The hum of the old cooler fan being the only sound present.
Akira stood behind the counter of KingMart, arms crossed looking at the ticking clock above the register. 1:47am. Thirteen more minutes. The shift had been slow. Just the typical late-night wanderers. A couple picking up cigarettes. Nothing out of the ordinary.
The store was now empty, washed in the harsh white of the overhead fluorescent lights. The streets outside were dead quiet just the occasional flicker of a passing headlight.
He tapped his phone screen. A message from his younger sister popped up, sent hours ago.
"Can you grab milk on the way back?<3"
He smiled faintly. Typical.
The lights began flickering.
"For fuck sake, when are they going to fix damn light?"
He took a look at the time again 1:59 am.
He grabbed a milk carton from the fridge, scanned it in and stuffed the receipt in his pocket.
By 2:04am, he'd locked up and was walking to his beat-up car. It's seen better days but atleast it got him from Point A to Point B.
The milk was tucked under his arm. The air was cold, the kind that made your sting and your nose turn red. A layer of frost shimmered on the windshield, catching the glow of streetlights.
He started his engine and let the car warm up before pulling out of the parking lot.
The city held it's breath. Not even the faintest of whispers were heard.
2:37 am-Home
Akira parked outside the house and killed the engine. All the lights were off. Of course they would be, his whole family must be sleeping by now.
He tucked the milk under one arm and slowly opened the door, careful to not wake anyone up. The last thing he wanted was an argument with his sister for allegedly disrupting her slumber.
The hallway greeted him with silence. He stepped inside and slowly closed the door behind him.
Click
The sound echoed louder than it should have.
"Shit, she's gonna kill me for real this time"He whispered to himself.
The air felt stale.like no has breathed in for hours .
He paid no mind to this. It was late at night after all.
He kicked off his shoes and padded to the kitchen.
He intended to toss the milk in the fridge and crash.
He reached for the fridge handle - and paused.
Something was off.
The fridge light didn't turn on.
"A power outage?" He thought.
"It can't be the stove clock is still on" he said while glancing at the clock that read 2:43am
He held the milk not wanting to let it spoil in the now out of order fridge.
"They should have asked me for a fridge while they were at it "a hollow laugh escaped his lips.
The outside life was too quiet. The residents on this street love to party but tonight there was none.
Akira yawned. His exhaustion evident.
"I'm gonna crash" He said.
He left the kitchen. Milk still in arms.
"Where the fuck should I put this," he questioned "Might as well down this and then explain the fridge situation to mom tomorrow"
"Milk helps you grow taller, not that I need the height boost" He chuckled.
He left the kitchen tired.
"That shift really did fuck me up," he muttered "It's the same as I've always done. I don't know why today was so tiring"
The yawns came continuously.His steps became clumsy.
"Shit...I think I'm gonna pass out here" he managed to get these words out his mouth.
He was on route to his room.
"Just past the living room. A little further" He mumbled.
His foot stepped on something. It was sticky.
"What the fuck" He barely screamed.
It was loud but quiet enough to not wake anyone up.
He was still cautious of his sister.
He then stumbled onto the living room door, which for some odd reason was closed.
"Oh my days, it just keeps getting worse doesn't it" Akira hissed.
He flicked on the lights to temporarily alleviate the exhaustion.
The sudden burst of light hurt his eyes as they struggled to adjust.
He shielded his eyes for a good 5 seconds.
His eyes finally adjusted to the stabbing light.
That's when he saw it.
His heart stopped beating.
The lifeless forms of his mother and sister that lay sprawled across the floor.
The stale air from before now replaced with a metallic tang.
His heart now accelerated, pounding against his ribcage.
His mother slumped across the couch, head tilted back and eyes wide open-glassy and unmoving. His sister lay on the floor in front of her,curled in on herself, one hand stretched toward the hallway.
The milk from Akira's hands slipped and burst open on the floor, the white liquid pooled and mixed with the red streak that led to his family.
His legs gave out.
He dropped to his knees, choking on his breath, a scream caught somewhere in his chest and throat but could never escape.
"This is a prank right?" He said in disbelief.
Tears rolled down his cheeks but he managed to force a laugh.
"Get up, I'm Laughing jokes over now" he gasped out.
He approached his sister.
"I got the milk" He said in a hushed tone masked with the sound of a sob.
He grabbed her hand. Cold.
No pulse.
No warmth.
No future.
He gazed at the ceiling, attempting to hold back the tears.
They poured out uncontrollably, like the breach of a dam.