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The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/S_Duarte on 2026-05-29 15:18:38+00:00.

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I work at a local grocery store. You know, one of those places that sell a bit of everything: Food, electronics, clothing, pharmaceuticals, that sort of thing. Most of the time, I work in the evening after classes, so usually it's pretty uneventful. But yesterday, towards the end of my shift, the manager came up to me and asked if I wanted to work overnight. It was short notice, but since I really needed the money, I entertained the idea.

My manager (let's call him Bill) let me know that the night supervisor (let's call him Andy) would not be in. Family emergency or something. This guy never missed a shift, and he's the only one who works overnight. Apparently, he's been there forever. They must pay him well because he never left. I only met him once, but he struck me as odd, a strange demeanour about him. Maybe that's why he preferred nights, so he didn't have to interact with anyone.

Well, the Manager asked me again if I'd be willing to take over in Andy's absence. I thought about it, and before I could say anything, he told me the pay would be at double time plus the night premium, including a bonus if everything went well. I wasn't sure if this was just a one-time thing, but I really couldn't say no.

I didn't have any classes the next day anyway, and I had just woken up before my shift, so I was still feeling pretty good. More importantly, the extra money was enticing. Just a couple of hours and I'd have a few extra days' pay in my pocket. What could go wrong?

I accepted the offer, thanked him, and then asked what my duties would entail.

"Oh, nothing crazy," he said with a smile. "I'll leave you with the keys and a list before I head out."

He began walking back to his office when suddenly, he stopped and turned to me with a serious expression.

"Just... Be sure to follow everything that's written down, exactly."

He stressed that last word, a strange heaviness weighing on it, eyes fixed on me. I nodded in agreement. Of course I'd follow the list. Would there be a reason not to? I shook it off and continued with my normal routine of unloading the remaining pallets.

The job's simple; take inventory, stock shelves, face products, help customers and perform any other tasks they feel like giving us. It's pretty boring, but it pays the bills while I finish school. One by one, the lights shut down, leaving only a dim glow in their place as workers finished clocking out. The silence that followed was unnatural, a suffocating quiet that muffled my ears. It was a strange feeling to know that everyone was leaving while I stayed behind. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my solitude, but this was different. The unsettling atmosphere was a festering wound that kept on spreading.

Shortly after, Bill waved me down as he was leaving with one foot out the door.

"Thanks again for doing this," he said. "Here are the keys. Be sure to lock up after you leave. The list is on my desk. And please..." He stared at me with a serious expression and snatched my wrist, pulling me close. I flinched and instinctively pulled back, but he had an iron grip.

"Follow the instructions exactly as they're written. Do not deviate. No matter what, under any circumstances... Don't leave without completing everything on that list." The smell of coffee and hot breath hit me with every word, but that’s not what made me feel sick. A strange feeling settled over me, and I didn't quite know how to respond. I wanted to ask him what he meant, but all that came out was:

"You got it, Bill." I smiled sheepishly and pulled away as he released my hand.

"Good," he said with a grin. "Good. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, he left the store, whistling as he hopped into his car and drove away. I stood there for a moment, hating that peculiar feeling that told me to run. Screaming at me to just leave. There was a sense of unease looming, but I brushed it off and officially started the night shift.

I quickly locked the door behind him and rushed over to his office. There on his desk was a single sheet of paper.

"Not a very big list."

There were only 5 tasks, but I grew more puzzled as I soon found that each one was stranger than the last.

1. Ensure all exits are locked. Under no circumstances are you to open the door for anyone.

Simple enough. There were only 2 exits in the building anyway, and I sure as hell wasn't going to let anyone inside. But what if someone from the day shift came back? Or someone needed help? I shrugged it off and continued reading.

1. Put out all merchandise from pallets and build any displays as needed. Do not be alarmed if they move on their own.

Most of the pallets had already been emptied, so after that, I was just left with building the displays. But why would they move by themselves? Maybe the displays had sensors or timers.

1. If you hear someone call out to you: Do not respond or acknowledge them. Just leave it alone. It will pass.

At that point, I was starting to get freaked out. Why would anyone else be there? Maybe it was some kind of test. I had no idea what it meant, but I was sure that there was more to the night shift than I had originally thought.

1. If someone is behind you: Do not turn around and speak to them. Do not look at them. Avoid staring at all costs.

I paused for a moment in disbelief, unable to take any of it seriously. What kind of game was Bill playing? Was I on camera? Was this some type of initiation? If so, I wasn't impressed. All I knew was that I was getting tired of it already. And I certainly was not going to leave without collecting my pay.

1. Once all tasks have been completed, walk backwards out of the building while reciting the words on the coin. Do not leave without doing so.

The last part was underlined in red pen.

"You've got to be kidding me," I joked, laughing out loud.

What person in their right mind would do this without thinking twice? I half expected to find Bill laughing at me from outside.

And coin? What coin?

I looked down, and there it was on the desk, gold and radiant. I never saw anything like it before. It was exquisite. I wasn't sure of the origin, but it appeared ancient, sparkling brilliantly in my hand as I ran my thumb over the engraving and attempted to read the words. It spelled out: "Malum Non Sequitur."

"This is total bullshit," I laughed, crumpling up the paper and throwing it into the waste bin, pocketing the coin. There was no way I was going to do any of this. I was just going to finish my work and get the hell out of there. But right as I stepped out of the office, the lights in the store started to flicker.

Not a good start.

That's when I noticed a figure jutting out from one of the far aisles. A featureless shape silently observing me. Long hair past their shoulders with an almost imperceptible smile. But it was there. Gave me the chills.

"Hello?!" I yelled. "Who's there!?" No response.

Someone was definitely there with me. My hands grew sweaty as I scoured the checkout aisles and pulled out a flashlight beside one of the tills, quickly flicking on the switch. My hands trembled, guiding the light to the far end of the store, where I had witnessed the figure, but there was no one there. I told myself I was just spooked by the stupid list, that it was all in my imagination, but tendrils of doubt crept up in the back of my mind.

I raced to the back exit without thinking, adrenaline pumping, to make sure it was still locked, and sure enough, it was. Rusty deadbolt in place. I scoured the entire store, still running, throwing myself blindly at the situation. But I found no one. And just to make sure, I went back to Bill's office to check the security cameras and confirmed that the only person inside the building was me. I breathed out a sigh of relief, glad that it was just my overactive imagination, then took a moment to gather myself before emptying out the remaining pallets.

Over the next few hours, while filling up shelves and rotating product, I had a strange sense that someone was watching me. Several times, I would turn around, feeling eyes on my back, but never saw anything. Even though I knew I was alone, there was always a nagging voice in the back of my mind telling me, ‘What if?'

Once that was all finished, I started setting up the displays. There were a few mannequins that needed clothing, and also a giant cardboard lizard for a children's breakfast cereal that needed to be built. The cereal's actually pretty good. Multi-coloured loops with little bug-shaped marshmallows. My stomach rumbled as I thought about downing a bowl or two and guzzling the milk at the end.

One of the mannequins was partially dressed. Bill must've started on it before he left. Strange. It looked eerily familiar. The eyes had a lifelike quality, despite being plastic. I shuddered, fixed on that dead stare. As I reached out to touch it, a loud bang cut through the silence that made me jump. It came from the storefront window.

When I made my way over, I was surprised to see someone smiling as they waved for me to come closer. A dishevelled man, wearing tattered clothing with long hair covering his face. He looked up with a cupped hand, holding a small shivering dog in the crook of his other arm, nestled into the man's discoloured jacket.

"Food?" he asked, smiling a toothless grin.

I felt horrible and wanted to help them out. I was sure that I could get a few items and let Bill know. He could just take it out of my pay. No big...

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