One Day Only of Terror
It struck like lightning in a summer storm. A digital pulse raced through the air, electrifying the classroom as phones erupted in a cacophony of sound. At first, I thought it was an amber alert, perhaps a harbinger of danger, but as the truth unfurled, anticipation replaced apprehension. Then I realized it was something my friends and I had been waiting for—the herald of the next grandiose Versace sale in the heart of New York.
We quickly opened the notifications, which said, “Versace Sample Sale, March 27th on Old Dock Way, Pier 33.”
“Oh my god! Finally!” Shouted Aleisa. “I am ready for a new bag for this weekend!”
“Yeah, me too. But I might have to pass up this opportunity.” I said quietly.
“What? Why? Gurl, who knows when this will come through to New York again? We have to go.” Aleisa pleaded.
“I already bought some Coach slides last week. Since Spring Term starts next week, I must hold onto my savings. I am unsure what books to get for my classes.”
“Gurl. Fuck them, classes. You need to live. If not today, when?” Aleisha pulled me closer and whispered, “Nana and Kayla are never going to let it go if you don’t show up-”
“So! They aren’t paying for my classes.” I snapped.
“No, they aren't, but I thought you were trying to join the Delta’s with me? Kayla is the only one who can invite you to be an initiate.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Mali,” Aleisha said sternly, with a look that silenced me. “I will front you half for a bag, and you can pay me back when you can. Cool?”
“Cool.” I grudgingly replied.
Indifference draped over me like a shroud, shielding me from the weight of expectations, yet the allure of Delta status lingered like a specter, haunting my every step. With her silent hopes, even my mother wove threads of obligation around me, binding me to the path forged by the collective will. Defeated, I found myself following along with the majority. Each concession stoked the embers of self-reproach, a bitter brew of resentment and regret.
No, I don’t want to spend all my school money on a dumb bag. I would rather not eat ramen for three months! I thought defiantly as I met up with the flock on Old Dock Way at 7 pm.
The digital ad said 8 pm, but Kayla thought it would be best if we arrived early to beat the crowd. Amidst the crush of bodies, I sought solace in the familiar faces of Kayla and her Delta cohort, a bastion of camaraderie in the sea of frenzied desire. I positioned myself towards the tail-end of the group, beside Aleisha.
“I think half of Brooklyn is here,” Aliesha exclaimed.
“Yeah…” I replied, “I think you’re right.”
Everyone from my university seemed to be there, even Derrick Phillips, a figure of allure amidst the crowd, and my long-time crush from last term, standing a few yards before me with his friends. I never pegged him as a guy who cared about designer stuff. Yet, as the scene unfolded, the mystery unraveled; a dalliance with a doe-eyed freshman had rejoined him in line and handed him a drink. They briefly kissed and then wrapped their arms around each other as they waited uncomfortably for the doors to open. Another dream dashed, I thought as I diverted my eyes to a wall in the distance.
Amidst the hush of anticipation beneath March's frozen, darkened sky, we waited anxiously for the doors to open. And then, as if summoned by unseen hands, the doors parted, unleashing a torrent of bodies into the cavernous expanse. It wasn’t very long before my friends and I stepped into… an empty warehouse with numerous rooms and long, empty hallways.
“Where is everything?” Aleisha asked.
“I'm not too sure. Maybe we have to walk deeper into one of the back rooms,” I murmured, urgency threading through each word as we hastened our steps, scouring the shadows for the elusive treasures of haute couture.
Amidst the frenzied search, a figure emerged from the gloom, arresting my attention. While we, the seekers, chased after fortune's fleeting whispers, this solitary figure remained unmoving, a sentinel in the twilight.
As we pressed on, the clamor of our pursuit echoing against the warehouse walls, a sudden shift seized the air. The heavy clang of the warehouse doors reverberated through the corridor, sealing our fate. I pivoted to witness a macabre dance of darkness as the lights flickered and died, plunging us headlong into a chilling metamorphosis, where dreams transmuted into nightmares with each extinguished light.
“I should’ve said no,” I told myself as the strange man positioned himself on the raptures with a handful of other characters and lifted up a giant machine gun. As they shot into the crowd, the crowd became frantic, shoving and pushing me.
Hundreds of trampling feet immediately crushed those who fell. A horde of madness came across our panic faces. My heart raced as I tried to find somewhere to hide, so I held on to Aleisha so that we would stick together.
I am unsure when, but Aleisha let go… and was quickly swept away by the crowd.
“Aleisha!” I screamed. “Aleisha!!” Tears welled up in my eyes, and as my vision blurred, I finally caught a quick glimpse of her before a bullet blasted through her head and neck, splattering pieces everywhere.
It was at this moment when I lost my will to continue as I screamed. As the feeling of grief overwhelmed me, I didn’t notice the reflection of red and blue lights flashing through the blood-splattered frosted windows. I looked at the ground and saw so many familiar faces, and when I looked up, the strange man had his gun aimed at my face.
I should’ve said no.