Closing Time

‘How could I get shut in? It should be impossible.’ Todd said out loud, his voice echoing down the dark aisle.

He sighed and slumped down on the floor. Todd knew the store closed at seven but he was desperate to take a leak. When he had finally emerged from the bathroom the shop was in darkness.

He’d run to the front door but found it locked. The colourful children’s rides that were usually in the doorway were pulled inside. Noddy grinned at him from inside his yellow car. Todd glared back.

‘What are you so happy about?’

He realised he was talking to a piece of plastic and moved off, shaking his head.

So Todd was stuck here for the night. There were worse places to be. A large department store like this at least gave him somewhere to sleep. He was hungry, but that couldn’t be helped.

Todd got up and made his way over to the furniture department. He was a little unnerved as he walked past a group of mannequins displaying the latest in men’s fashions. He remembered a TV programme from his childhood where these dummies came to life and killed people with, literal, handguns.

The beds all looked comfortable. Todd stretched out on the largest he could find.

Just on the verge of sleep, Todd heard a noise. It sounded like a bell, jingling in the distance. He looked around but all he could see were shadows.

The sound was getting closer.

‘Is there anybody there?’

He heard a soft giggle. Todd got up off the bed and looked around.

He felt something tug on his trouser leg. In that moment, he realised what had been following him from the front door. He looked down.

‘Do you want to play?’ it said.