Lost in a Grocery Store Hallway, Chasing a Missing Key

Lost in a Grocery Store Hallway, Chasing a Missing Key

I was standing in the hallway of my apartment building, but the doors all opened onto a tiny, unfamiliar grocery store. A cashier stared at me, then whispered that a package had been stolen from the back room and they needed a witness. I tried to explain I lived on the third floor, not the store, but my words came out as the name of my old college roommate, Jess, who I hadn't seen in years. Suddenly the store’s lights flickered, and I heard a muffled crash from the pantry. I ran toward it, but every step felt like wading through a shallow river; I was late for work and my shoes were soaked. In the pantry, a bundle of wrapped gifts lay on the floor, a police badge glinting beside them, and a note that said, "Find the key before the elevator stops." I looked around, panicked, realizing I couldn't find my apartment key anywhere, and the elevator doors were already closing on me.