Miko felt like she was an onlooker, sidelined and spectating. She watched with widened almond eyes, blinking rapidly as an unmistakably dismembered voice echoed from behind the door. The splintered, worn wood did little to create a barrier between whatever was making those eery sounds and the small group of unsuspecting strangers that had gathered in Intriguingly’s. One of the man’s dogs barked and Miko’s brows raised. Dogs were especially good at sensing otherworldly presence, weren’t they? Is that why the protective animal couldn’t stop barking at the door? When the latch clicked open, the group of strangers all flinched with synergy. Miko took a couple of cautious steps backwards, not realising she was holding her breath and had been since the voice first spoke. The hastened beat of her heart thumped in her ear canals. There was no time to register what was happening. In fact, there was no rational explanation for it all. Perhaps some kind of gimmick? A marketing technique for the strange antique store? Something to get the town talking? Miko shivered. Whatever was beyond the now open door carried a chilling energy with it. 

All of a sudden, the shop went into shutdown. The lights extinguished like a snuffed candle then flickered like strobes. Miko’s hand flew to her face, shielding her eyes from the naked flashing bulbs overhead. The air seemed to chill, temperature plummeting at an unbelievable speed, Miko’s breath formed plumes of vapour in front of her face. Then, chaos unfolded around them. Shelves trembled, sending the goods that were sat upon them tumbling to the ground. Glass shattered somewhere in the background. The young man who was stood at the front of the group, in direct eyeline of the haunted door, exclaimed loudly and Miko heard genuine fear in his voice.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the chaos died. Intriguingly’s was illuminated once more and the silence that enveloped them should’ve felt comforting. But Miko’s heart still thudded behind her ribcage and the hairs on the back of her neck still prickled. Though there was no longer an eery voice echoing beyond the door nor phantom destruction erupting around them, Miko still didn’t feel safe. And nor did anyone else in the group. Her eyes flicked from person to person searchingly. The young man that was toe to toe with whatever was behind that door was stuttering nervously. Unsurprising, really. The rest of the group didn’t have front row seats to whatever had just happened. The shop owner, suspiciously silent, shuffled over to Intriguingly’s door and flipped the sign. 

“Closed!…” it read.

[quote] “[i]Sir[/i]?” Miko called, her voice shakier than she’d have liked. “[i]You don’t seem to be particularly bothered by whatever just happened… That a regular occurrence here or something?[/i]”[/quote]

Her tone was a little more accusatory than she’d intended but she blamed the nerves. 

[quote] “[i]He’s right, you know. We deserve some kind of explanation. Like… What was that? Some kinda publicity stunt? Was a pretty good trick. But you can’t just close up shop and leave us in here!”[/i][/quote]

Miko blinked. She rarely felt as emboldened as she was presenting. But something about herd mentality and the fear that still prickled at the back of her neck drove her onward.

[quote] “[i]Sir! Say something![/i]”[/quote]