a few minutes and I'm idly tapping my pencil out of nerves. This shop gives me the creeps, and I would really like to be distracted.
After about ten minutes of nothing I finally got a reply. It reads: “I'm sorry for responding so late, I just watched a really disturbing video.” A disturbing video? That will certainly pass some time.
“Show me?” I ask.
“Sure, but when you have nightmares don't you say I didn't warn you.” she says as she posts a link to an unfamiliar video sharing website. My eyes shift back and forth across the web page, looking through thumbnails of various individuals profiles. The eyes of the people in the photos seem to be staring right at me, although I know they're just looking at a camera it still makes me nervous. I sense something evil about the site.
I laugh at myself. I'm seriously spooked and this creepy old shop is to blame. Finally, I decide to watch the video Andrea had watched. I swallow hard, not really sure what I'm about to witness. The video starts out in a living room, at a table there are five children trying to construct a giant pizza when suddenly the two blonde girls burst into a slow demonic song. The background music has an eerie beat that sends chills down my spine. I let out a nervous laugh, having not yet determined if I was more frightened or entertained by the music video. All of the kids have their own line in this song, and their faces are blank with programmed expressions. At about a minute and a half into the song the music slowed and played real low, and the kids stopped dancing and stared as the boy gripped a bottle of whipped-cream and opened his mouth wide revealing lots of sharp little teeth fit for a carnivorous fish. His eyes burned hot red and a scar shaped like an upside-down cross faded into view on his forehead. He grinned a razor-sharp smile and his became voice a low, dark growl. In a demonic tone that had my heart beat racing he cried “Whipped-cream pouring like waterfalls!” He squeezed the bottle in a white-knuckle grip until it exploded, sending it's contents all over the table. Then he shifted back into a normal boy and the upbeat tempo picked up again.
The other kids laughed and continued their dancing and singing. The video proceeded normally as though that scene had been a normal thing. As if boys normally turn into horrifying aliens. Boys with terrifying, inhuman strength were suddenly ordinary. I quickly close the browser. I can't watch anymore of that unholy and wretched scene.
“Holy crap, Drea. Where the hell did you find that?” My heart is pounding in my ears and I'm tapping my pencil faster now. The image of the boy creature is burned in my brain. Whipped-cream pouring like waterfalls. I shiver and glance at the skype icon on my task bar. No notifications, she hasn't replied. Come on, Andrea. You can't show me something like that and then disappear. A message tells me the internet connection has been lost.
“That's strange.” I think aloud. The internet is usually very reliable here. I pull out my cellphone to text her and let her know what happened to me only to find out that I have no service. Fantastic. The fluorescent lights begin to flicker at the end of the shop in the very back aisle. I look up just as they burn out and swallow the row in a thick, ominous darkness. A trail of goosebumps marches up my arms. I know I'm the only one working tonight and no one ever comes in this late, but I feel as though someone is here with me.
“Hello?” I ask, not sure if I really want an answer. The second-to-last aisle light's begin to flicker and fade to dark. I glance around nervously, looking for any signs of movement. Part of me feels like I'm only being paranoid because I'm creeped out about the video. Part of me is getting more scared by the moment.
“Is anyone there?” I gulp nervously and sweep the room with my eyes. No sign of movement. After a few minutes of quiet I exhale slowly. I'm going crazy, I know it. I head over to the router on the other side of the room and reset the internet with hopes that I can contact Andrea again. Talking to someone would really help calm my nerves. After a few moments I plug the power to the router back in and head over to the checkout again but I stop in my tracks when I notice the third-to last aisle had burned out. Part of the room was cast in dark shadows and it seemed to suck the life out of the place. I shake it off and head to the computer but much to my dismay, the internet still would not work. Bzzt. I glance up at the sound, the middle aisle burns out. The darkness is creeping up on me. It's only a few feet away from me now.
I get rid of that thought, that's nonsense. This place just needs new light bulbs, desperately. I pick up the store phone about to call the manager about the issue but the phone line is dead. The middle row burns out with a bzzt. The darkness is only a few inches away from me now and I dare not glance into it for fear of what I might see. My imagination tends to run wild when presented with darkness. The picture of the boy monster flashes through my mind and I jump back into the other side of the checkout. The next aisle burns out, too. The tips of my fingers are past the barrier of dark and I let out a small cry when, from the corner of my eye, I see movement to the side of me. Frantically, I jump over the counter and to the exit.
The doors are locked. Oh no. The only other exits are on the other side of the room and behind the checkout and both places have been consumed by the dark. This is not good. I back into the front aisle and into the corner. Bzzt. I fall into the corner and close my eyes. Bzzt. Only one row away. And that's when I hear it. Low, barely audible but I am positive of what I hear. I could never forget the voice. Whipped-cream pouring like waterfalls. No. Whipped-cream pouring like waterfalls. The voice grew louder, and the chant grew faster. Whipped-cream pouring like waterfalls. Absolutely fucking not. Whipped-cream pouring like waterfalls. My heart pounds in my ears and it feels as though I've swallowed a giant potato. My heart is beating twice as fast as it should be, the face is burned in my mind. His razor sharp teeth in an ear-splitting grin. I open my eyes just as the aisle goes dark.
Silence now. All I hear is my own rapid breathing. I look around but it is useless, it's total darkness now. Even outside it is a cloudy night, so there's not even the light of the moon by my side. I don't know how long I've been sitting here. It feels like minutes, it could be seconds. It feels like an eternity. Deciding to chance it, I stand up and slowly feel myself down the aisles to the exit. The chanting picks up again. Right behind me, it seems. Quicken my pace. Go faster. To the right of me in one of the aisles something falls off of the shelf. Then two things. Then more. Soon, everything is flying off of the shelves and crashing to the floor, the sound is terrifying. Yet, the chanting grows louder, and more evil. In the midst of my desperate stumbling around in my search for the exit I trip over a box, or something. The chanting is in my head now. Screaming at me. Tears begin to stream down my eyes and I crawl in the direction I'd been headed when suddenly the chanting stops. The lights turn on and they are blinding, but the welcome kind. I'm on my hands and knees in the middle of an aisle but I quickly jump to my feet and sprint towards the door. I pull with all my strength but it won't budge.
The hairs on the back of my neck raise up. Someone is standing directly behind me. That's impossible. My blood is ice and I am petrified. I don't want to see what I know is there. I just know what's there. Slowly my body turns as it does not feel like my will and slowly I bring up my eyes to his face. His terrible face. His eyes burn hot as they stare into mine and his lips curl into an evil sneer. He appears to be holding something in his hand but I can't really make out what it is with the tears in my eyes clouding my vision.
Whipped-cream pouring like waterfalls. What the hell? The walls ooze a white fluid...whipped cream? The whipped-cream is pouring faster down the walls and quickly filling the small store. The cool substance laps at my ankles and I stare horrified at the scene before me. I'm going to drown in whipped-cream. This is not how I thought I would die. The creature is eying me curiously, is he laughing? A deep growl escapes it's throat and I wince at the sound. Never taking his eyes off me the creature lifts a bottle of Reddi-whip to his lips and opens wide. The whipped cream pours like a waterfall into his horrible fish mouth and down his face onto his chest then spilling to the floor adding on to the pool of whipped-cream which is now flowing around my knees. I'm desperate. I grab the broom in the corner of the room and whack the son of a bitch as hard as I possibly can.
The creature is clearly taken aback by my sudden act of violence and I leap on the opportunity to attack again before this thing has a chance to devour me whole. I pull the broom back behind me and with all of my might I swing it into its face. It is my turn to be taken aback when it throws its head back in a fit of laughter. Damn, damn, damn! I wade through the whipped-cream towards the exit as quickly as I can but the monster is right behind me, laughing. Chanting that god-awful line.
Whipped-cream pouring like waterfalls. The ooze begins to flow faster and I am now up to my chest in this sticky goo. I'm going to die, this is the end. I accept my fate and give in to the creature as the whipped-cream covers my mouth, then my nose, now my eyes. I'm going to die. I'm dying. Whipped-cream pouring like waterfalls.
Air rushes into my lungs and I sit up with a start. What the hell? There is no way that was all a dream. I head over to the small shop, too afraid to step inside I just watch from the parking lot. It seems totally normal. Busy even. Did I just imagine all of that last night? Maybe I ate some bad food and hallucinated the whole thing, must have...
PRESENT DAY: I have decided to start therapy sessions with hopes to collect and put together the fragments of my soul after what had happened three years ago. I've made such progress, I actually am smiling again. Although it'll be a very long time until I am okay. Today is going to be my last session here as I am moving far away. A new town, a new me, with all of that horror in the past. The sun is warm and inviting as I step out of my car and into the office where my therapist waits.
“Hello Pam.” I smile grimly as she waves and continues to work on her computer. I knock on my counselor's door and walk in.
“Hello, it's nice to see you.” I smile at the familiar face. She has helped me through all of this and is a big part of the reason I'm ready to leave.
“I understand you're thinking about discontinuing these visits.” She states with a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
“Oh, yes. I just feel that this move is necessary for my mental health” I feel bad but it's true.
“I quite agree. However, we shared such a powerful experience together that night. Why would I ever let you go?” She grins at me and pulls at her ear. To my horror, she rips her face right off and underneath lay the monster from all those years ago.
“No!” I scream.
“Yes! WHIPPED-CREAM POURING LIKE WATERFALLS!” it laughs and bashes the reddi-whip into my skull, completely shattering it. I slump to the floor and as I lay dying I swear I saw whipped-cream pouring from the creature's eyes.
The end.